Amed Metropolitan Municipality organized a concert with the participation of Koma Hevra and Kardeş Türküler in Şêx Seîd Square. The concert was attended by co-mayor Doğan Hatun, district municipality co-mayors, representatives of political parties and civil society organizations in the city, as well as thousands of people.
DEM Party Provincial co-chair Abbas Şahin said that the trustee had done everything in his power to ban the Kurdish language and culture for 8 years. Şahin added, pointing at the crowd: "Those who did everything in their power to ban our language and culture should see this square."
Şahin continued: "For 8 years, the trustee mentality has tried every way and method to prevent our people from using their language and culture, and has tried to destroy us politically. They wanted to destroy our language and culture. We are here with our language and culture. Where there is art, there is freedom; where there is freedom, there is peace. Protect your language, your culture, your streets, your health."
An honorable peace is a must for freedom
Emphasizing that there can be no peace where there is no freedom, Şahin said: "We will live together with our language, culture, and different ethnic identities. We know how to respect each other, and we will continue to do so. What these lands need the most is honorable peace. Freedom is needed together with an honorable peace. We said that we would put artistic events on the agenda of our city. Our municipalities will be our face, they will be on the streets. We will spread our art in every area and every street.”
Call to attend ‘Freedom Rally’
Şahin made a call to participate in the Freedom Rally to be held on 13 October in Amed, and said: "Let’s achieve freedom and peace together. Let’s organize street by street, house by house. Let’s all rally together on 13 October. Because the greatest need of these lands is freedom and peace."
‘The streets will be filled with our culture’
Amed Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor, Doğan Hatun, said: "We promised that we would come, they would go. Our streets will be filled with Kurdish culture and language again.’ We kept our promise. We came, they went, the streets are ours now. Our language, culture and art will not disappear from these streets. We will protect our land, language and culture for our freedom. Freedom awaits us. As these areas fill up, freedom is near. This is the beginning. We made great promises. We will fulfill our promises one by one. This area is a sacred area for Kurds. This area will always be filled for our freedom."
Koma Hevra and Kardeş Türküler took the stage and condemned the oppression against Kurdish language institutions on 25 September, saying that they will continue to keep the Kurdish language and culture alive everywhere.