A memorial was held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Taksim, Istanbul to bid farewell to Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and member of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Imralı Delegation. The 62-year-old politician passed away on Saturday at Florence Nightingale Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit following a cardiac arrest on April 15.

The event was attended by thousands of people from the worlds of art and politics, as well as his family members, relatives and beloved ones. The hall where the ceremony was held was completely full, with many people left outside. Önder's coffin was carried onto the stage by his family and loved ones. Önder's coffin was decorated with carnations and a white veil.

The event began with a screening featuring excerpts from the life of Sırrı Süreyya Önder.

Önder’s daughter, Ceren Önder Kandemir, gave a short speech in memory of her father. Speaking in tears, Ceren Önder Kandemir said, “Whenever I wrote something, I would call my father and read it to him on the phone. We were like one person. It was as if I was reading to myself. I could see my mistakes.”

Ceren Önder Kandemir: I haven't had enough of your friendship

Ceren Önder Kandemir then read a letter she had written to her father last week, which stated the following:

“Dad, all the color has gone out of life. The life I knew is over. A new life is beginning now. It's frightening, full of unknowns. It's like a cave where I've lost the chance to hear something from you that I've never heard before. Ever since I can remember, I've been afraid of losing you. This has been my only nightmare, my weakness, the ache in my nose, the lump in my throat, the pain in my stomach.

You are so good, so unique that I would say this man could only cause me pain by dying. The sound of the violin, the cümbüş, and the ud you play at night, the poems you recite from memory in an instant, the cafes where we meet five times a day with the same excitement as if we had just met, your inability to fit into a house, your unwillingness to hurt anyone, your unwillingness to be lazy about doing good, your refusal to hold a grudge against anyone, your fear of hurting someone's honor more than breaking their heart...

I would call you and say, “Dad, my heart is broken.” “Dad, I have the flu, I can't stop coughing, my cat died, I'm in love, I can't sleep...” I have had more than enough of your fatherhood. What you have given me is already enough not just for me, but also for my son and his children. You have satisfied me until I no longer need a father. But I haven't had enough of your friendship. Can one ever have enough of such friendship?

Now I want to get angry. You said, “In two weeks, the peace protocol will be signed, then we'll be at ease, and I'll have my surgery.” I want to get angry at you for saying, “What could probably happen in just two weeks?” Hunger strikes, torture in prisons... I want to get angry that you didn’t care about yourself, but I can't. I can't be angry because of the letter you sent me from Kandıra Prison. You said I wouldn't want a father who has no place to go, no purpose, but is always absent. I would wish you didn't have to go. Regarding those who are angry with you, you said it was because of poverty and deprivation and told me to never harbour anger. Where did you hide your anger in a life spent in poverty, deprivation, and orphanhood since the day you were born? I never saw it. Probably in your heart. You're leaving this world without acquiring a single possession, without buying a second sweater, without asking anyone for anything, debt-free and penniless, having lived your life nourishing your honor rather than your throat.

As you left, you took all the color away. I was able to give you all the love I could. I told you every day that I loved you. I kissed you and smelled you to my heart's content. Now all my colors are yours. You shall find your friends there too. Rest now, my Crane Bird. We will be fine. We will always tell the children about you. Even if your jokes stick in our mouths, we will try to imitate them. There is a peace inside me that I cannot fully describe. The peace of knowing that you no longer have to fight. The last time we saw you standing, you gave us a bag of oranges and a box of eggs. I will never forget how you always carried mandarins in one pocket and peanut butter in the other, your love for the honey in the tin cans, and your affection for the rest areas.

You said you wouldn't leave without seeing Cano's wedding. You didn't keep your word, something you have never done. You wanted to see peace. The thought of children being orphaned would tear your heart apart. I don't know if it was peace; in the hospital corridors, among the classless, flagless, sorrowful, hopeful crowd, I saw something that resembled peace. Don't let leave having a desire unaccomplished. With the verses you read to me in your beautiful voice: “I know the rain won't fall upward again. The knife's mark will fade away without a trace, but no wind can fill the empty space left behind. Like the crane birds flying together from one life to the next, their place in the sky.” I am proud of you.”

Selahattin Demirtaş: You will be buried in the hearts of millions

Selahattin Demirtaş, who is being held hostage in Edirne Prison, shared a message for Sırrı Süreyya Önder on his social media account, saying, “You have no grave, but you will be buried in the hearts of millions. Which one can I visit, which one can I face, brother? Go, may your path be open, dear one, you are always dear to us. But death is is not a smile nor a mustache that suits you. It was not meant to be, brother.”

Tülay Hatimoğulları: We will never forget you

DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said in her speech: “Everyone's prayer was for Önder to overcome this illness and be among us, but unfortunately, that did not happen. On behalf of our party, we extend our gratitude to everyone who prayed for him. We also thank the healthcare workers and journalists who worked day and night and mobilized themselves. Önder's illness and the solidarity shown by everyone there were a testament to the democratic society and message of peace that Önder sought to achieve. That unifying feeling was a symbol of peace, democracy, and longing for this land. You were not just a writer, artist, and politician. Millions saw you as part of their own story.

Your life story was the story of the women and the poor in this region. That is why there is so much heartache. You managed to overcome every pain. We thought you would overcome this too, but it didn't happen. You fought hard, but it didn't work out. Your illness played a unifying role in society. No matter what happened, you fought for peace. For Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and your comrades in exile. You worked hard so that the tears of Turkish and Kurdish mothers would come to an end. You worked hard for the Call for Peace and a Democratic Society. Your belief in peace is still alive and well. The price you paid in this struggle was high. I bow before you and all our comrades who paid the price in this struggle, starting with you.

The path to peace, justice, and democracy is narrow, rocky, and thorny. You turned pain into honey. You said, “We will succeed, we will achieve peace.” You were aware of the conflict they wanted to drag the Middle East into, and you were aware that every segment of society needed peace. That is why your heart grew weary. You said, “This time it will happen, we will succeed.” We believe this too. We promise that we will succeed. Your words will never be in vain. This time we will succeed. Let this be our promise to everyone who has paid the price on this land. Farewell, dear comrade. We will never forget you.”

Bakırhan: Sırrı is the symbol of peace

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan read the text he had written for Önder. Describing Önder as a “master of words,” Bakırhan said, “Sırrı is the symbol of peace. While the world was losing its elegance, you were devoted from head to toe. Your story was as deep-rooted as the land you grew up in and the stories you told. The story of one who has endured much is also long. You were like a dengbêj or a çîrokbej. Every word you used carried the traces of the entire geography you lived in. As Murathan Mungan said, 'You knew both the tree and the forest, and their linguistic equivalents.'

It was ten years ago. You had once again taken to the roads for peace. At Dolmabahçe, you spoke the oldest words with hope. You said, “The mountains and people are tired; peace will prevail.” It was on that very day that we lost Yaşar Kemal. I want to send you off with his words: “If one person suffers, all people suffer. When one person is killed, isn't all of humanity killed? Fighting against war, fighting without killing—this is the most beautiful idea born of this land.” You dedicated yourself to peace so that no one would suffer. I promise you that the waters of the Euphrates will flow into the Marmara Sea. I promise you that peace will prevail. We will miss your beautiful heart.”

Pervin Buldan: Now it is time for the great peace

Pervin Buldan, a member of the DEM Party's Imrali Delegation, said the following: “It's very hard to say goodbye to you, Sırrı. I can't say goodbye to you, Sırrı. You were my comrade, my companion, my confidant, my brother, my everything, Sırrı. You left me alone on the path we embarked on together, you left us alone, Sırrı, the ancient friend of the Kurds. It is very difficult to say goodbye to you. You were not just Sırrı Süreyya Önder, you were Turkish, Kurdish, Alevi, you were the tree in Gezi Park right next to us, you were a blossom, you were a flower. You were life to insects, flowers, and everyone with a beating heart and breathing air; you were a comrade. For 18 days, you lay in the intensive care unit with your wounded heart. But do you know what happened, Sırrı? You brought about social peace; social peace has been achieved. Now it is time for the great peace.”

Abdullah Öcalan: He was a true child of the peoples

Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s message from Imrali, titled 'In memory of Dear Sırrı Süreyya Önder,' was also read at the event. The message reads as follows:

"With the passing of dear Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a deep sorrow has settled in our hearts.
He was a very valuable person, a true child of the peoples. Anatolia and the Turkmen tradition have lost one of their greatest sons; all the communities and peoples of our geography have lost a great comrade. I hold deep respect for his memory.

On 27 February, during our last meeting, he personally took note of the final sentence we added to our call, writing it down with his own hands, and he wanted to read it himself.

He had an unforgettable diligence and devotion to living together in peace. He possessed the rare skill of turning every negative into something positive. He was a true identity and culture of peace.

He knew very well what peace and the peace process could bring to all of us, and this was his deepest longing. This hope can never be left incomplete. What matters for all of us is to carry this spirit into peace and to crown it in the name of Sırrı Süreyya Önder.

Once again, I express my eternal respect for his memory; I extend my condolences to his beloved family, friends, loved ones, and all our peoples.

My deepest condolences to all of us.”

Peace Mother Rewşan Döner: We will not let your efforts go to waste

Peace Mother Rewşan Döner said in her speech, “My condolences to all our people and his family. Mr. Önder had a great concern. We, as Peace Mothers, have suffered greatly. We wanted peace and justice. We didn't want anyone to bury their children. We will not let your efforts go to waste. We promise you, messenger of peace, martyr of May, we will bring democracy to this country. We, the mothers, will carry the flag of peace.”

Talabani: The Kurdish people have lost a true, loyal, and compassionate defender

Then, a message from the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) President Bafel Talabani was read. The message said:

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mr Sirri Sureyya Onder, a member of the Imrali delegation. I extend my sincere condolences to his family, the DEM Party, and to all those committed to peace and the peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue through dialogue.

Sırrı Sureyya Önder was a prominent and devoted figure of the Kurdish people — a sincere advocate for their rights throughout various stages of his life. He made tireless efforts to resolve issues through peaceful means and to advance the peace process in North Kurdistan and Turkey.

His passing is a profound loss. The Kurdish people have lost a true, loyal, and compassionate defender.

May he rest in peace, and may God grant comfort and strength to all who mourn him."

Önder's daughter, Ceren Önder Akdemir, played Neşet Ertaş's song “Allı Turnam,” which her father loved very much and listened to for 18 days in the hospital, for the audience.

As the ceremony at AKM came to an end, Sırrı Süreyya Önder's body was taken to Barbaros Mosque in Levent for a funeral ceremony.