Sending holiday greeting cards to President, Prime Minister and Chief of Defence Staff in Ýstanbul, Peace Mothers demanded consideration of ceasefire decision and an end for military operations.

Peace Mothers came together in Ýstanbul Galatasaray Square before sending the postcards to President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Chief of Defence Staff Iþýk Koþaner to demand consideration of inertial decision and an end for military operations.

The press statement held afterward at Galatasaray Square was read by a Peace Mother Güler Buday. Stating that thousands of guerrillas, soldiers and policemen lost their lives in 30 years, Buday spoke as follows; “The armed conflict atmosphere gave rise to over 30 thousand loss of lives, devastation of thousands of villages and forests, nature destruction under the cover of dams,  exile of millions of people from their lands and economical, social and political impressions on all people in our geography.”

Buday remarked that every single person became hopeful in the process of Kurdish initiative which was locked with the applied politics, adding; “ While expecting good things to happen, hundreds of innocent and blameless school-age children were imprisoned. Despite the inertia process, there have been substantial rises in operations; which resulted in loss of many guerrillas and soldiers.  Following 1 September World Peace Day; as Peace Mothers, we now want to pass our feast without sorrow, tears and in peace, brotherhood, democracy and freedom. And therefore we demand the consideration of inertia decision of KCK (Kurdistan Democratic Confederation) that will last till 20 September, an end for military operations and release of imprisoned children. The inertia decision of PKK, which will end soon, (Kurdistan Workers Party) mustn’t be wasted.”

Following the statement, the group held a sit-in and moved off in silence.

Translation: Berna Ozgencil