URFA - Describing Ali Çiçek, who lost his life together with Kemal Pir, Akif Yılmaz and Hayri Durmuş during the death fast in Diyarbakır Prison No. 5, his older sister Ayşe Çiçek said: "Öcalan became the foundation of Kurdistan, and they became the pillar of Kurdistan."

 

The Kurds suffered the most from the inhumane practices introduced during the military coup of September 12, 1980, one of the darkest periods in Turkey's history. After the coup, Diyarbakır Prison No. 5 became the center of torture and inhumane practices. The prison, under the management of Captain Esat Oktay Yıldıran, became one of the 10 most notorious prisons in the world due to these practices. However, the resistance put forward against these tortures became the basic building block of the freedom struggle of the Kurds.

 

THE FIRST STEP OF THE RESISTANCE

 

The fact that Mazlum Doğan, one of the leading commanders of the PKK, set his body on fire with three matchsticks during the 1982 Newroz against severe torture and inhumane practices was the first step of this historical resistance. The fire that Doğan started intensified with Ferhat Kurtay, Eşref Anyık, Mahmut Zengin and Necmi Öner, who did not accept surrender after 58 days and went arm in arm in the ward and set their bodies on fire. Kurtay, Anyık, Zengin and Öner were remembered as "The Four" with their actions.

 

GREAT RESISTANCE

 

In July 14, 1982, the action that went down in history as the "Great Death Fast" began under the leadership of the PKK's leading cadres, Kemal Pir, Hayri Durmuş, Akif Yılmaz and Ali Çiçek. Kemal Pir and Akif Yılmaz died on September 7, the 56th day of death fast, Hayri Durmuş on September 13, and Ali Çiçek on September 17 on death fast. Those who lost their lives on the death fast are remembered as those who "choose resistance rather than surrender" with their struggles.

 

Ayşe Çiçek, the eldest sister of Ali Çiçek, the youngest of those who lost his life on death fast, talked about her brother's struggle.

 

'ALİ WOULD NEVER TOLERATRE INJUSTICE'

 

Stating that her brother was born in Hilvan and he is the youngest child in the family, his sister Çiçek said: “We were not a very rich family. My father was a farmer and was visually impaired. We moved to Hilvan when I was 10 and Ali was just 2 years old. When Ali was younger, he was strong and brave. Even as a child, Ali would never tolerate injustice. Ali fought with fascists when he first started high school. Ali did not tolerate what was done, he responded to them and then he was arrested for the first time. Ali was imprisoned in Adana for about 2 months. In that process, Ali meets Kemal Pir for the first time. After returning, Ali focused on the freedom struggle. Then Ali got involved in the movement. Ali has changed since he got into the movement. Ali was very attached to the movement and to the party.”

 

'ALİ HAD A GREAT FAITH IN THE REVOLUTION'

 

Stating that her brother was influenced by the "Iranian Islamic Revolution", Çiçek said: "Ali devoted his life to the revolution with the idea that 'We can succeed too'. Ali had a great faith in the revolution. Ali said that if people of Iran did it, how can they not? Ali traveled almost the whole region when he started to fight for freedom. Ali was caught after a report from a guard. Ali was tortured for 3 months in Urfa prison. Ali was held in Diyarbakır Prison for 2 years and was subjected to severe torture as well. When we visited him in prison, We stood and looked at each other. Speaking Kurdish is not allowed. A gendarme stood behind each of us. My mother spoke Turkish, but my father did not. In any case, my father was never able to go to Ali's visits due to his visual disability. Once we went to visit him, the guards made us wait in Diyarbakır for 3 days. Ali could not even stand on his feet because he was tortured.”

 

'THEY BECOME THE PILLARS OF KURDISTAN'

 

Stating that they learned the news of her brother's death from the soldiers who came to their house on September 17, 1982, Çiçek said: "After taking my brother's lifeless body, we laid to rest him in Osmaniye, but there were fascist attacks on his grave.

 Ali with his friends became the pillars of Kurdistan with their struggle. Öcalan became the foundation of Kurdistan, and they became its pillars. They pioneered the struggle and paved the way for the Kurdistan struggle.The four of them burned themselves, four of them went on death fast. Thanks to them, there has been a change even in prisons. People started to visit their relatives in prisons more comfortably than before.”

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli