AMED - İffet Zuğurli, who witnessed the PKK's founding congress, said that the PKK's first congress awakened the Kurds and that the last congress would bring peace. Zuğurli said, "I want to host Leader Apo here again, in our home on the Fis Plain."

 

The PKK held its founding congress on 27 November 1978 in the Fis neighbourhood of Licê (Lice) district of Amed (Diyarbakır). The congress was led by Abdullah Öcalan with the participation of 22 people. The PKK's programme, statute and manifesto prepared by Abdullah Öcalan were adopted.

 

The congress was held in the house of the Zuğurli family. İffet Zuğurli, 72 from the family was 19 years old at the time of the congress and witnessed the congress. 

 

İffet Zuğurli said: " All Kurds are very lucky to have such a leader. But I feel luckier because this movement was founded in our home and I saw Serok (Leader in Kurdish) and his friends at the congress. Maybe many people would have wanted to be in my place. But we were given this honour."

 

'WE RECEIVED GREETING'

 

İffet Zuğurli stated that she learnt from Ömer Öcalan's interview that Abdullah Öcalan sent greetings to the Zuğurli family during his Eid visit on 31 March and said, "We greet the Serok a thousand times in return for one greeting. Through you, we also send our greetings to him a thousand times."

 

'AWAKENED THE KURDISH PEOPLE WITH THE FIRST CONGRESS'

 

Stating that the Kurdish people found themselves with the first congress of the PKK, İffet Zuğurli said: Kurdish people knew their history. With the first congress, Serok Apo woke up the Kurdish people from sleep. The Kurd was going to end. But Serok stopped this with the first congress. He brought the Kurdish people to their senses. Now millions of Kurds are standing upright with him. Just as Serok brought the Kurdish people to their senses with the first congress, he will bring us peace with this last congress decision. Let all Kurds unite around Serok Apo. He will do what is good for all of us again. It will bring peace to all mothers."

 

İffet Zuğurli said that Abdullah Öcalan has been resisting for his people in prison for years. 

 

About Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" on 27 February she said: "He would not have made this call if he was not for peace and his people. We believe in him, we trust him. We exist with him, we will exist with him."

 

İffet Zuğurli continued: "My only wish before I die is to find the body of my son Hamdullah Zuğurli, whose last body was among the 267 people in Garzan Cemetery, and to see Leader Apo for the last time. I would like to host Leader Apo again here, in our home on the Fis Plain. I would like the house where the PKK was founded to become a museum. I want this spirit to live on for years and for people to know this spirit. For this, I want this house to be a museum. I will write a letter to Serok Apo soon. I will not leave his greeting unanswered."

 

MA / Müjdat Can