Yusuf İnan
Journalist | Opinion Writer
Wise News Press – Izmir, Türkiye

The State Must Not Abandon Its Martyrs: A Mother’s Cry vs. Realpolitik

Sometimes a single cry of grief cuts deeper than thousands of pages of intelligence reports; sometimes a simple shoebox silences grand speeches echoing through the corridors of power.

Did you hear the cry of reproach rising from Kadıköy Square in Istanbul? It came from Pakize Akbaba, known affectionately to the Turkish nation as "Mother Pakize," the President of the Martyr Mothers Association.

In her hands, she held the decaying shoes of her martyred son. "I cannot even bring myself to throw these away," she wept, holding them close. "I smell them and ask: 'My son, did you eat breakfast before you died? Did you get enough sleep?'"

Through her tears, she directed a searing question to Ankara, to the very summit of the state: "Why do you not knock on my door?"

Mother Pakize’s reproach is justified. This is not just the complaint of one grieving mother; it is the collective voice of every family who has paid the ultimate price to make these lands a homeland.

The Balance of Strategy and Conscience

Today, Türkiye may be at a strategic turning point with the "Terror-Free Türkiye" initiative. The "State Mind" may be making calculated moves to build a stable future. However, no matter how grand the plans, the state cannot ignore the mortar that holds its foundation together: the blood of martyrs and the families they left behind.

Governors and police chiefs across Anatolia frequently visit martyr families, kissing their hands and showing the state's compassion. This is commendable. But today, the context is different.

If a parliamentary delegation or a commission is preparing to visit İmralı Prison (where the terrorist ringleader is held) as part of a new strategic approach, the moral weight on the other side of the scale cannot be neglected.

A Call to Leadership

Here is an open call to the leadership:

Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM): If there is a "Terror-Free Türkiye Commission," you must lead it not just to prisons or negotiating tables, but to Mother Pakize’s invitation. MPs who might visit İmralı must first stand before those rotting shoes and seek the blessing of that mother.

Mr. İbrahim Kalın, Director of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT): As the head of the state’s most strategic institution, you represent the "State Mind." You, too, must personally visit Mother Pakize and the fathers of our martyrs.

These visits are not a favor; they are an obligation. Martyr families and veterans must never feel alone. Above all, they must never feel abandoned for the sake of political expediency.

Facts That Cannot Be Erased

It must not be forgotten: even if a few MPs go to İmralı to listen to Abdullah Öcalan, it cannot erase the sins committed by him and the PKK.

History has passed its judgment: Öcalan is a killer of teachers, a killer of doctors, a killer of babies. This reality does not change, regardless of the political conjecture. He is not, and can never be, a hero of peace.

If the Turkish Nation maintains its composure today, it is not out of weakness, but out of faith in their State. It stems from the sanctity attributed to the State in the eyes of the nation.

The Spiritual Depth of the Land

We believe that the Republic of Türkiye will never give up on its martyr families. Because every inch of this country was won not at stock exchange tables, but on the front lines with the blood of martyrs.

The skies of this country are guarded by martyrs flying hand in hand with angels. The soil below is more crowded than the cities above.

Look at Diyarbakır...

During its conquest, 27 Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet Muhammad, including Süleyman, the son of Khalid ibn al-Walid, were martyred there. Along with those who fell at the city walls, a total of 41 Companions sealed these lands with their lives.

Strategic geniuses, sultans like Fatih (the Conqueror), and great scholars lie beneath this soil. We are the grandchildren of those great spirits.

Naturally, the state will take major steps and disrupt geopolitical games. But the greatest strategy is to keep the "fortress of hearts" intact. That fortress is the heart of the martyr's family.

Knocking on a martyr mother's door and sharing the pain of that shoebox does not cast a shadow on the greatness of the state; on the contrary, it exalts the state in the eyes of the nation.

When "State Wisdom" unites with "Conscience," it becomes invincible. Mother Pakize is waiting for her State at her door. That door must be knocked on, and that heart must be won.

Yusuf İnan 

www.sehitlerolmez.com

Yusuf İnan is a journalist and writer.
He serves as Editor-in-Chief of WiseNewsPress.com, SehitlerOlmez.com, and YerelGundem.com.
He specializes in strategic and political analysis on Turkish and global affairs.