After bombs
“It is ridiculous. I walk on that street almost every day”. Actually it does not matter where or when, unexpected bomb attacks are everywhere, but the reaction is always the same. Last week was in Istanbul, Turkey, and Yunus Yildiz one of civilians who suffered the consequences.
“My friend and me wanted to go out after the football match but, in the last moment, he just said no, so we stayed longer in our dormitory, in front of the Vodafone Arena - Besiktas stadium.
It was just a second and the whole dormitory was shaking after a huge noise. I was really afraid. I thought “they” -any terrorist group- were bombing my dormitory. I just moved to the next room and next thing I saw were flames. I was so scared that I shitted in my pants.
45 seconds after the first explosion, we heart another one. And then, shots.
They were only 45 seconds, but for me, these seconds were like my whole life on me. After some time, still shocked, we were searching something on Twitter and forums to find out what had happened. Of course I did not check any TV channels - because after every attack, Turkish media is blocked for a while and there are no news.
I saw flames but I could not understand if it was out or inside the stadium. Anyway, it was obvious that PKK did it because, first, they attacked against policemen, and second, they waited after the match till nor civilians were there. If it would have been ISIS -self-proclaimed Islamic State-, they would have killed everybody at that very moment. That could mean at least 10.000 deaths and not 40. After that, I tried to go outside to find out by my self what was going on in front of my residence, but it was too dangerous. So I was checking the news the whole night. At the beginning the government said there were 20 wounded, but obviously many people died.
Next day -Sunday 11th- was an ordinary day for Turkey. Daily life. We got used to it. Every month something similar is happening in our country. But yesterday -refering to Saturday- I realized that I could not get over it yet. With any voice or ambulance sound, I feel something is happening and I am scared again”.
- Was it the first bomb you hear?
“I was close to some bomb attacks before, and they were close too, but I did not really hear them at all. Not like this one. This attack was really strong”.
- But actually, it is not about how many or how close you are. It is not about who press the buttom or if 40 policemen died. Not any more. Turkey is, after so many years in conflict, in another level.
“Everybody should understand something: Government and Kurds cannot find peace through guns. PKK can kill 10.000 more people, but it does not mean they will get something better from the Government. There is only one way to look for human rights: talking, as educated people. Any side of this war will win. Only people will keep dying.
We can fight against our president and government, but only with ideas. We tried in Gezi -peaceful demonstration started in 2013 in Istanbul, but which got support all over the country-, but some people chose violence again and we had to stop it”.
- So is it a good way to create a political party and fight inside the Parliament?
“People should sacrifice themselves on this way. Do you know what Gandhi did in India? He said: ´do not be violence and let´s show them we are right till they can kill the last one of us´. Fighting with ideas takes so long, but killing people as well: PKK started 36 years ago. Look Colombia and Las FARC -The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or ´guerrilla´, 50 years.
I always tried to understand Kurdish situation. 20 or 30 years ago Government did not care about them, as they did not about Turkish either. Government fucked up civilians and only Kurds raised their voice. And I really support it. They had to and still have to. Every person should do it. (…) But we have to play this world game with its rules. You cannot get any peace without fighting. But the only question here is how you will fight.”.
Sabela González
