Peyman Talib calls on Turkey to stop destroying the dreams and lives of Kurdish women and their families.
Peyman lies on a bed covered by a red blanket. Her husband, daughter and a CPTer sitting on a sofa while everyone listening to her.
On 25 June 2020, Peyman Talib with her son Hezhwan and daughter Hamisha and her husband Kaiwan Kawa were in their grocery store in Kuna Masi. Kuna Masi is a hometown to dozens of families and also, thanks to a river with green trees, a picnic area that hundreds of families visit during weekends. Peyman’s family lives and owns a small business in Kuna Masi. Seven years ago Peyman graduated from the university of Slemani, where she got a bachelor’s degree in Kurdish language to become a Kurdish language teacher. “The government does not hire new teachers or employees, that’s why I wanted to help my husband to find an income for our family.” Peyman said.
While the whole family was in their shop, a customer came in to buy groceries. Kaiwan was helping to pack groceries for their client when all of a sudden they could hear a terrible noise and a powerful blast wave that threw everyone to the ground. A rocket fired by a Turkish drone exploded just 20 meters away from the shop. The explosion set the store on fire, killed the customer and badly wounded the members of the family.
“My wife was on fire and my two children were covered in blood. I was able to take my wife and my children outside of the shop, then I realized I was also injured. Then I fainted and fell on the ground. My dad with my cousins and some other people took us to a nearby clinic in Qalachwalan then sent us by ambulance to a hospital in Slemani.” Kaiwan said.
The family sitting on the bed. three of them have pieces of shrapnel left from the bombing.
Peyman’s left leg was injured so badly that the doctors had to cut it off while she was awake. They could not give her drugs due to the very low amount of blood in her body. Parts of Peyman’s right leg were burned and broken. Both of her arms were burned. Doctors operated on her right leg several times. The family members were in two different hospitals, Kaiwan was with his two children in one and Peyman was treated in another hospital.
Kaiwan told CPT “We were separated for about 40 days. Until now my body has 8 pieces of shrapnel inside, Hezhwan my six years old son has 3 pieces of shrapnel in his head. The doctors cannot take them out. Some individuals and organizations provided help for us. An organization promised us that on 1 September they will take Peyman outside of the country to get her a smart leg so we are waiting. Except a few parliamentarians, the mayor and the governor, no other officials contacted or visited us.”
With a cry inside her throat Peyman told CPT, “It will be very difficult for me, our life just turned upside down. Even if I get a smart leg, I cannot easily take care of myself and my family. The doctors told me that even with a new leg I won’t be able to stand for extended periods of time. That means I won’t be able to be a teacher in the future. I am on the bed all the time. But life will continue and I will not give up. I am not the only victim by the Turkish bombardments. Many others were killed and injured before me and my family. And still they are bombing civilians. This must be stopped.”
Peyman with her burnt hands and one broken leg.
Peyman and her family spoke to CPT on 16 August 2020, during a visit to a house inside the city of Slemani where they live now. Kaiwan’s sister dedicates herself to taking care of them. Peyman has to go to hospital five times a week to get physical therapy for three hours.
Peyman and Kaiwan told CPT that a member of Turkish Parliament for the People's Democratic Party (HDP), Hüseyn Kaçmaz, spoke and advocated for them inside the Turkish parliament. They want their story to be heard everywhere around the world.
Together with Peyman, CPT calls on Turkey to stop bombing civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan and beyond. CPT calls on NATO to break their silence towards one of their members that continues to destroy lives of families like Peyman and Kaiwan’s.