The March Of Silent Shoes
Taksim Square - 28 September 2005
Nazire Dedeman
Founder President of Umut Foundation
Speech Text
Dear Participants,
Our children are our future. Their welfare depends upon the principles, values, and lifestyles that we pass to them. If you ask what they are, we can start with the belief that law has primacy, the trust in justice, the importance of being a citizen with consciousness, who questions, and who is aware of his or her rights and responsibilities and who lives by them. Using violence does not mean being strong, it only means suppressing weakness with crudeness.
We started with these beliefs and principles 11 years ago, and without deviating from our beliefs and goals, we are today combating an important problem of the society - individual arming - in the hope of achieving a peaceful society. This is because the most extreme point of violence is to end a human life with a firearm, which serves no other function apart from killing. Unfortunately, the figures for our country, most importantly for heartrending incidents, prove that this issue is becoming more important every day.
If 3,000 people lose their lives due to firearms each year in a country, there is clearly an issue individual arming issue. If 700 people die in a society each year due to a bullet from an unknown weapon, and define such incidents as accidents, then there is a problem of individual arming. If young Begüms in their 20s, İbrahims in their teens and many others become the target of a stray bullet during weddings, football matches and ceremonies held when young men are sent to military service, there is an issue of individual arming. Furthermore, this situation is a serious, deadly matter that cannot be simplified by the terms like the bullet of an accident or the bullet of a boor. The only concept that determines this situation is the INDIVIDUAL ARMING ISSUE. Our young and our children in our country get killed by individual arming not by the bullet of a boor..
In Turkey, the number of firearms in possession of individuals is a very large number. Besides, the lack of inspection in the production, sale, possession and use of these firearms is frightening. While there were approximately 2 million licensed firearms in 2003, this number rose to over 2 million in 2004-2005. Furthermore, it is estimated that the number of unrecorded, unlicensed firearms is three to four times higher than the number of licensed firearms. It should not be forgotten that every person with a firearm is a potential killer, and thus every person without a firearm is a potential victim. Then, in a society where firearms are widely common and are used jauntily, the number of the potential killers and the victims is not negligible at all.
Reconciliation and tolerance are the most important two conceptions. There would be excuses, not reasons to possess and use a firearm. The most common of these excuses is safety. The security forces maintain safety in a society. If our citizens are arming in spite of the security forces, if some representatives of this country defend the idea that the only way to maintain security is arming, there is a wrong. It is our wrong. It is the wrong of those of us who designate those representatives and send them to the Assembly to represent us.
It must not be forgotten: Life is not so cheap to end at the point of a barrel. In a society where life is this cheap, any kind of degeneration can take place. However, I believe that in a country where there is a powerful civic society, and where different segments can unite their power, there would be no problem that cannot be resolved.
On this years 28 September Individual Disarming Day, we have gathered here in the name of those who have lost their lives with the bullets of a firearm, to say no to individual arming. We will silently protest against firearms possessed by individuals, and call out for the recognizing of the right to live. It is pleasing to see that we are not alone this year. Believing in the seriousness of the issue of individual arming, the İstanbul Governorship and Beyoğlu Mayorship have supported the March of Silent Shoes. We will release the conclusion report of the Individual Arming Issue in Turkey: Suggestions for a resolution exploration Meeting organized with the İstanbul Governorship after this program at the Atatürk Cultural Centre. Furthermore, we will introduce the advertising campaigns that won awards from the brainstorming contest called Individual Disarming: Recognize the right to live organized in cooperation with the Association of Advertisement Creators, and with the valuable support of the Consulate General of Netherlands.
It is obvious that we are more in number than last year, and we know that the number of people protesting against individual arming will increase every year. For the first time in our country, a president emphasized the importance of disarming and stated that action would be taken. We believe that the honourable President will keep his promise. We expect our representatives at the National Assembly to take the necessary actions and be sensitive about the issue. As the Umut Foundation, we are ready to provide every kind of support on this issue.
As a mother who lost her child by a bullet of a firearm, I understand this issue and I am calling out to you: There is no honour, moral, or cause as important as the life of a human being..
We will set shoes on the red carpet for those we lost. We will set the pictures of those we lost on the bloody red carpet that symbolizes the violence that is being cursed here. Every individual in this society has the liability for them and for their families. Saying No to individual Arming is the responsibility of every person in the society.
We must recognize the Life.
To the hopeful future ...