We had also done a report on their tour in İstanbul, where they were hosted by the Sabahattin Zaim Private Elementary School. We had hosted them in a live broadcast at a local TV station. We were thrilled by their enthusiastic response to what we did, which seemed ordinary and not very significant to us. The contents of the carefully prepared letters were even more impressive. The main gist of the letters may be summarized by the following: "We are Kurds; we are Easterners; but we are not terrorists." They hold that they are victimized by prejudices and stereotypes, and they reflect this feeling in their letters. I also witnessed something that validates their concern. Elementary school pupils from another city were taken to dinner by the journalists. I was shocked when I heard an older writer from the next table asking the students whether they liked the military or the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) more. The teacher who headed the delegation interrupted, noting that questions of this sort were offensive to the students. With no further ado, I would like to give the rest of my column to the words of these kids. I will not mention their names, but they should rest assured that their letters will be kept in our archive.
"I should first note that the reason I drew a heart is that because we are all one and united. But this may not be the view of some; they may think we are terrorists, but they should know that not every Kurd is a terrorist. I apologize for writing such unpleasant remarks in a thank you letter. I am unable to express my feelings in writing. But please read this poem of mine. Thank you.
You know I am not a terrorist
That I am only aware of the pain associated with terror
This city, this country is mine; I am aware of it
Nobody may label me as a terrorist; I am not a terrorist; I am aware of it."
"Publish good news about the Easter part. Tell all of Turkey that we are good people with warm hearts. Businessmen avoid making investments in the East because they think we are terrorists."
"The TV broadcasts narrate how people in this region carry potable water to their homes; but what actually matters is not how we carry the water, but why we carry it this way."
"We will prove that we are not terrorists by writing you thank you letters because terrorists would not think of writing. We expect you here again."
"Windows are always broken in our school; we would be pleased if you sent us windows. Roads are closed in some villages when it snows; at such times, people are unable to travel to Muş. Students go to school on foot in some villages. Some of us expect books, test materials and stationary supplies from you. Students in the village have no books; we would appreciate it if you could help them out."
"People usually think we, the people of the East, are thieves and terrorists; but we are not terrorists. When I hear these remarks, I wilt like a flower; if we were terrorists, then why did we send our brothers to become soldiers in defense of this country. Is it possible to believe that we became thieves and terrorists while our brothers are fighting there to defend this country? Finally, please speak up if someone says the Anatolian people are terrorists because we are tired of hearing this."
"We want to buy books and journals but we cannot afford them. We take Turkish classes; our teacher teaches from a book, but sometimes we fail to read fluently. When that happens, we get embarrassed. We borrow books from our teacher, but what are we going to do if they are gone."
"Sometimes we do not accept the books sent to us because we all know that there are other students who need them more than us. We send these books to them. I am an eighth grader; this is the first time I have seen a donation of this kind."
