Festivity banned by military coup takes place in Mardin
The Hessıt Merenê fete, an Arab and Syriac festivity which was banned by the military coup of 12 September 1980, has taken place for the first time since then, nearly 36 years later.
The Hessıt Merenê fete, an Arab and Syriac festivity which was banned by the military coup of 12 September 1980, has taken place for the first time since then, nearly 36 years later. By coincidence, the event took place on the day Kenan Evren, the head of the junta that carried out the coup, died.
The almost forgotten tradition of Hessıt Merenê was celebrated by the people of Mardin yesterday at an event organised by the Artuklu municipality. The celebration had not taken place since the military coup of 12 September 1980.
The traditional event was celebrated in the Kamor Park, where people began to gather in the morning. The Mardin Metropolitan municipality Co-mayor Februniye Akyol Akay, Artuklu municipality Co-mayor Sevinç Bozan, municipal assembly members, the Mardin-Amed Syriac Metropolitan Saliba Özmen and representatives of the Democrat Arab Association, DBP and HDP also attended.
People who attended the Hessıt Merenê festivity brought food they had prepared and shared it with others. Music was played and the traditional halay and Reyhani of the Arab people of Mardin was performed.
The Mardin Artuklu University Music Group played Arabic, Syriac, Turkish and Kurdish music.
Artuklu municipality Co-mayor Sevinç Bozan spoke at the festivity, recalling that the tradition of Hessıt Merenê had not been celebrated since the military coup. She said: “Hessıt Merenê is a start. Next year we will celebrate it as a festival for 9 days. Today's event has a further significance for us, as we heard yesterday that Kenan Evren, the architect of the 1980 coup that banned our festivity, had died. Those who banned our festival will disappear, but our festival will continue to be celebrated every year enthusiastically."
Zerde dessert distributed
In a speech in Arabic, the Hessıt Merenê Festivity Commission Spokesperson Çetin Alkanoğlu stressed the historical importance of Hessıt Merenê, adding that in future years it would be celebrated as a festival. Following the speeches a dessert called zerde was distributed to those attending the festivity.
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