The Van Provincial Organization of the HDP has commemorated the 33 people who were massacred in 1943 for allegedly “violating the border regulations” by the orders of the then Turkish 3rd Army General Mustafa Muğlalı. HDP Van Provincial Co-Chair Fikret Doğan, DBP (Democratic Regions Party) Provincial Co-Chair Cetin Uyar, HDP Van Deputy Muazzez Orhan, former Van Co-Mayor Mustafa Avci attended the commemoration in the Saray district along with many party members. The crowd observed a moment of silence and left carnations in front of the former government office where the murdered villagers had been detained.

'TURKEY'S HISTORY IS FULL OF MASSACRES'

Speaking here, HDP MP Orhan said that history of Turkey is a history of massacres. “78 years have passed since this massacre. 33 villagers crossing the border were captured and severely tortured. As the courts of the period reveal, the 33 Kurdish villagers who were not guilty of any crime were taken to the Sefo Stream and were shot with their hands tied behind their backs by the order of an army general, Mustafa Muğlalı. A villager who survived this massacre crossed the Iranian border and later reported the massacre. However, the mortal remains of the 32 people who were killed are still missing.”

 'KURDISH DENIAL PERSISTS'

Orhan maintained that Turkey has always remained firm on its policy of denial and destruction against the Kurdish people. “Hundreds of Kurdish children, young and old people, from Uğur Kaymaz to Mizgin Bingöl, from Ceylan Önkol to Mother Taybet, from Servet Turgut to Hacı Birlik were murdered deliberately, and the murderers remained unpunished. Almost every week, a Kurd is killed or injured by the security forces on this border line. A wall of shame is now being built on the border that separates our people. These massacres and the wall of shame are a confession of a historical defeat. The Kurdish people are the owners of these lands and are one of the ancient peoples. One cannot separate and divide this people with borders and walls”.

In the meantime, a painting containing the poem “33 bullets” written by Ahmed Arif was hung in the Saray District Organization.