HDP MP Basaran gave a statement about the case heard in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the “Cizre basement massacres” that occurred in 2015 and said there is now a chance to break the silence.

Former Sirnak MP Faysal Sariyildiz called on the United Nations (UN) to insist on investigating the massacres committed openly and to call what happened by its name.

HDP Law and Human Rights Commission Spokeswoman Ayse Acar Basaran and Sirnak MP Huseyin Kacmaz were present in the hearing. Basaran made a statement on the hearing in front of the ECHR and said: “Today we witnessed an important case. There was a hearing in the ECHR for the first time about the massacres in Cizre. A chance was created for the first time in a long while to break the silence against Turkey’s massacres against the Kurdish people. In this sense, this case is historic.”

“THE HEARING IS A CHANCE TO BREAK THE SILENCE”

Basaran said the whole world witnessed the events in Cizre and continued: “Curfews were in place, the cities were under a blockade. The whole world heard this, and witnessed this period. But throughout this process, those who call themselves democratic institutions, the UN, the European Parliament, failed to put forth a true reaction against it. They failed to put forth a stand against Turkey. Despite everything, today in Strasbourg, in the ECHR, we are faced with a chance to break the silence.”

“THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER UP THE MASSACRES HERE AS WELL”

Basaran stressed that the government failed to answer any of the questions posed by the court or the lawyers: “They are trying to cover up the massacres here as well, under excuses like state secrets and anti-terror efforts.”

“ECHR MUST RESPOND, KEEPING ITS MISSION IN MIND”

Basaran said she hopes the ECHR, as a court that defends human rights and stands against crimes against humanity, will issue a verdict keeping its mission in mind and added: “Our expectation of this will continue.”

“TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE MASSACRE MEANS IGNORING THE WAR”

Basaran voiced their demand that the ECHR issue a right verdict before the suffering gets deeper and concluded her words with: “It wasn’t just the Kurdish people who were massacred there, it wasn’t just the people of Cizre. It was humanity. In the persons of Orhan, Omer, Mehmet and Asya, it was humanity that was massacred. We expect those who should be conscious of this to take a stand through this court. Turning a blind eye to the massacre means ignoring the war in Turkey getting deeper. Turning a blind eye means supporting crimes against humanity. We are expecting the ECHR to issue a verdict as soon as possible, keeping this mission and this consciousness in mind, not allowing the suffering here to get deeper.”

“SARIYILDIZ: GREAT CRIMES AND SINS WERE COMMITTED”

Former HDP Sirnak MP Faysal Sariyildiz spoke in the press statement in front of the ECHR and said great massacres and crimes against humanity were committed in Cizre. Sariyildiz pointed out that the siege of the cities and the attacks were carried out on the orders of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and added that several cities were wiped off the map.

“Great sins were committed. People were burned alive en masse. University students, civilian activists were burned, journalists, documentarists were burned.”

"NO OTHER MASSACRE WAS COMMITTED THIS MUCH IN THE OPEN"

Sariyildiz stressed that the massacres in Cizre and other cities in Kurdistan were committed out in the open and that the whole world saw what happened.

Sariyildiz said the ECHR is facing a great test, faced with the crimes against humanity: “Either European civilization will truly uphold the law’s values and make a decision, or it will don the cloak of silence like it has so far, and continue to contribute to the current war.”

"IT ISN’T ENOUGH TO CALL IT A “CALAMITY”, IT MUST BE CALLED WHAT IT IS"

Sariyildiz said Europe must break the silence to avoid turning hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern people into refugees, and added that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the time of the massacres called what happened a “calamity”.

Faysal Sariyildiz said what happened was crimes of war and crimes against humanity, and that these events must be named correctly. Sariyildiz pointed out that all these must be tried in international criminal courts.

"THE UN CARRY OUT AN INVESTIGATION"

Sariyildiz said the wounds in Cizre are “still extremely fresh”, and added that millions of people are filled with an incredible rage. Sariyildiz said what happened doesn’t just concern those directly affected by the suffering: “What happened in Cizre was a black stain for humanity. If humanity wants to be rid of this stain, if the UN wants to prevent such massacres, they must insist in the demand to carry out an investigation there. If they want to have an investigation there, they should do it, despite all.”

Sariyildiz stressed that Turkey obstructing the UN investigation is an open admission of war crimes and pointed out that Turkey wants to stop the truth of what happened in Cizre from coming out.

Sariyildiz added that whatever the ECHR decides, they will continue their fight for the truth to come out.