Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Central Executive Board released a written statement on the 5th anniversary of the Roboski massacre in which 34 people, mostly children and young, were massacred by Turkish war planes.

The statement by HDP Central Executive Board is as follows:

“It has been five years since the war planes of this government bombed and massacred 34 people in Roboski (Uludere), the majority of them children and young. For the last five years, the demand of all Roboski families, and of all conscientious individuals and democratic institutions in society has been for those responsible to be brought to trial. Not only our party, but various civilian society and human rights institutions, Bar associations and lawyers have closely followed the judicial process.

The military and political officials responsible of the massacre have not been brought to trial; however, Ferhat Encü, our Şırnak Member of Parliament, who lost many members of his family at that massacre, was arrested this year, on November 4, despite holding parliamentary immunity. His brother, Veli Encü, an administrator of the Roboski Association, is still in detention. The people of Roboski, several times over the last 5 years, have faced the persecution and direct attacks of military forces and special operation forces.

The military, civilian, bureucratic and political officials responsible of the massacre have been protected by decisions of non-jurisdiction issued both by the Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s Office and the General Staff Military Prosecutor’s Office. Although the massacre’s chain of command and order is known, not even a statement has been taken from a single perpetrator. The Prime Minister of the period, Erdoğan, thanked the serving Chief of General Staff for this military operation. The AKP MPs, who formed the majority in the parliamentary commission formed to investigate the incident, wrote reports to cover up the massacre.

The Roboski Massacre is an outcome of the special war policies targeting the Kurdish people; it was carried out in a deliberate and precisely planned manner. The same authorities who carried out a massacre with war planes five years ago have, in the past year and a half, continued their work with tanks and artillery, and burned and destroyed many cities including Cizre, Nusaybin, Silopi, Sur, Yüksekova and Şırnak.

All these crimes against humanity cannot be ignored or covered up, they cannot be erased from the memory of the people. However long a time may pass since the Roboski Massacre, a just and reparative social peace cannot be established as long as the perpetrators of this massacre are not brought to trial, and sentenced.

All these attacks have been carried out against our peoples’ will to live together and equally; and against the Kurdish people’s demand for democracy, freedom, justice and equality.

We will allow neither Roboski, nor the massacres that were perpetrated in other cities to be forgotten. The peoples of Turkey, and the forces of democracy and peace will continue their determined struggle to hold all perpetrators accountable."