A graveside memorial was held for the 34 persons, 19 of whom were children, who were massacred in a bombing by Turkish fighter jets on December 28, 2011 in the Roboski village of Sirnak’s Uludere district on the 7th anniversary of the massacre. Peoples’ Democratic Party Co-chair Pervin Buldan and several party MPs, human rights defenders and lawyers from some bar associations attended the memorials.

Veli Encu, who lost many relatives in the massacre along with his brother Serhat Encu, read the statement in the name of the families.

“PERPETRATORS OF MASSACRE ARE KNOWN, BUT…”

Encu spoke about the day of the massacre and said: “That night we died on mule back, on tractor trailers, 34 times.”

Encu said they were insulted, had their homes raided and were arrested the more they asked for justice. Encu stressed that it is known who ordered the massacre and how, but the promises made to them about finding the perpetrators were not kept, and that the massacre was condemned to the dark.

PROTESTING THE ECHR AND RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS

Encu spoke about the casefile that was rejected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the grounds that domestic legal options had not been exhausted and said: “At this point, to revive the Roboski Case is harder than raising the dead.” Encu addd that the case file was cleared by a court that lives and breathes under the shadow of politics and that the ECHR has chosen to act out the “3 monkeys” in the face of the massacre.

Encu criticizd the persons and institutions that had a hand in the case’s rejection:

“We say other things as well, and when we do our voice comes up against a wall that rises with the silence of those who are with us, and unfortunately it doesn’t leave this village. We didn’t see any of the people who strutted around like they owned the Roboski Case for political or social fame or a share of the compensation when the case ended in such a scandalous way. We say two individuals are the main offenders, and shout out loud at the Roboski mountains. But our voice remains in the village, unable to go out, and hits us back in our face.

“THERE MUST BE SELF CRITICISM”

Meral Danis Bestas, who convinced all the families on how the case should be pursued and took on the political weight of the case in the name of the party, and Sirnak Bar Association President Nusirevan Elci, who failed to submit a document to the court on time, have a responsibility to the people of Roboski, the Kurdish people and the rights-minded public of Turkey to give a self criticism and to be held accountable. For some mysterious reason, these individuals have not offered such self criticism to date. On the contrary, as we criticized the immense irresponsibility here, we are treated as if they were the ones who went through the Roboski massacre and we were the ones who botched the case. We have seen this from politicians, many members of the Sirnak Bar Association and NGO workers. We have come to realize, woefully too late, that Roboski was in fact alone. We were so alone that we are unable to learn what happened to the complaint we filed with the Bar Association regarding that lawyer. This recklessness, this silence is what terrifies us. We will not give up, we will raise the dead, and we will start everything from scratch to bring the perpetrators and inciters of the Roboski Massacre to justice.

PROPOSAL FOR A CONFERENCE

Encu also proposed a conference to discuss ways of reopening the Roboski Case:

“Kurdistan’s bar associations, human rights organizations, rights defenders and NGOs should hold a conference, and discuss the Roboski process in full detail and completely transparently. Let there be a common mind so such cases are not turned into tools for fame and compensation. Let Meral Danis Bestas and Nusirevan Elci be invited to this conference and called to give self criticisms. Let us know what, where, why they did wrong or insufficient. The concrete results of the conference would be shared with the public. Condemn whoever needs condemning, shame whoever needs shaming, let’s revive the Roboski case with those who have undertaken the determination and responsibility of fighting for rights. We hope our call won’t just resonate in Roboski and come back to us without effect, and instead reach your ears so what is necessary can be done.”

“SOLDIERS UNDER THE AKP KILLED THEM”

Encu called on the AKP and said, “34 of our brothers were killed by soldiers under your government, you can never run from this fact.”

Cemal Encu’s sister Cahide Encu read out loud the letter sent by imprisoned former HDP Sirnak MP Ferhat Encu.