The 34 people, majority of whom were children, who were massacred during Turkish Air Force’s bombardment on December 28, 2011, were commemorated in Şırnak’s Uludere district.

Families from Roboskî gathered at their children’s cemetery in the village to commemorate the people massacred in 2011, even though soldiers had threatened to arrest them earlier. Mothers that have been wearing black clothes mourned their children and families cried out that the massacre would never be forgotten.

HDP Deputy Group Chair Ahmet Yıldırım, Şırnak Parliamentarian Aycan İrmez, Amed parliamentarians İmam Taşçıer and Altan Tan, Uludere Co-mayors, Free Women’s Movement (TJA) activists and HDP Caucus members participated in the commemoration in Roboskî. Messages of Aycan İrmez and HDP Şırnak parliamentarian Ferhat Encü were also read during the event.

Speaking here, HDP Deputy Group Chair Ahmet Yıldırım stated that their only demand was justice for the 34 massacred people; not revenge or more bloodshed.

"PERPETRATORS ARE KNOWN"

HDP Deputy Group Chair Ahmet Yıldırım noted that those that massacred 34 people have not been prosecuted for the past 5 years, and said "If they want to heal an 100 year-old social wound, they should identify the perpetrators of Roboskî Massacre. Our mothers are hurt, and we don’t want other mothers to be hurt. We oppose guns or violence. We demand the release of Veli Encü and other friends. We demand justice on Roboskî massacre so that the path to peace can be paved."

MOTHER ENCÜ: THEY MUST BE PUNISHED

Halime Encü, mother of Serhat Encü who was killed during the massacre and HDP parliamentarian Ferhat Encü, demanded the punishment of the perpetrators and emphasized that new massacres are taking place because the perpetrators of Roboskî massacre roam free.

Soldiers took video footage of the commemoration with a drone.