34 people, 19 of whom were minors, who were killed by Turkish fighter jets in Roboski village of Uludere district of Şırnak on 28 December 2011, were commemorated in the Roboski Cemetery in the village.

Before the commemoration event, families from Roboski marched into the cemetery carrying pictures of their murdered children. A press statement was made at the ceremony attended by the families from Roboski, DTK co-chair Berdan Öztürk, HDK co-spokesperson Cengiz Çiçek, DBP co-chair Saliha Aydeniz, HDP spokeswoman Ebru Günay, Head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) Nazmi Erinç Sağkan, heads of bar associations in Kurdistan and representatives of non-governmental organizations. A huge banner displayed here read “We have not forgotten, we will not let it be forgotten, we will bring perpetrators to account.”

Şırnak Bar Association head Rojhat Dilsiz said that the victims had hopes for the future, which were destroyed. “The perpetrators of this massacre must be brought to justice immediately. The Roboski families have been subjected to serious rights violations for the last 10 years. Even if it takes 100 years, we will continue this struggle until the perpetrators are brought to justice and receive the punishment they deserve,” Dilsiz added.

'AN EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATION HAS NOT BEEN CONDUCTED'

“An effective investigation and prosecution process has not been carried out until now, and not a single public official has been brought before the judiciary. That's why we need to do something other than sharing the pain of families,” TBB head Erinç Sağkan said.

'IMPUNITY CONTINUES'

Following all the massacres and assassinations, state authorities kept saying that it would be enlightened. However, no one kept their word. The same policy of impunity has prevailed. If justice does not come to Roboski, human rights will never be respected in this country,” Nahit Eren, head of the Amed Bar Association, said.

'YOU KILLED CIVILIANS WITH FIGHTER JETS!'

“Border trade is the livelihood of every person living near the border. These people were civilians and you killed them with fighter jets. Erdogan and his supporters must apologize, and a Truth Commission must be established,” Tülay Hatimoğulları, HDP deputy co-chair responsible for Peoples and Faiths Commission, said.

COLONIAL APPROACH

“Roboski was not the first massacre, but it has caused a new wound. In the last 10 years, this wound has grown ever deeper. The families are still in deep sorrow. It has since been revealed who committed this massacre. The world public knows who dropped the bombs. This is the colonial approach towards the Kurds. They think that they can massacre the Kurds and go unpunished. This brings no solution. The Kurdish problem is getting more complicated. A just peace with the peoples of Turkey can be achieved by bringing the perpetrators of the massacres in Roboski and Zilan to account in court. It is impossible to achieve an honourable peace without prosecuting those who are responsible. This truth must be seen,” DTK co-chair Berdan Öztürk said.

TRUTH COMMISSION

Öztürk recalled Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan's proposal to establish a Truth Commission for the Roboski massacre. “These truths must be revealed. They aimed to create a Kurdish-Turkish war. We know who are responsible for the Roboski massacre and other massacres against the Kurds. We will hold them accountable, and we will pave the way for peace. The pain of our mothers will thus be relieved a little bit. An environment of peace will not be established in Turkey if we do not bring those responsible to account,” he said.

'OUR MOTHERS STILL MOURNING'

Ferhat Encü said that for the last 10 years since the massacre, they have repeatedly expressed their pain and demands, but justice has not been served; “Our mothers are still in mourning, wearing black. The massacre was committed deliberately, and lack of legal procedures is unacceptable for the Roboski families. Along with the prevailing impunity, the Roboski families are brought to trial and persecuted.”

Encü read a letter written by Roboski Association head Veli Encü, who remains jailed in Samsun Bafra Prison. The association was closed down following a governmental decree. “We, the Roboski families, are the broken branch of the tree of justice. We will never come to terms with those who are responsible for the cruelty and injustice in Roboski. As Roboski families, we will continue to stand as a living example of conscience in the face of those responsible for Roboski,” Encü said in his letter.

After the speeches, prayers were said at the graves of those massacred. The commemoration ended after placing carnations on the graves.