Families in Roboski face ongoing discrimination
Families in Roboski face ongoing discrimination
The families of Roboski victims continue to be mistreated by the Turkish state which has still taken none of the perpetrators to court for almost a year now, since the massacre took place on 28 December 2011.
Veli Encü who lost his 11 relatives in the massacre started to work as a substitute teacher in Uludere on 10 December. On his second day at work, on the 11th, he was dismissed by Uludere District National Education Directorate on the grounds of "overabundance of teachers".
Encü says that state officials' point of view in Roboski incident is the reason for his discharge. "I wouldn't have faced this dismissal had me and other families of victims agreed on the bribery they offered to us in order to cover up the massacre", he says.
Speaking to ANF about the incident, Veli Encü told about his struggle during his school years in late 90's when he had to walk for miles and miles in the depth of winter to reach his school, regardless of the fact that he most of the time had no pencils or notebooks and no books along his primary school years.
Encü pointed out that he was able to finish his school only by getting involved in border trade in the village of Roboski in order to earn pocket money and to meet his school expenses.
Encü said that he had felt happy when he was accepted to a work and told the followings; " After I applied to Uludere District National Education Directorate to work as a substitute teacher two months ago, I was recently informed that I could start working at Habur Elementary School in the village of Ortaköy on 10 December. I prepared myself for the work and started at the school that day. However, on the second day of my work, on the 11th, the deputy head of school told me that I was dismissed. When I asked the authorities of the Directorate the reason, I was told that 'they had to dismiss me because of some unplanned and unexpected amendments'."
I doubt if I would have faced this situation had I agreed to remain silent after the massacre, noted Encü and said that; "I lost a brother and ten other relatives of mine in the massacre which turned our lives upside-down and left us in great pains. In my opinion, my dismissal is closely related with the struggle we gave to expose the massacre which claimed the lives of 34 people who were our relatives."
"I am a person who never gave up despite all the difficulties I faced during my life. In the same way, I never abandoned my eager interest in education even after 28 December when the state killed 34 people of our village", said Encü and added the followings; "However, after this most recent incident, which is the fact that I was dismissed upon the instruction of Uludere Governor, I have no more hope left about living and working in Turkey where even my surname contitutes an obstacle to me everywhere. That's why I am planning to migrate from this country if the perpetrators of the massacre aren't brought out into the open as our living space is being straitened more and more every day. We will never end pushing the state around."
Veli Encü who lost his 11 relatives in the massacre started to work as a substitute teacher in Uludere on 10 December. On his second day at work, on the 11th, he was dismissed by Uludere District National Education Directorate on the grounds of "overabundance of teachers".
Encü says that state officials' point of view in Roboski incident is the reason for his discharge. "I wouldn't have faced this dismissal had me and other families of victims agreed on the bribery they offered to us in order to cover up the massacre", he says.
Speaking to ANF about the incident, Veli Encü told about his struggle during his school years in late 90's when he had to walk for miles and miles in the depth of winter to reach his school, regardless of the fact that he most of the time had no pencils or notebooks and no books along his primary school years.
Encü pointed out that he was able to finish his school only by getting involved in border trade in the village of Roboski in order to earn pocket money and to meet his school expenses.
Encü said that he had felt happy when he was accepted to a work and told the followings; " After I applied to Uludere District National Education Directorate to work as a substitute teacher two months ago, I was recently informed that I could start working at Habur Elementary School in the village of Ortaköy on 10 December. I prepared myself for the work and started at the school that day. However, on the second day of my work, on the 11th, the deputy head of school told me that I was dismissed. When I asked the authorities of the Directorate the reason, I was told that 'they had to dismiss me because of some unplanned and unexpected amendments'."
I doubt if I would have faced this situation had I agreed to remain silent after the massacre, noted Encü and said that; "I lost a brother and ten other relatives of mine in the massacre which turned our lives upside-down and left us in great pains. In my opinion, my dismissal is closely related with the struggle we gave to expose the massacre which claimed the lives of 34 people who were our relatives."
"I am a person who never gave up despite all the difficulties I faced during my life. In the same way, I never abandoned my eager interest in education even after 28 December when the state killed 34 people of our village", said Encü and added the followings; "However, after this most recent incident, which is the fact that I was dismissed upon the instruction of Uludere Governor, I have no more hope left about living and working in Turkey where even my surname contitutes an obstacle to me everywhere. That's why I am planning to migrate from this country if the perpetrators of the massacre aren't brought out into the open as our living space is being straitened more and more every day. We will never end pushing the state around."
