The commemoration began with a minute's silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and in the massacres carried out by Turkey.

Kurdish politician Şenol Han said: "Kurdish in Maraş were subjected to a deliberate massacre and they were subjected to a policy of elimination and denial."

Han added: "This is the official policy of the Turkish-Islamic synthesis" and pointed out that the government wants to turkify Kurdistan.

The Maraş massacre took place in 1978 between 19 and 26 December. According to official data, 111 people were killed in the massacre while at least 500 people were killed according to Kurdish sources. 210 houses and 70 workplaces were destroyed in the massacre. The massacre targeted Kurdish Alevis and revolutionaries.

The Roboski Massacre took place on 28 December 2011. Turkish warplanes bombed a group of cross border civilian traders: 38 villagers, 19 of whom were children, were killed in the attack, which targeted civilians directly.