Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan has sent a message to the commemoration and protest rally at Roboski. In the message Öcalan said:  “The families' wish for justice is worthy of respect. The government should commence its confronting of realities as part of the process in Roboski. The women of Roboski who have taken possession of the cause of our slaughtered sons have monumental significance for peace."

Thousands of people have gone to Roboski, in Uludere district of Şırnak province, to commemorate and protest the massacre of 34 Kurds involved in cross border diesel trade who were bombed by Turkish warplanes on 28 December 2011.

Amongst the thousands at Roboski are BDP co-chairs Gültan Kışanak and Selahattin Demirtaş, DTK co-chair Ahmet Türk, BDP and HDP MPs,  BDP provincial and district organisations, mayors from the region, candidates and representatives of civil society organisations who travelled together in a convoy from in front of the BDP office in Şırnak.

Visit to the cemetery

On arrival at Roboski the crowd of thousands firstly went to the cemetery to pay their respects at the graves of the 34 victims of the massacre. The Dayiken Şemiye (Saturday Mothers) and families of those who died at Maraş, Sivas, Lice, Sündüs, Gezi and Gever were at the front of the crowd, along with BDP and HPD MPs and local mayors. "Ey Raqip" (Kurdish national anthem) was sung and slogans such as "martyrs are immortal", "Murderer Erdoğan must resign" and "the murdering state will be held to account" were chanted.

Ferhat Encü read Öcalan's meassage

This was followed by BDP Party Assembly member Ferhat Encü reading the message sent by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. While the message was being read there were frequent chants of "A thousand greetings to İmralı" and" Long live President Apo".

Öcalan drew attention to the fact that the massacre at Roboski was one of the most painful events experienced by the people in the last century, adding: "History has demonstrated that whenever the Kurdish people reach an awareness of their national democratic identity, they become the target of ruthless attacks and massacres. Thus, in December 1978, defenceless Kurdish children were the target of fascist contras in the Maraş massacre. At Roboski the massacre was carried out by a savage war apparatus. When we launched the process of resolution we wished to confront all the painful incidents in our recent and distant past, in addition to developing democracy and freedom."

Öcalan added that the dignified search for justice of the families of Roboski was most worthy, and that their pain must be eased.

‘The state should not obstruct the quest for justice'

"This quest for justice is so important that it could be the beginning of a confrontation with past sorrows in our history," Öcalan added, continuing: "The state and government should not fear the consequences of this confrontation and abandon its attitude of obstruction. Only last week the European Court of Human Rights condemned Turkey for the massacres of Kuşkonar and Koçağlı, which for years the authorities blamed the PKK for. As long as the state persists in its denial international public opinion and the peoples of Turkey will continue to see it as the perpetrator of massacres. Therefore, justice regarding this massacre could make a significant contribution to the search for peace."

Öcalan emphasised the great respect he had for the resistance led by the women of Roboski, adding: "We are aware that this quest for justice is social, not individual. We must also realise its historical importance. Our people will not abandon the families of Roboski. The government should commence its confronting of realities as part of the process in Roboski. The women of Roboski who have taken possession of the cause of our slaughtered sons have monumental significance for peace. I once again send my condolences to the people of Roboski."

After the reading of the message the crowd moved off towards Roboski village, where the programme of commemoration is to take place.  Banners were carried with the latest photograph of Abdullah Öcalan and a photograph of the Roboski massacre, bearing the messages: "If the Turkish state was a real state it would find the killers immediately" "We condemn the Roboski massacre", "The Kurdish people are standing proud, despite the arrests and massacres" and "The Rojava revolution is a historic example". Photographs of the three women revolutionaries murdered in Paris were also carried by the crowd, which frequently chanted slogans in favour of the PKK and Öcalan.