This year's Peace and Democracy Award by Istanbul Medical Chamber has been given to Roboski families and conscientious objector Halil Savda. The awards are given in memory of doctor Sevinç Özgüner who was murdered in his house in 1980.

Speaking at the ceremony in Istanbul, Ferhat Encü on behalf of Roboski families stated that they will never give up their struggle in the face of all the repression and threats they are subjected to by the state. “17 months have passed since the massacre but no light has been shed yet on the perpetrators who are in very deed already known. We will continue our struggle to make sure that there will be no other Roboski massacres”, he said.

Conscientious objector Halil Savda, who walked from Roboski to Ankara for peace, justice and human rights on September 1, 2012, World Peace Day, pointed out that everyone should make further efforts to achieve peace in the country.

On the other hand, Roboski families have once again gathered at the cemetery of the victims in the village of Roboski for their weekly vigil act which has left 73 weeks behind by now. They re-voiced their demand for justice and called on everyone siding with peace to enhance their struggle.

Speaking here on behalf of families of the 34 victims, most of whom were children, Cahide Encü said that “Shedding light on Roboski and other massacres means siding with peace. We defend peace which we see as a must to face the past”.

Referring to the ongoing repression of Roboski families by the Turkish state, Encü reminded that seven relatives of the victims had been rushed to the hospital after being subjected to an attack by Turkish security officers while on their way to the scene of the massacre on 28 June 2012.

Speaking after, Veli Encü, who is standing trial for allegedly insulting the public prosecutor, said that “They are talking about peace on one hand and trying to justify the perpetrators, in both military and political field, of a massacre on the other hand. What kind of a peace process is this?”