Arrested HDP Co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ, DBP Co-chair Sebahat Tuncel and HDP Deputy Co-chair Aysel Tuğluk issued a message from the prison they are held in and commemorated murdered Tahir Elçi.

“HE WAS THE VOICE OF THE KURDISH PEOPLE AND THE OPPRESSED”

The message Yüksekdağ, Tuncel and Tuğluk sent is as follows:

“We remember with respect our beloved friend Tahir Elçi who had devoted his life to the struggle for democracy and freedom on the second anniversary of his murder. We hold the pain of not having him with us in our hearts.

Dear Tahir Elçi had fought with courage for years to shed light onto the unidentified murders. As a human rights defender and lawyer, he fought to bring to light the political murders, which were committed as a state policy in Kurdistan, and for a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue. He was a devotee to not just human rights and freedoms but also to the rightful and legitimate struggle of he Kurdish people.

Tahir Elçi was the president of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, he was the voice of not just the Kurdish people but all the oppressed and all victims. He objected to policies of war and the pillaging of nature and habitats. Racists and fascists didn’t like that, and murdered Tahir Elçi right in front of the Four Pillared Minaret as he was reading a press statement regarding the conservation of historic places.

“THE MURDER CAUGHT ON CAMERA STILL ISN’T SHED LIGHT ON”

The Tahir Elçi case has been shelved, like the political murders he fought to bring to light. It has been two years, and this murder that was committed in front of cameras still hasn’t been shed light on.

The insolubility of the Kurdish issue in Turkey and the policies of impunity enacted because of the policies of war continue to create a basis for new deaths. The fact that officers responsible for killing dozens of women and children in the last year in ‘accidents’ with armored vehicles have not been put on trial is a clear indication of this.

“NO PEACE UNTIL ATTACKS STOP”

To end the impunity policies and to shed light onto unidentified murders, Turkey first needs to face the facts, and the Kurdish issue needs to be resolved through democratic, peaceful and libertarian means. Without these, and until the attacks on the Kurdish people, the representatives of the Kurdish people and the gains of the Kurdish people stop, a true confrontation and justice, thus peace, can’t be achieved.

“WE PROMISE”

We remember Tahir Elçi once more with respect and love on the anniversary of his passing. Tahir Elçi is our conscience, he is the conscience of all the oppressed and all of us.

We embrace Tahir Elçi’s legacy of fighting for rights, freedoms, justice and peace. We promise to continue the struggle to shed light to the murder, have the ones responsible put on trial and make them answer.

We have not forgotten Tahir Elçi. We will never forget. We will make the murderers answer, together.”