Police attack Suruç Massacre commemorations in Ankara and İstanbul

* Photo: Gazete Karınca

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In the fifth year of Suruç Massacre, which claimed the lives of 33 people in Suruç, Urfa, the Suruç Families Platform wanted to have a commemoration ceremony in the capital city of Ankara yesterday (July 20).

The police intervened against the groups who attempted to come together at two different points in the city.

As reported by the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the ones who opened a banner of "Justice for Suruç, Justice for Everyone" on the Atatürk Boulevard were surrounded by the police, preventing journalists and citizens from taking a picture or a video of the scene.

While several people were battered and detained, the nose of one person was reportedly broken during the police intervention.

A young person with disabilities protesting the intervention of the police was also taken into custody by the police.

In another spot in Ankara, a group of young people wanted to march along Meşrutiyet Avenue by opening a banner.

Intercepted by riot police officers, the group was attacked by the police with pepper gas and rubber bullets. The young were battered and detained.

Intervention in Kadıköy, İstanbul

Police also intervened against the ones who came together in Kadıköy, İstanbul to hold a commemoration ceremony for Suruç Massacre.

As reported by Gazete Karınca news website, the group could pass the police barricade and started to march towards Süreyya Opera House. However, they were also attacked by the police there.

Intervening against the group with pepper spray and rubber bullets, the police battered and detained several people in rear-handcuffs.

Concerns over impunity

As reported by the MA, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Pervin Buldan and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu spoke at the commemoration ceremony organized by the Suruç Families Initiative in Halitağa, Kadıköy in İstanbul.

Both Buldan and Kaftancıoğlu raised concerns over impunity.

"Every year on July 20, we say 'We want justice, we want the perpetrators to be put on trial.' But, in spite of this, we know that nothing is done," Pervin Buldan said and added, "Our 33 lives were massacred and do you know what happened after that? Nothing happened."

Referring to Saturday Mothers/People, who have been prevented from gathering at Galatasaray Square to demand justice for the enforced disappeared since their 700th sit-in protest in August 2018, Buldan said, "The history of this country is full of massacres. The history of this country is full of people disappeared with unidentified murders."

"Suruç Massacre has also become a part of this country's history full of sorrows. As we have once again witnessed in this country, so long as murders are not brought into light and real trials are not held, such massacres will continue in this country," Buldan warned and added:

"If Suruç had been brought into light, neither Diyarbakır Massacre nor October 10 Ankara Massacre would have taken place. If there is still sorrow in this country, if people are still dying and massacres are taking place, it is related with the failure to bring Suruç Massacre into light."

'The best remedy for grief is justice'

Speaking at the same event with Buldan, CHP's Kaftancıoğlu also raised concerns over impunity. "Griefs are - of course - relieved by sharing them. But the best remedy for grief is justice," Kaftancıoğlu said and briefly added:

"We have seen murders, unidentified murders in this land. No matter who is touched by sorrow, Suruç and other massacres would not have happened if there had been justice. (...) We are here so that no other people will be massacred. We have never, ever got any close to justice in this country.

"The demands of our 33 brothers and sisters massacred in Suruç are growing here and in the world. I want to once again say that the hopes and struggles of the 33 people massacred in this land are our hopes and struggle." (EKN/SD)