Roboski Massacre commemorated on 11th anniversary

"President Erdoğan had told that they would not allow the massacre to be lost in the dark corridors of Ankara. Today the Roboski massacre is paved over in Ankara," said Ferhat Encü who lost family members and beloved in the Roboski massacre 11 years ago.

İstanbul

Roboski Massacre commemorated on 11th anniversary

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11 years ago in the Roboski village of Uludere, Şırnak, a bombardment by warplanes of Turkish Armed Forces killed 34 people, 19 of whom were children. The victims were commemorated today (December 28) at their gravesite.

The commemoration started with a moment of silence.

People's Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul co-chair Ferhat Encü, who lost family members and beloved ones in the Roboski massacre, said "President Erdoğan had told that they would not allow the massacre to be lost in the dark corridors of Ankara. Today the Roboski massacre is paved over in Ankara."

"Those who committed crime are apparent"

HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan said; "11 years have passed but the perpetrators have not stood any trial."

"Only photographs are left to the families, and tears in their eyes. No effective investigation was made. The perpetrators were not revealed.

"The ones who gave the instruction are apparent, those who committed the crime are apparent. The only thing that we cannot see is justice, law, or any remorse from those governing the country. Those who should be called to account are attacking us who should be calling them to account.

"They sued Roboski families"

"Those who lost their beloved in Roboski are calling those responsible to account. Those who should give an account are trying the Roboski families. They are slapping Ferhat Encü on the face. They are in fact slapping the Kurdish people's firm attitude.

Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu also spoke in the commemoration. He said, "the general staff and the government of the day are responsible for this massacre."

The Roboski Massacre

December 28, 2011

Around 7.17 p.m.: Having set off from Gülyazı and Ortasu villages in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Şırnak at noon to get diesel fuel, sugar, rice and tea from Zaho in Iraqi Kurdistan, 38 people, 17 of whom were younger than 18, started to return to Turkey in two groups.

7.28 - 20.21 p.m.: Five illumination and seven demolition shells were fired at a distance of 5-6 kilometers to the groups.

9.03 p.m.: Hearing that the road had been closed, the people walking in two groups decided to stop and wait somewhere near the border.

9.40 and 9.43 p.m.: Taking off from Diyarbakır, two F-16 jets of the Turkish Armed Forces bombarded the point where the first group was located.

10.02 p.m. The third bomb was dropped on the ones who parted their ways from the first group and were going to the north.

10.24 p.m.: The fourth bomb was dropped on the second group.

On June 11, 2013, Public Prosecution of Diyarbakır issued a decision of non-jurisdiction on the case due to "reckless homicide" and sent the case to Military Prosecution of General Staff.

Military Prosecution decided not to prosecute the case further on January 7, 2014. Lawyers of the victims' families objected to the decision, but they were rejected.

Following this, the case was brought before the Constitutional Court.

In a preliminary administrative examination of the application and its attachments, the court demanded some missing documents in the application be submitted yet the application was rejected on February 24, 2015 due to "outstanding documents not being submitted in time".

The 281 applicants affected by Roboski Massacre applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on August 23, 2016, claiming human rights violations, particularly the right to life. the ECtHR dismissed the application on the same grounds as the Constitutional Court.

Those who lost their lives in the massacre: Salih Encü, Seyithan Enç, Muhammed Encü, Cihan Encü, Selman Encü, Mehmed Ali Tosun, Erkan Encü, Nadir Alma, Osman Kaplan, Özcan Uysal, Zeydan Encü, Orhan Encü, Vedat Encü, Fadıl Encü, Şêrvan Encü, Şerafettin Encü, Şivan Encü, Savaş Encü, Karker Encü, Nevzat Encü, Mahsun Encü, Bilal Encü, Hüsnü Encü, Hamza Encü, Aslan Encü, Selam Encü, Adem Ant, Yüksel Ürek, Bedran Encü, Salih Ürek, Cemal Encü, Hüseyin Encü, Celal Encü, Serhat Encü...

(ZB/RT/PE)