‘Commemorations are a warning against lynch culture’

* Photo: Sivas Massacre Commemoration - AA / Archive

Click to read the article in Turkish

26 years ago today, on July 2, 1993, 37 people, including 33 artists and writers, 2 hotels workers and 2 attackers, lost their lives as Madımak Hotel was set on fire. 33 intellectuals, artists and writers were in Sivas province at the time to attend the Pir Sultan Abdal festivities.

This year, the march to be held in commemoration of the ones who died in the massacre has been banned on the ground of pandemic measures.

Speaking to bianet, Eren Aysan, who lost her father Behçet Aysan in the massacre, says that "they find commemorations really important" and adds, "Because they are a warning against the lynch culture." 

Noting that she has always regarded marches as a democratic right, she underlines that "a democratic right is a right, even in the days of corona":

"I believe that this right can be used in the days of corona by keeping a sufficient distance. Marches were also held in Greece and other countries in this process. They are allowed, but planned in a way to ensure distance."

Metin Altıok, Uğur Kaynar and Behçet Aysan (in the front) at the stairs of Madımak Hotel before the massacre.

Commemoration limited to 100 people

The Governor's Office of Sivas allowed the commemoration ceremony to take place on the condition of social distance. 

While the Governor's Office has limited the number of participants to attend the commemoration in front of Madımak Hotel with 100 people, it also requested the list or participants. The Office also announced that no marches would be allowed. The commemoration ceremony will take place in front of the hotel from 10.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today (July 2).

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has also announced that they will attend the commemoration in front of Madımak. HDP's Vice Co-Chair responsible for Peoples and Belief Commission Tülay Hatimoğulları, HDP MPs Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Kemal Bülbül, Zeynel Özen, 25th term HDP MP Turgut Öker and other party executives are expected to attend the ceremony.

'So much injustice in 27 years...'

"There has been so much injustice in 27 years that time will not suffice if we want to talk about them one by one," says Eren Aysan and continues as follows:

"As a result of all this injustice that we have suffered in 27 years, we - unfortunately - still regard this incident as a 'bleeding wound.' We cannot learn to think about this issue with our minds. We were not given the opportunity to do so."

'Lynch is a loss of civilization'

Aysan notes that lynch culture is still alive in this land. Referring to the attempted lynch against main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu last year, Aysan continues has remarks as follows:

CLICK - Attack Against CHP Chair at the Funeral of a Soldier

"It was just last year that the leader of the main opposition party was lynched amid cries of 'Burn.' It was spine-chilling to hear the 'Burn' cry of the woman there, to hear it 26 years after may father's passing.

"We have not yet been able to figure out that lynch is a loss of civilization. We have been witnessing that the mindset peculiar to the Eastern society, this spiral is drifting us away from vital situations.

'We need to create a collective consciousness'

"What is tragic for me is not only the death of my father and others, but also the failure to prevent it still. We do not want to see such scandals again. While we say 'Don't surrender your rage to hatred, don't burn or destruct,' we are still a society tested by traps. It is more hurting for me.

"There is the loss of a father, but this loss is not only mine, but also that of the whole society. Because he is a literary figure.

"The fact that such acts as lynches are still committed in our country make me especially concerned as a young writer. We need to turn this into a collective consciousness, we do not have any other chance.

"That is why we heavily dwell on commemoration ceremonies. We want that what is social is be not regarded as a destructive aspect, but as a reminding situation. So that no other similar incidents will take place...

"I think what is important here is to turn it into a consciousness. These commemorations have the characteristics of a warning."

About Sivas Massacre and its judicial process

26 years ago on July 2, 37 people, including 33 artists and writers, 2 hotels workers and 2 attackers, lost their lives in the fire started at Madımak Hotel in Sivas. 33 intellectuals were in Sivas to attend the Pir Sultan Abdal festivities. 65 people, 14 of whom were police officers, got wounded in the fire.

124 people were arrested in relation with the fire. In the seven-year trial process, 33 people sentenced to death and 85 people were given prison sentences of 2 to 15 years. 37 defendants were acquitted. The death sentences of 33 people were converted to aggravated life sentences.

On March 13, 2012, the Ankara 11th Heavy Penal Court dropped the charges of the Sivas Massacre trial in line with the prosecutor's demand to apply the statute of limitations to the case.

As the 9th Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the verdict on violation of statute of limitations, attorney Şenal Sarıhan took the case to the Constitutional Court in 2014. However, the court has not yet announced its judgement. In response, lawyer Sarıhan appealed to the Constitutional Court regarding the long judicial processes. (AÖ/SD)