1 May 1977 The Voices of Those Who Lost Their Loved Ones

We heard the story of teacher Bayram Çıtak from his eldest son, Mete Çıtak, who lives in Izmir, and from his friend Selahattin Koçak from the Alliance and Solidarity Association of All Teachers (TÖB-DER) and the Unity Solidarity movement.

"After losing my father, I never missed a First of May rally. This state owes me, because it was the state that murdered my father," says Zeki Eyi, who lost his father at the age of 17.

Birsen Kement was 17 when she lost her father, Rasim Elmas. When she was told at police headquarters, “You’ll find your father in the morgue,” she only heard part of it. She says when she opened her eyes on May 2, she had “doubled in age overnight.”

The head of both Nationalist Front governments of 1977 was Süleyman Demirel. For Turkey, the year of May 1st massacre was a year of attacks, deaths, coup allegations, trials of those subjected to violations and impunity for responsible parties.

Published by bianet as an e-book as well, the series of "The Voices of Those Who Lost Their Loved Ones/ 1 May ‘77 and Impunity" is now preparing to meet its English-speaking audience, starting from the 1st of May.