content tagged with The Voices of Those Who Lost Their Loved Ones

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/TUĞÇE YILMAZ

The untried court years of 1 May 1977

The trial of 98 people, including leaders of DİSK (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey), mentioned in the 1 May 1977 indictment prepared by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, began at the 2nd High Criminal Court, but...

17 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/ARZU ÇERKEZOĞLU

It is vital that we remember, and keep the memory alive

Tracing the facts and history of this massacre 43 years after it happened sheds light upon the tunnel of darkness in which we now find ourselves. It makes it possible for us to remain steadfast on our path as we seek to establish a land of equality, freedom, peace, and fraternity, that is, a land and a world that put labour first.

15 June 2021 Arzu Çerkezoğlu

1 MAY 1977/TUĞÇE YILMAZ

Finding the traces of a 43-year-old massacre

How did I get started on this? How did I manage to contact the friends and relatives of those who lost their lives in Taksim 43 years ago? My connections, 27 lives, my age, doors not knocked upon... Impunity, lost files, unanswered applications, autopsy reports...

15 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/NEJLA KURUL

1 May 1977: Who is hiding the truth, and why?

Although almost half a century has passed, the truth behind the massacre of 1 May 1977 remains in the dark. Who were the people that committed this crime, and why? We shall see the day when life prevails over death!

14 June 2021 Nejla Kurul

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/ EMEL ATAKTÜRK

Remembrance as a matter of dignity and the fight against impunity

In 43 years, the parties in power may have changed but the truth behind what happened has still not been brought to light and nothing has changed in terms of the policy of impunity. It is still unclear who opened fire that day. Why?

11 June 2021 Emel Ataktürk

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/ SÜLEYMAN ÇELEBİ

'The perpetrators of the 1 May 1977 massacre got away with it'

Süleyman Çelebi, the former Chair of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), speaks of his attempts to have 1 May 1977 investigated while he was an MP, but says that each of his proposals was rejected.

10 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/ KANİ BEKO

'If you can’t find the killers, you can’t remove the stain'

Kani Beko, the former Chair of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), speaks about the need to try the perpetrators of the 1 May 1977, saying that the stain of these incidents needs to be removed and the killers need to be found.

9 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY 1977 AND IMPUNITY/ FEHMİ IŞIKLAR

'The state is implicated in this crime, perpetrators must be put on trial'

Fehmi Işıklar, one of the organizers and directors of the 1 May 1977 rally, talks first about demonstrators’ enthusiasm, then the sounds of gunfire and the stampede that followed. He says that the state must find a way to absolve itself of this shame.

8 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Laborer Diran Nigiz, 34, died in Taksim

Antranik Yontan spoke of how his relative, Diran Nigiz, who he called his ‘abi’, or big brother, had a limp and was crushed in the panic, that he had a good sense of humour, and that he had migrated from Derik to Istanbul. There are no photographs of Diran.

7 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Student Sibel Açıkalın, 18, died in Taksim

Cihat Açıkalın tells us about how his cousin, Sibel Açıkalın, was actively engaged in the struggle for student and labor rights and that she was the one who fostered in him his love of reading. "It still makes our hearts bleed to know that, despite the many years that have passed, the perpetrators have not been held accountable for their crimes," he says.

4 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Teacher Mustafa Elmas, 33, died in Taksim

Mustafa Elmas's wife, Selme Elmas, says "We were in love when we got married, very much in love." She then adds, "He said he was going out to buy a paper, but he never came back." Journalist Faruk Eren wrote about his middle-school teacher in a book about the political atmosphere of the 1970s.

3 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Laborer Mürtezim Oltulu, 42, died in Taksim

Mürtezim Oltulu's nephews, Recep Oltulu and Yüksel Oltulu, spoke of how, after completing primary school, their uncle followed his older brother to Halkalı in Istanbul, and of how they struggled to find the 4000 lira needed to claim his body. There are no photographs of Mürtezim Oltulu.

2 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Factory Worker Ziya Baki, 30, died in Taksim

Workers from the Uzel factory and union leaders Mehmet Ali Kılıç and Rıza Durak tell us about their friend Ziya, how fearless he was, and how they weren't able to attend his funeral. Murat Tokmak had also given information about the three workers from the Uzel factory who lost their lives in an interview with the newspaper Radikal.

1 June 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Security Guard Mehmet Ali Genç, 60, died in Taksim

Şükrü Genç tells us that his father died on his way home from work after his shift at the Maksim Gazinosu nightclub, that he had moved to Istanbul to find work, and how, as they were claiming his body to take back to their village, they were given the belongings of a child.

31 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Itinerant salesperson Hamdi Toka, 35, died in Taksim

Hamdi Toka’s nephew and cousin spoke of how he died while selling sandwiches in Taksim, of the family’s poverty, of how he left the village of Başsökü in Gerze to find work and now lies in the village cemetery.

28 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Factory worker Hasan Yıldırım, 31, died in Taksim

Hasan Yıldırım’s friend from Uzel Factory spoke of how Hasan, whom he describes as a good person, was studying at university while also working at the factory, and how his workmates tried to comfort him after he was shot right beside them.

27 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Laborer Mahmut Atilla Özbelen, 26, died in Taksim

Zehra Şahin talks about her friend, Atilla Özbelen, with whom she worked at the Classroom Tools Manufacturing Centre, about how he was at work, his union activities, and how they went together from Ankara to the First of May rally in Istanbul.

26 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Public order police officer Nazmi Arı, 26, died in Taksim

Fahrettin Arı talks about his brother, Nazmi Arı, about the failure to bring those responsible for his death to justice, and about how a village school was named after him but the name was later removed.

25 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Student Ercüment Gürkut, 26, died in Taksim

Author Nedim Gürsel talks of how Ercüment Gürkut, a friend from Galatasaray High School, was interested in football and poetry, was funny and intelligent, was very interested in cinema and of how they planned to carry out a project together.

24 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Laborer Hüseyin Kırkın, 23, Died in Taksim

The nephew of Hüseyin Kırkın, a Laborer at the student dormitory "Ankara Site", talks about what a fearless person his uncle was, how he could not tolerate injustice, and how upset he got when he was told not to go to the First of May.

21 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Factory Worker Kahraman Alsancak, 29, Died in Taksim

Retired teacher Mehmet Nuri Tozak tells us about meeting Uzel Factory worker Kahraman Alsancak on Taksim Square on 1 May 1977, what they talked about, how they found his body, and Alsancak's spirit of solidarity and generosity.

20 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Student Hacer İpek Saman, 24, Died in Taksim

Mukaddes Erdoğdu, Hacer Elçin, and Talia Esenyel tell us about their hardworking, modest, quiet, and faithful friend, Hacer İpek Saman, during her years at high school and university, and how they found her grave only 12 years ago.

19 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Counterperson Kadir Balcı, 35, Died in Taksim

Dilek Balcı talks about what she herself remembers and what others have said about her father, about her father's death, his joy, his passion for photography, about how her family has survived without a father, and how her mother put four children through school on her own.

18 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Medical Nurse Kıymet Kocamış, 25, Died in Taksim

Nurcan Kunt tells us the story of her aunt, Kıymet Kocamış, whose life was sadly cut short, how her aunt fought to forge her own life, and why she was in Taksim on 1 May 1977.

17 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Laborer Ali Sidal, 18, died in Taksim

Abdullah Sidal recounts the story of his brother’s short life, how they found his body three days later, how they were prevented from taking him to Dersim, and how the graves of those lost in 1977 were destroyed.

14 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Teacher Ömer Narman, 31, died in Taksim

Eravcı and Kaplan spoke about their friend Ömer Narman, telling us about his family, his short life, his membership and leadership of the TÖB-DER, their journey to Taksim that day and how they were unable to find their friend after the incident.

13 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

University student Nazan Ünaldı, 19, died in Taksim

Nazan Ünaldı’s friends Ayşe Seyla Ertem, Suzan Serin Kum, and Serpil Gür, spoke about Nazan’s work ethic, about her notebooks that passed from hand to hand, and about her awareness and her politics.

12 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Student-laborer Niyazi Darı, 24, died in Taksim

Niyazi Darı’s colleague and friend Çetin, older brother Darı, and high-school friend Yılmaz, who was then chair of the Revolutionary Youth Federation of Turkey, talk about his much too brief life and the ceremony at which his loved ones bid him farewell.

11 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Teacher Hikmet Özkürkçü, 39, died in Taksim

Behiye Özkürkçü speaks of the shooting of her father as she stood by his side, and of her 16 years of life with him. She summarizes her life after his death with the words, “Kurdish, from Siverek, her father was a member of TÖB-DER, he died in Taksim.”

10 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Teacher Ahmet Gözükara, 33, Died in Taksim

While talking about her uncle, Ahmet Gözükara, Sema Gözükara begins by saying, "Nobody has heard his life story; this is very saddening for us. This feeling of having no voice always deeply upset me."

7 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

Teacher Kenan Çatak, 31, died in Taksim

We hear about teacher Kenan Çatak from his friends, Faik Kubilay and Muammer Başkent, both teachers and members of the Alliance and Solidarity Association of All Teachers [TÖB-DER], who went to Taksim together with Çatak on 1 May 1977.

6 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz

1 MAY '77: VOICES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES

High School Student Jale Yeşilnil, 17, died in Taksim

Hale Yeşilnil tells us about her sister Jale's birth and her 17 years of life, while author Kadir Akın speaks of their days together at the Göztepe Cultural Association, the police attack during their final farewell to her, and the graveside commemoration for her, 43 years later.

5 May 2021 Tuğçe Yılmaz