We Insist on Our Quest for Truth and Justice
On the 45th Anniversary of the Maraş Massacre
19 December 2023
It has been 45 years since the Maraş Massacre. In the Maraş Massacre, which started on 19 December 1978 and continued until 26 December 1978, 120 people were killed using brutal methods, over a thousand people were injured, 552 houses were burned and destroyed, 289 businesses were looted. Martial law was declared in 13 cities on 26 December 1978, the same day the massacre ended. This massacre, just like the other massacres that claimed the lives of Alevis, took place under the supervision of the state and the law enforcement forces in the city did not intervene in any way. In this respect, the state itself is responsible for this massacre.
As always, impunity was preferred in bringing the perpetrators of the massacre to justice. Sixty-eight of the most important perpetrators of the massacre were never reached and even some of the known perpetrators became members of parliament and bureaucrats. The trial of some of the perpetrators lasted for 23 years and then with the legal arrangement made in 1991, all perpetrators were released. However, the Maraş Massacre falls under the category of Crimes Against Humanity. In the following years, instead of facing the massacre and establishing restorative justice mechanisms, the state banned the commemorations in Maraş on various grounds.
The insensitivity of the government, which expresses its opposition to coups by frequently referring to coups and massacres of the past, to the apprehension and prosecution of those responsible for the massacre in Maraş, which took place in front of the eyes of the state on the path to the September 12 military coup, has once again proved that it sees coups as “God’s blessing.”
A practice similar to the “Alevi Initiative,” which was carried out by the current government in the past by ignoring the massacres against Alevis, was updated in 2022 under the name of the Alevi-Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Presidency established under the Ministry of Culture. Despite the objections of Alevi citizens and Alevi faith institutions, the government insists on these policies.
We would like to remind the government that the path to real reconciliation lies in uncovering the truth and facing the past. It does not seem possible to establish reconciliation without clarifying the genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes of the past and without an official apology for these crimes. For this reason, the Maraş massacre must be brought to light, the state must apologize to the Alevis, and those responsible must be held accountable before the courts.
“Freedom of belief” is comprehensively defined in international legislation and human rights documents to which Turkey is a party. Further, the 2007 Hasan and Eylem Zengin v. Turkey judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, whose jurisdiction Turkey recognizes, makes it clear what the government should do about the demands of Alevi citizens.
On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Maraş Massacre, we commemorate with respect those who lost their lives in this massacre. We once again call on the political power: A truth and justice commission must be established and the truth must be made public in Turkey as it has been done in dozens of countries around the world. As human rights defenders, we insist on truth and justice. The Maraş Massacre is a crime against humanity. We demand that the perpetrators of all crimes, especially the Maraş Massacre, be brought to justice and held to account. We remind once again that the state, which is responsible for all these crimes, has the responsibility to apologize and reveal the truth.
Human Rights Association