Sivas Massacre is deep state operation!
On July 2, 1993, 33 people who had attended Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Festivities in Sivas were burned to death in the Madımak Hotel. Thirty-two years have passed since then yet justice has still not been prevailed. The real perpetrators have not been tried, those responsible have not been held accountable.
The Sivas Massacre case saw its time limit expire in 2012. Of the 15,000 people involved in this plot, cases were filed for only 124. Two of the defendants, Ali Kurt and Mevlüt Atalay, confessed their links with Hizboullah, the Islamic Movement Organization, and Kaplancılar in order to benefit from the repentance law. However, the court disregarded these statements, saying that “there is no organization.” The policy of impunity was in effect again.
Some of the defendants received light sentences under “grievous provocation abatement”. Of the thirthy-three defendants sentenced to death eight were released in 1997. Since three of the seven fugitive defendants are abroad, the case is technically ongoing. However, for the public conscience, the file is already closed.
There is no time-limitation in the crimes against humanity! The Sivas Massaccre is attempted to be covered up, but we do not forget it!
This massacre is not just a “mass lynching attempt”. It is an organised attack by deep state, intelligence, political power and radical religious organisations. Not only the attackers but also the president, prime minister, ministers, security director and governor of the time are complicit in this crime. For a real confrontation all these people should also be put on trial.
As if all this lawlessness were not enough, those who refused to allow the Madımak Hotel, where 33 people were burned to death, to be converted into the Museum of Shame have once again hurt the conscience of humanity and they have revealed their sides by allowing the hotel to be used as a “Science and Culture Center” named after the two attackers who died during the massacre and to sanctify the massacre.
The truth about the Madımak Hotel massacre in Sivas needs to be revealed. A true confrontation with the past needs to take place and most importantly, the oppressive mentality needs to change. Such a change in mentality and perception can only be achieved by fully realizing human rights principles.
At its 17th Ordinary General Assembly, the Human Rights Association declared July 2 as the “Day of Denouncement of Crimes Against Humanity”.
Our Demands for Facing the Truth are as follows:
- The article on crimes against humanity in the Turkish Penal Code should be amended to read, “There can be no statute of limitations for crimes against humanity, regardless of the date of their commission.”
- The case of the Sivas Massacre should be reheard; all people responsible, including the president, prime minister, ministers, security director, governor, should be held accountable before the judiciary and justice must be ensured.
- In order to ensure that the state and society confront the past, a truth commission should be established to uncover the truth about the massacre and its links.
- The Madımak Hotel should be converted to “the museum of shame”.
- The necessary arrangements should be made to declare and adopt July 2 as the national “Day of Denouncement of Crimes Against Humanity.”
We respectfully commemorate the lives murdered in Sivas. We continue our struggle for justice.
We did not forget, we will not forgive!
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION