Thousands of people across Turkey, including representatives from trade unions and opposition parties, commemorated on Wednesday the third anniversary of a deadly terror attack that killed 103 civilians and wounded more than 500 others outside the main train station of the Turkish capital Ankara.
“We will never forget Oct. 10. The pain of this big massacre is still burning our hearts. Our anger is as fresh as our pain,” Arzu Çerkezoğlu, the head of the leftist Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), said during the ceremony held in memory of the 103 victims of the attack.
On Oct. 10, 2015 twin suicide bomb attacks carried out by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) killed 103 people and wounded hundreds of others who gathered for a peace rally outside Ankara’s main train station.
The ceremony was attended by the Confederation of Public Laborer’s Unions (KESK), Union of Architects and Engineers of Turkey (TMMOB), the Oct. 10 Peace and Solidarity Association and thousands of civilians. The commemoration was also attended by Co-Chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Sezai Temelli, deputies from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and HDP.
The program started with a moment of silence for the victims. “Our outrage is growing every day as we know that the real murderers are free. Another reason that grows our disappointment and anger is the stance taken by the ruling party before the massacre took place and during the prosecution,” Çerkezoğlu said.
She also vowed their anger will not cease until all those who were behind the attacks will be tried. “We will not let them make us forget this incident,” she said.
The commemoration took place under heavy security measures. During the ceremony, the police have also attacked a group of participants. In the beginning, the riot police forces stated that only the wounded and the relatives of the deceased, whose names were indicated on the list that they had, would be allowed to enter the site of commemoration.
In the meantime, the police attacked the crowd with shields. CHP deputy Murat Emir shared the commotion, which arose between the groups and the police and where one person was battered, on his social media account with the statement: “There is no toleration even for the mourning of sorrows.” Upon the reaction of the people, the police permitted people to enter the site.
Police also attacked the commemoration for victims of Ankara massacre in Van province and detained HDP and KESK members. KESK organized a press briefing in Van to mark the third anniversary of the Ankara massacre and called those responsible to account. Turkish police forces did reportedly not allow the gathering and attacked the crowd by use of violence.
HDP deputy Murat Sarısaç was also battered by the police. HDP Van provincial branch co-chair Ümit Dede and 10 members of unions under KESK have been taken into custody in the crackdown.
The post Turkish opposition, NGOs commemorate victims of Ankara massacre appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.
from Stockholm Center for Freedom https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-opposition-ngos-commemorate-victims-of-ankara-massacre/
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder