ŞIRNEX - 12 years have passed since 34 people, including 19 children, were massacred by warplanes in Roboskî. Families, who continue their struggle for justice for the perpetrators to be tried, said: "We are plaintiffs for the massacre."

 

12 years have passed since 34 people, including 19 children, were bombed and murdered by warplanes belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the Roboskî village of Şirnex's Qileban (Uludere) district on December 28, 2011. In the intervening years, the perpetrators were protected and lawsuits were filed against the relatives of the murdered people. AKP's Tayyip Erdoğan, who was the Prime Minister at the time and currently sits in the Presidency, tried to legitimize the massacre with the statement "The Turkish Armed Forces carried out its duty sincerely" and waited for the families to remain silent by taking the compensations deposited into their accounts. But families have been fighting for justice for years.

 

Failing to get results from the investigations, the families brought the file to the Constitutional Court (AYM) together with 1,108 lawyers in July 2014; however, on February 26, 2016, the Constitutional Court rejected the application on the grounds of "missing documents" because the lawyers of 3 of the 53 applicants delayed their power of attorney for 2 days, so the file with 281 applicants was moved to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). On May 17,  2018, the ECtHR rejected the application as "unacceptable" on the grounds that "the documents were delayed by two days". Exactly 12 years have passed since the massacre, but Roboski's wound is still bleeding. While the promises made to the families were not fulfilled, the families' struggle for justice never stopped. Speaking on the anniversary of the massacre, Roboskî families stated that they will continue to follow the case.

 

'WE WILL NOT ACCEPT WHAT THE TURKISH STATE DID TO US'

 

Leyla Encü, mother of 16-year-old Şervan Encü, who was murdered in the massacre, stated that they have been fighting for justice for years and said: “I am the mother of 34 martyrs who were murdered. They were all my children. 12 years have passed since the massacre. We constantly watch the news, hoping that one day they will bring the murderers of our children to justice. We'll keep our eyes and ears on good news. We have been waiting for justice for years. We are fighting to find the perpetrators of Roboski. We never lost hope. Even if the state gives us the world, we will follow this cause until the end of time, they will not be able to make us forget. As long as I exist, I will demand justice for 33 people with Şivanim. We will not accept what the Turkish state did to us." 

 

'WE HAVE BEEN DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR 12 YEARS'

 

Stating that their pain has not diminished for 12 years, Encü said: “They have been committing a massacre every day since the day of the Roboski massacre. Because we are Kurds, that's why we are killed every day. Just once, let Erdoğan stand up and say, 'Come, what is your problem, what is your demand?' This issue cannot be solved by massacre and ignoring. What have we done to this state? We are fighting for our language and identity. We are fighting for peace. Our children were murdered, no other children should be murdered. Wherever a Kurdish child is murdered, we experience the same pain over and over again. Killing Kurds does not end there. Whenever they tell us, 'These are your perpetrators and we caught them,' then we will be relieved. We have been demanding justice at their graves for 12 years. We haven't enjoyed cooking and eating in our own homes for 12 years. We did not give birth and raise these children so that the Turkish state could kill them. Do they think we will forget about our children if they give us money? We will not betray this to our children."

 

'THEY GOT ON THEIR MULES IN FRONT OF THE EYE OF THE STATE'

 

Stating that the state knowingly and plannedly murdered her children, Halime Encü, the mother of Serhat Encü, one of the murdered people said: “There is still no justice for Roboskî. What happened to Roboski has never happened to anyone. My son would have turned 17. We were living off the money he brought home. They were going to bring diesel and sell it. They could only earn 50 lira. They set off at 3 o'clock early in the morning. They got on the mules and left in front of the battalion. They were not traveling illegally, they were traveling freely. They would leave at 3 o'clock early in the morning and come back at 7 o'clock. They were coming and going before their eyes. If this attack is not planned, what is? Why didn't the state tell them to go back then, why didn't it prevent them? They were not smugglers. They were going to school and going to meet their needs. On the last day, they gathered at our house with their friends. They drank tea and ate together. That day, both his father and I told him not to go. They were happy that day, as if they were going to a picnic or a wedding. They left and we kept our eyes on the road. Their return hours came and went, but they did not arrive. Later, my little son came home and said, 'Mom, the elders of the village have gathered and say there is a bombardment.' Until that day, I never thought that the state would bomb 34 people."

 

'THE STATE TRIED TO COVER THE MASSACRE'

 

Drawing attention that demands for justice were heard by the whole world but not by the state, Encü said: “After 24 hours, the state did everything to cover up the massacre. If the state had not tried to cover up the massacre, maybe the people would have gone and saved a few of them. But they set out to close the case. They were also citizens of this country, they carried the identity of this state. I will not forget as long as I exist. We could not recognize our children. Their parts of the mules were mixed together. Let justice come to Roboskî now. Let them reveal whoever has a hand in this massacre. As long as I exist, I will not forget and I will not stop calling for justice."

 

'12 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE MASSACRE'

 

It was the second time that 16-year-old Selahattin Encü, one of the 34 murdered people, went across the border. Encü's mother, Fehime Encü, stated that her son went because they had no other opportunity and said, “My son had rubber shoes on his feet. He was little and went to school. He was going to the border because he had no money. It was his second time and he was murdered. My son was only 16 years old. My only request is that the perpetrators of the 34 people be found as soon as possible. 12 years have passed since the massacre, but the perpetrators have still not been found. We thought we would feel a little relieved if the perpetrators were found, but they were not found. Our wound has been bleeding for 12 years. I don't have faith in the justice of the state, but I have faith in the justice of God."

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut