45 years have passed since the massacre against Alevis in Mereş(Maraş) between 19 and 26 December 1978. According to official figures, 120 citizens were murdered, 559 houses and nearly 290 workplaces were burned in the massacre that lasted 7 days. In the trial initiated against those responsible, which lasted 23 years, 22 people were sentenced to death, 7 people were sentenced to life imprisonment, and 321 people were sentenced to imprisonment from 1 to 24 years. 68 people who played an important role in the massacre could not be reached. The decisions taken by the martial law court were later overturned by the Supreme Court and the death sentences were not implemented. The defendants who were sentenced were released after their sentences were postponed in accordance with the Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK) enacted in 1991.

 

THE PRIMARY DEFENDANT OF THE MASSACRE WAS REWARDED

 

Ökkeş Kenger, who was acquitted in the trial despite being the number one defendant of the massacre, changed his surname to Şenliler. Elected as a member of parliament from the Welfare Party (RP) in 1991, Şenliler served as a member of the Human Rights Commission in the Parliament during his time in the Parliament. Ceyhun Can, one of the lawyers involved in the massacre, was killed on September 10, 1979, Halil Sıtkı Güllüoğlu was killed on February 3, 1980, and Ahmet Albay was killed on May 3, 1980.

 

In the intervening 45 years, the perpetrators have not been punished, and those responsible have been rewarded by being represented at state levels and in the political arena.

 

FIRST ADDRESS OF THE MASSACRE: YÖRÜKSELİM NEIGHBORHOOD

 

Müslüm İbili (64), who lived in the Yörükselim District where the massacre first started and was 19 years old at the time, had to migrate to Istanbul after the massacre because he was not accommodated in Mereş. İbili, who lost his right foot in a train accident, founded the Erenler Culture and Solidarity Association in 2007 in the neighborhood he returned to.

 

Speaking to our agency about the massacre, Erenler Culture and Solidarity Association President Müslüm İbili said: "The massacre was a pre-prepared organization.The aim was to prevent the socialist trend that started with the student movements in the 1970s. The massacre was an organization of the deep state. I was present at the funeral ceremonies of the murdered leftist teachers. While they were taking the corpses, they started throwing stones and chanting 'Communists to Moscow' slogans. Of course, at that time we did not think that such a massacre could happen. Our aim was only to bury our dead bodies; however, great preparations had been made. Then there were attacks on houses with stones and sticks. When the events started, the bodies were thrown to the ground in front of the mosque with the intervention of the soldiers. The bodies were brought back to Yörükselim District. In the evening of that day, announcements were made from mosques targeting Alevis. When we woke up in the morning, we were surrounded. Many attacks were made and many of our people lost their lives. This was the neighborhood where the first attack took place. I was 19 years old then. The people living here were mostly people from surrounding provinces who worked as peddlers and antique dealers. People's houses were burned. 8 of our people were massacred. Those who carried out the attack were acting unconsciously. They had lost their human feelings. They didn't know what they were doing either. They were putting gas canisters in the hands of children, catching people and killing them. Many people were killed by shooting from a distance with long-range weapons. Hospitals were full. Everyone was in panic. People escaping were trying to take shelter somewhere and save themselves. Even though 45 years have passed, the trauma continues.”

 

'ALEVI COMMUNITY WAS MURDERED'

 

Stating that Alevis who could not find work after the massacre were not accommodated in Mereş, İbili said: “We suffered a lot. After the massacre, people were not given jobs because their views on each other changed. Many people moved from here later. I had to go to Istanbul because I couldn't find a job. There I fell off the train and lost my right foot. Later, I returned here again and in 2007, we built the Erenler Cemevi Cultural Association together to alleviate the pain of the massacre. Despite the passing years, people continued to live in poverty and poverty with a psychology of fear. The Alevi community was massacred. This happened not only here but in many places such as Dersim, Tokat, Çorum and Meleti. We still feel the same pain for them."

 

CALL TO COMMEMORATION

 

İbili, who called for participation in the commemoration to be held on Saturday, December 23 at Erenler Cemevi, continued as follows: “We will hold our commemoration this year, just like every year. We want to hold the next commemorations in the squares together with the people of Mereş. We need to commemorate together to clear this black stain. The state bans commemorations on the grounds of provocation; however, you cannot cover up pain with prohibitions. We invite all the people of Mereş to commemorate.”

 

MA / Mahmut Altıntaş