NEWS CENTER - The 33 intellectuals, authors and artists who got killed in Sivas massacre 27 years ago today were commemorated all around Turkey in various cities other than the central events in Sivas as the seek for justice for 33 lives has been continuing for almost three decades.

27 years have passed since the Sivas massacre at Madımak Hotel in Turkey's central province Sivas, where the Muslim-Sunni crowd that surrounded and burned down the hotel that the intellectuals and activists were residing to attend a cultural festival of the Alevi community, took 33 lives.

Many non-governmental and democratic organizations declared their statements to show that they did not forget the Sivas massacre and to demand that those responsible for the massacre to be broght to justice.

HDK: AKP'S LAWYERS BACKED THE SIVAS MASSACRE

Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) shared a statement emphasizing the attacks targeting Alevi people in Turkey under the 18 years of Erdoğan's AKP rule. "They continue to attack Alevis by attacking their sanctuaries (known as Cemevi) and trying to assimilate them. When we can see the fact the lawyers who defended the killers in Sivas are also the lawyers of AKP, we can see the perspective AKP quite well," stated HDK.

In the statement of HDK, the people lost in Sivas Massacre were shown respects and the call for struggle for justice was raised noting that the victims would never be forgotten.

IHD: LET THE TRUTH BE REVEALED

Human Rights Association's (IHD) declaration included the following remarks: "The policies, which disregard the global principles of human rights such as the freedom of religion and belief and the freedom of expression and thought and again seek the construction and the maintenance of such a monist system that is never capable of seeing the diversity as a cultural richness paved the way for Madımak (Sivas) Massacre. The truth behind the massacre in Madımak Sivas shall be revealed. Most importantly a sincere confrontation with the past must be achieved and the oppressive mentality shall be changed. As the IHD, we declare that we will keep up the struggle to reveal the truth."

PRESS STATEMENT IN ISTANBUL

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul Province Organization held a press statement in front of their party building as many people together with the HDP Istanbul MP Musa Piroğlu attended the commemoration cheering "We will never forget the Sivas Massacre" and "Justice for Sivas, justice for everyone".

'THE ONES COMMITING THE MASSACRES HAVEN'T CHANGED'

HDP Istanbul MP Musa Piroğlu took the stage and gave the following speech: "They say they share our pain as if they are not the committers of this massacre. We never share our pain with the ones who committed the massacres against us. The people who were killed in Roboski, in Cire, in Gever, the dead bodies left in the middle of the streets show us something and that is, the ones commiting the massacres haven't changed, but only their identities shifted, yet they continue to commit massacres."

Elif Bulut, Co-Chair of HDP's Istanbul Organization's also spoke in the event: "They turned these lands to the lands of the dead. No one would care about the identity of the other, but the political power cares for it. That's why the massacres in Turkey would never end. However, there are people who resist against that. This pain is a pain of 27 years. They should know that we won't let it go. This pain would only end when the justice is served. We will struggle until our seek for justice come to an end."

STATEMENT IN ANKARA: POLICE ATTACK 7 CUSTODIES

Various democratic organizations came together in the Sakarya Street of Turkey's capital Ankara with the call of Democratic Alevi Association (DAD).

As the people gathered for a peaceful protest to read their press statement to commemorate the Sivas Massacre, police said they would not let the gathering showing the coronavirus pandemic as the ground of the ban.

As the police forcedly removed the people from the street, 12 people were detained. Due to the police intervention the press statement could not be read. However the people cheered their slogans of "We will never forget Sivas Massacre".

The police also prevented the journalists following the protest and declared that "it was banned to record".

DERSIM: ALEVI COMMUNITY STAND TOGETHER

Democratic Alevi Association (DAD), Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association and many democracy forces came together on the Sanat Street of Turkey's eastern province of Dersim, a city known for the Alevi community to constitute the majority and many historical massacres targeting the Alevi and Kurdish community.

Reyhan Kumru spoke on behalf of Democratic Alevi Association: "Many of our people lost their law due to the policies of war. Let's unite us all, the Alevi lives, let's stand together and shout out that we will never forget and let these massacres to be forgotten with the soul of the Pir Sultan Abdal, who once said, 'Let the one who may return, I shall nevern return from my path' in order our people would never suffer the same pain and the same massacres."