Sivas massacre is a heavy burden on political Islam, Karasu
Sivas massacre is a heavy burden on political Islam, Karasu
Evaluating the Sivas Massacre at its 18th anniversary, KCK Executive Council member Mustafa Karasu said; "The active players of the massacre were "political Islamists". Considering the circumstances and the atmosphere of the time, the slaughtered were seen as guilty and murderers as rightful. The Sivas Massacre is a heavy burden on political Islamic which they can't get rid of without bringing a strong self criticism."
*What would you say about the political atmosphere of the year 93 when 37 Alewi intellectuals and artists were burnt to death and why especially Sivas was chosen?
- I condemn the slaughter of 37 Kurdish-Turkish Alevis and intellectuals who had participated in Pir Sultan activities at Madýmak Hotel on 2 July 1993. I bow respectfully before their memories. The Sivas Massacre was a turning point for the Alevis who after that much more raised and grew their attitude and struggle for a free and democratic living. This is certainly not coincidental that the massacre was carried out in 1993 when the dirty war descended over the Kurdish people like a nightmare and there was a vehement political and military struggle for many years between the Kurdish Freedom Movement and the Turkish state which during those years increased unidentified murders to purge the Kurdish Movement. The defenders and supporters of the Kurdish Freedom Movement, the patriots, intellectuals and the natural leaders of society were all murdered, put in prisons or made to migrate to cities and to Europe.
In this period, when the constraints and massacres by the state reached the highest level, a murder-network was created to open the way of political Islamists and apart from the murders by the state itself, a great majority of the term's unidentified murders were committed by this network.
One other policy of the dirty war against the Kurdish Freedom Movement were the state constraint on democracy powers and the efforts of the state to prevent their uniting with the Kurdish movement. The Kurdish Freedom Movement was intended to be left breathless and be purged through military and political attacks.
The year 1993 witnessed a total dirty war and a great toleration towards political Islam whose organization intended to constrict the democratic area and whose all kinds of massacres and attacks were indulged.
On the other hand,during those years when Alewis maintained an attitude seeking democracy, freedom of self-expression and freedom of belief, the Turkish state was giving particular efforts to hinder the integration of Kurdish Alewis with the Kurdish Freedom Movement and thus to prevent the integration with Turkish Alewis.
During this period, Kurdish Alewis in particular, many young people were joining the PKK which was improving and expanding every day. In such an atmosphere, political Islamists and circles developed a reaction against the Pir Sultan Abdal activity and provoked the people against Alewis.
The Sivas massacre should be handled in two dimensions; the efforts of political Islamists to gain power through the public hostility against Alewis and the activation of the deep state, intelligence service and military intelligence in Sivas. The state's purpose was to threaten Alewis and intellectuals, to block their democratic struggle and the breath they give to the Kurdish Freedom Movement. Therefore, it will not be sufficient to explain the Sivas Massacre with the public hostility against Alewis. The historical and current reasons came together and the provoked people surrounded the Madýmak Hotel and burnt people to death with death dances.
As to the reason why Sivas was chosen, we can say that the provinces, where the Sunnis and Alewis live together, have a proper ground for such a provocation which, just like the Maras Massacre before 1980, emerged through the provocation of the existing tension by some certain powers of the state. The tension between Alewis and Sunnis is one of the main subjects that can easily be provoked in Turkey but the victim is always the Alewis.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
*What would you say about the political atmosphere of the year 93 when 37 Alewi intellectuals and artists were burnt to death and why especially Sivas was chosen?
- I condemn the slaughter of 37 Kurdish-Turkish Alevis and intellectuals who had participated in Pir Sultan activities at Madýmak Hotel on 2 July 1993. I bow respectfully before their memories. The Sivas Massacre was a turning point for the Alevis who after that much more raised and grew their attitude and struggle for a free and democratic living. This is certainly not coincidental that the massacre was carried out in 1993 when the dirty war descended over the Kurdish people like a nightmare and there was a vehement political and military struggle for many years between the Kurdish Freedom Movement and the Turkish state which during those years increased unidentified murders to purge the Kurdish Movement. The defenders and supporters of the Kurdish Freedom Movement, the patriots, intellectuals and the natural leaders of society were all murdered, put in prisons or made to migrate to cities and to Europe.
In this period, when the constraints and massacres by the state reached the highest level, a murder-network was created to open the way of political Islamists and apart from the murders by the state itself, a great majority of the term's unidentified murders were committed by this network.
One other policy of the dirty war against the Kurdish Freedom Movement were the state constraint on democracy powers and the efforts of the state to prevent their uniting with the Kurdish movement. The Kurdish Freedom Movement was intended to be left breathless and be purged through military and political attacks.
The year 1993 witnessed a total dirty war and a great toleration towards political Islam whose organization intended to constrict the democratic area and whose all kinds of massacres and attacks were indulged.
On the other hand,during those years when Alewis maintained an attitude seeking democracy, freedom of self-expression and freedom of belief, the Turkish state was giving particular efforts to hinder the integration of Kurdish Alewis with the Kurdish Freedom Movement and thus to prevent the integration with Turkish Alewis.
During this period, Kurdish Alewis in particular, many young people were joining the PKK which was improving and expanding every day. In such an atmosphere, political Islamists and circles developed a reaction against the Pir Sultan Abdal activity and provoked the people against Alewis.
The Sivas massacre should be handled in two dimensions; the efforts of political Islamists to gain power through the public hostility against Alewis and the activation of the deep state, intelligence service and military intelligence in Sivas. The state's purpose was to threaten Alewis and intellectuals, to block their democratic struggle and the breath they give to the Kurdish Freedom Movement. Therefore, it will not be sufficient to explain the Sivas Massacre with the public hostility against Alewis. The historical and current reasons came together and the provoked people surrounded the Madýmak Hotel and burnt people to death with death dances.
As to the reason why Sivas was chosen, we can say that the provinces, where the Sunnis and Alewis live together, have a proper ground for such a provocation which, just like the Maras Massacre before 1980, emerged through the provocation of the existing tension by some certain powers of the state. The tension between Alewis and Sunnis is one of the main subjects that can easily be provoked in Turkey but the victim is always the Alewis.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
