HDP delegation inspected Qandil’s Zergelê village where Turkish warplanes had killed civilians, and stated that at least 6 houses in Zergelê were targeted during the attack. The delegation recalled that 8 civilians were killed and tens of civilians were injured, and Turkish warplanes had clearly carried out a massacre in the village.

HDP delegation composed of Urfa Parliamentarian Osman Baydemir, Siirt Parliamentarian Kadri Yıldırım, İstanbul Parliamentarian Hüda Kaya, HDP Vice President responsible for foreign relations Nazmi Gür, MYK member Hatice Altınışık and DBP Hewler representative Şilan Eminoğlu inspected Zergelê village where Turkish airstrikes had targeted the civilians. 

The HDP delegation accompanied by the families of Zergelê martyrs, survivors of the attack, and Qandil Co-Mayors Hesen Mihemed and Emine Xame issued a press statement on the site of the massacre.

HDP Urfa Parliamentarian Osman Baydemir spoke on behalf of the delegation, and said that Kurdish people would never surrender to brutality despite the wound Zergelê massacre inflicted upon the hearts of Kurdish mothers. Baydemir noted that they visited Zergelê in order to share the pain of broken-hearted mothers as Kurds from North Kurdistan, and offered HDP’s condolences to the people of South Kurdistan. Baydemir said that the delegation’s visit aimed to raise awareness about the massacre with the peoples of Turkey and the rest of the world, and recalled that the AKP government and its media outlets have not yet described the bombing as a massacre. Baydemir reminded that official statements were claiming that only PKK guerrillas were hit, but the HDP delegation on the site of the massacre observed that Turkish warplanes undoubtedly hit 6 houses and massacred 8 civilians.

‘WE WILL APPLY FOR THE PROSECUTION OF THE MASSACRE’S PERPETRATORS’

Baydemir stated that they would deepen their investigations, apply for the prosecution of the massacre’s perpetrators, and expose the truth about the massacre. Baydemir explained that they would apply to courts both inside and outside Turkey for the prosecution of perpetrators, and present their reports to human rights associations. Baydemir added that Kurdish mothers were not alone and 40 million Kurds’ hearts were broken as well the hearts of these mothers.

‘THIS MASSACRE TARGETED ALL OF US’

Osman Baydemir noted that they visited the injured people who survived the massacre, and everyone they interviewed during their visit confirmed that the event was a massacre of civilians. Baydemir described war as pain, tears, and destruction, and called upon the Turkish state to end its attacks. Baydemir ended his statement by reminding that problems could only be solved through negotiation, and inviting AKP to re-establish the negotiation table that it recently destroyed.