Thousands of people faced a massacre in Şırnak and Cizre during Newroz celebrations on March 21, 1992. The Newroz Celebrations attended by tens of thousands of people held in the Nusaybin district of Mardin was quite uneventful. However hundreds of people had lost their lives or were injured in the celebrations held in Şırnak and Cizre. When the press heard about what happened in Nusaybin, the Prime Minister of the time Süleyman Demirel and Minister of Interior İsmet Sezgin appeared before the cameras and thanked the people of Nusaybin.

 

In the district outraged by the news of the massacre, the words of Demirel and Sezgin caused people to flock to the streets. A day later, thousands of people who was protesting the massacre gathered on Martyrs Bridge on March 22. Firing at thousands of people who were staging a sit in here, the police also ran over dozens of people with water cannons.

 

According to the official records 16 people died as a result of the police attack. Witnesses say that the number of people who died as a result of the attack however, was 21. More than 100 people were injured. The bodies of two people who fell into the Çağ Çağ stream, crossed the border and wafted into the Qamishlo city of North and East Syria. Hundreds of people were detained and arrested. Tortured and disabled due to the injuries they suffered during the events that lasted for days in the district.

 

Years later, during Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Administration, a monument was erected in the memory of the people lost in the 'Bloody Newroz', but it was destroyed by the trustee appointed to the municipality in 2016.

 

However, despite the violence and the massacre, people kept flocking to the streets on Newroz celebrations throughout the years. Now this year, people of Nusaybin are preparing for a new Newroz fire to be burned this year on Newroz.

 

THE SOUNDS OF THE BROKEN BONES..

 

One of the witnesses of the 92 Newroz is 65 year old Salih Falay. Falay recalled the day and said, "I can still hear the sounds of the broken bones when the water cannon ran the people over. It was such a blood bath, I can still see it when I close my eyes. I am still haunted by that day in my dreams..The heads and feet of my friends when the armoured water cannon ran them over..It is so hard to tell.."

 

WATER CANNON RAN THE PEOPLE OVER

 

Falay told that they were staging a sit in on the Martyr's Bridge on March 22 after they heard about the massacre in Cizre and then they were attacked with water cannons. Falay said: "A water cannon was chasing us, another water cannon coming from the hospital full speed started to run over people on the bridge. We were shocked. We could hear the sound of the breaking human bones. It was driving on people, we saw the heads exploding, other limbs crushing under the water cannon. They blocked the other side of the bridge. People did not have anywhere to run. The river was full of water. People started to jump in the river." 

 

THEY FIRED AT THE WOMEN WHO FELL INTO THE RIVER

 

Recalling that the police fired at a women who fell into the river, Falay said they could not get the wounded to the hospital because of the police attack. Falay said: "They fired at us. Dozens of our friends were injured, dozens died on scene. Bodies of the people were in piles. This was an unprecedented massacre. I can still see it when I close my eyes. Those who do such thing can not be human beings."

 

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE NEWROZ CELEBRATIONS

 

Explaining that they never got over what happened back in 1992 and they are still suffering for the people they have lost that day, Falay said: "Newroz is beauty. It is the day of the innocent" and called on to the public to participate in the celebrations.

 

 

MA / Ahmet Kanbal