RIHA – Those who lost their lives in the Pirsûs Massacre were commemorated in front of the Amara Cultural Centre where the massacre took place. Speakers emphasized the need for accountability and the establishment of a truth and justice commission.

 

On the 9th anniversary of the Suruç (Pirsûs) Massacre, in which 33 young people were killed by an ISIS suicide bombing, families, activists, and political representatives gathered in front of the Amara Cultural Center, where the attack took place, to commemorate the victims and demand justice. 

 

‘CALL FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE’

 

The commemoration began with a march from the People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party district office to the Amara Cultural Center, where participants carried a banner reading, "No dream will remain unfinished." Slogans such as “From Arin to Sibel, we walk to victory” and “Kurdistan will be the grave of fascism” echoed throughout the march.

 

DEM Party Provincial Co-Chair Ayşe Sürücü said the victims came to Suruç to support the rebuilding of Kobanê and to build a bridge of solidarity. “They could not tolerate this vision. Yet, the model that emerged from Rojava, led by women, inspired the world,” she said.

 

Efe Çatalbaş, a survivor of the bombing, declared, “Our pain is as fresh as our rage. We believed in the brotherhood of peoples, and that is why we were there. Even in the face of massacre, torture, and imprisonment, we did not give up and we won’t.”

 

Bar Association Chair Abdullah Öncel called for the prosecution of state officials with ties to the massacre. “We have made efforts for the truth to come out in court over the past ten years, but we’ve seen no progress. There must be a parliamentary commission to confront the truth,” he stated.

 

Senem Nur Pektaş of SGDF said the young people traveled from across Turkey and Kurdistan in solidarity with the Kurdish people. “The state tried to send a message by killing 33 of us: ‘Don’t stand with the Kurds.’ But we got their message, and we’re still here,” she said. “Instead of jailing those demanding justice for Suruç, prosecute the murderers and their collaborators.”

 

Mertcan Titiz, co-chair of SYKP, added, “Just as the Rojava Revolution did not fall, our struggle continues.”

 

Sezin Uçar of ESP emphasized that justice is not possible if perpetrators of state-backed massacres are not prosecuted. “We fight for justice under all conditions. There can be no peace without accountability,” she said.

 

‘HOW DID ISIS CARRY EXPLOSIVES INTO RIHA?’

 

Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-chair of the DEM Party, questioned how ISIS managed to transport explosives into Riha. “From the 10 October Ankara Train Station bombing, we know that security forces and state institutions were complicit. The border was deliberately opened to ISIS militants,” she said.

 

She reiterated the demand for a parliamentary Truth and Confrontation Commission, noting that proposals for such a body have been repeatedly rejected by ruling parties. “If we want to open the path to peace, we must face the truth, seek justice, and offer apologies,” she concluded.