Riha – On June 14, 2018, Hacı Esvet and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar were murdered in the attack carried out by the relatives and bodyguards of AKP Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız. Today, all shopkeepers have kept their shutters down since today is the fourth anniversary of the massacre. A commemoration was held at the graves of Hacı Esvet and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar with the participation of the Şenyaşar family members, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Bedran Öztürk, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-chair Saliha Aydeniz, Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) Urfa MPs Ayşe Sürücü and Ömer Öcalan, members of the Peace Mothers Initiative in Urfa, Urfa Labor and Democracy Platform members and HDP members and many citizens.

Laments at their graves

Police tried to prevent the people from entering the cemetery. Then, police allowed the Şenyaşar family and MPs to enter the cemetery while other citizens weren’t allowed to enter the cemetery. The Şenyaşar family, MPs and members of NGOs reacted to the prevention of the people from entering the cemetery by police. Emine Şenyaşar said she wouldn’t enter the cemetery until all people waiting outside of the cemetery were allowed to enter. After 30 minutes, police allowed the people to enter the cemetery. At the graves of Hacı Esvet, Adil and Celal Şenyaşar, Emine Şenyaşar lamented for her murdered family members. Then, the people prayed at the graves. Speaking during the commemoration, Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, made a speech and said that they haven’t received any condolences for four years but they will receive when justice is delivered.

“We will seek justice to the end”

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-chair Saliha Aydeniz also made a speech and said that the massacre had been openly carried out, “A massacre was carried out in front of the whole world. 4 years have passed but justice hasn’t been delivered yet. No steps have been taken until now and this shows that there is no justice. Mother Emine Şenyaşar demands justice for everyone and resists for it. The mother resists for the people across Turkey. Justice is underground, we should get it out there. We promise that we will stand with the family to the end. We will seek justice to the end.”

Salih Karataş, Co-chair of the Health and Social Services Workers' Trade Union (SES) Urfa Branch, invited everyone to hold the sit-in protest with the Şenyaşar family in front of the Urfa Courthouse to demand justice.