News Center- 44 years have passed since the Maraş Massacre took place in 1978. Hundreds of people were killed and injured in the massacre. 44 years have not been able to erase the atrocity of the massacre from memories.

According to the official figures, 120 people were killed and hundreds of people were injured in the massacre that was committed against Alevis in the city of Maraş from December 19 to December 26 in 1978. According to witnesses, more than 500 people were killed in the massacre.

After the massacre, 804 defendants were put on trial. 29 of them were sentenced to death, seven were sentenced to life imprisonment and 321 others were sentenced to between one and 24 years of imprisonment. The court cases opened at military courts and lasted until 1991. Due to a law passed the previous year, all of the defendants, except those who were sentenced to death and life imprisonment, were released by 1992.

How did the events start?

The massacre is known as the beginning of the military coup d'état that took place in Turkey on September 12, 1980.  When the massacre took place in Maraş, the Republican People's Party (CHP) was the ruling party, and the Prime Minister was Bülent Ecevit. When people were watching the movie named “When the Sun Will Rise” directed by Mehmet Kılıç and starred by Cüneyt Arkın and Oya Aydoğan at the Çiçek Cinema, a bomb was thrown into the cinema attended mostly by right-wingers. After rumors spread that left-wingers had thrown the bomb, right-wingers took to the streets and attacked the building of the CHP in the city. The next day, a tea café of Alevis was bombed by right-wingers. On December 21, the teachers Hacı Çolak and Mustafa Yüzbaşıoğlu, members of the All Teachers' Union and Solidarity Association (TÖB-DER), were killed. Ten thousand people attended the funeral of the two teachers on December 22.

Houses and workplaces of Alevis were targeted

The right-wingers attacked the people attending the funeral. They looted and burned the workplaces of Alevis. Three people were killed on that day. The houses and workplaces of Alevis were marked by right-wingers to be attacked. On December 23, crowds stormed the quarters where Alevis were living, attacking people and destroying houses and shops.

Women, children and babies were killed

The right-wingers holding guns, knives and sticks killed women, children, babies and men.  On December 24, a curfew was declared in the city. However, only Alevis and police respected the curfew. Since police officers were also among the attackers, the police left Alevis without protection.

80-year-old woman, eight months pregnant woman

After the massacre, witnesses told to news outlets what had happened in the city during the massacre. 17 of those who were killed in the massacre were women; Güllü Ergönül, Fatma Baz, Zeynep Aydoğan, Döndü Ünver, Zühre Ünver, Kezban Usta, Hatice Yılmaz, Gülsen Un, Hatice Görür, Gülsüm Akırmak, Zeynep Nergiz, Sebahat İşbilir, Elif Balta, Esma Suna, Fidan Suna, Fatma Bilmez and Cennet Çimen... Esma Suna and Cennet Çimen then become the symbol of the massacre. Esma Suna was eight months pregnant woman and Cennet Çimen was a 80-year-old mother, who could rarely see.

Esma Suna and her baby were killed

According to the reports on the massacre, Esma Suna and Cennet Çimen were killed as follows:

“Esma Suna was an eight-month pregnant woman. The attackers set fire to the Suna family's house and then entered the house by holding guns, knives and axes. They executed Fidan, Ali, Fikri, Mehmet Suna and Musa Funda by firing squad. “You killed my husband and siblings, do not kill me because I am pregnant,” Elif Suna told the attackers; however, she was attacked. She rushed to the street desperately to save her baby. However, she was shot in her back. She was left there thinking that she died. One of her neighbors saw her and took her to the state hospital in the city. Esma was seriously wounded so doctors tried to save at least her baby. However, Esma and her unborn baby died at the hospital.”

No one could save her

“Cennet Çimen was one of the oldest victims of the Maraş Massacre. While the attackers were burning down houses and killing people in the neighborhood, Cennet Çimen heard the noises and went out to learn what was happening. The killers told her, “Come here grandma, come here, we will protect you.” The attacked tortured her and killed her in a house.”