BY BURAK ŞAHİN (IR/IV)
burak_s@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
This week, I sat down in front of the laptop to write an album review for "Dry The River," but just as I was starting, I saw on the Internet the news that has wrung our hearts. It was decided that the trial concerning the Sivas Massacre would be halted due to the statute of limitations. The prosecution of this crime against humanity has been dropped, which means that the people who were responsible for the massacre will not be interrogated according to our law.
The Sivas massacre in central Anatolia was an attack against Alevi intellectuals and artists. 35 people burned to death and two assailants died when the Madımak Hotel in Sivas was set on fire on 2 July 1993.
The trials would have continued if the Sivas Massacre would have been accepted as a crime against humanity.(1)
Burning human beings alive was not considered a crime against humanity by the Ankara 11th High Criminal Court's decision. After reading this news, I checked the definition of "crime against humanity" as set out in the Rome Statute. It states that: "1. For the purpose of this statute, 'crime against humanity' means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population with knowledge of the attack: (a) Murder; (b) Extermination; (c) Enslavement (…)"(2)
What is the exception in this case that makes it not a crime against humanity? I'm not that interested in law, but as far as I can remember from my law classes, a decision that is taken by a court becomes a precedent. So, burning people to death has been legitimized in this country.
Forget about your political views for a second and think about the fact that those who caused the deaths of more than 30 people won't be punished. Can you say just a simple "OK" to this? How can the publishers of local newspapers that printed articles giving encouragement to assailants to attack the hotel be immune from judgment? How can people who shouted slogans such as "No to secularism" or "They established the republic here, and we will destroy it here," go on with their lives without being put on trial? Putting politics aside, how can a human being be happy about this decision rather than ashamed?
After the trial there were protests outside the court in Ankara. Zeynep Altıok, Eren Aysan and Mazlum Çimen were among those who tried to raise their voices for their fathers.
Around the same time as the decision was announced, there were debates taking place on TV channels about crimes against humanity in Afghanistan and Syria. These discussions included a few words that we no longer know the meaning of, such as: conscience, fairness, honor, humanity…
What Songs Are There in My Playlist?
To those who are looking for something about music in the column this week…
"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" by Manic Street Preachers
1. http://www.bianet.org /english/minorities/136893-sivas-massacre---procedures-time-barred
2. http://www.icclr.law.ubc.ca /Site%20Map/ICC/AspectofCrimesAgainstHumanity.pdf