Source: Civaka Azad, 10 October 2015
A peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara was hit by large bomb explosions this morning killing some 97 people. Eyewitnesses talk about hundreds of injured. Medical staff and civilians who rushed to help were allegedly attacked by the police with gas grenades.
The peace rally had been called by the trade unions DISK (Confederation of Revolutionary Workers), KESK (Confederation Workers of Public Trade Unions) as well as by association such as TMMOB (Engineers and Architects Chamber of Turkey) and TTB (Doctors Chambers of Turkey). The call was also supported by the HDP (People’s Democratic Party) and several left and democratic parties and civil society organisations. The gathering was to deliver a message of peace, democracy and solidarity in Turkey. According to the HDP MP Sirri Surreyya Onder there were three bomb explosions at the rally mainly targeting the HDP block and the Kurds at the rally.
A declaration of a ceasefire was expected to be called by KCK on Sunday
The co-chair of Kongra-gel (Democratic People’s Congress), Remzi Kartal, had announced at the Med Nuce TV on 9 October that a ceasefire would be declared at a rally on Sunday. “The ceasefire is aimed at strengthening the democratic forces in Turkey. All those who are calling for the ceasefire, must support this process,” said Kartal. The fact that the bomb attacks took place only one day before the announcement of the ceasefire was scheduled is seen by many as a direct attack on the efforts to end the conflict.
“We are dealing here with a Mafioso, murderous and mass murderous state mentality”
The HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtas accused the AKP government of direct complicity in the bomb attack. In his first press statement in Istanbul, Demirtas called on people to look at Ankara. “Here are the corpses of the victims still lying on the streets, while the injured are transported to the hospitals. And in the middle of this situation the police are shooting at the crowds of people with gas grenades, and the ambulances are not able to leave the place. In the middle of Ankara a massacre is taking place, but they are not allowing the ambulances to move, and there is only police there. It appears they want many more people to die. Now the President will soon appear and call on us all to be restrained, while at the same time police forces who are under his command attack the injured at the scene with gas grenades,” said Dermitas. “We are dealing here with a Mafioso, murderous and mass murderous state mentality”, he added.
Civaka Azad – Kurdisches Zentrum für Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, 10.10.2015 Translated from German text:
http://civaka-azad.org/bombenanschlaege-auf-friedenskundgebung-in-ankara-mindestens-27-tote/