MASSACRE PERPETRATED DURING THE LABOR, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY MEETING ON 10 OCTOBER 2015
-BRIEF INFORMATION –
Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (Devrimci İşçi Sendikaları Konfederasyonu – DISK), Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (Kamu Emekçileri Sendikaları Konfederasyonu – KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (Türk Mühendis ve Mimar Odaları Birliği – TMMOB) and Turkish Medical Association (Türk Tabipleri Birliği – TTB) decided to hold a “Labor, Peace and Democracy Rally” in Ankara on 10 October 2015.
The rally would take place at Sıhhiye Square. The gathering point for the rally was Ankara Train Station. There would be a parade with regular lines to be formed outside the Train Station, and the rally would start upon arriving at Sıhhiye Square.
Necessary applications were filed for legal permission and notice periods for the rally. An organization committee was set up to act on behalf of DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB. Notice was served to Ankara Governorship on 22 September 2015 and many meetings and contacts took place with the officials of Governorship and Police Department.
All the groups defending labor, peace and democracy were invited to the rally to take place upon call by DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB. Many political parties, democratic mass organizations and formations of various kinds decided to join the rally. Intellectuals, artists and writers decided to join the rally one after another. Efforts and organizations were undertaken in many cities in order to join the rally to take place in Ankara.
Tens of thousands of people, who departed from all over the country and arrived in Ankara, started to gather outside Ankara Train Station starting from early morning on 10 October 2015 in order to join the rally.
The scheduled march was about the start and an explosion was heard at 10.04 hours. Right thereafter there was another explosion…
Two members of Islamic State in Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) perpetrated a massacre with the bombs that they were wearing in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, outside Ankara Train Station, a spot that is very close to the state security bureaucracy, at a gathering point for a rally with all the formal permission processes complete, where they had reached freely without any obstacles.
On 10 October 2015 Saturday, at 10.04 hours, the deadliest mass massacre in the history of the country took place outside Ankara Train Station.
103 people lost their lives and over 400 were injured.
Families of the people, who lost their lives in the massacre, and our injured citizens joined to establish 10 October Peace and Solidarity Association (10 Ekim Barış ve Dayanışma Derneği) with participation of DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB on a representation level.
At every anniversary of the massacre, on October 10, a commemorative ceremony is held and carnations are left.