Our children died and became martyrs because they and we, their parents, do believe the unity of this fatherland. Many things happened afterwards.

The chief of terrorists was judged and sentenced to death in front of the whole world. The sentence has not been executed because the file, that should have been sent to the congress, has been hold in the Prime Ministry without any juridical reason by the leaders of the coalition goverment. Since then, the chief of terrorists has been fed in the İmralı Island.

If the death sentence was not going to be executed, why have you captured and judged him? Since the sentence is approved by the court, why don’t you apply the law? Since you were going to present Kurdish language, school and TV rights under cultural rights to the southeastern people, why did you make our children fight? Why did you cause our children to become martyrs for the unity of this fatherland? Those who are responsible for the deaths will be drown in the blood of our children. That was not enough!

An annulment of the death sentence has been opened to discussion. The European states have claimed that the annulment of the death penalty is one of the vital conditions for Turkey to be accepted into the European Community. Is that so? The United Kingdom entered into the community in 1973 but annuled the law in 1998. Similarly, Greece annuled the law in 1993 after very long period of time elapsed since entering to the community. The annulment of the death penalty cannot be forced on Turkey as a pre-condition to enter the community. That was not enough!

3100 prisoners, who were found to be guilty of supporting and helping the PKK and were sentenced by the court, were forgiven by the goverment in November, 2000 in the Fiest of the Sacrifice. According to the General Staff, 1665 of these prisoners are the the PKK members. That was not enough!

Requests of the PKK inriguers who didn’t like the F type prisons, which are not suitable for further terrorist activities, were immediately met. The 16th clause of the Terrorism Prevention Law was changed. The criminals abroad have volunteered to come into the prisons of Turkey!

Has any law been considered to improve the conditions of our martyrs and their families? We have possessed the rights of martyrs’ children through court decisions.

The mandatory military service was covered by money payment once using the earthquake excuse. It seems that the happy minority has liked the service with money very much so that they have applied pressure on politicians in order to extend this type of service to forthcoming years. Appearantly, they have children in the age of mandatory military service. This minority has made a habit of robbing banks and living in luxury meanwhile forcing youths from inland country to fight and become martyrs.

Not seeing any rich, popular, etc. people’s son among the martyrs, making us to think deeply.

Shouldn’t those, who have defended the rights of some people on the name of human rights, also defend the rights of the martyrs, died for the unity of this fatherland.

As we see that the taritors and intriguers have been granted by concessions and their wishes are met, we feel that the martyrs and their families are wasted!!!

ANKARA MARTYRS ASSOCIATION