İSTANBUL- Family of Zeynep Poyraz who was killed in the Gazi Massacre, stated that even though 24 years have passed since the incident they are still waiting for justice and that the state of Turkey made them lived through such pain that they have never experienced in any other way.
24 years have passed since the Gazi Massacre happened in Gazi Neighborhood where mostly Alawites live in İStanbul on March 12, 1995. 3 coffee houses and a bakery was raked in the massacre. While Alawite prominent Halil Kaya was murdered in one of the coffee houses, 20 people were injured. After Alawite citizens living in the area heard about the incident, they gathered in front of the djemevi.Police started firing to the citizens protesting that the police did not show up when they raked the stores. While many people were injured in the police fire, Mehmet Gündüz who was shot in the head, lost his life.
22 PEOPLE DIED
People came to the djemevi to claim the bodies of the 2 dead citizens, but they were not allowed to claim them. The police intervened the citizen who started to protest the fact that the body of their loved ones was not delivered to them. A spree of protests start and 17 people lost their lives in the protests while hundreds were injured. The protests did not remain limited with Gazi Neighborhood. 5 more people lost their lives in the protests in Ümraniye, on March 14-15 during the police intervention. A total of 22 people lost their lives in the protests that continued almost a week.
Father Cemal Poyraz who stated that the state of Turkey have made them go through such pain that they have never experienced in their lives in any other ways, said the governments have protected the assialants even though 24 years have passed since the massacre instead of bringing justice. Father Poyraz said that the Minister of Interrior tried to accuse some other people instead of the actual assailants, said: "The people who carried guns and fired around are obvious. The ones who provided these people with those guns are obvious as well. The minister said it was either PKK or Greece that caused the events. But we know that dark forces inside the state have carried out these deeds. What did Tansu Çİller say? 'The ones who fire shots for the state or is shot for the state are honourable.' we have been waiting for justice for 24 years now. May it do them no good! We will die with this pain. Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary of the massacre.I get goose pumps thinking about it.We have raised our daughter until she is 24 with such hopes.. Now we are waiting for justice for our 24 year old daughter for 24 years."