Members of the Families in Pursuit of Justice Platform, who lost their relatives in the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, protested in front of the Dikmen Gate of the Parliament yesterday, while the budget negotiations of the Ministry of Justice were continuing at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Planning and Budget Commission. NEW Party, DEM Party and TİP MPs also participated and supported the action. The participants chanted slogans: "No forgetting, no forgiving, no saying goodbye."
At the beginning of the protest, the police did not allow the families to make a statement in front of the door. While the families were given permission after about half an hour of negotiations, one of the platform members reacted: "You are setting up a barricade in front of justice. We have been the living dead for four years. You do not need to be afraid of us. Our struggle is so that no one will be orphaned and mothers and fathers will not cry."
The first press release at the protest was made by Döne Kaya, Spokesperson of the Families in Pursuit of Justice Platform. Kaya said, "November 9. Anniversary of the Van Earthquake. We lost 644 citizens. Were they accounted for? Izmir Earthquake. Were they accounted for? No. At least 53 thousand people died in the February 6 earthquakes. 3.5 years have passed since. Have they been accounted for? No. They apply good behavior discounts in the courtrooms. They reduce these sentences to 8-10 years as if the sentences they give are too much. They give these discounts because they will affect the future lives of the defendants. 53 thousand." "Didn't people have a future? These people have stolen the future of newborn babies. How can you allow yourself to give discounts? The sentences you gave to these people are a reward for them. We are afraid to go to the graves and tell our relatives about these punishments, but they do not hesitate to tell them to the tearful families in the courts."
Pointing to the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, and the COP31 process that started yesterday, Kaya said, "The Minister of Environment and Urbanization is resigning for the municipal elections. He is not elected, he becomes a minister again. Why? So that we die in the next earthquake, disaster, fire? He tells how he revived Hatay under the name of COP31. But he does not tell what happened before. They do not explain how they issued zoning amnesties and massacred these people. They wanted to solve the climate crisis. The existing Will those who do not know the climate and geography and who issued zoning amnesty solve this? AFAD is making a Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan between 2019 and 2021. The pilot province is Kahramanmaraş. The Minister of Internal Affairs of the time, Süleyman Soylu, is doing the drill in Kahramanmaraş. How can we say that this earthquake is the disaster of the century? do we say? he said.
Speaking later, Celal Gezer, another platform spokesman, said, "You started collecting earthquake taxes in 1999. It was to be used for the rehabilitation of earthquake zones. What did you do with this money? We learn from Mehmet Şimşek what happened. They built roads and bridges. Which road, which bridge will the citizen whose life you cannot protect, use? First, try to keep the citizen alive." Stating that the state could have foreseen that the earthquake would happen in advance, Gezer said, "This earthquake came loudly, with reports and documents received from technical universities. They knew very well. What did they choose? They said 'If these people die, let them die'. We were sacrificial lambs, we did not know. We fell victim to someone's political ambitions. In order to win another election, they invested the money in roads and bridges and called them 'crazy projects'. Yes, you are crazy. And also "You are unscrupulous," he said.
Speaking later, an earthquake victim said, "My expert report has not been received for two years. We ask the Minister of Justice every time. Why is this justice not provided? I smelled my 17-year-old daughter's hair without kissing her. Who am I to hold accountable for this? Come and appear before us, minister. We are still under the rubble. You killed us. What more do you want? We are being scolded in court. The judge fires us, the prosecutor fires us. What do you want from us?"
