The Martyrs of Kizildere commemorated
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
 
Other articles
 

 10 revolutionaries from THKP-C (Popular Liberation Front-Party of Turkey) and THKO (Popular Liberation Army of Turkey) who turned into martyrs on 30 March 1972 in Kizildere were commemorated. After the military coup on 12 March 1970, with the aim of stopping the execution of Deniz Gezmis, leader of THKO, and of his friends, 10 revolutionaries from THKP-C and THKO had kidnapped two English and one Canadian radar technician from the military base, they were surrounded by the state forces in Kizildere where they were together with the hostages, and they turned into martyrs after resisting until their last bullet. This resistance of Mahir Çayan, Cihan Alptekin, Ömer Ayna, Sabahattin Kurt, Nihat Yilmiz, Saffet Alp, Sinan Kazim Özüdogru, Ertan Saruhan, Hüdai Arikan, Ahmet Atasoy has left a great inheritance of comradeship-in-arms to the revolutionary movement.
Socialist Platform of the Oppressed ( ESP ) made a street action on 31 March in Taksim/Istanbul to commemorate the Martyrs of Kizildere. Opening a banner written "Since Kizildere until today, comradeship-in-arms will win!" and the photos of the Martyrs of Kizildere, the ESP activists said the following in their statement: "To commemorate them means to accept to risk of death for comrades-in-arms and to build the comradeship-in-arms in practice-within the life itself."
In Izmir, ESP and SGD (Socialist Youth Association) activists made an action at Kibris Sehitleri Street opening a banner written "The state's massacres continue. We have not forgotten the Massacre of Kizildere!" At the action, they expressed that Kizildere have been written in the pages of history as a wild massacre of the ruling ones and as a noble resistance of the oppressed.
The Martyrs of Kizildere have been commemorated also in many other cities and universities through actions and activities organised by ESP, HÖC, HKM and different revolutionary groups.