Uludere Commission to release final report next week

On 28 December 2011 Turkish warplanes, acting on intelligence from drones, bombed a group of civilians on their way to South Kurdistan. Thirty four people died, mostly from the same family. The truth about the massacre has not been uncovered yet and the much awaited parliamentary report on the massacre has not been published yet, although its delivery was expected around 15 December 2012.

Parliamentary Uludere Sub-Commission President, AKP Ordu deputy ?hsan ?ener on Wednesday called for a meeting on 28 February for the delivery of the report to members of the commission. ?ener said the Roboski incident might be an “innocent security operation” or a mistake and remarked that the report will present no information as to who gave the order to fire.

Speaking after ?ener’s statements, Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Party Council member Veli Encü, relative of some of the victims, said that the families of victims had no expectations from the report to be released by the Commission.

“As the families of victims, who are facing new threats, detentions and administrative fines every day, we believed that the Commission members would help to reveal the truth on the massacre. However, we do not expect them to do so any more because the report which was supposed to have been released on 15 March 2012 has been delayed so far, with no progress recorded in the investigation into the massacre. Besides, each member of the commission made different statements on the subject”, said Encü.

Encü noted that “We think this is because political authorities bear responsibility in this massacre and the government is therefore imposing pressure on the commission which is being led by the Chief of Defense”.

Encü pointed out that the commission was established with an aim to ease the public reaction in Turkey and abroad, noting that the report of the commission will contain information aimed at extending the massacre over a period of time and covering it up.

Roboski families will never give up their struggle for justice, underlined Encü and said that the governor of Uludere has recently launched a new investigation against him for allegedly spreading propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Encü remarked that he was accused of writing banners and hosting the people who visited the village of Roboski at the anniversary of the genocide.

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