Anniversary of the Sivas Massacre (July 2): Protect the Alevis—Finally Investigate the Crimes

On the anniversary of the massacre of Alevis on July 2, 1993, in the Turkish city of Sivas, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) criticizes the Turkish state for still failing to fully address the crime. The human rights organization calls for the prosecution of the perpetrators and a redesign of the memorial at the Madımak Hotel in a manner that honors the victims.

“Even 33 years after the massacre, the Turkish government under Erdogan has not come to terms with the crimes of Sivas. The perpetrators and masterminds responsible for the Islamist attack have not yet been effectively prosecuted,” criticizes Dr. Kamal Sido, STP’s Middle East consultant. “Instead of delivering justice, Alevis were pressured to abandon their demands for a full investigation. The memorial at the Madımak Hotel was erected without the involvement of the Alevi community. Revising it to reflect the perspectives of those affected would be an important step toward acknowledging the suffering of the massacre’s victims.”

On July 2, 1993, a Sunni Islamist mob attacked the Madımak Hotel in Sivas, Central Anatolia, and set it on fire. Thirty-five people were killed in the attack. Thirty-three were of Alevi origin. Two were hotel employees. Two of the perpetrators also lost their lives.

The history of the Alevis is marked by persecution and discrimination. The Sivas massacre is one in a long series of acts of violence against the Alevi population. Both in the Ottoman Empire and in the Turkish Republic, they have repeatedly been victims of violence and genocide. In Dersim (Northern Kurdistan/Turkey), the Turkish state under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk carried out a mass murder of Sunni and Alevi Kurds in 1937–1938. This genocide is also known as “Tertelê.”

The failure to address the events in Sivas is emblematic of the Turkish state’s handling of violence against minorities. To this day, numerous crimes against Alevis, Kurds, Assyrians/Arameans, and Yazidis remain unpunished. In the 1980s, the structure of the so-called “village guards” was reactivated to fight the Kurdish PKK with armed force. “Many of these ‘village guards’ are Kurdish Sunnis and clan leaders who are loyal to the Turkish state. They murdered thousands of Kurds, Turkish democrats, Alevis, Assyrians/Arameans, and Yazidis. These criminal structures still exist today,” says the STP’s Middle East consultant. Despite the official dissolution of the PKK, tens of thousands of Kurds are still in prison, and more are being arrested.

“As long as the Erdogan government’s goal is to continue Islamizing and Turkifying all segments of the population, the Alevi community and other minorities in Turkey will remain under threat,” Sido emphasizes. “The international community—and NATO members such as Germany in particular—must no longer support this policy. A peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue is long overdue, for the benefit of all minorities in Turkey. At the same time, Germany must also take the lead in fully investigating the Sivas massacre. Some of the perpetrators are living in Germany as recognized asylum seekers.”

The STP supports the Alevi community’s demand for a full investigation into the massacre. Those responsible must be prosecuted both in Turkey and in Germany.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.