From: aforum@moose.uvm.edu (Autonome Forum)
Subject: AF/ATS: "The Last Words"; Dev Sol fighters murdered in Turkey
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 22:35:51 GMT

subject: "The Last Words"; Dev Sol fighters executed in Turkey
posted by: AF/ATS
--

"We Embrace Death with Weapons in our Hands and Slogans on our
Lips!"

     [On April 16/17, there were raids on six houses in Istanbul.
It was a large-scale, carefully planned attack by the Turkish
army and police force, along with the Turkish secret service
(MIT). The six houses had been 'identified' as the homes or
hiding places of active Dev Sol members. Devrimci Sol
(Revolutionary Left) is an illegal organization in Turkey, and
the group has carried out more than 50 major armed actions since
1985 against Turkish military leaders and former junta members.
     The French paper 'Liberation' described the attack as "an
execution by the Turkish police, during which 11 people, 5 men
and 6 women, were killed and 6 others were wounded. According to
police, those killed and two of those wounded and arrested could
not be identified, since they had false identification papers.
But they believe that all the terrorists were members of the Dev
Sol central committee. Not a single one of the security forces
were killed or wounded during the operation, which has been
described by human rights advocates as an arbitrary execution."
(Liberation, 20.4.92)
     The involvement of the army in this blood-bath came despite
the fact that official state power in Turkey now rests in the
'civilian' hands of president Demirel. This 'democratization' has
not silenced fears of a possible military coup. Not even the
governor of Istanbul has denied the fact that the MIT took part
in the action, a large-scale operation which was the result of a
civilian's tip-off to police. And the Turkish interior minister
made the following comment regarding the mass-murder: "This was
the first operation, we shall defeat them. We shall soon make up
for what is lacking in the police. The 120 foreign-trained secret
service agents will first be utilized to make up for our lack of
information. There will be more." (Gunaydin, 21.4.92). Turkey has
an increasingly important role to play in the U.S.'s New World
Order - police agent for the Middle East - but at the same time
has to cope with a strong internal opposition. This they hope to
quickly eradicate. Considering the fact that Dev Sol commands a
lot of support in certain sectors of the population, Turkey's
ruling powers have to continually resort to terror and
intimidation. Of this, Ercan Kanar, the head of a moderate human
rights organization, remarked: "The 11 persons killed on April 17
could have been taken alive if the government had wished. The
executions took place without any legal basis and these
destructive operations are taking place as if human rights have
been completely put aside." (Hurriyet, 22.4.92). Human rights
have been disregarded ever since the days of the junta, and the
exploitation and impoverishment of the population has continued,
despite the transfer of power from generals to civilians. Thus,
human rights are not even an issue; they weren't then, and they
aren't now, despite the new democratic veneer.
     The following (translated from 'Konfrontatie #12') is the
transcript of a telephone call made 30 minutes after the April 17
operation was underway. Dev Sol militants Sabo, Eda, and Taskin,
inside their beseiged house in Ciftehavuzlar, were on the phone
with the chairperson of TAYAD (1), Fatma Sesen, and kept her
informed of the events taking place.]

The Last Words

00.20
(a woman's voice on the phone)
Sabo:
     "Hello. They have surrounded our house. A half an hour ago.
We have been keeping them busy for a half an hour. We have burned
all our documents in the bathroom. We have not left a single
trace behind. But they'll shoot their way in soon. We will defend
ourselves. We will join Niyazi, Apo, and Haydar (2). We will join
the July 12th martys (3). My comrade here next to me would like
to speak with you."

Eda:
     "We, as Devrimci Sol fighters, will die for the Turkish
people. We feel very good. We are very calm. Just like our
comrades in Kizildere (4) and Malatya (5), we will greet death
laughing and struggling. Long live Devrimci Sol! Long live our
leader Dursun Karatas! Long live our armed revolutionary units!
Farewell. We love you all and our people very much."

Sabo:
     "We are calling you, because you are the head of TAYAD. We
want you to pass on what you have heard and what we have said to
the whole world through your newspaper...Go outside and call
them. Don't keep the line busy...Get the message out quickly. Has
news come in from Sinan (6) yet? Ask about Sinan. Turn the news
on. Try to get information. Wait a minute. I repeat. At this
moment our house is surrounded. We have been keeping them busy
for half an hour. All documents, including indenitifcation
papers, have been burned. The shoot-out will begin soon. We will
resist. We will die laughing, like like our comrades who were
murdered in the houses, streets, and mountains of Malatya. We
will die like Hamiyet and Olcay (7). We will resist like Devrimci
Sol fighters. We want to get this out to the world via your
newspaper. You are our witness. You must report everything you
have heard. We want to be buried next to the July 12 martys. The
Devrimci Sol flag must fly at our funeral. Our people must take
part. Help our families, give them information. We are hanging up
now. I will call back soon. Keep the line free."

01.20
Sabo:
     "Has there been any news from Sinan? Have you all called?
Have you watched the news? They are talking about Sinan. Please
don't keep the line busy! Call from outside if you have to make a
call."
     (shots can be heard over the phone)
     "They have started shooting, do you hear? Do you want me to
hang up?"

Answer: No!

Sabo:
     "Ok."

      (slogans are heard over the phone)
     "Long live Devrimci Sol! Destroy fascism! Long live our
struggle! Long live the July 12 martyrs! Long live our resistance
in Malatya! Long live our resistance! Long live Kizildere!"

Sabo:
     "Look...Get the message out, don't delay."
     (intensive shooting)
     "I have to hang up!"

02.30
Sabo:
     "Is there any news from Sinan? Have you all gotten any
message? Have you...heard anything? There are two telephones. Let
them ring. They say they have killed Sinan."

     (Eda's voice is heard, shouting at the police.)
Eda:
     "You all can't touch Sinan."

Sabo:
     "They are constantly are shouting insults at us. Especially
at me. Of course we answer. You all will hear it. When they came,
they said they were tax collectors. Then they called me Ms.
Sabahat. "

     (shots, slogans, the doorbell, pounding on the door)
     "Long live our armed revolutionary units! Long live our
leader Dursun Karatas! Long live Devrimci Sol!"

Sabo:
     "When we looked through the peep-hole, we saw that they had
bullet-proof vests on. They say that Sinan is dead. Please give
me some information. Call someone. At this moment, they are
upstairs. They are trying to make a hole through the ceiling."

     (the sound of shots, pounding on the door, shouts from
police)

Eda:
     "Come on, bring your tanks and bombs, come inside, our
bodies alone are enough to scare you. We come into your dreams
and make them nightmares. You are all shuddering with fear. Don't
think you can hide. You are mistaken. Even if only one tiny hole
is left, we shall use it. You can't escape revolutionary justice.
Our comrades will punish you."

     (more insults from police)

Sabo:
     "You all have thousands of fathers and mothers. Your fathers
are Bush and your mothers are Manukyan (8). You were born and
raised in a sewer."

     (slogans)
     "Long live our revolutionary justice! Long live our armed
revolutionary units! Long live Devrimci Sol!"

     (the shooting is intensive; the door is being rammed; they
continue to say farewell on the phone)

Sabo:
     "They have dropped gas through the chimney. We are on the
12th floor. They are threatening to throw us below from the 12
floor. They say that this house belongs to an organization. They
are ramming the door. They can't open it. The door is made of
steel. But they have made a big hole in it."
     (intensive shooting)
     "I am going to help my comrades. Farewell!"
     
     (shots, slogans)
     "Long live Devrimci Sol! Long live our leader Dursun
Karatas! Long live the brotherhood of the Turkish and Kurdish
peoples! The resistance of the Turkish and Kurdish peoples will
defeat fascism!"
     (more gun shots)

Sabo:
     "We have strengthened the barricade. They can't get the door
open. A comrade was wounded in his arm. They say Sinan has been
killed. Inform people of his condition. Look...ask for "uncle".
Comrades know him. They are talking about the Ikizler apartment.
They have mentioned the names Sinan and Gunes. They say they have
made several raids. It could be a heavy blow. Ask, listen for
news."
     (more shooting, slogans)
     "They are getting ready to use bombs. We feel good and
calm."

     (the police shout insults; the comrades reply)
     "We shall bloom like red wild flowers all across the land!"

Eda:
     "Our Devrimci Sol flag shall fly all over Turkey. You can't
touch Sinan. Our comrades will punish you! Nothing can save you."

Sabo:
     "I am sitting here thinking and I want to help my comrades.
I wonder how they found us? I don't know. Nothing was wrong when
I went outside. If something happened, it must have been today.
We burned all the documents in the bathroom. We always have a
supply of gasoline on hand. We burned the identification papers.
And the money. We don't want to leave anything behind. Sorry.
There's still money in our bags. We forgot to look. Report all of
this. We burned all the documents. There is nothing more."
     (slogans, shots)
     "Can you hear me? I still have two comrades with me. They
are worth a lot. They have resisted well."

Eda:
     "Don't believe [the police], my people. They lie."
     (she is hard to hear)

Sabo:
     "The people outside are on our side. Except for one woman.
But we gave her the correct answer. Tell the newspapers to send
reporters. I want our friends to see this. Send the TAYAD
mothers. Our house is around the corner from the Meterological
Bureau in Goztepe (9), parallel to the Baghdadstreet, the Karasu
apartment. You'll know you're in the neighborhood when you see
the security forces.
     "I've been wounded in the arm. The bullets went right
through. They want to blow up the bathroom wall with bombs."
     (the sound of a bomb explosion; slogans)
     "They weren't able to break down the wall. We will barricade
the wall again.
     "They knew that I was here. They say they have killed Sinan.
They are talking about the Ikizler apartment. "Uncle" is there.
Listen to the reports. Give me the news. I am sitting and
thinking how I can help my comrades. I don't know how this
happened. Nothing was wrong this morning. It must have been
afterwards. Yes, it must have happened tonight."

     (The person on the other end tells her that contact has been
made with the press, and that there were two other raids. At one
house, three persons were killed, including Sinan, and one person
was killed at the other house.)

     "We are very calm and we feel good. We shall resist until
our last drop of blood has fallen."
     (she shouts at the police)

Eda:
     "Sewer rats! You only think with your dicks!"
     (intensive shooting)

06.45
     (They don't come on the line very often. To get to the
phone, they must crawl along the floor. Sabo has been wounded in
the leg. After about an hour, they address the people on the
street. The voices are too faint to be understood.)

Sabo:
     "They are going to blow out the door with explosives. We
can't get to the phone because it's by the door. After this, we
are going to the rear of the room. They are coming in."

     (the last words...)
     "We greet death with weapons in our hands and with slogans
on our lips. Especially send greetings to my partner, my leader,
the leader of Devrimci Sol. Greetings to all comrades. Farewell!"

     (many shots are heard; the bodies of the comrades can be
heard falling to the ground)

07.15
     (the sound of shooting is so loud, it sounds as if hundreds
of people are firing; the phone makes a strange noise; no voices
are heard, only gun shots)

07.25
     (the phone line goes dead)

--
1    TAYAD; an organization of the relatives of political
prisoners, declared an illegal organization in 1991

2    Niyazi, Apo, and Haydar; died during a hunger-strike in 1984

3    July 12; mass-murder in 1991, during which two Dev Sol
militants were killed, including Hiyazi

4    Kizildere; village where the leading cadre of the THKP/C, a
predecessor of Devrimci Sol, were killed

5    Malatya; place where five members of Dev Sol were killed in
early 1992

6    Sinan; a leader of Dev Sol, also killed on April 17

7    Hamiyet and Olcay; members of Dev Sol, killed in Izmir

8    Manukyan; famous prostitute in Turkey who pays high taxes

9    Gozlepe; neighborhood in Istanbul where the apartment was
located


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