The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-Presidency published a written statement on the anniversary of the Maraş Massacre which took place 19-26 December 1978.

KCK stated that the Maraş Massacre was both a precursor to the September 12 coup, 1980, and was carried out to implement a genocide against the Kurds who lived west of the Euphrates.

“Turkey has an official constitution and a secret constitution, and its secret constitution aims to Turkify the Kurds and assimilate the Alevis to be Sunnis” it stated.

The statement continued “It is always this secret constitution that is in power. The policy that was to be implemented towards Alevis and Kurds was clearly stated in the Reform Council for the East (1925). The Maraş Massacre was carried out in line with that plan. It is a genocide plan. Its first target was Alevi Kurds and the Dersim region. The decrease of the population of Kurds in the west of the Euphrates shows that this was the purpose of the massacre. The western part of the Euphrates was mostly Kurdish and Alevi in the past and today this population rate is below 10 percent.”

A call was made by KCK for all communities, workers, women, and young people, especially Alevis and Kurds, who suffered from the oppressive politics of Turkey.

“We need to create a democracy alliance and raise the struggle against the regime in Turkey,” it said.