YTB Organized Hanau Terrorist Attack Commemoration Program

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YTB Organized Hanau Terrorist Attack Commemoration Program

A commemoration program was organized by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) on the fourth anniversary of the racist attack in Hanau.

22 Şubat 2024, Perşembe

***A commemoration program was organized by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) on the fourth anniversary of the racist attack in Hanau.

***Speaking at the program, YTB President Eren said; Stating that racism, discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment continue to increase in Europe, he said, "We all want to see a Europe that understands each other, respects differences, realizes that diversity is wealth, and rejects discrimination and marginalization."

YTB organized the “Hanau Terrorist Attack” in order not to forget the pain of 9 people, 4 of whom were Turkish, as a result of the attack on two cafes in the city center by a racist terrorist in Hanau, Germany, on February 19, 2020, and to raise awareness about racist attacks targeting citizens in Europe. "Fourth Anniversary Commemoration Program" was held. The program started with the opening of the exhibition event consisting of photographs related to the Hanau attack. Then, a Quran recitation was performed for those who lost their lives in the attack.

A press release was held at the event, where a short film about the attack was also shown. YTB President Abdullah Eren, German Embassy Ambassador Undersecretary Henning Simon, Turkish Grand National Assembly Human Rights Investigation Commission President Derya Yanık and AK Party Deputy Chairman for Foreign Relations Zafer Sırakaya made a joint press statement and gave a message of unity and solidarity.

Speaking at the program, YTB President Abdullah Eren pointed out that attacks against Turks, Muslims and minority groups in Western countries have continued with increasing momentum since the 1980s.

LET THE ATTACKS THAT SORRY US ALL STOP

Hoping that these attacks, which upset and disturb us all, will end as soon as possible, Eren said, "We all want to see a Europe that understands each other, respects differences, realizes that diversity is wealth, and rejects discrimination and marginalization."

Underlining that racism, discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment continue to gain ground, especially in Europe, Eren shared the report announced by the Federal German Government in January 2023. Eren noted that according to the report, approximately 22 thousand far-right attacks occur in Germany every year and a far-right crime is committed every 24 minutes.

Stating that sometimes the actions and attacks against our holy book, sometimes our sacred values, and sometimes our places of worship are tried to be defended under the name of "freedom of expression", Eren said, "It is not taken into account sufficiently that these attacks, which are often carried out by the perpetrators as 'lone actors', are made with racist motives, and the crimes are excessive." We witness that the right-wing and terrorist dimensions are wanted to be ignored. "We hope that this situation, which makes us all sad and worried, will end as soon as possible," he said.

WE WILL ALWAYS SIDE THE TURKISH DIASPORA

Stating that the Hanau Investigation Commission Report published by the Hessen State Assembly at the end of last year was disappointing, Eren said, “According to the report, the attacker's connections, the people and groups he was in contact with, and other aspects of the action were left in the dark. Clarifying all aspects of the attack constitutes our highest priority. Therefore, politicians, opinion leaders, decision makers, media organizations, security units and the judiciary in Germany have a big job to do. "We will always stand by the Turkish Diaspora, which has added significant values to Germany in every field for more than 60 years and is the leading actor in the relations between Germany and Turkey," he said.

A BLACK NIGHT FOR GERMANY

Emiş Gürbüz, the mother of Sedat Gürbüz, who died in the attack, said in her speech that February 19, 2020, when the attack took place, was a black night for Germany. Stating that the whole world shares the pain of the Hanau massacre, Gürbüz said, “February 19, 2020 was a pitch black night for us. It is a black night for the German state that will never be cleared. I count the days every day. My house is full of calendar papers. It's been 1463 days today. I don't see my children. 48 months, 4 years. My longing is great. Why does this racism continue for 40 years? Why doesn't it stop? Why us mothers and fathers? Are we losing our children and brothers this way? "Enough is enough," he said.

WE WANT JUSTICE TO BE DONE

Emphasizing that they have received support from the German society for four years, Gürbüz stated that, as families, they just want the incident to be enlightened and said: “We want justice to be served. These children were destroyed for nothing. My child had dreams. He wanted to get married. He wanted to start a family. He wanted to be a father. I put away all the baby clothes. I was going to dress my grandchildren. Unfortunately, I couldn't have predicted this. I have been living in Germany for 54 years. My children were born and raised in Germany. “They belong there.”

Underlining that there was no monument built in the city where the incident took place, Gürbüz said, “We, the families, want a monument there. We want a monument so that these children will not be forgotten. We want a monument so that generations can learn and know this story. "But the municipality is still not acting sensitively," he said.

RACIST PARTIES WILL BE THE FIRST PARTY IN MANY STATES

AK Party Deputy Chairman for Foreign Relations Zafer Sırakaya stated that Europe is once again confronted with the Hanau attack and that they are faced with the virus of racism. Adding that there is a period in which structures based on racist political parties are on the rise in many European countries, Sırakaya said that we are talking about a Europe in which racist attacks have increased by 500 percent in the last five years. Sırakaya said that racist parties will be the first party in many states in Germany and said, "From the environment where we talk about the establishment of racist parties, especially in Germany, France and the Netherlands, today we are experiencing a process in which it is spoken loudly that racist parties can take over power in the relevant countries."

WE STAND BY OUR CITIZENS AROUND THE WORLD

Derya Yanık, Chairperson of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Human Rights Investigation Commission, said that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they gave the message "you are not alone" to citizens all over the world. Noting that racism is a bigger problem for Germany than for us, Yanık said, “The fact that racist attacks against the Turkish society, whose economic, social and cultural contribution is multifaceted, can continue is a problem for us, but the bigger problem is for Germany. "If Germany does not fight against racism and Islamophobia and does not take the necessary measures to eliminate its causes and consequences, it will deepen the problem even further," he said.

Emphasizing that a large part of the German society does not approve of these racist and fascist attacks, Yanık stated that, as the Turkish Grand National Assembly Human Rights Investigation Commission, they are working to examine the causes and consequences of the increasing Islamophobia and racism incidents in Europe and to meet with the Turkish society.

THE ATTACK IN HANAU IS NOT AN Isolated Incident

Henning Simon, Undersecretary of the Ambassador of the German Embassy in Ankara, started his speech by stating that, as the Undersecretary of the German Embassy in Ankara, he felt great sadness today on the fourth anniversary of the terrible attack in Hanau. Stating that they were horrified by what happened in Hanau, Simon said: “This brutal attack took ten people from our lives and left a deep wound in the heart of our society. The attack in Hanau was not an isolated incident but was part of alarming developments in hate crimes. Feelings of hatred and marginalization were ingrained in the perpetrator. "Those who lost their lives in Hanau remind us that we must act together against all kinds of radicalism and racism," he said.

THERE WAS A LOT OF DISINFORMATION

Sabah Newspaper Germany Representative İsmail Erel, who was one of the first journalists to go to the region at the time of the attack, explained the media aspect of the incident. Erel said that they saw that the incident was a much bigger attack, contrary to the initial announcements made in the region, and noted that there was a lot of disinformation about the incident in the first hours. Stating that there were first reports about gang and PKK incidents, Erel stated that they could not get information from the police and that the police triggered disinformation from the very beginning. Stating that the statements of the official authorities disappointed the families, Erel said, “There is no explanation for the attacker, who should never have a gun and has a psychological disorder, to own a gun. "This is a completely different scandal," he said.