Black Rose on the massacre in Suruç

Black Rose Anarchist Federation Statement on the Massacre in Suruç.

Submitted by Flint on July 20, 2015

Today we mourn the loss of friends and comrades and renewing our commitment to an international revolutionary struggle in their memory.

At noon, in the border town of Suruç in Turkish Kurdistan, a bomb ripped through the bodies of communists, socialists, and anarchists who were on their way to assist in the rebuilding of Kobane. Tens of people were killed, many more injured. One Black Rose member was present assisting in preparations for a campaign to support the rebuilding of Kobane and Rojava, but was uninjured in the blast.

A half an hour after the bombing, the city of Suruc shook once more as a second massive bomb hit the border in Kobane. News reports indicate that this was a car bomb attack that was stopped by self-defense forces which minimized causalties.

The trip to Kobane was organized by the Marxist-Leninist organization Sosyalist Gençlik Dernekleri Federasyonunun (SGDF). They brought together youth–entire families–from across Turkey and beyond to give revolutionary support to the developing social revolution in Syrian Kurdistan. Up to 300 people were preparing to cross the embargoed border to help rebuild the city, learn about its political developments, and link the struggles of the Turkish left with the Kurdish movement.

After the bombing, the first to respond was armored military vehicles of the occupying Turkish state that rolled down the street in front of the Amara Cultural Center to block the street and point their guns at the recently injured and trauma-ridden revolutionaries. It took ambulances so long to arrive on the scene that private cars had to be organized to take the injured to the hospital. The military and police were on the scene in minutes, managing to form a line of riot police before the first ambulances arrived. Their alertness should come as no surprise since they had been actively harassing the bus loads of revolutionaries coming to Suruc that morning, monitoring many of them, and had made calls to their families telling them that their young relative was going to join terrorists in Rojava.

This demonstrates the attitude of the state and is indicative of a sad reality: Turkey is continuing its murderous policy towards the Kurds and this attack can be seen as a fulfillment of Erdogan’s promise to stop Rojava by any means necessary. In the coming months, Black Rose will continue to broaden the scope in organizing committees and networks in solidarity with Rojava. We hope for your support.

Biji Rojava! Rojava Lives!

-BR/RN International Secratary

Black Rose Anarchist Federation

Español: DECLARACIÓN SOBRE EL RECIENTE MASACRE EN SURUC, TURKIA

Comments

noclass

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by noclass on July 22, 2015

It was a bad idea to send 300 young people to a battle zone. Marxist-Leninism is also a bad social idea. Marxism-Leninism could escape criticism hundred years ago, today it cannot. The best Marxist-Leninism can offer is state capitalism.

Chilli Sauce

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on July 22, 2015

Noclass, no one here like Leninism, but that seems like an odd response, I'll be honest. I mean, 30 people died and whatever we may think of their politics, the people who killed them would have just as happily killed us.

Khawaga

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Khawaga on July 22, 2015

What the fuck, noclass? I guess empathy is off the table for anarchists then?

Flint

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Flint on July 22, 2015

Chilli Sauce

the people who killed them would have just as happily killed us.

Daesh doesn't care what kind of communist you are.

noclass

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by noclass on July 22, 2015

Sorry, I cannot accept your criticism. Marxist-Leninists, just like other capitalists, have been too wrong and too criminal after establishment of Soviet Union. I would write the same comment if libertarian communists do the same foolish thing. But usually, careless actions, looking at supporters as abstract labor power, is the job of capitalists or "state communist" (state capitalist) bosses in hierarchical organizations. The area that they have been sent, is one of the most dangerous zones in the world.

Flint

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Flint on July 22, 2015

What percentage of the world's population lacks the correct communist line and thus are undeserving of sympathy if they get murdered?

Juan Conatz

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Juan Conatz on July 22, 2015

I was wondering when some of the loonier far left Kurdish skeptics was going to turn into borderline celebration of leftist deaths...

Chilli Sauce

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on July 22, 2015

I don't know, noclass, this just doesn't seem the kind of situation to be scoring political points off the back off.

Start a thread on how bullshit Leninism is or restart any of the probably hundreds that are on the site already, but I think this is one where expressing solidarity and sympathy for the rank-and-file of Leninist organisation (I imagine most of the killed were activists, not the party hierarchy) is the most human reaction.

Fleur

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fleur on July 22, 2015

Noclass

Have you no empathy or compassion? They were young people and they were comrades who were blown up in a politically motivated attack. Does it matter that some of them didn't sit in the same part of communism as we do? Some of them did, there are anarchists amongst the dead, anarchists who clearly wanted to co-operate and work with other communists. How ideologically pure do you have to be to deserve a little sympathy. Have some respect.

Noclass. A very appropriate choice of username.

syndicalist

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on July 22, 2015

I'm away on family vaca. Sorry to
Hear about this tragedy .... No empathy for MLism
Sadness for the killed and wounded. Solidarity against all states and states in waiting

noclass

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by noclass on July 22, 2015

I think this is one where expressing solidarity and sympathy for the rank-and-file of Leninist organisation (I imagine most of the killed were activists, not the party hierarchy) is the most human reaction.

Since the article does not tell me Marxist-Leninism is a reactionary ideology, then politically, sympathy for those victims are used for supporting that ideology. It is like war situation. You have to criticize states and generals. This does not mean you do not care about boys and girls who die in the war they are in. On the contrary, you do, this is why you don't buy "support troops", though you know one of those solders is your son or daughter. I don't want my sympathy for humanity be used (abused) to support Marxist-Leninism.

Now read this from the article:

"The trip to Kobane was organized by the Marxist-Leninist organization Sosyalist Gençlik Dernekleri Federasyonunun (SGDF). They brought together youth–entire families–from across Turkey and beyond to give revolutionary support to the developing social revolution in Syrian Kurdistan."

I wouldn't say what I said if the article didn't mention the Marxist-Leninist organization.

I don not consider Marxist-Leninists as revolutionaries, they would be considered revolutionaries before 1917. We know what Bolsheviks has done now specially Stalin who formulated Leninism.

Shiites organizations in Iran send pilgrims to holy cities in Iraq, though they know they could be victims of bomb attack. If I criticize those organization for what they do, they tell me I have no sympathy and compassion for ordinary people.

How ideologically pure do you have to be to deserve a little sympathy.

You don't have to have ideology to deserve sympathy. You just don't get what I said because you have sympathy for Marxist-Leninism.

Fleur

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fleur on July 23, 2015

You just don't get what I said because you have sympathy for Marxist-Leninism.

I don't have any sympathy for Marxist-Leninism, you simplistic idiot. I have sympathy for young people being blown apart by a suicide bomber. There's a time and place for critiquing Leninism, over the freshly killed bodies of young people isn't it. It just makes you come across as a heartless shit.

Chilli Sauce

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on July 23, 2015

Yeah, noclass, you're really missing the point here.

radicalgraffiti

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by radicalgraffiti on July 23, 2015

noclass

I think this is one where expressing solidarity and sympathy for the rank-and-file of Leninist organisation (I imagine most of the killed were activists, not the party hierarchy) is the most human reaction.

Since the article does not tell me Marxist-Leninism is a reactionary ideology, then politically, sympathy for those victims are used for supporting that ideology.

this is fucking libcom, everyone here knows marx leninism is reactionarly, you stupid cunt, you dont state the fucking basics in every fucking article. Articles dont stand on ther own, they are part of a wider body of work, and in this case the nature of marx lenism is NOT THE MAIN POINT

noclass

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by noclass on July 23, 2015

Reactionary means abusing people. When people are abused, you condemn those who abuse them. It does not at all mean those who condemn have no sympathy for victims. You cannot say organization x is reactionary but is not abusing people. This is inconsistency.

Have tolerance. I said what I believed. I didn't insult anybody. I showed clearly that I have empathy and compassion and this is why I criticized sending those young people to battle zone. I even explained that I have sympathy for religious people who are victims of religious organizations. So you see it doesn't do anything with ideology.

Perhaps one day you will understand what I mean and may be one day I will understand what you mean.

You can continue insulting me, since you have not presented any reason or argument, I do not see any reason to read your insult anymore. And I don't think you have any chance for changing the world as long as you behave like those who abuse you.

Bye!

Chilli Sauce

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on July 23, 2015

You may not have insulted anyone, but you've been pretty damn insulting.

Khawaga

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Khawaga on July 23, 2015

showed clearly that I have empathy and compassion and this is why I criticized sending those young people to battle zone.

So people didn't choose to go? They were all ordered to go? You really have no clue how these things work do you?

fidel gastro

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by fidel gastro on July 23, 2015

@noclass Not only have you responded in a callous way to this news but you seem stupidly unaware that many a traveller comes to anarchism through such things as Marxist-Leninism- disgusting. And that those that were maimed and killed could well have been sympathetic to anarchism and could well have been future anarchists/libertarians.

ocelot

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ocelot on July 23, 2015

Again, for the record, given that, although Flint has already mentioned it, a lot of the people (rightly) expressing their disgust at noclass's ubersectarian mentallness,[*] the young people targeted by this bomb were leftists from across the left political spectrum - including anarchists, social-democrats, various flavours of bolsheviks, members of a range of electoral parties and none.

The only thing that united them was their desire to lend their labour in the non-military work of clearing rubble and reconstructing Kobane, and learning more about the realities of what is happening on the ground there - a desire for more immediate knowledge that most participants in the debates here, whether supportive or sceptical have continually expressed. I also know at least one anarchist who posts on these forums who was there (but is thankfully unharmed, to the best of my knowledge).

noclass - your concepts of "objective support" etc, are remarkably Stalinist in their "guilt-by-association" logic. You should get out more. And maybe even trade in dogmatism for some genuine politics one of these days..

* edit: [appear to have missed this]

kurekmurek

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on July 23, 2015

Well I guess the anarchist ocelot is talking about is me. And I am fine and uninjured (unlike some of the comrades whom I met there). Although I -kind of - feel ashamed to write these but :

1) If the only the deaths of anti-state anti-capitalists count as important there were one 20 age old anarchist from Eskisehir who was killed (also two other anarchists are injured, hopefully they are recovering now.) ( However I think this is a terrible way to approach this event)
2) The place the bombing happened was a cultural center connected to municipality and it was in Suruc, Turkey. It was not a war-zone at all . It was in the city center and it was a totally civilian zone (like us) (and if you exclude the fortress like buildings of Turkish Military). There were no plans to go to a war-zone.
3) So consequently the bombing was just to make afraid people who want to show solidarity to Rojava from Turkey or wider global community by way of attacking without provocation to unaware civilians. It was aimed to cut the ties of Kurdish movement from global comunity by giving the message of "if you come here, you will be murdered".
4) It was not a "leninist" dominated trip at all. There were no restrictions by sgdf. For example, I was wishing to write a report on libcom about the actual organisation of Rojava and the state (or the lack) of revolutionary transformation in the economical, social and political fields. I am sure there were many people who were going there with similar aims (to make documentaries, write other stuff, produce knowledge in general...) There were many people just joined to trip with their own will, not because of ideology of sgdf, but because they find this trip important and resourceful for further learning and maybe experimentation.

However of course many of these people are not with us any more unfortunately. Also my plans for writing a report is no more now. However I might write some stuff on my previous journey in the Kurdistan and my observations from there. Though it will need some time.

Solidarity

Chilli Sauce

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on July 23, 2015

Wait, shit, kurrem, you were there? Fullest solidarity, man, glad to hear you're alright.

Spikymike

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Spikymike on July 23, 2015

As kurrem.. corrects this incident was not in ' a war zone' and explains better to noclass that these people were not in general at least 'sent there' somehow 'under orders' as it were by some stalinist style military command. What propaganda the SGDF was making in the promotion of the trip or what it might subsequently make I've no idea and I doubt that noclass does either, so any criticism on that score would need some evidence and would be best placed elsewhere than here and now. Still people should not be throwing insults at noclass for their initially misplaced ideological comments.

kurekmurek

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on July 23, 2015

Thanks, I am fine Chilli. I am just resting a bit for now (to process and make sense of all that happened). Solidarity.

Khawaga

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Khawaga on July 23, 2015

Still people should not be throwing insults at noclass for their initially misplaced ideological comments.

Fuck that. S/he deserves all the insults for such callous ideological statements that are completely devoid of any critical thinking. Trying to score points off such a tragedy is fucking low.

Flint

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Flint on July 23, 2015

(delete)

Entdinglichung

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on July 24, 2015

an injury to one is an injury to all!

mikail firtinaci

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by mikail firtinaci on July 24, 2015

I am glad that you are fine Kurremkarmerruk. My condolences for the comrades and friends you lost.

kurekmurek

8 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on July 24, 2015

Thanks everyone who has expressed or will express their feelings. I wish everyone was lucky as I was. Anyway I should stop posting "thanks" comments. So a big last thanks from me to everyone. Solidarity.

Serge Forward

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Serge Forward on July 25, 2015

Not been on here for a while so just spotted this. Any differences aside, I'd also like to add my sincere condolences to kurremkarmerruk and anyone else connected to this tragedy.

kurekmurek

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on July 27, 2015

A n international summary of actions by anarchists with the killed anarchists in Suruc. (Use google translate it is very short and with a lot of pictures so, it will do fine)
http://sosyalsavas.org/2015/07/anarsi-inisiyatifinin-yaptigi-uluslarasi-cagriya-gelen-yanitlar/

syndicalist

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on July 28, 2015

As I wrote earlier, condolences and solidarity to all those who perished, wounded and survived.

Ideological criticism aside, I guess the thing that stands out to me is the question of security for volunteers such as these or future ones. Obviously suicide bombers are harder to guard against, particularly in mass encampments and convoys. Certainly there must've been some form of security or even forewarning to those who volunteered that the risks of possible loss of life and limb where there, no? Trusting certain security lessons are learned and folks are less prone to being "sitting ducks" in some respects, even in so-called safe zones. (And yes, I read the above reporting by the Turkish comrade ---who, thank goodness, is safe and sound).

Steven.

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on July 28, 2015

kurremkarmerruk

A n international summary of actions by anarchists with the killed anarchists in Suruc. DUse google translate it is very short and with a lot of pictures so, it will do fine)
http://sosyalsavas.org/2015/07/anarsi-inisiyatifinin-yaptigi-uluslarasi-cagriya-gelen-yanitlar/

Thanks for this, and just to echo other people's comments that I am really glad you are safe, but I am very sorry for all those who were not. As for "no class" going on about Marxism Leninism being rubbish, that is fair enough but this is not place for those kind of completely thoughtless comments. I personally used to be a member of a couple of Trot groups, as were lots of people I now know who are libertarian communists, and that could have been us who were killed if circumstances had been a little different

Marx-Trek

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Marx-Trek on August 4, 2015

I am glad to hear that you are ok Kurre.

@NoClass, your political comment is not only unnecessary but completely ridiculous. Of course Leninism as a theory and political movement is problematic and we are all away of the many blunders of such organizing and the irrelevance of 20th Century Leninism. But seriously, is that all you have to say about what happened? You are not dealing with reality or living in reality if this is all you have to say on whats currently happening throughout Kurdistan(s).

This is the problem with always making every issue about revolutionary theory. Theory has its place but so does practice, if all you have to contribute is theoretical critique (strawman arguments) then you already have all the answers because your response is always the same. That is boring and unrealistic. Instead try and find allies throughout the world rather than always look to some theoretical difference to purely rest your conclusion on. There is more to revolution/insurrection/revolt/struggle and more to the world than a paragraph of blacker than black anarchist theoretical critique.

kurekmurek

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on August 6, 2015

Unfortunately yesterday another injured person in the attack passed away. He was an anarchist. In the image below you can see names and photos of killed anarchists, including the last person (at the far right).

kurekmurek

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on August 9, 2015

http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/suructa_yaralanan_genc_tutuklandi-1412241

Metin Keleş, who was injured in the bomb attack in Suruc, is taken from his house and put into jail. He was still injured because of the explosion (waiting for drug threatment to finish to underwent surgery) and he recently started also getting psychological help. However today morning cops take him from his house where he was sleeping with an operation supported by helicopters. Allegedly they pointed a gun to his head while taking him away. The only evidence Cops have against him is apparently another person's statement which might be taken under torture.

Flint

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Flint on August 9, 2015

What's next? Exhuming the graves of the dead so that their corpses may be arrested?

kurekmurek

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on August 9, 2015

Well Fllint that is also sort of done right now (not about suruc people but YPG/J fighters). Turkey is not allowing corpses of killed YPG/J fighters to enter into Turkey now for more than a week now. Peopleand families are so upset about this, they can not bury their loved ones. Corpses are still held in trucks outside of border. The kurdish newspapers claim that this recent inhuman change in the policy of not letting corpses enter Turkey is directly coming from the government.

kurekmurek

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kurekmurek on August 11, 2015

Another update on this wave of arrests: A friend of mine was trying to communicate with sgdf in izmir for a memorial even of some sort. Guess what? All (people we know) are arrested including the ones injured in the blast. As you can see Turkey is really serious not to even let people get rest, get well and respect the memories of whom they lost. I am hoping at least most of them will be released in one or two days.

Flint

8 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Flint on August 12, 2015

From our comrade who was at Suruc:

Some of the organizers of the SGDF reconstruction trip to Kobane that was attacked by ISIS in Suruc last month have asked us if we can raise money to support the medical treatment of the victims of the massacre. Many of the wounded are facing serious permanent injuries and paralysis, and SGDF has massive bills for the hospital treatment and care. A couple of us will be asking for donations at the event on Thursday, but anyone else who has a few extra dollars is welcome to contact me about donating.

I would have passed on this information earlier, but all of these organizers were in jail yesterday and unable to communicate after being arrested in a sweep by the Turkish state. Which shows exactly why we are organizing this action to demand Turkey stop terrorizing the very people who were victims of ISIS terror.

I will post any of that info as I get it. So far they've just asked us if it will be possible for us to raise any funds for the victims; they haven't sent a paypal or bank account yet