Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan Commemorated with Carnations

* Photos: Taylan Öztaş / Eylem Nazlıer

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Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan, the leaders of the 68 Generation, have been commemorated in the 48th year of their execution.

CLICK - Last Days of Young Revolutionaries before Execution

Following the military coup on March 12, 1971, Deniz Gezmiş and Yusuf Aslan were caught in Şarkışla district of Sivas province and Hüseyin İnan in Kayseri province. Sentenced to death on November 9, 1971, they were executed ın May 6, 1972 in Ankara Central Closed Prison.

Ankara

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency

As reported by the Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Mezopotamya Agency (MA), youth organizations wanted to commemorate Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan at the Karşıyaka Cemetery in Ankara.

The commemoration ceremony was attended by Deniz Gezmiş's cousin Mustafa Gezmiş, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki and Kemal Bülbül, Labor Party (EMEP) Secretary General Selma Gürkan and representatives from political parties.

However, the police did not allow the youth organizations to enter the cemetery in large groups with banners, placards and flags. The group was only allowed to lay carnations on the graves of Gezmiş, İnan and Aslan.

On the ground that they entered the cemetery with flags, the police intervened against Revolutionary Youth Union, Revolutionary Youth Association, Revolutionary Power Youth Committees, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Youth Assemblies, Kaldıraç University, SGDF Student Initiative, New Democratic Youth and Revolutionary High School Union.

While journalists were prevented from taking photos or videos during the intervention, Sait Boztaş and Yücel Yavuz were detained.

Protesting the intervention of the police, the young chanted the slogan, "Our word to Deniz and his friends will be revolution" and laid carnations on the graves. Police did not let them to make a statement, either.

İzmir

İzmir Bar Association released a written statement to mark the 48th death anniversary of Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan, the revolutionary leaders of the 68th Generation:

"While they had not yet been even twenty, they struggled for the happiness and independence of our people without looking after any personal interests and lost their lives by being in the service of the people till their last breath for the ideal of a fully independent Turkey. We remember them with respect."

İstanbul

Youth organizations also read out a statement for the press in İstanbul in memory of Gezmiş, Aslan and İnan.

While the group gathered in a place near Dolmabahçe Palace in Beşiktaş district, the statement was read out by Nazlıcan Yöyler.

"Deniz Gezmiş, Hüseyin İnan and Yusuf Aslan were 3 revolutionaries, our 3 comrades who were massacred by the hand of the state on May 6, 1972," said Yöyler and concluded her remarks by "calling on everyone to get organized in the lines of revolution and socialism and to raise the struggle."

After this statement, carnations were dropped to Marmara Sea, with reference to the first name of Deniz Gezmiş, which means sea in Turkish.

Labor Youth: They won't be forgotten

Labor Party (EMEP) İstanbul Provincial Youth Organization Chair Mete Kağan Yıldırım also made a statement to mark the death anniversary of Gezmiş, Aslan and İnan.

"The ones who hanged them, who put the halter around their necks thought that hanging Deniz and his friends would be a solution, but their expectations have come to naught," Yıldırım said and added that they "have been living in the name, struggle, determinations and courage of hundreds and thousands of young people for 48 years and they will continue living there."

'We will struggle till we build a different world'

Statements for the press were also held in the provinces of Adana, Manisa, Kocaeli and Dersim for Gezmiş, İnan and Aslan. The statements emphasized that "the struggle for democracy, independence and socialism would continue until a different world could be built." (EMK/SD)