Emrah Güler
It will be 21 years on July 2 since a group of fundamentalist Muslims torched a hotel in Sivas, burning 35 people alive, including artists, writers and musicians. On its anniversary, you can watch ‘Menekşe’den Önce’ (Before Menekşe)
The documentary ‘Menekşeden Önce’ follows the lives of the survivors and those who lost loved ones through the eyes of a young girl born into a tragedy.
“Time?” asks the woman, her voice bemused and heart-broken at the same time. “It doesn’t heal anything. It hurts more with each passing day.” The woman is a living testament to one of the most horrific, shameful and heart-breaking days modern Turkey has experienced. She is the mother of the two youngest victims that were among the 35 people who were burnt alive by fundamentalist Muslims in the central Anatolian city of Sivas on July 2, 1993.
The Sivas massacre, or the Madımak massacre (referring to the name of the torched hotel), has become a symbol of some of the darkest moments that humanity can endure. From the planning of the attack, including the involvement of the police and some politicians, to the controversial trial, then the case going back and forth with it eventually being dropped in 2012 due to charges against the suspects exceeding the statute of limitations.
The woman’s painful remarks are captured in a feature documentary that looks at that fateful day through the eyes of those who lost members of their family and friends, as well as the survivors. “Menekşe’den Önce” (Before Menekşe) of 2012 is a communal project, that was started by journalist and writer Soner Yalçın. Yalçın was arrested and charged for being linked to the alleged terrorist organization Ergenekon in Feb. 2011 while filming. The film was completed by Yalçın’s friends: Halide Didem, Elif Ilgaz, Zeynep Altıok, Tuğçe Tatari, Ebru Köktürk, Elif Yıldız, Melda Onur, Canan Kaftancıoğlu and Tuğba Ezeroğlu.
the Hurriyet Daily News reports.