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Holds an Event to Commemorate Hanau Terrorist Attack
Perşembe, Şubat 22, 2024
The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) held an event to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the racist attack in Hanau. Addressing the crowd as part of the event, President of YTB Mr. Eren noted that racism, discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiments keep rising in Europe and said: “We all wish to see Europe adopt a mindset that helps people understand one another, respect differences, acknowledge that diversity is an asset, and reject discrimination and marginalisation”.
YTB held an Event to Commemorate the Fourth Anniversary of the Terrorist Attack in Hanau in an effort to remember the plight of the attack staged by a racist terrorist on two cafes around downtown Hanau, Germany on February 19, 2020, in which 9 people, including 4 Turks, died and to raise awareness about racist attacks levelled at the people in Europe. The event was kicked off by an exhibition of photos that depict the attack in Hanau. The Qur’an was recited for those who lost their lives as a result of the attack.
A press conference was held on the occasion of the event where a short movie was displayed about the attack. The President of YTB Mr. Abdullah Eren, Henning Simon, the Undersecretary to German Embassy, Derya Yanık, Chair of the Human Rights Investigation Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, and Zafer Sırakaya, AK Party’s Deputy Chairman for Foreign Affairs, released a joint press statement as a message of unity and solidarity.
Delivering an address at the event, the President of YTB Mr. Abdullah Eren pointed to the growing impetus since the 1980s in the attacks against the Turks, Muslims, and minorities in the Western countries.
May These Woeful Attacks Come to an End
Mr. Eren said he wishes the attacks, which make us all sad and uneasy, would come to an end as soon as possible: "We all wish the people of Europe to understand each other, respect differences, acknowledge that diversity is an asset, and to reject discrimination and marginalisation.
Putting an emphasis on how racism, discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiments continue to expand their sphere of influence particularly in Europe, Mr. Eren disclosed a report released by the Federal Government of Germany in early January 2023. Mr. Eren noted that over 22,000 right-wing extremist attacks happen in Germany every year and this stands for one right-wing extremist offence every 24 minutes.
Mr. Eren remarked that attacks against the holy book, sacred values, and sanctuaries are advocated for on the pretext of “freedom of expression” and added: “The fact that such attacks, which are carried out mostly by “lone wolf” perpetrators, are racially motivated is not sufficiently taken into account and the right-wing and terrorist aspects of the offences are being disregarded. We wish this to end as soon as possible as it is quite upsetting and concerning for us”.
We’ll Always Stand By Turkish Diaspora
Expressing the disappointment at the Hanau Investigation Committee Report published by the State Parliament of Hesse by the end of last year, Mr. Eren said: "The report shows that the perpetrator's contacts, the people and circles he was in contact with and other aspects of the act remain in the dark. Getting to the bottom of the attack in all of its aspects is our number one priority. So, the policy-makers, opinion leaders, decision-makers, media corporations, police, and courts in Germany have a major role to play. We will always stand by the Turkish diaspora, who has offered a lot for Germany over the past 60 years, and played a leading role in the relations between Germany and Türkiye”.
A Night Black as Pitch for Germany
Emiş Gürbüz, the mother of Sedat Gürbüz who died of the attack, took the floor and said February 19, 2020 was a night black as pitch for Germany. Gürbüz added the whole world shares the pain caused by the attack in Hanau and said: “February 19, 2020 was a night black as pitch for us. It is also a night black as pitch for the state of Germany that can never make it right. I count the days every day. My home is full of calendar papers. It has been 1463 days since. I have not seen my children. For 48 months. 4 years. My longing for them is overwhelming. How come racism can carry on for 40 years now? Why does it not stop? Why do we as parents lose our children and siblings this way? Enough is enough”.
We Want Justice to be Served
Underscoring the support extended by the German community over the past 4 years, Gürbüz said the parents just want the truth to come out and added: “We want justice to be served. These kids were obliterated for nothing. My kid had dreams. He wanted to marry. He wished to start a family. He wished to be a father. I had put away all of his childhood clothes. I was going to have my grandchild wear them. I could not see this coming. I’ve been residing in Germany for 54 years now. My children were born and raised in Germany. They belong to Germany”.
Gürbüz noted that no memorial has been built in the town where the attack occurred: “We as parents want a memorial to be built there. We want a memorial to be built lest they forget. Next generations should know about it. That is why we want a memorial to be built. However, the city is not responsive at all”.
Racist Parties to Rank First in Many States
Mr. Zafer Sırakaya, the AK Party’s Deputy Chairman for Foreign Affairs, remarked that the attack in Hanau brought out another edition of the racist virus infesting Europe. Mr. Sırakaya added that the circles that follow the racist political parties in many European countries have been rising in influence and said the number of racist attacks has soared by 500 percent in Europe in the past five years. Mr. Sırakaya noted that racist parties are set to rank first in many states across Germany and added: “We used to talk about the foundation of racist parties especially in Germany, France, and the Netherlands, and now more and more people voice the possibility of racist parties coming to power in those countries”.
We Stand by Our Nationals All Around the World
Derya Yanık, the Chair of the Human Rights Investigation Committee of the Turkish Parliament, gave a message to all the citizens around the world that they are not alone thanks to the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Noting that racism is a bigger problem in Germany than in Türkiye, Yanık said: “The fact that racist attacks continue to be carried out against the Turkish community, whose economic, social, and cultural inputs are diverse, is a problem for us but it is a bigger problem for Germany. The problem will grow even more dramatic unless Germany takes actions against racism and Islamophobia and takes precautions to eliminate the root causes and implications”.
Yanık emphasized that the majority of the Germany community do not condone such racist and fascist attacks and noted that the Human Rights Investigation Committee of the Turkish Parliament takes actions to examine the causes and implications of Islamophobia and racist attacks in Europe, and to convene with the Turkish community.
Attack in Hanau is Not Isolated
Mr. Henning Simon, an Undersecretary to the German Embassy in Ankara, expressed his great sorrow on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the horrific attack in Hanau at the outset of his speech. Expressing his horror of what happened in Hanau, Simon said: “This heinous attack claimed ten lives and inflicted a deep wound in our community. The attack in Hanau was not an isolated event. It was part of the concerning progression in hate crimes. The perpetrator was infused with hatred and marginalization. Those who lost their lives in Hanau remind us of the need to take concerted actions against any type of radicalism and racism”.
A Lot of Disinformation
Being one of the first journalists to make it to the scene of the attack, İsmail Erel, a reporter of Daily Sabah in Germany, spoke of the media aspect of what happened. Mr. Erel reported that it was a much larger attack than originally announced and that there was a lot of disinformation about what happened in the early hours. Noting that it was initially reported to be a gangster and PKK attack, Mr. Erel said he could not get information from the police and it was the police that triggered the wave of disinformation from the beginning. Pointing to the disappointment that the parents felt at the official statements, Mr. Erel added: “There is no plausible explanation for how the perpetrator owned a gun even though he had a psychological disorder. This is a scandal on a different level”.
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