The name of Tahir Elçi will be kept alive in the street where he was murdered.

Former Diyarbakır Bar Association President Tahir Elçi, who was killed during a press statement in front of the Four-Legged Minaret in the Sur district of Diyarbakır on November 28, 2015, was commemorated on the ninth anniversary of his assassination. Elçi's name was given to the street where he was murdered, Four-Legged Minaret Street.

Former Diyarbakır Bar Association President Tahir Elçi, who was shot and killed during an armed conflict between security forces and PKK terrorists while making a press statement in the Sur district of Diyarbakır on November 28, 2015, was commemorated in front of the Four-Legged Minaret where he was killed.

Gathering in front of the Diyarbakır Courthouse, Turkey Bar Association President Erinç Sağkan, Tahir Elçi's wife and CHP Istanbul MP Türkan Elçi, CHP MPs Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Okan Konuralp, Ayşe Taşkent, Aliye Timisi Ersever, DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Chair Ayşe Serra Bucak Küçük, Diyarbakır Bar Association President Abdulkadir Güleç, and hundreds of lawyers walked to the Four-Legged Minaret where Elçi was killed.

During the commemoration program in front of the Four-Legged Minaret, speeches were made after listening to Ahmet Kaya's "Diyarbakır Türküsü" and the last speech made by Tahir Elçi before he was murdered.

"HE WAS A PEACE ENVOY DEFENDING THE DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION TO THE KURDISH ISSUE"

Taking the floor first, Diyarbakır Bar Association President Abdulkadir Güleç expressed that the murder of Tahir Elçi left deep wounds in the heart of society, stating, "The assassination of Tahir Elçi aligns with the ongoing policy of keeping people in dark corridors as per the wishes of the powerful. It has once again been seen that the statement made by the then Prime Minister and Minister of Justice on the first day of the murder regarding finding the perpetrators was a deception and a classic reflex of power. Although this confession that the murder of Tahir Elçi was a political assassination shows that this murder can only be clarified with a political will, unfortunately, the political will has not even shown the courage to ensure justice through the judiciary. Tahir Elçi was a peace envoy who dedicated his legal career to fighting against severe human rights violations and advocated for the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue," he said.

"WE ARE IN THIS DARK STREET THAT REFLECTS OPPRESSION"

Following Bar Association President Güleç, Tahir Elçi's wife, CHP Istanbul MP Türkan Elçi, stated that they have been in this bloody street for 9 years, saying, "Today, we are again under the feet of a minaret that rises to the sky, witnessing our painful cries, in the courtyard of a mosque stained with the blood of an innocent legal person, where a treacherous ambush was set. We have been here, in this bloody street, for 9 years. We, the oppressed, those who seek justice but cannot find it, those who wish for peace for others as much as for themselves, those who believe in the power of law, those who respect the rights of others, those who dream of a brotherly country, are here in this dead-end street marked by injustice and oppression, demanding our fundamental rights and freedoms, our right to life, and our right to justice. Today, we are again here, in this dark street that reflects oppression," she said.

"WE CAME AS BELIEVERS IN PEACE"

Elçi stated that they will continue to come to this street every year, growing a little more and believing a little more each time:

"We are here to tell those who kill without blinking, those who disregard the law, those who pit brother against brother, those who destroy our historical heritage, those who turn our cities into battlefields, those who tear apart our peace, that the right to life is sacred and that we believe in the law, that we have a vision of a brotherly and peaceful country. We came here without hiding the war in our secret pockets, without intending to deceive society with various tricks, schemes, and deceptions, to tirelessly and unceasingly convey the peace, tranquility, and sanctity of human life that our country deserves. We came as believers in peace, without lies, deceit, or hypocrisy, to express that peace is essential for these lands. We will continue to come, growing a little more and believing a little more each year. We will come as Kurds, Turks, Laz, and Circassians. Even if our colors, languages, and sects are different, we came because we are human, because we believe we were created by the same creator, and we will continue to come. Even if years pass over this despicable murder, we will tirelessly and unceasingly express our grievances here, in this street, where peace is spoken while the innocent who suffered injustice lies. Let it be our oath that we will continue to stand by the oppressed against the oppression of the oppressors."

"FOR 10 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN DENYING THESE PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO KNOW HOW THEIR FATHERS WERE KILLED"

Turkey Bar Association President Erinç Sağkan stated that they gathered not to commemorate but to convey the message that they will continue this struggle for 9 years, saying:

"We are again in front of the Four-Legged Minaret on the ninth anniversary of November 28. Actually, we organize November 28 events as a commemoration, but what we are doing is not a commemoration. Because to commemorate, we first need to know what happened. Unfortunately, for 9 years, we have been denied the right to know what happened. This denial has been attempted to be hidden behind the guise of the judiciary. We gather not to commemorate but to convey the message that we will continue this struggle. In all these meetings, we talk about the human rights struggle that President Tahir has given until today. We talk about the struggle he has waged against the policy of impunity. Even at the moment he was killed in front of the Four-Legged Minaret, we talk about his struggle to protect cultural values. But let's put all that aside. Let's evaluate him just as a human being. Let's think about his ordinary family. Let's think about his children. Let's think about his wife. Don't they at least have the right to know? Forget about punishment. Today, maybe Türkan Hanım cannot express it here, but I am sure that if we were to chat as two friends, she would say, 'Forget about punishment, we just want to know what happened.' Their children would say, 'How was our father killed? We just want to know this.' For 10 years, we have been denying these people the right to know how their fathers were killed. For 10 years, we have been denying a wife the right to know how she lost her life partner, her companion."

"IT WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE DECISION OF THE FIRST INSTANCE COURT THAT THE JUDICIARY WAS USED TO COVER UP A MURDER"

Sağkan, expressing that they feel a sense of shame every time they enter Four-Legged Minaret Street, stated:

"Last year, when I entered this street, I expressed that I felt a deep sense of shame. This is the reason for the shame I feel. Every time I enter this street, I feel a very deep sense of shame. Because, hidden under the guise of the judiciary, the truth that is concealed from this family is unfortunately represented by the defense authority within the system, and no matter how much I criticize the judicial system, no matter how much I strive for its independence, I feel the shame of being a part of the system."

Because we have deprived this family of their right to know for 10 years. Only their right to know. It was actually that simple. All we wanted was for the family to know how President Tahir was murdered, for his colleagues to know, for the people of Diyarbakır to know, for us to know. Of course, this embarrassment is turning into hope, not despair. Because the process under the guise of justice has seen that it can no longer proceed in this way, and the first instance court openly declared that this process is not actually a judicial process. In fact, we experienced the announcement of the obvious. That’s why I am hopeful. Because the visual process, this judicial visual process has now come to an end. And it has been declared. Unfortunately, it was declared by the decision of the first instance court that the judiciary was instrumentalized to cover up a murder. Now our struggle will grow even more. Perhaps we are not commemorating here today, and we are here to show that we will grow this struggle. But I swear, I promise that maybe 19 years later, maybe 29 years later, maybe 99 years later, this street will again be filled with thousands of lawyers, and those lawyers will enter in front of the four-legged minaret to commemorate, knowing what happened. I swear that the lawyers of Diyarbakır, all the lawyers in Turkey, and human rights defenders will surely realize this one day.

RENAMED AS TAHİR ELÇİ STREET

Later, Diyarbakır Bar Association President Abdulkadir Güleç shared the information that the name of Dört Ayaklı Minare Street was changed to Tahir Elçi Street by the Sur Municipality.

After the speeches, carnations were laid at the place where Elçi was killed.