Bookstore to serve as Alevi massacre memorial

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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Alevi organizations, however, are not happy with the ministry’s plan and said Günay had promised to turn the hotel into a museum. The ministry will open a bookstore and a memorial in the place of the restaurant that is expected to move in mid-January. "I think we will reorganize the place in a way that will show we have not forgotten the pain caused there," Günay said.

On July 2, 1993, Islamic fundamentalists burned the hotel in the central Anatolian province of Sivas to the ground, intellectuals who had come to the city for the Pir Sultan Abdal Festival were inside. A total of 37 people, including two hotel workers and the two people responsible for burning the hotel, died, either from burns or smoke poisoning.

"Within 40 days [in 1993] almost 100 people died in dark, provocative ways," Günay said. Remembering one incident and forgetting the others would not be right, he said. "We will write all the names and dates that should not be forgotten on a wallÉ This will be a lesson to others."

Representatives of Alevi organizations are not satisfied with the Culture Ministry’s plan and accused the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government of hunting for votes, reported the daily Milliyet yesterday.

"The decision of the government is not a solution," said Ali Balkız, the head of the Alevi Bektashi Federation, and said they insisted on a museum being built. "The minister is likely to forget his words quickly. The massacre occurred in front of the eyes of state officials. The state should apologize, as it cannot protect its citizens, and an apology can only be made by turning the place into a museum," he said.

Fevzi Gümüş, the head of the Pir Sultan Abdal Association said the bookstore idea was disres pectful of the losses. "Turning the hotel into a museum is the only solution," he said.

Minister apologizes
Günay offered an apology to the Alevis in the opening ceremony of the first Alevi Institute in Ankara at the end of December. After Günay’s speech, some Alevis, who describe themselves as martyr families, protested and asked when the Madımak Hotel would be turned into a museum. They also said the case was time-barred. "I had not mentioned this issue as I did not want to prolong my speech.

As I said before, this problem will be solved before July," Günay said and ordered his bodyguards not to stop the protesters.

Meanwhile, the manager of the restaurant, Sebati Manav said the restaurant should have been relocated by Jan. 1, but was still in the same place because of problems over subsidies for the cost of the move. The restaurant is planned to continue with two separate branches, one is 20 meters from the hotel, Doğan news agency reported. The restaurant’s owner is keeping the location of the second branch secret.