Calls for justice prevails as Mumcu remembered

ANKARA

More than 2000 people attended the ceremony to commemorate famous journalist Uğur Mumcu, who was killed with a bomb on Jan 24, 1993. The crowd laid flowers and lit candles in the street before releasing white balloons in the sky. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

A commemoration ceremony was held for hournalist Uğur Mumcu yesterday to mark the 20th anniversary of his death in a bomb attack, as the main opposition leader suggested the establishment of the Museum of Democracy to show at what price the democracy could be secured in Turkey.
 
“The state’s responsibility is still there. It should reveal the hitmen and those who are behind them,” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) said in his short address during the ceremony held in front of Mumcu’s house where he was killed 20 years ago. Alongside with Kılıçdaroğlu and a large CHP delegation, Mumcu’s wife Güldal Mumcu, a deputy from the CHP, his son Özgür Mumcu and his daughter Özge Mumcu attended the ceremony which received more than 2000 people.

Representatives from trade unions, other political parties and from a variety of non-governmental organizations and Mumcu’s colleagues were present at the ceremony. 

The crowd laid flowers and lit candles in the street before releasing white balloons into the sky that bore Mumcu’s photograph and the simple message of “We will not forget.” The placards raised during the ceremony were in critical mood against the state institutions which failed to reveal the real motives behind the killing of Mumcu although 20 years have passed. 

“The state promised to shed light of this murder. It’s been 20 years and no real hitmen are identified. If democracy and rule of law will prevail in this country, if free individuals enjoy their rights, then perpetrators of Mumcu’s murder should be found out,” Kılıçdaroğlu stressed. Recalling that Mumcu was a very good journalist fighting against injustice and he was being commemorated by thousands of people every year, Kılıçdaroğlu said this case will continue in the conscience of the people. 

In a very dramatic development, the wreckage of the bombed car in which Mumcu was murdered was returned to the family members very recently. Kılıçdaroğlu called the Culture Minister to establish a museum of democracy in which this wreckage and other similar items could be exhibited. “We have martyrs of democracy. We have politicians who have been hanged unnecessarily. They are being commemorated time to time, their names are given to the airports or universities. But we have to show to the younger generations how we could establish the democracy and the price we have paid in this end,” he stressed.