İZMİR - Deniz Poyraz lost his life in the attack on Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) Izmir Provincial Organisation in Izmir on 17 June 2021. "I gave one martyr, I gave one Deniz. Now a thousand Deniz will be born," says mother Fehime Poyraz. 

 

It has been 4 years since Deniz Poyraz was murdered. Throughout 7 hearings, all requests of the family's lawyers to reveal the instigators of the perpetrator Onur Gencer were rejected. At the end of the trial, the perpetrator Gencer was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "premeditated intentional killing", 4 years for "damaging property", 2 years for "violation of residential inviolability" and 3 years for "unauthorised possession of firearms".

 

In the intervening 4 years, she has not given up her demand for a real justice to be established so that the forces behind the perpetrator are exposed and prosecuted. Speaking to Mezopotamya Agency (MA) on the 4th anniversary of her daughter's murder, Fehime Poyraz and her father Abdulillah Poyraz stated that the murderer was not the only one and renewed their demand for the forces behind the murder to be revealed. Stating that her daughter had many dreams, Fehime Poyraz said, "Deniz's struggle affected everyone. The people also loved her. She never offended a friend, she loved everyone. No matter what we did, she was always smiling. She never showed that his heart was broken. We loved her very much because he was so devoted to us, because she was devoted to her people. We cannot forget her. When Deniz was martyred, I said, 'I gave one martyr, I gave one Deniz, now a thousand Denizs will be born.'"

 

'I PROMISED NOT TO CRY'

 

Fehime Poyraz stated that her daughter was in a distress before she was murdered and said, "She came, 'Why are you like that? Let me take you to the hospital,' she said. I said 'No.' She made a coffee, we drank it. We stayed on the balcony until 2 a.m. I went to bed and I didn't see her leave in the morning. Afterwards, we received many phone calls. Then we received news from Mardin, Adana, Ömerli and everywhere. Someone on television said 'Deniz Poyraz was murdered in the building'. I was shocked at that time. I can't describe the voice that came out of me. I promised, I won't cry like all mums. I didn't cry. I really promised my Serok (Leader-Abdullah Öcalan) that I wouldn't cry. I held my head high. I said, 'How happy I am.' I wanted to go and see my daughter, but they wouldn't let me. It was a difficult day. It is the same until now.”

 

'WE WANT PEACE'

 

Fehime Poyraz, who stated that she was also involved in the struggle, said that the crowd in front of the party building when Deniz Poyraz was murdered encouraged her. Fehime Poyraz said, "We need to struggle. I say to all mothers, one should struggle after one's own child. How long will this blood be shed? We want peace. We do not want a fight. They are not in favour of peace. Let the prisons be empty, let all the ill prisoners come out. Let our Serok come out. I call on mothers of soldiers and mothers of guerrillas to join hands, to prevent bloodshed. Because they are mothers, their lungs are burning too. I salute the parents of martyrs, I bow to them with respect. I want mothers and fathers to unite."

 

'ONUR GENCER IS NOT THE ONLY MURDERER'

 

Father Abdullillah Poyraz emphasised that Onur Gencer was not the only murderer and said: "We wanted those who helped the murderer to be tried as well. But there was no such trial. The killer even threatened the judge. Sometimes he turned round and threatened us. So there was no justice from the court.”

 

PRESSURES ON THE FAMILY

 

Stating that there were also pressures against them, father said: "When Deniz was martyred, there were pressures against us. They cut in front of me many times when I was going to work. They told me, 'You were on TV, we saw you talking. The pressures continued, we even changed our house, but they were coming in front of our house. Even on the anniversary of her death or on her birthday, when we go to her grave, the gendarmerie and police come. Sometimes when I go there I see civilian police vehicles. Even a month ago my neighbours told me that there was a police vehicle in front of my house."

 

MA / Uğurcan Boztaş