Turkish minister hints at turning site of hotel massacre into museum

Thousands gathered at the site of the tragedy to mark the anniversary of the murder of 37 Alevi artists and intellectuals on July 2, 1993 in the central Anatolian province of Sivas. Ceremonies were also held in several provinces around the country, including Istanbul and Ankara.

Sixteen years ago crowds led by fundamentalist agitators set fire to the Madimak Hotel, resulting in the deaths of 37 people who were in the city to attend a cultural festival. Â

Gunay said in written statement released on Thursday that in 2009 Turkey removed a shame associated with the building after demanding the closure of a kebab restaurant which had opened in ground floor of the building, even though it was obviously a late move.

"We will implement other necessary regulations in the near future as well," he said in response to a long-standing demand by Turkish intellectuals for the state to transform the building into a museum.

Nearly 500 people from Alevi organizations in Europe also gathered in front of the headquarters of European Parliament in Strasbourg to protest the incident.

Photo: AA