Victims of a PKK massacre committed 30 years ago were commemorated in Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin on Monday. Officials and locals gathered at Efeler Primary School to remember the terrorist attack that killed 10, including seven children and a woman in January 1987. It also injured six others in Mardin's Midyat district.

Speaking at the ceremony, Emine Kacay, 58, who lost her four children in the attack, said, "Some ruthless terrorists slaughtered my children. It is not easy to forget this pain." Midyat Governor Hüseyin Tekin said the terrorist PKK was trying to scare the public through massacres.

"If need be, our soldiers, police, village guards as well as governors are ready to be martyred. No one has forgotten that incident," said Tekin. He also said, "What they call ‘death' is martyrdom for us, the highest honor." Mehmet Şirin Akçay, a relative of one of the martyrs, said the terror organization will not be able to reach its goals and that they were ready to become martyrs for Turkey. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU, resumed its armed campaign in July 2015 and has since been responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,100 security personnel and civilians, including women and children.