Group commemorates ISIS massacre victims with 'memorial trees' in Ankara

The victims of the Oct. 10, 2015 ISIS double suicide bombing on a peace rally are being commemorated by a group of activists with "tree blankets" in Ankara's Kuğulu Park. The knitting group started off making blankets for those who were wounded in the attack and as gifts to babies born afterwards.

Duvar English

The victims of an ISIS massacre that took place in 2015 are being commemorated with "tree blankets" in Ankara's Kuğulu Park.

October 10 Solidarity's knitting group made blankets for the trees in the park, with the names of each of the victims knitted onto the patches.

Over 100 people were killed in ISIS double suicide bomb attacks on a peace rally that took place in front of Ankara's main train station on Oct. 10, 2015.

The group has created these "memorial trees" in six other locations in Ankara, including at the train station.

The fourth "memorial tree" in Bardacık has reportedly been vandalized.

The knitting group started off making blankets for those who were wounded in the attack and as gifts to babies born afterwards.

The first tree they wrapped in the memorial blankets was a mulberry tree in front of the train station that had been damaged in the attack.

When they can, the group likes to create blankets for plane trees, which are endemic to the region. The group says there are several reasons for this, among them that lane trees live for a long time, have deep roots, and are tall with a strong posture.

"May the names of the 103 peace doves spread to the skies through the branches and to the earth through the roots," a member of the group said while they wrapped a plane tree outside the train station on Dec. 6, 2019.