Human Rights Association (IHD) and relatives of the disappeared demanded the fate of the disappeared and the prosecution of the perpetrators. 

 

AMED

 

Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed (Diyarbakır) Branch and relatives of the disappeared continued their protest in the 830th week with the slogan “Let the disappeared be found, let the perpetrators be tried”. The protest was held in front of the Right to Life Monument in Koşuyolu Park in Rezan (Bağlar) district of Amed and a banner with photos of the disappeared was unfurled. In this week's protest, the story of Fethi Yıldırım, who was detained and disappeared in 1993 while he was an executive of the Democracy Party (DEP) in Wêranşar district of Riha (Urfa), was read. 

 

The story of Fethi Yıldırım was read by Berfin Elçi, member of IHD's Disappearance Commission.

 

Yıldırım's story is as follows: “Fethi Yıldırım, who lives in Wêranşar district of Riha province, is the third of four siblings. After graduating from Viranşehir High School (in 78- 79), he was arrested for a murder that took place in the district center and entered Diyarbakır Type E Prison. During the trial, he was accused of being a member of the Revolutionary Eastern Culture Associations (DDKD) and of being the perpetrator of the murder in question and was sentenced to prison. After 4 years in prison, on the day he was released, he was sent to Agirî (Ağrı) and Panos (Patnos) district for compulsory military service. After completing his boot camp there, he completed his military service at Bolu Military Gendarmerie Brigade and returned to Wêranşar. After working only as a farmer for a while, he joined the board of DEP and started to work actively.

 

DETAINED WITH 3 OTHERS

 

In early October 1993, Mehmet Çakı, a DEP leader, was detained. After his detention, Çakı went to the Yıldırıms' house and informed them that he had been asked questions about Fethi Yıldırım during his detention. Fethi Yıldırım was in Istanbul at the time. Upon hearing this, Süleyman Yıldırım, the older brother, called his brother Fethi Yıldırım and told him what had happened. Yıldırım returned to the district the following day. On the evening of January 4, 1994, Yıldırım stated that Abdo Mutlu, a friend of his who lived in Germany, had arrived and that he and two of his friends, Ali Kuran and Naci Kapancılar, members of the DEP Executive Board, were going to Mutlu's house. He left the house at around 17.30 and went to Abdo Mutlu's house. After sitting there for a while, the house was raided by teams from the Viranşehir District Security Directorate. Abdo Mutlu, the owner of the house, Ali Kuran, Naci Kapancılar and Fethi Yıldırım were detained during the raid. Ali Kuran, who was released at around 23.00 that evening, called Süleyman Yıldırım on the phone to inform him that they had been detained and that they had all been released except Fethi Yıldırım.

 

Fethi Yıldırım's family applied to all competent authorities but received no response. Therefore, on January 26, 1994, a criminal complaint was filed against the police officers to the Public Prosecutor's Office. On September 14, 1994, the Prosecutor's Office responded to the criminal complaint by stating that a decision of non-jurisdiction had been made in accordance with Article 15/3 of the Anti-Terror Law No. 3713 and that the petition had been sent to the District Administrative Board. On September 15, 1994, Yıldırım applied to the District Administrative Board for its decision on the incident, but the Board rejected the application and gave no response. Fethi Yıldırım will never be heard from again.”

 

ÊLIH    

 

In Êlih (Batman), IHD and relatives of the disappeared gathered in front of the Human Rights Monument on Gülistan Street for the 666th week of their protest. A banner reading “Find the disappeared, put the perpetrators on trial” was unfurled and photographs of the disappeared were carried. At this week's protest, they asked for the fate of Ahmet Yetişen, who was detained from his home in Êlih on November 13, 1994 and was never heard from again. Hüseyin Elçi, IHD Êlih Branch Manager, read the story of Yetişen's disappearance.    

 

Yetişen's story is as follows: "On 13 November 1994, at around 19.00 and 23.00, soldiers, police officers and village guards raided Ahmet Yetişen's house. Not finding Ahmet there, the security forces took his son Hanifi and went to H.S. and N.G.'s house. They also took Ahmet from N.G.'s house and took them all to Batman Commando Battalion Command. Hanifi was released the next day. No news was heard from Ahmet from that day onwards.

 

On 23 March 1995 Ahmet's relatives applied to several authorities, including the Prime Ministry, the Presidency and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and reported that Ahmet had been forcibly disappeared. On 30 September 1998 his wife Türkan lodged a complaint with the Batman Public Prosecutor's Office for the punishment of those responsible for Ahmet's detention and enforced disappearance. The file was opened under preparation number 1998/2650. On the same day the prosecutor took the testimony of the police officers in charge of the Anti-Terror Unit (TMB) of the Batman Security Directorate. Batman TMB stated that there was no record of Ahmet Yetişen's detention and that he had been wanted as a 'PKK member' since 23 October 1996. Batman Gendarmerie Command also stated that they had no information about Ahmet in their records.

 

PERMANENT SEARCH WARRANT ISSUED

 

On 19 February and 25 April 1999 a permanent search warrant was issued for Ahmet, and on 29 March 2001 the prosecutor issued another search warrant. On 3 December 2003 YAKAY-DER filed an application to the Istanbul Fatih Prosecutor's Office regarding 160 missing persons, including Ahmet. The Fatih Prosecutor's Office sent the file to the Batman Prosecutor's Office, where a second investigation was opened under preparation number 2003/4131. On 22 January 2004, the two files were merged.

 

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

 

Hanifi applied several more times to the Batman Prosecutor's Office to find and punish those responsible for the enforced disappearance of his father. However, he did not get any result. The investigation at the Batman Prosecutor's Office is still ongoing. On 12 May 2006, Ahmet Yetişen's family applied to the ECtHR and the ECtHR declared the application inadmissible on the grounds that it was filed too late, not complying with the six-month rule."

 

COLEMÊRG

 

IHD Colemêrg (Hakkari) Branch and relatives of the disappeared gathered at Sanat Street in Gever (Yüksekova) district of Colemêrg for the 156th week. During the demonstration, the banner "Find the disappeared, prosecute the perpetrators" and photographs of the disappeared were unfurled. In this week's demonstration, justice was demanded for Hacı Ahmet Er, who was detained and murdered on 15 August 1995 in Bilêcan village of Çelê district of Colemêrg.

 

IHD Branch Co-chair Musa Bor read the press text on the subject.

 

Stating that they have been emphasising the importance of human life and the sanctity of the right to life in every square for years, Bor said: "Hacı Ahmet Er was residing with his family in Marûfan village of Çelê. After a clash broke out near the village, an operation was organised by the soldiers in Marûfan village. People were gathered in the village square and a great pressure was put on them to leave their villages. People who did not want to leave their villages were subjected to violence and threats. Hacı Ahmet Er and his brother Hacı Mirat Er, who had to leave the village afterwards, wanted to find mules to move. On 15 August 1995 Hacı Ahmet Er's son Adnan Er set out for the nearby village of Bilêcan to find a mule. After a while gunshots were heard between the two villages. Hacı Ahmet Er and his brother Hacı Mirat Er set out to look for their son who had gone to Kavşak village. After leaving the house, the brothers came across soldiers who were on an operation and were detained."

 

Stating that Hacı Mirat Er, one of the two brothers who were detained and severely tortured at the Gendarmerie Station in the region where they were taken, was released a day later, Bor said, "The family gathered in front of the gendarmerie to demand the release of Hacı Ahmer Er and was informed that Hacı Ahmet Er was not detained. Although the family applied to the Hakkâri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office with Hacı Mirat Er, the relevant institutions denied that Hacı Ahmet Er was detained. The application was rejected with a decision of non-prosecution. The fate of Hacı Ahmet Er was left unknown. There has been no development regarding the fate of Hacı Ahmet Er, who was detained with his brother and whose body disappeared afterwards. The Er family's legal struggle to build a burial place with flowers on it was defeated by the intervention of the authorities. From here, we call on the authorities once again; Hacı Ahmer Er's fate should be announced and those responsible should be held accountable before justice. We will continue to seek justice for Hacı Ahmet Er and all our missing persons."