HAKKARİ - Ramazan Yorgun, father of Şaban Yorgun, whose body was released to his family 7 months after his death, said: “His bones were severed from each other and were falling apart like ashes. After seeing the body, I thought chemical weapons were used."

 

An armed clash took place between Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Peoples' Defense Units (HPG) on June 12 in the rural areas of Hakkari.3 HPG and YJA-STAR members were killed as a result of the air-strikes carried out after the clash.

 

The bodies of Jiyan Konur, Canan Özdemir and Şaban Yorgun was buried in the cemetery of the nameless in Serê Sola following the authopsy procedures. The family of Şaban Yorgun who applied to the Hakkari Chief Public Prosecutor's Office gave blood samples for a DNA test and recieved the body of their son when the DNA matched. The family laid their son to rest under police blocade in Hakkari's Karşıyaka Neighborhood.

 

Father Ramazan Yorgun told about the ordeal they had to go through to lay their son to rest and told that he suspects chemical weapons were used to kill his son.

 

AS A RESULT OF A 7-MONTH STRUGGLE, THEY RECIEVED THE BODY OF THEIR SON

 

Stating that they had to go through an ordeal to recieve the body of their son, Yorgun told that as his family, they applied to the Mersin Prosecutor's Office when they hear that their son lost his life and they were subjected to the ill-treatment of the police all through the process. Stating that they were sent from city to city and asked where they heard that their son had lost his life, Yorgun said: "We told them that we read the news about it on the internet and we want to take the body of our son."

 

HE NEVER GAVE UP ON HIS EFFORTS

 

Stating that he later applied to the Hakkari Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Yorgun said: "The prosecutor's office told that they didn't know whom the bodies belong to and they buried 3 bodies that were brought to Hakkari State Hospital 15 days later. They told us we should give blood samples and they can release the body to us if our DNA matches. We gave bloos samples and came back to Mersin. 15 days later we were called by the police station, and told me my son was alive and insisted that I should go back home. The document the police gave me said there were no DNA match with any of the bodies."

 

Pointing out that he was not convinced by the statements of the police and he kept looking, Yorgun said he applied for a second time to find out his son was actually killed and he had to exhume his body from the cemetery of the nameless. Yorgun underlined that he requested the municipality to provide a funeral vehicle and a ladle for the burial but his request was not accepted.

 

'I THINK CHEMICALS WERE USED' 

 

Yorgun told that even though they tried to prevent him from seeing his son, he took a one last look at his son and continued as follows: "Even though the municipality officials told me it was prohibitted to look at the body, I took a one last look at my son and I saw that the corpse decomposed within 7 months, its bones turned black and the bones broke apart. The corpse looked like it had been buried for 3-4 years. His bones were ripped apart and fell like apart like ashes. After seeing the body, I thought chemical weapons were used.  Whatever was done to our son's body, I do not accept. We will not forget this until we die.”