ISTANBUL - 259 of the bodies buried under the pavements in Kilyos Cemetery have not yet been released to their families. Lezgin Bingöl, who received the body of her daughter Dilan Bingöl in 2018, urged the families who do not know the fate of the bodies of their loved ones.

 

After the Garzan Cemetery in the village of Oleka Jor in the center of Bitlis was destroyed by construction equipment between December 8-17, 2017, only 23 of the 282 bodies were released to their families. It was revealed that the bodies, which were learned to have been taken to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) with the efforts of the families, were later buried in plastic boxes under the pavements of Kilyos Cemetery in Istanbul.

 

23 BODIES RELEASED TO THEIR FAMILIES

 

While the burial of the bodies under the pavement caused public reactions, families took action to get their bodies of their loved ones back. In the last 5 years, only 23 bodies were released to their families who applied to many non-governmental organizations and state institutions, especially the Human Rights Association (İHD). The struggle and persistance of other families still continues. 

 

'WHAT KIND OF A CONSCIENCE IS THIS?'

 

Gülbahar Erkılıç, who lost her son Aziz Erkılıç (Xeyri Tatvan) in a conflict in Van in 2018, is one of those who follow the process to show solidarity with the families, although the body of her son is not in Kilyos. Condemning the state's practices regarding the bodies, Erkılıç said, "As long as this pain they inflict on families continues, the blood will be on their hands. It is unacceptable for them to bury the bodies under a pavement. What kind of a conscience should a person have to do this and ignore the families looking for the bodies of their children?" Erkılıç said that families should not stop until they claim the bodies of their children, and underlined that not only families, but also all Kurdish people and human rights defenders should follow the process. Erkılıç said that the Kurdish people will not bow down despite all the suffering.

 

APPLICATIONS YIELDED RESULTS

 

Lezgin Bingöl, the father of YPJ member Dilan Bingöl (Beritan Jîn), who fought against ISIS in Kobanê in Northern and Eastern Syria and was buried in the Garzan Cemetery after she died in 2014, was able to take back the body of their daughter in 2018. Father Bingöl stated that the whole process that started with the exhumation of the bodies from the cemetery could not be explained by law. Stating that the state does not know how to respond to the families in a legal sense, Bingöl stated that all of their applications were rejected, although they applied to the court with evidence. Bingöl said, "As we insisted, they had to deliver the body of our daughter in February 2018."

 

CALL TO FAMILIES

 

Bingöl, who wants all families who do not know the fate of their dead to apply to the court and protect the bodies of their loved ones, emphasized that the families of the deceased should act immediately for their applications.