A life dedicated to the revolution: Menal Mêrdîn

  • actual
  • 11:35 11 January 2023
  • |
img
İZMİR - Hüseyin Karatay, brother of Mehmet Emin Karatay, who was assassinated in Shengal, said: "My brother devoted 43 years of his life to the struggle. His struggle continued until his last breath."
 
Shengal Autonomous Administration announced on January 4 that Mehmet Emin Karatay (Menal Mêrdin), who had been fighting for the revolution for 43 years, died on January 2, in the town of Tilezêr in Shengal, as a result of an assassination attack in partnership with Turkey and the KDP.
 
Karatay was born in 1959 in the village of Tinatê in the Nîsêybîn district of Merdîn. Some of the family living in the village had to migrate to İzmir in the 1970s due to the economic problems they experienced. Karatay also came to Izmir in 1976 to work. Karatay contributed to his family by working in a bakery and sometimes selling bagels in Izmir, where he came at the age of 17.
 
KARATAY LEFT HIS MILITARY SERVICE AND JOINED THE PKK
 
After working in İzmir for two years, Karatay went to Kars to do his compulsory military service, and came to İzmir after completing his recruiting unit. Karatay's brother Ramazan Karatay joined the PKK in 1979 against the assimilation and oppression policies against the Kurds. Mehmet Karatay was also impressed by the fact that his brother Ramazan Karatay, with whom he grew up in Izmir, where he came on a 10-day leave from the military, joined the PKK. Mehmet Karatay was taken into custody 8 years later in 1987 in Batman and arrested.
 
KARATAY WAS ARRESTED FOR 25 YEARS
 
Karatay, who was arrested in Batman, was later taken to Diyarbakır Prison. Karatay was tortured for days in Diyarbakır Prison, which turned into a torture center. His fingers were broken and his nails were pulled by the torturers. Karatay could not use his fingers because of the electricity given to his body. Karatay applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Turkey was sentenced to pay compensation due to Karatay's applications to the ECtHR.
 
Karatay was imprisoned for 25 years in different prisons, including Batman, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Bursa, Çanakkale, Aydın, Nazili, Bergama, İzmir and Amasya.
 
KARATAY WENT TO SENGAL
 
Karatay's brother, Ramazan Karatay, died in a conflict in Mêrdîn in 1987, while his nephew Kerim Karatay died in a clash with soldiers in Şırnak in 2010.
 
After Karatay was released in 2013, he decided to continue his life in his hometown of Nisêbîn and lived here until 2016. However, Karatay, who was affected by the ISIS attack on Shengal and the massacre against Yazidis in 2014, told his family that he wanted to go to Shengal to show solidarity with the Yazidi people and to get to know the Yazidi people better. Karatay, who went to Shengal in 2016, was working on a book so that the massacres of the Yazidi people would be heard and the beliefs and cultures of the Yazidi people would not be forgotten. Karatay was assassinated in the house where he lived before he could complete his book work.
 
A LIFE DEVOTED TO THE REVOLUTION
 
Karatay's elder brother Hüseyin Karatay and nephew Mustafa Karatay, who devoted his life to the struggle for 43 years, 25 of whom were in prison, talked about Mehmet Emin Karatay. Hüseyin Karatay said that his brother lives in the hope of permanent peace and is loved by everyone. Hüseyin Karatay said: “My brother was a patriot. Ramazan got on very well with everyone because he was a devoted person. Ramazan was subjected to many tortures during his stay in prison; however, he constantly struggled against them. My brother went on hunger strikes against the oppression in prison in the 90s. When his demands were not met, he turned his hunger strike into a death fast. He was always in good spirits when we went to visit the prison. Ramazan was also loved by his friends. For 43 years, his life passed without a break in struggle. This continued until his last breath.”
 
'MY UNCLE WAS HOPEFUL'
 
Karatay's nephew, Mustafa Karatay, also said that he knew his uncle in prison. Stating that he went to visit his uncle Karatay, Mustaya Karatay said: "I met my uncle when I went to visit him in Gaziantep Prison. He was able to enter the ward because I was a child. In the following processes, I went to all the prisons where my uncle and grandmother were held. He was always hopeful. He always told us that we should be in high spirits in the face of life." 
 
'PEOPLE WERE ASSASSINATED'
 
Karatay said: "My uncle could not stand the persecution of the Yazidi people and left. We consider it an attack. Our peoples need to raise their calls for peace against this. Only in this way can we achieve victory." 
 
MA / Delal Akyüz

View More Articles

29/11/2023
17:14 Tahir Elçi Case: The file will be sent to the prosecutor's office for opinion
16:57 HEDEP: We will not stop until the isolation is lifted
16:49 6 people detained in Mersin
16:46 Prisoners' hunger strike is on its 3rd day
16:33 Journalist Ahmet's lawyer: Despite the prosecutor's decision, meeting with Ahmet is not allowed
16:16 Confidence in the economy of Turkey decreased
16:15 Punishment request against Emine Şenyaşar
15:52 5 people, including 2 children, arrested in Dilok
15:51 Aydin who released after 30 years: The struggle was keeping us alive
13:40 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan' protest in 104 prisons
12:35 'If the isolation is lifted, Öcalan will bring the peace'
12:30 Filing a criminal complaint regarding police violence on November 25
11:55 Lawyer Güneş: Turkish state tries to break the connection of the Kurds with Öcalan
28/11/2023
17:01 At least 43 people detained in Bedlis and Wan
16:59 Tahir Elçi commemorated at his grave
16:09 419 people kidnapped in Afrin, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî in 1 year
16:07 Isolation message from the prisoner on hunger strike
15:46 Raid on Jin Art Huner and TUHAYDER in Izmir
15:32 TÜRK-İŞ announced hunger and poverty figures
15:30 3 people arrested in Istanbul
13:23 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan' protest is on its 2nd day
13:21 'Repentance law' obstacle to release
13:20 Raid on villages in Bedlîs
13:20 Prisoners acquitted by the court not released
12:08 Yüksekdağ: A broad women's alliance is needed
27/11/2023
15:43 Isolation was on the agenda at the HEDEP congress
15:15 Ministry of Internal Affairs: 98 people were detained in 18 provinces
15:11 Prisoner on hunger strike: Our action will continue until steps are taken
14:18 Prisoners are on hunger strike for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan
14:16 Many detentions in many cities
14:09 Eren: Reluctance to reveal the murder of Elçi continues
13:04 TTB President Fincancı: We are not going anywhere
12:41 Ban decision for 14 regions in Şirnex
12:23 3 soldiers lost their lives in Zap and Avaşin
12:10 Cochair whose release blocked due to the imposition of regret
26/11/2023
18:36 Prisoners start a hunger strike on November 27 for 'the freedom of Öcalan'
15:15 'Our struggle will continue until Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom is achieved'
15:13 Uysal: The struggle will continue regardless of the name of the party
12:51 No news from journalist Ahmet for 33 days
12:36 Akkaya's release been postponed once again
12:34 Release of prisoner postponed due to not accepting the 'regret'
12:03 2 million 150 thousand people left without electricity in Turkey's attacks
23/11/2023
16:28 Release of 28 prisoners in 13 prisons prevented
15:16 Meeting application from Asrın Law Firm for Abdullah Öcalan
15:05 Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Public Prosecutor's Office did not accept the abbreviation of HEDEP
21/11/2023
16:28 2 journalists lost their lives in Israeli attack
16:28 Isolation protest during Ministry of Justice budget negotiations
16:12 Condemnation from women for isolation: Everyone should oppose
16:11 Meeting application from Asrın Law Firm for Abdullah Öcalan
16:08 House raids in Ankara