DİYARBAKIR - Halise Aksoy, who received her son's body by cargo and was engraved in the memories and arrested on April 28, sent a message "Don't bow down".

 

Many people, including journalists, lawyers, artists and politicians, were detained in the operations carried out on April 25 within the scope of the investigation carried out in 21 cities based in Amed(Diyarbakır) at the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and arrested on charges of "being a member of a terrorist organization". One of the arrested names was Halise Aksoy, whose son's bones were distributed to her in a box by cargo.

 

This photograph of Halise Aksoy, with the box containing her son's bones on her knees, caused condemnation on the one hand, and on the other hand, once again revealed what is considered good for Kurdish mothers.

 

Halise Aksoy was detained along with her daughter Mizgin Karataş, 4-year-old grandson Çiya and son-in-law Harun Karataş. While Çiya was handed over to a relative one day later, Aksoy, her daughter Mizgin and son-in-law were brought to Diyarbakır Courthouse after 3 days of detention. While Harun Karataş was released under judicial control, Aksoy and his daughter Mizgin were arrested. Halise Aksoy, like every other Kurdish woman, has a story of resistance that sends her behind the prison doors. Aksoy now demonstrates this resistance in the prison where she is held.

 

WHO IS HALİSE AKSOY?

 

Halise Aksoy, who was born to a family of 9 in the village of Tizyan (Elmabahçe) in the Artuklu district of Mardin, was married to her uncle's son, who was 15 years older than her, when she was 11 years old, and she had 8 children, four girls and four boys. A village guard was imposed on Aksoy's family, who met with the state pressure early, and as a result of the pressure, she moved to Amed in 1993, taking her children with her, and his house in the village was burned down by the soldiers.

 

AKSOY IMMIGRATED TO ISTANBUL

 

Aksoy's children, who had to immigrate to Istanbul in 1996, are often subjected to pressure by the police because of their identity. Upon this, the family moved to another district of Istanbul and could not get rid of the state pressure.

 

His son, Agit, is repeatedly detained and tortured despite his childhood. He left the house in 2010 when he was only 15 years old and never came back. Şinda, her youngest daughter, also witnessed the persecution of the Kurds despite her childhood and, like her older brother, joined the PKK after a while.

 

THE BONES OF AGİT WERE DISTRIBUTED IN BOX

 

The pressures against Aksoy, who settled in Amed again, do not end. Aksoy's son Agit passed away in 2017. Aksoy first goes to Dersim, then to Malatya, then to Istanbul and again to Dersim in order to receive his son's body, but all his attempts are fruitless. On April 10, 2020, Agit's bones were distributed to Aksoy, who has been searching for his son's body for years, by cargo in a box.

 

HOUSE RAIDS AND DETENTIONS

 

While that photograph, which caused great condemnation in the public, was engraved in the memories, Halise Aksoy's house was raided on December 24, 2020, and the photographs of her children were confiscated in the distributed house. Later on, on March 4, 2022, and right after, on May 18, 2022, Aksoy was battered and taken into custody and later released.

 

AKSOY WAS ARRESTED AT LAST DETENTION

 

Halise Aksoy, whose house was raided again as part of an investigation initiated by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on April 25, was taken into custody with her daughter Mizgin Karataş (28) and her son-in-law Harun Karataş. Aksoy and her daughter Mizgin are arrested and sent to Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison. Harun Karataş is released on condition of judicial control.

 

Harun Karataş, 37, who was left alone with his 4-year-old son Çiya, conveyed Halise Aksoy's message "Don't bow down" from prison and explained why they were targeted.

 

'WE ARE USED TO THE STATE OPPRESSION'

 

Explaining the moment of the raid on their house within the scope of the investigation, Karataş said: "The police arrived at around 06:00 in the morning, they were both official and plainclothes police. We were living with mother Halise. A little further from Halise's mother's house, they raided the place where we used to live. Even though no one was there, they broke the door and entered. They raided mother Halise's house as well. They also detained us based on only one witness statement. In fact, we are not strangers to the lawlessness of the state.”

 

ÇİYA ASKS ABOUT HIS MOTHER

 

Expressing that his son Çiya constantly asked his mother where his mother was and distracted him with excuses, Karataş said: "When I was 3.5 years old, my father joined the Kurdish freedom struggle. I know my son's psychology from myself. I see myself in Çiya. When my father joined the PKK, I was younger than Çiya. At that time, I endured until these ages, but Çiya cannot stand motherlessness. He turns around and asks about his mother, and we say to him, 'Your mother is in the hospital, she will come to finish her serum'. He asks why the serum is not finished. Çiya saw Halise being put into the main detention vehicle. I say it to anyone who calls himself a researcher, writer or revolutionary can understand the psychology of these children and we call for help." 

 

ÇİYA HAS TO STAY WITH HIS MOTHER AT PRISON AS WELL

 

Stating that he needs to work to take care of mother Halise, his wife Mizgin and his son Çiya, Karataş said: “Çiya does not stay without a mother. Besides, I'm working. I will have to send my son to prison for his mother. Mizgin also wants his son with him. After I submit a petition, I will send Çiya to prison.”

 

Finally, Karataş said: "Halise mother said 'Don't bow down' to her daughter when Halise Mother was arrested and we also will resist this way in prison. This is the message for those of us who are outside. We have come to the highest point we can reach in this struggle. We have seen everything, we know, we do not bow down, we will not bow down."

 

'DON'T BOW DOWN'

 

Halise Aksoy's lawyer, Necat Çiçek, also said that her client was arrested within the scope of the statements of public witness Ümit Akbıyık. Çiçek said: “The accusation against Halise Aksoy is based on Ümit Akbıyık's statements and using her house as a 'safe house'. Phone calls with journalists to Halise Anaya were also displayed as a crime. At the Criminal Judgeship of Peace, the mother was asked a question about Agit, Halise Ana said: 'My son was martyred.' The Criminal Judgeship of Peace asked her to explain the concept of 'martyrdom'. Mother Halise said: 'My son is a martyr for me,' Halise chanted the slogan 'Biji Kurdistan' after the main arrest warrant. She said to her daughter Mizgin, "Don't bow down."

 

Mizgin Karataş's lawyer, Hasan Yalçın, said that they appealed for the arrest. Yalçın said: “There is nothing in the file apart from the location procedures and phone calls. The appeal against the arrest will be finalized in one week." 

 

MA / Zerrin Sargut