ŞIRNAK - Esmer Tunç, the mother of Cizîr People's Council CoChair Mehmet Tunç, who is remembered with his words "We will not kneel" during the curfew, said: "Neither his mother nor his family nor his people kneeled."

 

8 years have passed since the 79-day curfew declared in the Cizîr (Cizre) district of Şirnex on December 14, 2015. 288 people, including children, lost their lives in attacks during the ban. In most of the investigations opened into the deaths, it was decided that there was "no need for prosecution".

 

Constitutional Court (AYM) rejected the application for Cizîr People's Council CoChairs Mehmet Tunç and Asya Yüksel and Yasemin Çokmaz, Serdar Özbek, Mehmet Zirve and Bişeng Kolanç regarding "Violation of the right to personal liberty and security", "Violation of individual application rights" and "Violation of the prohibition of ill-treatment, the right to respect for private and family life, and freedom of religion and conscience" on July 7, 2022. The Constitutional Court announced its decision on the merits on November 4, 2022. The Constitutional Court claimed that the right to life was not violated, that it was necessary to use lethal force and that it was impossible to identify the officers.

 

FILES ARE POSTPONED

 

After exhausting domestic legal remedies, the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for 6 people on February 3, on the grounds of "Violation of the right to life" and "Lack of an effective investigation".

 According to the information obtained; A decision has not yet been made regarding 29 of the files followed by ÖHD. There are 46 ongoing cases in the Constitutional Court. It is expected that an application will be made to the ECtHR for 12 files in the coming period. Additionally, there are some files in the ECtHR regarding the deaths of some people.

 

'NEITHER HIS MOTHER NOR HIS PEOPLE KNEELED'

 

Esmer Tunç, the mother of Cizîr People's Council CoChair Mehmet Tunç, who is remembered with his words "We will not kneel" during the curfew period, and Orhan Tunç, who lost his life during the curfew, said: "Neither his mother nor his family nor his people kneeled, and they will not kneel."

 

'WE WILL NOT TAKE A STEP BACK'

 

Stating that a great massacre took place in Cizîr, mother Tunç said: "The massacre in Cizîr was the same as the one being committed in Palestine now. No one spoke out. A great atrocity took place. But they could not end that resistance. It still continues and will never end. As long as I live, I will not kneel and I will not surrender.' His mother, his family and all the Kurdish people say the same thing. We have never forgotten them and we will not let them forget. Just as the names of Ahmedê Xanê, Meleyê Cizîr and Mem û Zîn have become symbols now, Mehmet Tunç name will be symbolized with Cizîr. I am proud of my children. I hold my head high with them. As long as we live, we will never step back even one step."