NEWS CENTER - Since 2015, when Turkey returned to the process of solving the Kurdish problem with military methods, the practices of tormenting the dead continues. 24 people were buried without the religious ceremonies in the first 11 months of the year while recieving condolences for 12 people were banned. The funeral ceremonies are also being attacked and the headstones of the people are being vandalized.
Some people's bodies left out in the open in the conflicted areas for months while some people's bodies are kept in the morgue for months before being delivered to their families and when delivered, recieving condolences and organizing wakes were prevented by the law enforcement.
ATTACKS AND BANS ON FUNERALS IN 2019
* March 18: Body of Zülküf Gezen who ended his life to protest the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Tekirdağ No 2 Type F Prison was brought to Diyarbakır from İstanbul and was buried without the knowladge of his family.
* March 25: Body of Zehra Sağlam who ended her life to protest the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Erzurum Oltu Type T Prison was siezed by the soldiers and was buried under police blockade in Varto. The soldiers who prevented the enterance to the village for a week, did not let anyone to visit the family for offering their condolences.
* March 24: The body of Ayten Beçet who ended her life to protest the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Gebze Women's Closed Prison was abducted by the police and was buried in the middle of the night with limited family members attending. The family was also prevented from recieving condolences.
* March 27: The body of Medya Çınar who ended her life to protest the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Mardin Type E Closed Prison was brought to her village Margik in Kızıltepe and her family was prevented from recieving condolences.
* April 3: Siraç Yüksek who ended his life to protest the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Osmaniye No 2 Type T Prison was buried in Nusaybin under police blocade with the attendance of the immediate family only.
* April 6: Family of Mahsun Pamay who ended his life to protest the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Elazığ Type T Closed Prison was prevented from recieving condolences in Cizre and the police removed those who came to offer their condolences from the tent set up to recieve condolences.
* May 17: The body of HPG member Nevaf Kortak who was killed in a clash with the soldiers in Dersim was not allowed in the mosque, stating that the mosque belongs to the state. The coffin which was searched over and over again on the road, was buried under police blockade by the family members.
* May 22: The body of Hüseyin Ecer who lost his life during the curfews in Şırnak, İdil, was delivered to the family after more than 3 years. Ecer's body who was exhumed from the cemetery of the nameless, was buried in Cizre under police blockade.
* June 25: The body of Hazal Aslan who was killed during the curfews in Cizre was identified after 40 months and delivered to her family. Police intervened to the crowd at the funeral and did not let anyone attend but the family.
* July 18: Family of Halis Coşkun who ended his life in Tarsus Prison was prevented from recieving condolences.
* August 6: The body of HPG member Ecet Akay (Xelil Çiyazan) who lost his life in an air attack in the rural areas of Bitlis Tatvan was delivered to his family after 11 days and only the immediate family was allowed to attend the funeral.
* August 13: Families of HPG members Welat Çetin and Ömer Davut Orak who were killed in a clash in Hakkari Yüksekova was prevented from recieving condolences. Authorities said the wake would be 'propaganda'.
* September 4: The body of Mücahit Yılmaz who was killed by the police during a house raid was delivered to his family after 46 days.
* September 18: The body of HPG member Mikdat Örde who lost his life in a clash in Hakkari on July 6 was delivered to his family after 43 days.
* September 24: The body of HPG member Muhammed Tara (Avareş Amed) who lost his life in a clash in Dersim on July 18 was delivered to his family 37 days later. Tara was buried under police blockade with the attendance of the immediate family only.
* September 29: The wake for Muhammet Emin Demir who lost his life in a clash in Hakkari, Yüksekova was prevented by the police. His body was delivered to his family 49 days after he was killed.
* September 30: The grave of f Mahmut Alınbay, who died in Dersim on 23 June and was buried in Dicle district of Diyarbakır on 25 June, was attacked 6 times in 98 days.
* October 2: The body of Müslüm Gündüzalp who died in a clash between the soldiers and the PKK on September 7, was not delivered to his family because the DNA test did not finalized. The family was prevented from recieving condolences in Urfa, Suruç.
- October 15: Father of HPG member Uğurcan Dindar who lost his life in a clash with the soldiers in Mardin, Derik was taken into custody after the burial.
* October 15: 267 bodies were exhumed from Garzan Cemetery located in Bitlis on December 19, 2017 and were brought tı İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK). Only 5 of those bodies were delivered to their families and had a proper funeral. 262 of the bodies were buried in the cemetery of the nameless in İstanbul, Kilyos including those who were identified with DNA testing.
* October 29: The gravestone of Aydın Kaya who lost his life in Muş Prison as a result of a heart attack on June 6, 2012 had a carving on it, saying "Em te ji bîr nakin heval" (We will not forget you friend). The gravestone was broken by the soldiers with the instruction of the prosecutor's office.
* November 1: The body of HPG member Mahsun Pölat who lost his life in a clash with the soldiers in Mardin's Nusaybin district on July 17, 2017 was delivered to his family after 2 years. The family wanted to bury their son in Hacheca Cemetary like their son wanted but it was not allowed.
* December 3: The funerak of Emine Aslan Aydoğan who lost her life in Urfa Type T Closed Prison was prevented by the police. The family was also prevented from recieving condolences.
* December 8: The funeral of Murat Kaya who was killed in a home raid in Ağrı was done under police blockade.
MA / Özgür Paksoy