Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the appointed trustee ordered the replacement of 23 tombstones in the city cemetery claiming that the colors and symbols on the tombstones were "organization (PKK) propaganda”.
Batman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the trustee at the usurped Municipality of Batman recently instructed the demolition of 23 tombstones in the İkiztepe Cemetery, including those killed in Ankara massacre in October 10 2015, for containing “PKK propaganda”, and ordered their renewal “in accordance with customs”.
Families criticized the decision and said they had to have the tombstones changed because they could not tolerate another destruction of their children's graves. Moreover, appointed trustee Ertuğ Şevket Aksoy dismissed four municipal workers from the Department of Cemeteries for refusing to demolish the tombstones and two other employees due to coverage of the demolition by the media.
TOMBSTONES REPLACED BY FORCE
The tombstones have now been covered with marble and the Kurdish names and photos on the tombstones have been removed.
Family of Peace Mother Meryem Bulut, a victim of the the October 10 2015 massacre in Ankara, refused to change the tombstone and managed to hinder the demolition.
The tombstones of Aycan Kaya, another victim of the Ankara massacre, and of 21 YPG, YPS, YPJ and PKK members were replaced by force. Families of the people whose tombstones were replaced strongly criticized the decision as many police officers and armored vehicles entered the cemetery.
‘DEMOLITION OF GRAVES IS AN ISIS MENTALITY”
HDP Batman parliamentarian Ayşe Acar Başaran who was at the cemetery during the demolition, condemned the replacement of the tombstones.
Başaran said demolition of graves was an ISIS mentality, stating that: "One of the tombstones they tried to demolish belongs to Mother Meryem who was killed in the October 10 massacre in Ankara. ISIS blew her body to pieces and now the appointed trustee in Batman tries to destroy her tombstone through a central decision. Why are they so scared of tombstones? What harm do these tombstones do?"
“THEY ATTACK THE MOST SACRED VALUES OF THE PEOPLE”
HDP MP Başaran criticized the replacement of tombstones “in accordance with customs”, saying: “They should not talk about customs. The first thing we were taught as a child was “do not step on graves”. However, we are today facing with a mentality that destroys graves, let alone not step on them. They are attacking the most sacred values of the people. This cannot have any explanation with regard to humanity or conscience.”
