Some 15 families have applied to Bitlis prosecutor’s office to be able to recover the remains of their children that were buried in Garzan Cemetery but were exhumed and taken away last year.

The cemetery had been destroyed 13 months ago and the remains of 267 people were removed from Garzan Cemetery and reburied in the village of Yuksel Ölek (Oleka Jor).

When two families were able to recover the remains of their relatives, after the application sent to Bitlis prosecutor, other families have started the same procedure. However they have yet to receive any answer.

On Monday 9 families from Istanbul, 5 from Diyarbakir and 1 from Tatvan, went to Bitlis and applied to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to take the remains of their beloved ones.

The application of two families was rejected as it was presented by the brothers and not by the parents of the person whose remains they wanted to be recovered. The applications by 13 other families were accepted and they went to Bitlis State Hospital to get their blood taken for the DNA match test to be carried out.