Sibel Yiğitalp, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır Member of Parliament, has written a letter to international organizations calling for action against the ongoing denial of families retrieval of bodies of their children killed in the central Sur district of Diyarbakır which remains under a siege for over two months.

The letter is addressed to the UN Geneva Office General Director Michael Møller, Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and to the other related departments as well as  to International Crisis Group, OSCE's Human Rights Office.

HDP MP recalled that there have been 6 curfews since July 2015 in Sur where five citizens have been killed by security forces during the last sixty-nine-day long curfew. “Although the curfews were officially lifted on February 3,2016, it has been going on practically and physically. The curfew of Sur, a central and historical town under protection by UNESCO means the paucity and shortage of life in Diyarbakır.”

The letter by HDP stated that families of Rozerin Çukur (16), Ramazan Öğüt, Turgay Girçek, Gündüz Akmeşe, Cihat Morgül (14), Velat Bilen, Mahmut Oruç, Murat Menteş (13) and Hakan Aslan who were killed in Sur district have been awaiting the retrieval of their children's bodies for 25 days.

While the bodies of slain youths remained where they were executed, families had to initiate hunger strike at Sümerpark, the closest location to the curfew zone, after their efforts to get the bodies were not answered. On the other hand, families of other victims; İsa Oran and Mesut Seviktek claimed that the victims’ bodies were tortured after they were executed and left on the street for 30 days.

The letter underlined that; “By all means there is a war without an official name under which even dead bodies are tortured and destroyed. This unclaimed but already existing war has caused significant polarization and emotional isolation and separation in our society. What has been going on here will have significant impact and threat not only to Kurdish region but also to Middle East as region and to the World globally. This war should be ended as soon as possible before its flames reach a larger area and goes out of control. There is no land on the Earth that has gained peace through wars. Peace can only be accomplished via dialogue, negotiations, discussions.”

HDP deputy for Diyarbakır demanded the addressed international organizations to be their voice, to express and explain their concerns and to get their request heard by everyone locally and internationally.

Yiğitalp also called for authoritative and constructive effort by the mentioned organizations and meeting officially with Turkish government in order for an immediate ending of the curfews that cause and promote execution of innocent civilians.