It has been 32 days since the last communication with DBP Provincial Administrator Hurşit Külter, who refused to abandon his house and city despite the genocidal attacks on Şırnak. Witnesses have claimed the Külter was taken under custody by special operations forces on May 27, and special operations officers confirmed these claims on social media, but state officials have failed to make a statement on this issue.

Human Rights Association (İHD) lawyers and the Külter family have applied to Şırnak Provincial Police Headquarters, Public Prosecution Office, 23rd Gendarme Border Division Command, and Governorate but have not received any information on Külter’s disappearance from state officials. On May 29, Şırnak Governorate lied and stated that police and soldiers have not detained Külter.

APPLICATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

İHD lawyers had called upon the United Nations (UN) to get involved and look into Külter’s whereabouts, and applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on June 3. However, Şırnak Provincial Police Headquarters has been destroying evidence in order to strengthen the defense Turkey would make at the ECHR and the UN.

KÜLTER’S MOTHER: I WON’T GIVE UP

Külter’s mother Kerime Külter sent a message to Saturday Mothers and said the following: "Let all mothers join hand in hand. Lets find out children. We are mothers. I know they have my son. I won’t give up searching for my son. I won’t let my son’s hand go. I will search for him until my last breath. I will struggle until I find my son."