Eight months ago the families of Mehmet Sirin Akyüz and Ibrahim Akyüz got positive DNA results of the tests on the remains of the bodies thought to be of their relatives. The two men were among the victims of the State’s siege of the city of Nusaybin, under curfew between 14 March and 25 July 2016.

The two men have been buried in Urfa’s nameless section of the graveyard and the families have sent DNA samples to identify the bodies so to be able to bury them in the graveyard of Haceca, in Zeynel Abidin neighborhood of Nusaybin. 

The officials of the District Police Department did not give permission to transfer the bodies to the families’ desired graveyard and showed them the address of another graveyard outside the city, the Moris, for burial. The families did not accept this, and are waiting for eight months in order to be able to bury their family members where they prefer. The bodies are still in Urfa.

73-year-old Peace Mother, Latife Akyüz, stated that they wanted to bury the bodies of Mehmet Sirin, (her grandson) and Ibrahim Akyüz (her nephew), in the family grave where they have buried all relatives so far.

Akyüz emphasized that they would never accept the graveyard indicated to them by the police. She said that people were not even allowed to bury their relatives wherever they wanted. She added that those who lost their lives during the curfew and siege were constantly prevented from being buried in Haceca Graveyard.

Akyüz reminded of the recent destruction of the cemetery and said: “What kind of conscience is this?” The old Peace Mother added: “War is now being waged even through graveyards, our graves and stones are being violated: this is the level of hostility they have reached. They have destroyed Nusaybin almost for complete, yet they are still not satisfied. They are building houses on the spots where they have killed our children. Yet they want more death and more destruction. I don’t want anything else but peace. And for peace we are ready to continue fighting”.