The land dispute in the Celtik neighborhood of Urfa’s Siverek district that former AKP MP Zulfikar Izol was involved in resulted in the murder of several people.

The couple Hakki and Zozan Izol as well as Meral and Serdar Izol were killed in the massacre. New information continues to emerge about the case.

A neighborhood resident spoke on condition of anonymity for security concerns and said the victims’ home was raided by the gendarmerie before the massacre. The gendarmerie searched for guns in the house.

The neighborhood resident said immediately after the gendarmerie left the village, Zulfikar Izol’s brother Cihan Izol launched an armed raid, backed by a group of armed men.

The neighborhood residents said step brothers from the same father Hakki, Serdar and Mustafa Izol had been tried for the murder of their brother Mehmet Ali Izol in 2003 and that they were fugitives as there was an outstanding warrant for their arrest.

The father Seydo Izol signed over his 2.700 decares of land to his nephew then-AKP MP Zulfikar Izol after the incident. This kicked off the land dispute that continued until the massacre on June 15.

According to testimonies, the family received news on the day of the incident that there would be a raid against the 3 wanted brothers, so they hid all of their weapons. Soldiers did arrive at the village to search the home later on, but left the neighborhood after a brief search.

Shortly after the soldiers left, Cihan Izol raided the neighborhood with his brothers and sons and killed 4 people.

VICTIMS ARRESTED

Following the massacre, Cihan Izol and a wounded Mehmet Metin Izol and Yusuf Rojhat Izol from the victim side were detained. The detainees were referred to the Siverek Court House on Tuesday and were arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder.

One of the deceased, Hakki Izol, had an outstanding arrest warrant for killing his brother Mehmet Ali Izol in 2003, and everybody in the village knew he continued to live there since then.