Human remains and bones which had been discovered during the excavations in Saraykapý Ýç Kale area in Diyarbakýr have been buried in Yeniköy Cemetery on Monday. The area where bones were discovered during excavations early this year had been used as Jitem’s (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terror Unit) interrogation and execution headquarter between the years of 1993 and 1999.

The report on the bones, which had been sent to Forensic Medicine Institute with the allegation that they belonged to victims of unidentified murders in 90's, however revealed neither the cause of deaths nor the sex, age and identity information of the discovered human bones.

"It has been determined that the bones belong to humans and have been buried under the ground for a hundred years at least. No indications have been found as to the cause of deaths", it said.

Following the report by the Forensic Medicine Institute, the bones were buried in Yeniköy Cemetery upon the instruction of Public Prosecutor of Diyarbakýr.

Ýçkale was known to be one of JÝTEM’s execution sites, no excavations in search of human remains were permitted in the area before the discovery because it had been designated an historic site. The Ýçkale neighborhood used to house a prison, courthouse and JÝTEM headquarters until 1999. It was subsequently handed over the Culture and Tourism Ministry in the same year.

The excavation in the Saraykapý district was carried out in January and February after a large number of bone fragments and skulls were discovered by workers laying pipes close to the former JÝTEM building.