Families ask to find their relatives
Families ask to find their relatives
Following the finding of bones belonging to 12 people in the mass grave opened in Mutki District of Bitlis and the initiation of a second excavation works, one more news came about a lost family who has been covered until today. Imam Müslüm Sadioðlu from Otac village of Muþ expressed at his reference to ÝHD (Human Rights Association) Bitlis branch that his family, who has been disappeared since 1994, are buried in the mass grave in Mutki. Telling the disappearance story of 6 members of his family to ANF, Sadioðlu said; “I want to reach the bones of my family now”.
Sadioðlu tells that his family also received their share from the state pressure in the region in 1990’s.
THEY WENT OUT TO PASTURE THE ANIMALS BUT DIDN’T TURN BACK!
Sadioðlu and his family didn’t bow to the village-guardship imposition of soldiers who raided the villages all the time. Their attitude towards soldiers and refusal against the imposition at the same time encouraged other people living in the village. Saidoðlu tells the process as follows; “I had been doing my military service in Tokat city when I came to my village on a military leave in 1994 to see that my father Fadi Tatu, mother Gülnaz Tatu, brother Ferzende Tatu, uncle Halil Tatu, his son Enver Tatu and his wife Kadriye Tatu had all been disappeared. I had only few relatives left in the village. When I asked them what happened to my family, they told me my father, mother and uncle’s wife went a kilometer away from the village a few days ago to pasture the animals but didn’t turn back from the region with intense military operations. And no news was received from my uncle Halil, his son Enver and my brother who went to look for them a day later”.
WAITED IN A CELL FOR DAYS Sadioðlu adds that the Commander of Hasköy Station called him upon hearing about his arrival in the village, and continues; “He said me that he was sorry for the loss of my family who were killed by PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). I told him that was lying as that was impossible and suggested him going to take their bodies if he was telling the truth but he refused and threw me out. After three days, soldiers stopped the bus that I took to go to Muþ, blindfolded me and took to the station. For two days I was held in an ice-cold cell. Afterwards, they released me after making me sign a paper that wrote I wasn’t tortured. However, due to the heavily increasing pressures, I didn’t have much time to search what happened to my family. I moved to Bursa with the rest of my family and relatives”.
ANIMALS FOUND IN THE NEIGHBOR VILLAGE
Müslüm Sadioðlu learned the truth after a year from his brother who didn’t move from the village. Sadioðlu learned that the village guards in a neighbor village had the animals his family took to uplands the day they disappeared. Sadioðlu tells that he couldn’t move to anywhere as he was an absent-without-leave from the service. Sadioðlu said the followings; “I got caught after 6 years. They first sent me to the service and then put me in military prison for 15 months. When I went out, I as the first thing, applied to Muþ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and Van Special Public Prosecutor's Office but there was neither a record nor a document found, as if nothing had been lived. Lastly, I applied to Parliament’s Human Rights Commission”.
70-YEAR OLD PEOPLE WERE SAID TO HAVE ‘GONE TO MOUNTAINS’
Sadioðlu tells that the response of Gendarme General Commandership to his application to Parliament’s Human Rights Commission wrote that his family had joined the PKK and gone up to mountains. Sadioðlu showed his reaction, saying; “Unashamedly, they told me that 70 year-old people went to mountains. I didn’t expect this much nonsensicalness”. Sadioðlu emphasized that he didn’t receive any response to his applications except fort his statement, adding; “Then, I settled in Van and became an Imam. When I heard about the mass grave found in Mutki town of Bitlis, I immediately applied to Bitlis ÝHD branch. I'm sure my family will be found there”.
WE DIDN’T HURT ANYTHING BUT THEY MURDER US
Sadioðlu remarks that gendarme, village-guards and jitem (gendarmerie intelligence and anti-terror unit) officers are responsible for the disappearance of his family, saying; “Is it our fault to be born in this country? They murder us while we don’t hurt even a bird. I suffer great hardship”.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
Sadioðlu tells that his family also received their share from the state pressure in the region in 1990’s.
THEY WENT OUT TO PASTURE THE ANIMALS BUT DIDN’T TURN BACK!
Sadioðlu and his family didn’t bow to the village-guardship imposition of soldiers who raided the villages all the time. Their attitude towards soldiers and refusal against the imposition at the same time encouraged other people living in the village. Saidoðlu tells the process as follows; “I had been doing my military service in Tokat city when I came to my village on a military leave in 1994 to see that my father Fadi Tatu, mother Gülnaz Tatu, brother Ferzende Tatu, uncle Halil Tatu, his son Enver Tatu and his wife Kadriye Tatu had all been disappeared. I had only few relatives left in the village. When I asked them what happened to my family, they told me my father, mother and uncle’s wife went a kilometer away from the village a few days ago to pasture the animals but didn’t turn back from the region with intense military operations. And no news was received from my uncle Halil, his son Enver and my brother who went to look for them a day later”.
WAITED IN A CELL FOR DAYS Sadioðlu adds that the Commander of Hasköy Station called him upon hearing about his arrival in the village, and continues; “He said me that he was sorry for the loss of my family who were killed by PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). I told him that was lying as that was impossible and suggested him going to take their bodies if he was telling the truth but he refused and threw me out. After three days, soldiers stopped the bus that I took to go to Muþ, blindfolded me and took to the station. For two days I was held in an ice-cold cell. Afterwards, they released me after making me sign a paper that wrote I wasn’t tortured. However, due to the heavily increasing pressures, I didn’t have much time to search what happened to my family. I moved to Bursa with the rest of my family and relatives”.
ANIMALS FOUND IN THE NEIGHBOR VILLAGE
Müslüm Sadioðlu learned the truth after a year from his brother who didn’t move from the village. Sadioðlu learned that the village guards in a neighbor village had the animals his family took to uplands the day they disappeared. Sadioðlu tells that he couldn’t move to anywhere as he was an absent-without-leave from the service. Sadioðlu said the followings; “I got caught after 6 years. They first sent me to the service and then put me in military prison for 15 months. When I went out, I as the first thing, applied to Muþ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and Van Special Public Prosecutor's Office but there was neither a record nor a document found, as if nothing had been lived. Lastly, I applied to Parliament’s Human Rights Commission”.
70-YEAR OLD PEOPLE WERE SAID TO HAVE ‘GONE TO MOUNTAINS’
Sadioðlu tells that the response of Gendarme General Commandership to his application to Parliament’s Human Rights Commission wrote that his family had joined the PKK and gone up to mountains. Sadioðlu showed his reaction, saying; “Unashamedly, they told me that 70 year-old people went to mountains. I didn’t expect this much nonsensicalness”. Sadioðlu emphasized that he didn’t receive any response to his applications except fort his statement, adding; “Then, I settled in Van and became an Imam. When I heard about the mass grave found in Mutki town of Bitlis, I immediately applied to Bitlis ÝHD branch. I'm sure my family will be found there”.
WE DIDN’T HURT ANYTHING BUT THEY MURDER US
Sadioðlu remarks that gendarme, village-guards and jitem (gendarmerie intelligence and anti-terror unit) officers are responsible for the disappearance of his family, saying; “Is it our fault to be born in this country? They murder us while we don’t hurt even a bird. I suffer great hardship”.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
