The body of HPG guerrilla Mehmet Emin Keleş (Cudi Serhat), who lost his life along with 4 of his comrades in a clash on March 31 in the Amanos Mountains in the Osmaniye province, was identified by his family from a photograph, but a DNA test was called for because he was already buried. The family submitted samples to the Adana Forensic Medicine Institute and waited 5 months for the results.

The family went to the Osmaniye Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on July 24 after the test results came out, and appealed to receive the body.

The prosecutor argued it was the first time a DNA sample was taken from a sibling instead of the parents and said, “This is the first time I have seen this. I will let you know my decision tomorrow.” The Prosecutor’s Office stated that DNA samples from HPG’s Keleş and his brothers were a match, and ruled that the body be given to the brothers.

NOBODY ALLOWED NEAR CEMETERY

The Keleş family informed the Adana Forensic Medicine Institute of the verdict and in the morning, went to the Kabasakal Cemetery that has the nameless cemetery inside. The extraction was done under supervision of the prosecutor and the police, and nobody was allowed near the site.

The family received Keleş’s body and headed out to Van’s Erciş district to bury their son.

Meanwhile, news broke that one HPG guerrilla out of the 8 who lost their lives in the UCAV attack in the Amanos Mountains two weeks ago was identified by his family and taken to Bitlis. The other 7 HPG members were buried in the nameless cemetery on Wednesday.

Many guerrillas who lost their lives in clashes since March have been buried in the nameless cemetery in Adana.