MÛŞ - All that remains of the victims of the Halabja Massacre, who survived and lived for four years in areas converted into camps as part of the “Köykent” project in Mûş (Muş), are their graves. The people of Mûş are taking care of these unclaimed graves. 

 

During the Iran-Iraq War, the Halabja Massacre, a continuation of the Anfal Massacre launched by then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein against the Kurds, resulted in a major genocide. Thirty-seven years ago, Saddam Hussein ordered the chemical bombing of the people of Halabja, whom he accused of supporting Iran in the war. On 16 March 1988, Halabja was bombed with sarin, VX, nerve gas and mustard gas. Approximately 5 thousand people were killed and more than 7 thousand were injured in the attack. During the Anfal Genocide, 30 districts and 4 thousand 500 villages were destroyed.

 

Citizens living in settlements attacked with chemical weapons during the Halabja massacre came to cities in Northern Kurdistan and struggled to survive for years in camps set up there. One of these was the area on the Mûş-Erzirom road, built as part of the “Köykent” project, which was brought to the agenda by Bülent Ecevit and the Republican’s People Party (CHP) of the time in 1969 and whose construction began between 1978 and 1979. 

 

CEMETERIES REMAIN

 

This area was converted into camps surrounded by barbed wire fencing in 1988, where South Kurds who had survived the Halabja Massacre would live for four years. The people of Mûş, who provided shelter to thousands of citizens, declared a state of emergency throughout the city following the arrival of the families. The people of Mûş, who supplied the families with food and clothing, lived side by side with the victims of the Halabja Massacre for many years. Only the cemeteries remain of the massacre victims who left the camps in 1992. 

 

THE PEOPLE MOBILISED

 

Although the cemeteries are protected by residents of the surrounding villages of Kanireş, Kijan and Kişiltax, today they resemble a cemetery for the abandoned. The cemetery, which includes those who lost their lives due to illnesses caused by chemical exposure and harsh climatic conditions after escaping Halabja, is now surrounded by dried grass. Muhsin Yiğit, a villager from Kişiltax who frequently visits and protects the cemetery, whose entrance is inscribed in the Sorani dialect of Kurdish, said that when they heard about the future of the Kurdish people, victims of the massacre, they declared a mobilisation and moved what they found in their homes to the “Köykent” area. 

 

Yiğit said: "There were single-storey houses here. At that time, these areas were covered with barbed wire. They couldn't freely leave and walk around here. Then the people of Mûş started working together to look after them. After spending some time here, they left and started working. They dispersed to the villages and worked as labourers. They worked to earn their living until the day they left, without needing anyone's help." 

 

THE EFFECTS OF THE CHEMICAL CONTINUED

 

Yiğit stated that those who arrived remained under the influence of chemical weapons for a long time, saying, "Many people lost their lives due to this chemical after a while. We saw it ourselves. It continued for a certain period of time. Some of those who lost their lives are buried in this cemetery. Some lost their lives due to poverty and the conditions here. There were elderly people among them. We buried them all here. They suffered greatly."

 

'WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE PEOPLE OF MUŞ'

 

Hesen Muhammed Kawa, one of those who fled Saddam Hussein's chemical attacks while living in the city of Duhok in the Federal Kurdistan Region and struggled to survive in camps in Mûş, recorded his experiences of living there until 1992. 

 

Kawa stated that they returned to Duhok in 1992 and described his experiences in Mûş as follows: "We didn't know what the situation was like in Mûş. We didn't know what the winter was like there. However, the entire population of Mûş rallied around us. We will never forget the people of Mûş for the rest of our lives. We last came here four years ago and built some cemeteries. I got married in Mûş. Some of my children got married here. I came here two years ago too. However, I couldn't visit the cemeteries because of the snowfall. They dropped chemicals on us. Enemy aircraft dropped chemicals on us from helicopters as we fled. We escaped from them. We lost some of our relatives here to the cold. Today, the people of Mûş look after our cemeteries for us. Yes, the cemeteries need some maintenance. Some of the walls have collapsed. We wanted to repair them, but we couldn't." 

 

MA / Ceylan Sahinli