İSTANBUL - Mother Sabiha Altıntaş waiting for her son for 27 years, holding the bones of her son which were buried underneath the sidewalk in Kilyos Cemetery, said that her pain is indiscribable.

 

Garzan Cemetery, located in the village of Yukari Olek (Oleka Jor) in the center of Bitlis, was demolished on December 19, 2017, and 282 bodies were exhumed without the knowladge of their families. The bodies exhumed and brought to İstanbul Forensic Institute (ATK) were buried underneath a sidewalk in Kilyos Cemetery. 21 of them were delivered to their families following the DNA testing. One of these bodies delivered to the families is Burhan Altıntaş's.

 

Mother Altıntaş who learned that her son who joined the PKK in 1992 had been laid to rest in Garzan Cemetery in 2014. Mother Altıntaş who learned that the cemetery was attacked in 2017, started searching for his son again. Altıntaş who found out that her son's bones are in İstanbul ATK, applied to deliver her son without losing time.

 

SHE HELD THE BONES IN A PLASTIC CONTAINER

 

Recieving the DNA results, Altıntaş went to the Kilyos Cemetery in December 2019. She was once again broken beyond understanding when she saw that the bones were buried in plastic boxes underneath the sidewalk instead of a grave. Altıntaş who saw that the boxes were filled with dirty water said: "My heart almost stopped when I saw the box. I asked them what sort of muslims who did this. When they gave the container to me I couldn't believe my son was in it. I insisted on opening the box. I waited for my son for all these years.I held the bones inside the box..May God punish them for what they did."

 

Mother Altıntaş who told that they were harassed by the police all the way to Bitlis said: "We were stopped by police or soldiers until Bitlis. They kept us waiting for hours every time. When we arrived at the village, the cemetery was surrounded by soldiers. No one except the immediate family was allowed in. We laid the bones side by side and buried my son."

 

CALL TO THE FAMILIES TO APPLY FOR RECIEVING THE BONES

 

Mother Altıntaş who said she will never forget the cruelty imposed on her, made a call to the families who think their loved ones were in Garzan Cemetery to make applications to recieve their relatives bones said: "What they did to us, the pain we had to suffer is indescribable. We can only reduce that pain by claiming the bones of our loved ones."

 

 

MA / Erdoğan Alayumat