Relatives of those disappeared or murdered by Turkish security or paramilitary forces have rallied against the dismissal of the Kulp Case, which saw the disappearance of 11 individuals in 1993, later discovered killed and buried in a mass grave
In their 789th week of protests at the Right to Life Monument in Diyarbakır (Amed) on Saturday, families affected and the Human Rights Association (İHD) denounced the dismissal of the case due to the statute of limitations, stating that the case had languished at the Court of Cassation for three years and five months.
This week’s vigil for the enforced disappearances focused also on the case of Mirza Ateş, who vanished in Diyarbakır on 18 March 1994. Ercan Yılmaz of the İHD likening the dismissal of the Kulp Case to past decisions meant to protect perpetrators in other cases. “The current government raised hopes with its rhetoric of coming to terms with the past and establishing social peace, yet now we see actions protecting perpetrators and leaving crimes unpunished,” Yılmaz stated.
Mirza Ateş’s story, shared by Fırat Akdeniz of the İHD, details a tragic night in 1994 when Ateş’s home was set ablaze and he, along with a villager, was detained and subjected to 85 days of torture. Despite subsequent claims by authorities that Ateş had moved to Istanbul, the family’s legal efforts have remained fruitless, highlighting once again the protection of perpetrators.
Following the assembly, families and activists pledged to take the Kulp Case to the Constitutional Court, arguing that crimes against humanity are not subject to a statute of limitations, in defiance of the dismissal by the Court of Cassation. This stance is echoed by the Diyarbakır Bar Association, which condemned the decision and committed to continuing the legal fight, stating, “Crimes against humanity do not expire”.
