While Kurdish mother, Fatma Tatlı, waits for news of her missing HPG fighter brother from Kurdistan Democratic Party forces in Iraqi Kurdistan she learns of her missing YJA Star fighter daughter who is imprisoned in Turkey after being injured by an airstrike and receiving no treatment for her injuries
Fatma Tatlı has been searching for her missing brother Ayhan Tatlı who is among a group of missing HPG fighters that were attacked by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) forces 26 July 2021.
The HPG unit had reportedly been attacked by KDP forces near Xelifan in the Erbil (Hewler) province of Iraqi Kurdistan, and three fighters have been missing after the attack. They are believed to have been captured by the KDP forces. Although HPG has officially called on the KDP for clarification about the missing fighters, KDP has not responded. Fatma Tatlı’s brother Ayhan Tatlı was one of those who has gone missing as part of this group.
Medya News has previously reported about families of missing fighters searching for their children being denied access into Iraqi Kurdistan.
As Fatma Tatlı was trying to urgently seek clarification from the KDP about her missing brother, she received some new information about her missing daughter, Free Women’s Units (YJA-Star) fighter Gulgeş Tatlı.
She learned that her daughter was injured in a Turkish airstrike in the village of Marunis of Hakkari (Colemerg) on the same day her brother was attacked by KDP in Iraqi Kurdistan, the 26th of July and that she had been imprisoned in Turkey.
She also learned that her daughter who suffered terrible injuries to her arms, feet and back was directly imprisoned by the Turkish authorities without being taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
She spoke to Yeni Ozgur Politika about both her brother and daughter.
She particularly directs her anger to the KDP. “The ones who call themselves Kurds have kidnapped my brother Ayhan, we do not know where is he.”
Speaking about her daughter, she says “Today, Turkey has put my daughter in prison. An injured person needs urgent treatment, but they sent her directly to the dungeon because they didn’t get what they wanted from her. I’m proud of my daughter, she has never bowed to anyone.”
The proud mother of Gulgeş Tatlı, said that they had travelled to Hakkari to meet with their daughter but were not allowed, and were told that only the family’s attorney would be able to have a short meeting with their daughter.
It was during that meeting that Gulgeş Tatlı said she had been severely tortured in a bid to force a confession, but that she had refused to say anything. Gulgeş Tatlı also stated that her comrade in arms, Jin Roj, who was with her, lost her life during the airstrike.
This was the only information that the mother could gain about her daughter and she still has no information about her brother.
She repeatedly shows her anger to both the KDP and Turkey.
“When I was worried about my brother, who had been missing for weeks, they called me from Hakkari and said, “Your daughter has been captured.” Those who call themselves Kurds have lost my brother Ayhan, we don’t know where he is. Today, the Turkish government imprisoned my daughter. That’s what’s done to us!…”
