Anter Anter, who is the son of renowned Kurdish journalist and intellectual Musa Anter, died on 20 September at his home in Akarsu (Sitîlîlê), a rural neighbourhood of Nusaybin (Nisêbîn) in Kurdish-majority southeastern Mardin (Mêrdîn) province of Turkey.
Anter was found deceased in his bathroom. Authorities dispatched the gendarmerie and medical teams to the scene. His body was transferred to Mardin Training and Research Hospital for autopsy.
The timing of Anter’s death coincides poignantly with the 32nd anniversary of his father’s assassination. Musa Anter, affectionately known as Apê Musa (Uncle Musa), was killed by JİTEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Unit) in Diyarbakır (Amed) on 20 September 1992.
Earlier on the day of Anter’s passing, a commemoration for Apê Musa was held at the site of his assassination in Diyarbakır. An evening memorial had been planned at Apê Musa’s grave in Akarsu.
The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party expressed their condolences, stating, “We learned with great sadness that Musa Anter’s son, Anter Anter, passed away this morning in Akarsu. We pray for God’s mercy on Anter Anter, who died on the 32nd anniversary of Musa Anter’s assassination. May he rest in paradise, and our condolences to our people.”
The party added, “His only wish was to uncover and prosecute those who assassinated his father, Musa Anter. We promise to continue the legal and justice struggle that Anter Anter pursued.”
Anter Anter’s body will be laid to rest in Ziving village, where his father was initially buried. The funeral is expected to draw large crowds, including representatives from the DEM Party, the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the Dicle Firat Journalists Association (DFG), and the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG).
Musa Anter, a prominent Kurdish intellectual and journalist, dedicated his life to promoting Kurdish culture, identity, and freedom of expression. His assassination at age 72 was linked to both his journalism and his influential role in defending Kurdish rights. In 2006, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found JİTEM responsible for his death and fined Turkey for the crime.
The Musa Anter and Free Press Martyrs Journalism Awards, established in his honour, continues to recognise journalists working under difficult and dangerous conditions in Turkey and Kurdistan.
