Medya News
Subscribe
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Turkey’s disregard for the dead not new: Fathers speak out

Delivering bones to the deceased's family in a box as forensic property is not an isolated or new practice in Turkey. Two victims recall the ill-treatment they received, while the Diyarbakır Bar Association filed a complaint on the grounds that this practice violates international norms of respect for and protection of the dead.

2:20 pm 31/08/2022
A A
Turkey’s disregard for the dead not new: Fathers speak out
Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp

The bones of Hakan Arslan, who was killed during the curfew and military operations in Dec 2015 in Diyarbakır’s (Amed) Sur district, seven years later were delivered to his father in a plastic bag.

Hakan Arslan’s father Ali Rıza Arslan did not realise he would have to collect his son’s remains from the courthouse. He had been expecting to receive his son’s body from the Forensic Medicine morgue in a coffin, he told BBC Turkish. “There was neither a prosecutor nor a judge, nor an officer. Somebody took the box with the bones of my 28-year-old son out of the closet and handed it to me,” he said, “I don’t remember how I received the box containing my son’s bones, I don’t remember how I took it, I was devastated.”

The Aslans are not the first Kurdish family to receive the remains of a relative years later. Similar events have been going on since the 1990s when the Kurdish conflict was at its peak.

A Kurdish father who received the bones of his 12-year-old son 20 years after his death in custody, spoke to Mezopotamya Agency.

Davut Altınkaynak was 12 when he was detained in Mardin (Mêrdîn) in 1995, along with eight others in a house raid by Turkey’s Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-terrorism Department (JİTEM). Among the eight was Davut’s mother, who later said the last time she saw her son alive was when he was hanged on a torture rack in the police station.

Remains were discovered in a well in 2015, and in May 2016 a DNA analysis revealed the bones belonged to Davut Altınkaynak. Afterwards, the prosecutor’s office delivered the boy’s bones to his family in a sack.

On the same day that Altınkaynak’s Father received the morbid delivery, another delivery arrived to the Akyön family home. Remains of Nedim Akyön, 16 years old, were delivered in another sack.

Both families requested the prosecutor’s office to maintain the remains in proper storage a little longer as they prepared the funerals, but the prosecutor’s office rejected this request.

“We signed the delivery note. They brought us two white sacks with our children’s names written on them. They took our children alive, and delivered them in a sack,” Altınkaynak said.

“They should have given those bones back in coffins, in a humane manner. But they don’t consider us Kurds human beings,” the father said. “I will never forget. If Davut had not been a Kurd, they would have given the perpetrator a life sentence. But Davut was a Kurdish boy. They thought this was what my son deserved, and what Hakan Arslan deserved.”

A prosecutor at the chief public prosecutor’s office in Diyarbakır was responsible for the recording and processing of the human remains in question as forensic property and evidence. The Diyarbakır Bar Association, stating that this practice is against the law, filed a complaint with the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) about the prosecutor who filed the remains.

Delivery of human remains in this manner is unacceptable “due to humanitarian law norms and social, cultural and religious values”, the bar association said in their petition. “Domestic and international law state in detail how such deliveries should be made, respecting the person’s memory and protecting the right to be buried. This treatment towards the deceased constitutes the crime of torture and ill-treatment. This practice violates the norms of respect for and protection of the dead, and the right to a decent burial.”

According to the Human Rights Association (İHD), there have been at least 900 cases of enforced disappearance in Turkey. In addition, the İHD reports that over 3,000 victims of extrajudicial killings are buried in 253 separate sites.

 

Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp
Tags: Trending

Related Posts

Democratic Republic Conference discusses a new republic conception in Turkey

Democratic Republic Conference discusses a new republic conception in Turkey

February 4, 2023
PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

February 4, 2023
Existential Questions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq – a weekly news review

Existential Questions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq – a weekly news review

February 4, 2023
The Codename is “The Boss”

Journalists from Turkey are under threat, says German intelligence

February 4, 2023
Kurds celebrate traditional fest in ancient Iranian village

Kurds celebrate traditional fest in ancient Iranian village

February 4, 2023
Threat of Syrian rebels the reason behind consulate closures in Turkey, says journalist

Threat of Syrian rebels the reason behind consulate closures in Turkey, says journalist

February 4, 2023

Videos

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom
KURDISTAN

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

February 4, 2023

All News

Democratic Republic Conference discusses a new republic conception in Turkey

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

Existential Questions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq – a weekly news review

Journalists from Turkey are under threat, says German intelligence

Kurds celebrate traditional fest in ancient Iranian village

Threat of Syrian rebels the reason behind consulate closures in Turkey, says journalist

Medya News

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Subscribe
Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • World
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily Show
  • Newsletter
  • Authors
  • Podcast

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

Loading
Contact