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ANKARA: Persistence On Unsolved Disappearances

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  • ANKARA: Persistence On Unsolved Disappearances

    PERSISTENCE ON UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCES

    BIA
    http://www.bianet.org/english/ minorities/117739-persistence-on-unsolved-disappea rances
    Oct 20 2009
    Turkey

    The Saturday Mothers/People gathered on Istanbul's Galatasaray Square
    for the 238th time to draw public attention to the disappearance of
    Huseyin Toraman who was kidnapped from in front of his house 18 years
    ago. They also reminded disappearance of six peasants in Silopi 16
    years ago.

    Bawer CAKIR [email protected] Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center20 October
    2009, Tuesday Friends and relatives of lost Huseyin Toraman and 6
    peasants gathered on the central Galatasary Square on Istanbul's
    popular Istiklal Avenue for the 238th time. Toraman was kidnapped
    from in front of his house in Istanbul 18 years ago in 27 October 1991.

    Nobody has heard from him ever since. The 6 missing peasants
    disappeared from the town of Silopi in the southeast of Turkey in 1993.

    When Toraman's sister Sakine Kacar told her brother's story, she also
    read from a letter her mother wrote, "My sons kidnapper, murderers
    and fascists will never be forgotten".

    Leman Yurtsever talked on behalf of the Human Righst Association (Ä°HD)
    Istanbul Branch Commission against Disappearances in Detention. He
    reminded the 6 peasants that disappeared in Görumlu village and its
    surroundings close to the town of Silopi in 1993:

    "Hikmet Å~^imÅ~_ek and Hamdin Å~^imÅ~_ek from a Chaldean family were
    taken from their homes with the bible in their pocket and the cross
    around their necks. They said, "Look, your imam became Christian, how
    do you perform the namaz behind a Christian's back?" Then they took 7
    people and brought them to the battalion. About 1 hour later gunfire
    could be heard from the battalion. Abdurrahman Kayek was released
    towards the evening hours. His skin was peeled off and his finger
    nails had been torn out. He did not talk at all. The same night he
    disappeared from the village. The families started to worry a lot. They
    went to the battalion and asked Divisional Commander Mete Sayar about
    their relatives. Sayar threw them out and said, 'Get out of here! Your
    village is Armenian, your imam is Armenian. Do not ask again or you
    will share the same fate'. They handed a petition to the prosecutor
    who said, 'Yes, they were detained at the same day and interrogated;
    they joined the mountain staff'. Nobody ever heard from them again".

    Yurtsever requested the punishment of Å~^ırnak Brigade Commander
    Mete Sayar and officials of the time who are to be held responsible
    for the peasants' disappearances.
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