Distinguished press members,
In this geography, for many years, forcedly disappeared persons’ mothers has been crying as “Your voice is coming from a disappeared address” and become alert, cautious for any door bell or phone ringing. These mothers, mostly, regard themselves as unluckier than mothers whose sons-daughters killed either in tortures or killing by unknown perpetrators. Since the latter can visit a tomb and mourn for their children…
In human rights literature, therefore, even being relatives of “forcedly disappeared persons” is explained as torture and inhuman treatment that spreads 24 hours. Not knowing living place of beloved persons, living with question “is he/she alive or not?” is also an absolute trauma. Although there are thousands people, who faced such traumas, there is no responsible/perpetrator, who stood in trial and sentenced.
Distinguished Press Members,
On 30th May 1994, Metin Budak (14) and his grandfather Bahri Budak (61) had gone to Yayımlı Village in Lice district to irrigate their fruit garden and never come back. Since it was known that there were intense military operations Kadri Budak, many times, made applications to all affiliated official bureaus such as; Prime Ministry, State of Emergency Governorship, Lice District Administration, Public Prosecutor Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, TBMM (Turkish Grand National Assembly). In his applications, Kadri Budak indicated that he was anxious about his father-son’s life and demand to find them. However, there was not any result regarding these applications. Since Yayımlı village was evacuated forcedly by soldiers (after the disappearance event) and there was not permission for entering to the village until 2005. There was not any news related with the situation of Metin Budak and Bahri Budak. It should be also noted that the grandfather-grandson’s disappearance date, 30th May, is in the week which commemorated as International Struggle against Forcedly Disappearances and Solidarity with People, whose relatives Disappeared. After 11 years, Budak family went to Yayımlı Village to cultivate their fields and bumps into some items and bones. They realized that items were belong to Metin Budak and Bahri Budak. After they applied to Insan Hakları Dernegi (Human Rights Association), we started the process grounding the findings in the scene. According to DNA search’s result on the bones, which found in the scene, it is definite the bones are belong to grandfather-grandson. The search was carried out by Directorship of Forensic Medicine. Moreover; empty shells, which made by MKE (Institution of Machinery and Chemistry) were found in the scene, also address the perpetrators. According to these findings the perpetrators are Bolu Gendarmerie Brigade and security members who work in the other related units.
Forcedly disappearance is a human offence and its victim is the all mankind. There are some other disappeared or mass tombs that we revealed, by means of, to society. Via cambium instances, we proved these tombs belong to disappeared persons. (For example; Murat Aslan, whose tomb was found in Silopi that is district in Sirnak Province and 11 villagers incident, who disappeared after they had been taken into custody in Alacaköyü Village that is in Kulp district.) The judicial processes, which we started related with these incidents, are still going on. Perpetrators of all these three incidents are the teams that conducted military operations in the mentioned dates. As human rights defenders we state that we will observe-follow the process in national and international levels until the perpetrators to be sentenced which they deserved and we made many attempts regarding these incidents. We call for all official authorities, particularly TBMM, to fulfil their duties.
Lawyer Reyhan Yalçındağ
Vice President