In quest of the bones of their father

img

İSTANBUL - The wife and children of İzzettin Çelik, who lost his life in an armed conflict in Bitlis, has been in quest of the bones of Çelik.  As all their attempts to find the bones of the father of the family, killed and lost, remain inconclusive, their application to learn if one of the bodies buried in Kilyos belongs to Çelik has not been given response yet.

 
Çelik family living in İstanbul have been seraching for the bones of their father İzzettin Çelik, who lost his life in an armed conflict in the Garzan Region of the Turkey's eastern province Bitlis in 1994. 
 
NO RESPONSE TO THE KILYOS APPLICATION
 
On December 19, 2017, authorities demolished the Garzan Cemetery in Yukarı Bölek (Oleka Jor in Kurdish) village in Bitlis and removed 282 bodies without informing their families. The bodies were brought to İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institution and then buried in concrete sidewalks in Kilyos Cemetery of the nameless on İstanbul's Black Sea shore. Therefore, the Çelik family made another move to find the bones of their fathers and gave DNA test samples to apply to find their father in Kilyos. However their application has not been given any response yet.
 
DETENTION, TORTURE AND THE WAY TO THE MOUNTAINS
 
Ahmet Çelik, the 36 year old son of İzettin Çelik told about his father and how his father was politically active in their village, telling the villagers about the rights and the freedom of the Kurdish people. Çelik indicated that that was the reason why his father was targeted: "He would always tell the rights and th struggle of Kurdish people. He used to say that our people are prisoners. He would also talk about the ban on our language and our culture. So the state would not leave him alone. He was detained many times, once he spent a whole month in detention and he was released after he was tortured. This was the cycle he was in: continuous detention and torture. It was obvious that they would not leave him alone, so he left (for the mountains)."
 
'WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH GREAT DIFFICULTIES'
 
Referring to all the hardships and the poverty they have experienced as 7 siblings together with their mother after their father's leave, Çelik said, "Our life has been hard. We have seen great difficulties and poverty. I came to İstanbul in 1996 when I was only 15 years old to work and earn our bread. I worked here and contributed to my family. There are no words to describe the difficulties we have been through."
 
'WE WILL NOT GIVE UP ON OUR QUEST'
 
All the attempts the family died to find the body, who started their quest immediately after the the news that their father, remained inconclusive. "We were not able to find the body of our father in those years of 1990s due to the heavy conflicts. When they demolished Garzan Cemetery, we had a hope to maybe find him in there. Even though he was not among the bodies buried in and carried from Garzan we will not give up on our quest. The deceased bodies of our loved ones are our honour. They are our hope," said Çelik.
 
'WE WANT ALL THE BODIES BURIED IN KILYOS'
 
Emphasizing that they are proud of their father Çelik said, "We have been living with this longing, with this thought, with this quest for 26 years. If we could only find the bones of our father, we could take a bit of a breath. At least we would know that we have found our father. Until we find him, this pain will always stick with us. We want to have the body of our father. Regarding Kilyos, we do not only want the body of our father, but we want the bodies of all."
 

View More Articles

18/03/2024
14:49 Beytüşşebap District Governor mobilized for the AKP candidate
14:41 Ill prisoner Tüzün held in cell for 10 days
14:39 Beyoğlu knows no limits in favouritism: hired AKP council member
14:36 Istanbul Newroz: Those who insist on isolation must look at the Newroz area
13:27 No news from Journalist Ahmet for 146 days
13:23 Hunger strike demand 'freedom for Ocalan' on its 133th day
17/03/2024
11:32 Journalist Köylüoğlu: Iraq opened the door to Turkey's attacks
11:19 Inspiration for millions of women: Besê Anuş
11:18 Censorship of letters sent by prisoners to CPT and ECHR
10:19 Newroz celebrations left its mark on history
16/03/2024
18:03 'If we return to the main idea of Ocalan's 2013 letter, there will be a period of relaxation'
13:38 36 years have passed since the Halabja Massacre
13:21 Hunger strike in prisons on its 111th day
13:15 No news from Journalist Ahmet for 144 days
13:14 Despite bans, they did not stop celebrating Newroz
13:08 Reduced sentence of abuse perpetrator imam approved
12:16 Fire that Rahşan Demirel lit grew louder every year
11:19 Hizbulkontra murdered her husband in Êlih: We will never forgive
15/03/2024
17:41 Journalist Ahmet in the hands of KDP for 143 days
17:33 Hunger strike in prisons on its 110th day
11:37 Newroz slogans of 24 years
11:14 Joint statement after the meeting for cross-border operation
14/03/2024
15:34 'Prisoners on hunger strike put in cells'
15:33 'Sit-stand' insistance during ward raids
15:32 Kışanak: As the twin candidates list their promises, they are sinking
15:09 Child murdered in Aydın
15:09 New application to meet to Abdullah Ocalan from lawyers
15:08 Two new books from Aram Publishing House
14:35 Hizbulkontra murders: No one must expect us to forget
13:59 Hunger strike in prisons on its 109th day
13:57 Akbelen expropriation decision canceled
13:55 Governor started distributing white goods before the election
12:44 Mother and daughter murdered in Erzirom
12:42 Turkey for attack to Garê, evacuated 161 villages
12:41 Armed attack on DEM Party's election vehicle in Kayseri
13/03/2024
17:40 Justice Watch on its 100th day: We will not give up on freedom
17:00 Hunger strike in prisons on its 108th day
16:59 No news from Rojnews Editor Ahmet for 141 days
11:53 Women and their gains on target before every election
11:38 Newroz headlines from 90s to today
12/03/2024
16:43 Mother of Journalist Ahmet: I want to hear from my son
14:19 Many women detained in Istanbul
14:06 Journalist Babaoğlu missing for 30 years!
12:59 Reason for acquittal 'Armenian Genocide': Freedom of thought
12:38 17 people arrests after prosecutor's visit to trustee
12:32 Hunger strike in prisons on its 107th day
12:32 Axresha residents: We do not want second Licik disaster
11:55 Never-ending fire from Hammersmith Kawa to Mazlum Doğan
11/03/2024
12:20 MHP deputy is a Serbian citizen
11:41 Hunger strike in prisons on its 106th day