BEDLÎS – Yusuf Döner, who spent 2 years and 70 days traveling between Bedlîs and Istanbul to recover the remains of his two sons buried under a sidewalk in Kilyos, said: “I would rather have died than see my children under that sidewalk. Despite all this pain, if peace comes, our suffering will ease.”

 

Following the destruction of the Garzan Cemetery, located between the villages of Oleka Jor and Oleka Jêr in Bedlîs (Bitlis), 267 bodies were exhumed and transported to Istanbul, where they were buried under a sidewalk in Kilyos Cemetery inside plastic containers. Among them were the remains of Hüseyin and Ahmet Döner, sons of the Döner family from Kunduz village in Xîzan (Hizan), Bedlîs. Their story reflects decades of state repression against Kurds.

 

The family was first subjected to intense state violence in 1994, when their village was evacuated after repeated military raids due to alleged links with the PKK. Yusuf Döner’s sons, Ahmet and Hüseyin, joined the PKK in 1991 and 2012 respectively. Ahmet died in Olek at an unknown date; Hüseyin was killed in battle against ISIS in Rojava’s Hesekê province on June 5, 2015.

 

THEIR BODIES WERE BURIED UNDER A SIDEWALK IN KILYOS

 

After initially burying their sons in Garzan Cemetery, the family learned that the graves had been desecrated and the bodies relocated to Kilyos. Yusuf Döner traveled to Istanbul and demanded the return of his sons’ remains, initiating a years-long struggle. DNA testing eventually confirmed their identities.

 

2 YEARS AND 70 DAYS BETWEEN ISTANBUL AND BEDLÎS

 

Despite DNA matches, the remains were not returned simultaneously. Yusuf Döner recalled, “They gave us the bodies two months apart. It was like torture, back and forth between the prosecutors in Bitlis and Istanbul.” He finally buried Ahmet on December 15, 2019, and Hüseyin on February 29, 2020, in front of his home in Kunduz village.

 

Responding to a question about his continued hope for peace despite immense personal loss, Döner said: “Seeing my sons buried like that was worse than death. But I endured because my will is strong. If it wasn’t, I’d have lost my mind. For us, this is an honor, we suffer for our land and our cause.”

 

TORTURE, EVEN AFTER DNA CONFIRMATION

 

Döner described how the family was uprooted and his sons joined the PKK. “One son was martyred in Olek, the other in Kobanê. We buried them in Garzan. Then they destroyed the cemetery, took their bodies, and buried them in Kilyos. We protested for days. Even after confirming their identities through DNA, they made us wait and gave us the bodies separately.”

 

Of the 267 exhumed bodies, Döner says only about 30 have been returned to families. “Six people from our village were among them, but their remains still haven’t been released. Burying my sons at home was all I could do. Destroying cemeteries is an unforgivable insult.” 

 

Despite the pain, he adds: “I still say ‘peace.’ I don’t want anyone else to die. As Mr. Abdullah Öcalan says, we want peace. The state must take a step. We want to live freely, with rights, dignity, and peace.”

 

ONLY PEACE CAN HEAL THIS PAIN

 

Döner demands equal rights for Kurds and the recognition of their suffering. Döner concluded: “We want our rights. Without justice, all this pain means nothing. The bans on our villages and lands must end. Only peace can relieve our suffering. I told myself: better to die than to see my children treated this way. They gave their lives for this land. Despite everything, if peace comes, our pain will ease.”

 

MA / Adnan Bilen