Search for Remains of Missing Persons Continues in Silopi

Prosecutor's office in Silopi continues excavations at an alleged burial site for remains of missing persons, in relation to an investigation into extra-judicial killings during 1990s.

Rights defenders have long argued that the illegal Gendarmerie Intelligence (JİTEM) buried bodies in wells situated at the site behind Sinan restaurant on the highway to Cizre. Concrete digging machines are employed in the search that began this morning. A committee from Şırnak Bar Association is witnessing the search.

Two human rib bones and some textiles were found during a search in the nearby BOTAŞ land on March 9. Findings are relayed to forensic medicine for investigation.

Several people confirmed on different occasions that JİTEM members buried bodies in those areas during the second half of 1990s.    

Former PKK informant and JİTEM member Abdülkadir Aygan told the following in an interview with Neşe Düzel in Taraf daily:

"Bodies were thrown into closed wells. There're wells in evacuated villages. Facilities near the road also dug their own wells. Now these wells are in ruins. I heard that dead bodies were thrown into these wells. For example, I was told that a team working for the Cizre Gendarmerie commander threw seven bodies in there. I talked to one among them but he didn't provide any details."

Şırnak Bar Association had filed a complaint to the prosecution upon gathering testimonials from victims' relatives.

They're demanding a DNA analysis on the found remains and as missing persons are identified, trials against those responsible from the murders. Another demand is to merge this investigation with the ongoing Ergenekon case.(TK/AGÜ)