“So Sad and So Happy for Finding Bones of My Relatives”

The digging was made within the scope of investigation related to 24 people who were executed by shooting and buried in mass graves in 1938. A lot of jaw bones and skulls have been found.

 Some of the bones belong to the relatives of Miyase İlknur. Journalist, witnessed the digging, shared her emotions mixed with sadness and happiness:

 “I am so sad and so happy. I am happy because my uncles will have a grave at last. It was my grandmother’s wish. The remnants of the bodies made me melancholic. As if I was living in those days. I knew those stories. They told me. The remnants will be given to the families. We are waiting for the news from the Institution of Forensic Medicine about the bones.”

 Miyase İlknur wrote about the digging to Cumhuriyet Daily Newspaper:

 “My grandmother’s brother’s mukhtar seal has been found near the skulls. There were 8 skulls and only Institution of Forensic Medicine will discover whose skulls are these. My grandmother, her mother, her brother and her 7 nieces and nephews lost their lives in the events. They told me they found my relative’s seal and the 8 skulls. I called my uncle immediately. I let him know that our relatives’ bones had been found.”

 I lost my grandmother in 1987. She spoke her last will and said that she didn’t want a grave stone because her relatives didn’t have any. If the bones really belong to my relatives, they finally will have grave stones.”

 A bullet has been found in digging site

Bones, remnants and soil samples have been sent to the Institution of Forensic Medicine to be researched. Bullets will be sent for the ballistic research. Date of death, reason of death, age and sex of the bones will be found.

Lawyer Cihan Söylemez of the families who lost their relatives said bianet that if DNA samples match with the bones, they will be sent to the families for burying.

Recognition and Reconciliation Commission

Lawyer Söylemez, “Criminal research has been made for the first time in 77 years. Even a skull of a baby has been found. With the support of the reports, the massacre will come out and the disinformation on this subject will be eliminated. Besides Dersim researchers will gain objective data. 

“If we establish a Recognition and Reconciliation Commission related to Dersim Massacre, this commission may help the digging mass graves. Now we wait a formal step from politicians.” (AS/BD)

* Photo Credits: Cumhuriyet Daily Newspaper