'People didn't speak to the gendarmerie for the fear of the sect'

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"Our grandfather who once stood up for Menzil and protected Menzil against threats turned in their graves now."

Hakkı Tut (We can't publish his real name due to the pressure of the sect) is one of the locals in Kahta, Adıyaman, who feel the pressure of the pro-government Menzil sect.

He often expresses concern about his name being heard while he was talking about the road work done by the sect, which damaged the joint cemetery of three villages, Elbeyi, Ortaköy and Göçeri.

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Tut, a farmer, says he has nothing to lose but then says, "I have a little child, brother."

"I see the children of our village, who are unaware of what happened, playing with bones that dropped from earthmoving trucks. What happened has caused psychological trauma to the villagers for days," he says.

This is exactly what drives Tut to talk: the sect's oppression against the villagers.

What was done is irreparable and no one stands by them, he says, adding that even villagers whose graves were damaged can't say anything about this for the fear of the sect.

"I demand our state officials take care of the issue in person, bones are taken out of excavation delicately and buried where they should be," says Tut. "The collection of the bones will please us a little bit, alleviate the burden on our shoulders."

"We have nothing to do with the sect"

They don't have a personal grudge against anyone about the damage to the graves, he says.

"We have nothing to do with the sect, the community. They are already in a position beyond us. What we want is an investigation about who did this with whose permission.

"For days, we are seeing that the excavated area, namely the graves, are hastily covered with concrete mixers. We just ask the state to see these, stop the construction work and do the necessary investigation.

"We don't want to be left alone but we have been left alone. Even the villagers, whose graves were destroyed, left us alone. They kowtow to the sect.

"After an investigation was launched after the reports, they didn't talk to the gendarmerie officials, who came to the village upon an order by the prosecutor's office. When the gendarmerie asked the owners of the graves, no one spoke ... We don't want much, just say 'Stop' to what happened for the sake of humanity."

"This wasn't the first time that graves were damaged," he says, adding that the sect previously built a two-meter high wall, which eventually collapsed on the graves.

The sect is apparently preparing to build stronger concrete walls this time, says Tut. "Please somebody says 'Stop' to these. The authorities should hear us. As long as [people] stay silent against what is done, more is happening." (HA/VK)