Horror of mass graves in Kurdistan

It is believed that German Andrea Wolf is among the 41 guerrillas’ bodies found in grave

The pictures of the horror of mass graves are blood-chilling. German human rights activist and sociologist Andrea Wolf is allegedly among the 41 people interred in a mass grave that was photographed for the first time near the village of Andiçen (Kelehê), on the border between Van’s Çatak district and ??rnak’s Beytü??ebap district.
According to reports, Wolf was among a group of 41 PKK members who were involved in a clash in Van’s Çatak district in October 1998, some of whom were captured alive.
On Wednesday, leaders of the Van Branch of the Human Rights Association (?HD) and some family members went to the grave site with villagers acting as guides.
Photos have been published by DIHA.
Around the completely destroyed cave, the visitors found PKK uniforms, food and tea packaging, long cummerbunds, blankets, and necklaces made with yellow, red and green string. They also saw the bones of many people under the rocks of the cave.
According to villagers who witnessed the clash, some PKK members, Andrea Wolf and three other women were captured after they ran out of ammunition. Then, the commander of the operation, lieutenant Sabri beat Andrea Wolf to death with a stick while she was in captivity. After that, they executed the rest of the prisoners with guns. Following the killings, helicopters completely destroyed the cave with dynamite. Those who were killed were buried under the rubble. It was a complete slaughter. Some of the bodies were left in the open. However, nobody went to the site because the military declared it a “forbidden zone.” After many years, this status was lifted and the villagers returned to the area. When they arrived, they found bones all around the cave. There are still many bones underneath the rubble in the cave.

Years ago, the families of those missing asked the ?HD to help them confirm the grave’s existence, but the association was not able to obtain any information. “We came here in response to the families’ application. However, I didn’t believe that we would find a scene like this. This contains overtones of absolute savagery. After seeing the scene, it is absolutely impossible to describe it. We will do everything we can to help families retrieve the bodies of their sons and daughters from this mass grave,” ?HD Van Branch Secretary Sami Görenda? said.

After the clash, lawyer Eren Keskin and a German lawyer waged a years-long legal struggle to get Andrea Wolf’s body back. Authorities told them that Wolf was not there. The lawyers unsuccessfully applied to State Security Court (DGM), military courts, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defense, and military authorities in Van for information regarding the clash. After pursuing all legal avenues in Turkey and finding them to be dead ends, the lawyers took the case to the European Court of Human Rights and won. As a result, Turkey had to pay heavy reparations.

The PKK released a list of some of those killed during the clash and are likely interred in the mass grave:

Evrim Açan (Rohat), ?êxmûs Hasan (Cembeli), Cevdet Tatar (Hozan Hogir), Teyar Misto (Kamuran), Ayten Ene (Azime Sava?), Agirî, Botan, Kamuran ?nalkoç (Kawa), Enver Süleyman (?iyar), Le?ker, Kemal, Teko?er, Neriman Ahmet (Amed), ?brahim Ercan (Deniz), Fevzi Muhammed (Gabar Afrin), Sipan, Selman, Habib ibo (bahoz), Dilbirîn, Xezal, ?erife Erdo?an (Sozdar Urfa), Fatih Yalç?nkaya (Agit), ?iyar, Andrea Wolf (Ronahi), Minteha Ali (Canda), Yerivan Y?ld?z (Adife), Adife Aslan (Berfin), Cahide, Diyar, Newroz and Xelat.

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