Soldiers' families begin to rise their heads
Soldiers' families begin to rise their heads
Until two years ago they found comfort in the “holy benevolent state” philosophy. They were saying “Bless fatherland” while embracing the coffins of their children killed in the conflict. Now they don’t say that any more. Some point out the dark side of the war, while others shout “both killers and killed are our children”.
This 25 years-old conflict has not only caused an economical disaster, but also led to huge traumas in the community. Mothers have suffered the most of these traumas. Having found comfort in the “holy benevolent state” philosophy, the soldiers' families approached everything from the point of view that “the State knows everything” to which they added: “first God, then the State must be followed”. In recent years the soldiers’ families have firmly been on the agenda because of their reaction against the war.
Salim Sarýbaþ, uncle of Cengiz Sarýbaþ, who died along with other six soldiers on an assault near Sazak Village of Reþadiye county of Tokat some time ago wants the war to come to an end.
Salim Sarýbaþ spoke at the funeral of his nephew, saying: “There is nobody struggling alongside us of giving us answers. If needed, we could all become martyrs. This meaningless war must come to an end. Whatever it takes, this war must end, otherwise many others like Cengiz will lose their lives. Dead people don’t wake up, an ember burns where it falls. The solution is not to commiserate or to tell stories; what is lost is the sight of the future. Soldiers, killers and killed are all children of this land. Why is this meaningless war happening? This war must come to an end".
In Bingöl, in July 2006, Special Operation Battalion Commander Major Adil Karagöz lost his life in a mine explosion during an operation in Genç county. His funeral in Bingöl witnessed reactions from his family. His mother Fatma Karagöz, said: “I won’t say ‘Bless the fatherland’ because nothing has been done till today. The ember burns where it falls, it burns us. Which answers will I give to my orphaned grandchildren?, while her husband was saying “Nobody will stop the blood”.
THE CHILDREN OF THE RICH FAMILIES ARE NOT AFFECTED
Hüseyin Özdemir was returning from a military operation in Þiran county of Gümüþhane in August 2006 when a clash broke out. In the clash, Özdemir and Commando Private Özkan Vural lost their lives. Hearing the bad news, the family of Özdemir in Mersin mourned. Father Hýzýr Özdemir said: “Both sides are our children. The children of rich families, however, are not affected by the war. They get an unearned income by sending our children to the front line. Meryem Yücekaya, the aunt of Hüseyin Özdemir, invited the mothers of the country not to let their children get involved in this meaningless war, saying: “We didn’t bless the land for meaningless deaths. We have aching hearts. Mothers shouldn’t let their sons to go to the military service, in order to prevent these aching hearts. I won’t let my son to serve as a soldier.”
SEND THE SONS OF THE STATE OFFICIALS EAST
In September 2006, Gendarme Private Deniz Yüzgeç was on a patrol mission in the rural of Korucan Village of Van, right beside the Iranian border when he was critically injured in a clash. The injured gendarme lost his life on the way to Van Military Hospital. His funeral witnessed the anger of his family in Ýzmir. His father Ýsmail Yüzgeç stated that his son had been a victim of a political action. And his mother, Ayfer Yüzgeç, shouted: “I don’t give my blessing”. The distracted mother said: “My son returned from Germany and within a month he began his military service. But, I don’t say ‘Bless the Fatherland’. I didn’t give my son to the fatherland because the state did nothing for my son. He began his military service willingly but the state didn’t give him any body armour or armoured vehicle. I want the sons of the state officials to do their military services in the East Region; maybe then they can understand our suffering. This land does not deserve my son's death”.
STOP THIS SUFFERING
September 2006 was a time of heavy clashes. Many soldiers and guerrillas lost their lives. Like Specialized Sergeant Mustafa Dað who died in a mine explosion during an operation in the rural of Dicle county of Diyarbakýr. His mother Þerife (70) and father Arif Dað (75), were living in the Hacýlar Village of Zile county of Tokat, and suffered a nervous breakdown when they learned of the death of their son. His mother was urgently taken to the hospital. At the funeral, the day after, there were angry scenes. Mustafa’s uncle said: “We have brotherhood relations with the people in East Region. We follow our state but we can’t stand this pain any more. This suffering must come to an end. I ask the dear General Staff to make this pain stop. We felt the pain, but let's prevent others to feel what we felt. Even in the Cyprus War we didn’t suffer so many losses. Children will be growing up without their fathers. What will happen when in the future these children ask us ‘Where is my dad?’.
Second-lieutenant Zeki Burak Okay lost his life during his military service in Çukurca county of Hakkari. When his body was brought home, his mother Neriman Okay shouted: “I heard the news when I was on a holiday. My son didn’t study in the best schools to be a soldier. He was forced to go to the military service. He was taken to the mountain “to kill people” while he couldn’t kill even a fly. My son is not a martyr, he died for nothing. I don’t give my blessing. Children should not do their military service”. His father Zekai Okay went on, saying; “I won’t say ‘bless the fatherland’! Ramazan is my son and I don’t offer him to this land. My son is not a martyr because he didn’t participate in the war. Do you know why my son died? He didn’t fight in Çanakkale, Ýnönü or Anafartalar. My son was in a 'dirty' war. Damn the ones who call this “a war”. My son didn’t shoot once. Isn’t it a shame on this land, on this fatherland! The sons of the state officials don’t do their military service in that region. Not even the son of the prime minister, Tayyip Erdoðan’s. But, our children are dying…”
ONLY POOR ARE DOOMED
Çaðlar Cambaz was first-lieutenant in Hakkari Yüksekova at Yeþiltaþ Gendarmerie Station. He lost his life stepping on mine on the 7 of August 2007 in Hakkari. A construction foreman Hayrettin Cambaz, father of the first-lieutenant, shouted at the funeral “I don’t give my blessing”. Later he spoke to the paper Sabah. “Are only poor doomed to martyrdom? My son was trying to learn Kurdish to communicate with the people there. He had taken a Kurdish dictionary with him. He was saying that he would learn Kurdish and tell something to those people.
After what is known as Oramar Action, 8 soldiers were taken captive by PKK guerrillas. After a few days the soldiers were released by the PKK and returned to their families. But state officials, made disturbing comments about the event. Minister of Justice at the time, Mehmet Ali Þahin, said: “No member of the Turkish Armed Forces should have gone through this. I couldn’t get over the fact that the soldiers went with terrorists that night. Their release did not make me happy”.
Infantry Fatih Atakul was from Denizli and he was captured on 6 November 2007. His mother Aynur Atakul told the minister: “Dear Minister better you killed me that speak that way. In fact, mothers die there. Tears are shed for the martyrs; that’s all but what about mothers? It is so easy for the minister to speak. My mother is already dead, so it won’t make any difference if I am killed now. But my son’s mother is still alive".
THE LAND IS OF THE POOR
Commando Private Ferdi Sefa Kýlýç was the only son of his family. During his military service in Hakkari, he died in clashes in October 2008. At the funeral his father Yaþar Kýlýç said in front of the cameras: “I am saying ‘Bless the fatherland’ but the land is of the poor. An ember burnt our home. The Prime Minister says ‘thank god’ but sends his son to America. He visits Iraq and speaks there for his own benefits. He should have sent his son to the military service. Everything happens to the poor”.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
This 25 years-old conflict has not only caused an economical disaster, but also led to huge traumas in the community. Mothers have suffered the most of these traumas. Having found comfort in the “holy benevolent state” philosophy, the soldiers' families approached everything from the point of view that “the State knows everything” to which they added: “first God, then the State must be followed”. In recent years the soldiers’ families have firmly been on the agenda because of their reaction against the war.
Salim Sarýbaþ, uncle of Cengiz Sarýbaþ, who died along with other six soldiers on an assault near Sazak Village of Reþadiye county of Tokat some time ago wants the war to come to an end.
Salim Sarýbaþ spoke at the funeral of his nephew, saying: “There is nobody struggling alongside us of giving us answers. If needed, we could all become martyrs. This meaningless war must come to an end. Whatever it takes, this war must end, otherwise many others like Cengiz will lose their lives. Dead people don’t wake up, an ember burns where it falls. The solution is not to commiserate or to tell stories; what is lost is the sight of the future. Soldiers, killers and killed are all children of this land. Why is this meaningless war happening? This war must come to an end".
In Bingöl, in July 2006, Special Operation Battalion Commander Major Adil Karagöz lost his life in a mine explosion during an operation in Genç county. His funeral in Bingöl witnessed reactions from his family. His mother Fatma Karagöz, said: “I won’t say ‘Bless the fatherland’ because nothing has been done till today. The ember burns where it falls, it burns us. Which answers will I give to my orphaned grandchildren?, while her husband was saying “Nobody will stop the blood”.
THE CHILDREN OF THE RICH FAMILIES ARE NOT AFFECTED
Hüseyin Özdemir was returning from a military operation in Þiran county of Gümüþhane in August 2006 when a clash broke out. In the clash, Özdemir and Commando Private Özkan Vural lost their lives. Hearing the bad news, the family of Özdemir in Mersin mourned. Father Hýzýr Özdemir said: “Both sides are our children. The children of rich families, however, are not affected by the war. They get an unearned income by sending our children to the front line. Meryem Yücekaya, the aunt of Hüseyin Özdemir, invited the mothers of the country not to let their children get involved in this meaningless war, saying: “We didn’t bless the land for meaningless deaths. We have aching hearts. Mothers shouldn’t let their sons to go to the military service, in order to prevent these aching hearts. I won’t let my son to serve as a soldier.”
SEND THE SONS OF THE STATE OFFICIALS EAST
In September 2006, Gendarme Private Deniz Yüzgeç was on a patrol mission in the rural of Korucan Village of Van, right beside the Iranian border when he was critically injured in a clash. The injured gendarme lost his life on the way to Van Military Hospital. His funeral witnessed the anger of his family in Ýzmir. His father Ýsmail Yüzgeç stated that his son had been a victim of a political action. And his mother, Ayfer Yüzgeç, shouted: “I don’t give my blessing”. The distracted mother said: “My son returned from Germany and within a month he began his military service. But, I don’t say ‘Bless the Fatherland’. I didn’t give my son to the fatherland because the state did nothing for my son. He began his military service willingly but the state didn’t give him any body armour or armoured vehicle. I want the sons of the state officials to do their military services in the East Region; maybe then they can understand our suffering. This land does not deserve my son's death”.
STOP THIS SUFFERING
September 2006 was a time of heavy clashes. Many soldiers and guerrillas lost their lives. Like Specialized Sergeant Mustafa Dað who died in a mine explosion during an operation in the rural of Dicle county of Diyarbakýr. His mother Þerife (70) and father Arif Dað (75), were living in the Hacýlar Village of Zile county of Tokat, and suffered a nervous breakdown when they learned of the death of their son. His mother was urgently taken to the hospital. At the funeral, the day after, there were angry scenes. Mustafa’s uncle said: “We have brotherhood relations with the people in East Region. We follow our state but we can’t stand this pain any more. This suffering must come to an end. I ask the dear General Staff to make this pain stop. We felt the pain, but let's prevent others to feel what we felt. Even in the Cyprus War we didn’t suffer so many losses. Children will be growing up without their fathers. What will happen when in the future these children ask us ‘Where is my dad?’.
Second-lieutenant Zeki Burak Okay lost his life during his military service in Çukurca county of Hakkari. When his body was brought home, his mother Neriman Okay shouted: “I heard the news when I was on a holiday. My son didn’t study in the best schools to be a soldier. He was forced to go to the military service. He was taken to the mountain “to kill people” while he couldn’t kill even a fly. My son is not a martyr, he died for nothing. I don’t give my blessing. Children should not do their military service”. His father Zekai Okay went on, saying; “I won’t say ‘bless the fatherland’! Ramazan is my son and I don’t offer him to this land. My son is not a martyr because he didn’t participate in the war. Do you know why my son died? He didn’t fight in Çanakkale, Ýnönü or Anafartalar. My son was in a 'dirty' war. Damn the ones who call this “a war”. My son didn’t shoot once. Isn’t it a shame on this land, on this fatherland! The sons of the state officials don’t do their military service in that region. Not even the son of the prime minister, Tayyip Erdoðan’s. But, our children are dying…”
ONLY POOR ARE DOOMED
Çaðlar Cambaz was first-lieutenant in Hakkari Yüksekova at Yeþiltaþ Gendarmerie Station. He lost his life stepping on mine on the 7 of August 2007 in Hakkari. A construction foreman Hayrettin Cambaz, father of the first-lieutenant, shouted at the funeral “I don’t give my blessing”. Later he spoke to the paper Sabah. “Are only poor doomed to martyrdom? My son was trying to learn Kurdish to communicate with the people there. He had taken a Kurdish dictionary with him. He was saying that he would learn Kurdish and tell something to those people.
After what is known as Oramar Action, 8 soldiers were taken captive by PKK guerrillas. After a few days the soldiers were released by the PKK and returned to their families. But state officials, made disturbing comments about the event. Minister of Justice at the time, Mehmet Ali Þahin, said: “No member of the Turkish Armed Forces should have gone through this. I couldn’t get over the fact that the soldiers went with terrorists that night. Their release did not make me happy”.
Infantry Fatih Atakul was from Denizli and he was captured on 6 November 2007. His mother Aynur Atakul told the minister: “Dear Minister better you killed me that speak that way. In fact, mothers die there. Tears are shed for the martyrs; that’s all but what about mothers? It is so easy for the minister to speak. My mother is already dead, so it won’t make any difference if I am killed now. But my son’s mother is still alive".
THE LAND IS OF THE POOR
Commando Private Ferdi Sefa Kýlýç was the only son of his family. During his military service in Hakkari, he died in clashes in October 2008. At the funeral his father Yaþar Kýlýç said in front of the cameras: “I am saying ‘Bless the fatherland’ but the land is of the poor. An ember burnt our home. The Prime Minister says ‘thank god’ but sends his son to America. He visits Iraq and speaks there for his own benefits. He should have sent his son to the military service. Everything happens to the poor”.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
