13 y.o. Kid’s Relics Found After 18 Years

A mass grave excavation in the southeaster district of Dargeçit reached to the relics of Seyhan Doğan, a 13 year old child who disappeared under detention in 1995, a report approved by Istanbul Forensics Institution said. 

According to Radikal newspaper, the report has been submitted to the prosecutor’s office in Dargeçit where the main investigation is underway. 

Brother spoke up on torture

Gendarmerie forces detained 9 individuals in the southeastern district of Dargeçit in Mardin province between November 2 and 6, 1995. 

Detainees Hazni Doğan (11) and Hayat Altınkaynak (28) have been released on the 4th day of their detention. 

However, no information has been received from Süleyman Seyhan (57), Hikmet Kaya (24), Abdurrahman Coşkun (21), Abdullah Olcay (20), Mehmet Emin Aslan (19), Nedim Akyön (16), Seyhan Doğan (13) and Davut Altınkaynak (13). 

“My brother Seyhan has been hung upside down and subjected to heavy torture,” said Hazni Doğan. He also claimed to have been put through strappado - a form of torture in which the victim's hands are first tied behind his or her back and suspended in the air by means of a rope attached to wrists. 

“He was burnt in the boiler room” 

A prosecutor decided not to follow up the case as those 7 individuals were suspected to have joined PKK. 

In 2009, families of disappeared requested to join the Ergenekon case - a request that has been rejected. However, the case was sent to a local court in Dargeçit.

Prosecutor Şükrü Arslan reopened the case where he found out that Bilal Batırır - a chief sergeant at Dargeçit Gendarmerie Headquarters - has also gone missing in the period. Arslan reached an official complaint by Hatice Batırır - Bilal Batırır’s wife - dating back to 21 My 1996 regarding her husband’s disappearance. 

“By the order of Gendarmerie Commandant Mehmet Tire, a group of individuals have been detained in suspicion of kidnapping 2 teachers. They have been killed and thrown into wells,” Hatice Batırır claimed to have heard from her husband. 

A protected witness also claimed that the death of 7 people have been given by Gendarmerie Commandant Mehmet Tire and Brigade Commandant Hurşit İlmen. The same witness went to say that Batırır was killed that inside a boiler room as he was spreading rumors on the issue. 

“A digest issued by Dargeçit Prosecutor’s Office admitted the fact that 6 individual have been ‘vanished’ under detention and Süleyman Seyhan was thrown dead into a well after torture,” Human Right Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch said in statement. 

“The allegations on PKK recruitment also turned out to be bogus.” 

Ramazan Doğan died before finding his son 

Ramazan Doğan, Seyhan Doğan’s father, passed away in 2010 due to a stroke. 

“Around 3 am in the morning on 29 October 1995, gendarmerie forces stormed our house and detained my sons Seyhan and Hazni who were only 13 and 9 years old respectively,” Doğan said. 

“Following the incident, my wife Asiye went to the gendarmerie headquarters in Dargeçit and askd about her sons. They told her not to worry, as they would be back soon. She went there again the nedt day. They told her that they released her sons. They also ordered her not to come back again. A couple of days later, Hazni was released.”

“Hazni told us about what happened. They tortured them. They put him on Palestinian hanging... But we didn’t hear from Seyhan again. His mother asked of him every single day and submitted official inquiries. They detained her as she didn’t give up on the pursuit. we didn’t hear from her for 11 days. She was put under heavy torture and lost her well-being. She died repeating her son’s name. She used to come to Galatasaray for Saturday Mothers of Turkey demonstration. Now I do.”

Aslan found as well

The excavation was initiated on 17 February 2012 after an appeal by family members and IHD Mardin Branch. The search also yielded with the relics of Mehmet Emin Aslan (19) who disappeared under detention. (AS/BM)