Gün Ends Hunger Strike Upon Receiving His Dead Son’s Body

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70 year-old Kemal Gün, who had been on a hunger strike for 90 days received his dead son's body this morning (May 25) and ended his hunger strike.

Gün's treatment will begin after funeral ceremony

Gün's attorney Engin Gökoğlu has stated that Gün's son's body will be buried in Hozat Cemetery following the funeral ceremony in Hozat Djemevi and that Gün would receive a medical treatment afterwards.

"We have not decided in which hospital he will get his treatment yet but until the treatment begins, his diet will be like it was when he was on hunger strike", Gökoğlu added.

The funeral ceremony in Hozat Djemevi will take place as soon as other family members arrive in Dersim.

Tunceli Governorship: The bones have been delivered

Tunceli Governorship has announced on its official website that the bones of his dead son have been delivered to Kemal Gün in Hozat district.

The Governorship has also explained in its statement that "the reason for the late delivery of the bones was that the DNA examination in the forensic science institute took a long time".

What happened?

According to Gün's attorney Engin Gökoğlu speaking to bianet, the course of events are as follows:

"11 Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C) militants were killed in an airstrike launched by the Turkish Armed Forces on Çat region located between Dersim central district and Hozat district on November 7, 2016. One of those killed was Murat Gün aged 28.
"The bombed shelter collapsed. The bodies at which the TSK (Turkish Armed Forces) could reach and which remained partially intact were buried in Malatya Cemetery of the Nameless following the autopsy in Mardin Forensics Medicine.

"When Kemal Gün was informed of the event, he applied to get the body. When it was informed that his son's body wasn't among the ones buried in the cemetery, he requested that the shelter be opened.

"His request was acknowledged. After the bombing in March, the area was dug.

"Kemal Gün took the bones out of the soil with his bare hands. The gendarmerie and prosecutor's office sent the bones to the Forensic Medicine.

"The Forensic Medicine reported that the DNA test couldn't be proceeded due to the overheating in the bones resulting from the bombardment. The prosecutor informed that the bones cannot be delivered without a DNA match".

Kemal Gün went on hunger strike on February 28. He only received vitamin B1, sugar, water and salt.

Tunceli Bar President Barış Yıldırım told bianet that Tunceli Governor Osman Kaymak, who is also the Tunceli Mayor, promised to give the bones of Osman Kaymak to his father.

On May 17, Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and Tunceli Governorship had also stated that the bones were sent to the municipality.

Kemal Gün ended his hunger strike on its 90th day. (AS/DG)