Fury Reigns after Murder of Father and Son
This is how lawyer Huseyin Cangir, the Mardin branch chair of the Human Rights Association (IHD) conveys local feeling in Mardin after the shooting to death of 12-year-old Ugur Kaymaz and his Father Ahmet Kaymaz by security forces, in front of their Kiziltepe home on November 21. The two were killed in a police operation allegedly against members of an illegal organization."
IHD, after investigations into the incident, has stated that the incident seemed like an extrajudicial execution.
"Whatever their crime people have the right to fair trial and to defend themselves," said Cangir. "Summarily executing prople, instead of recognizing these rights people on the street is a crime against humanity."
A group of locals who also believe that the Kaymazs were summarily executed protested the incident on Sunday.
Some 300-350 demonstrators, mostly children, friends of Ugur Kaymaz, and their families, gathered in front of the Democratic People's Partry (DEHAP)local branch staged a sit-in in front of the city hall to protest the incident. However, police intervened and the beat the children with clubs.
Brutality against children
"The friends of Ugur Kaymaz from elementary school, and their families, wanted to protest the incident," said Cangir. "But the demonstration was ended as soon as it began. Police beat 11 and 12-year-olds with truncheons."
Cangir said wide security measures had been taken for the protest. "The protesters could sit down for only a couple of minutes. Then the police intervened."
"Nine people were detained. One of them was released at the police headquarters because he was too young. Two were released after being questioned by prosecutors. Prosecutors demanded the arrest of the other six. Yet three people were arrested for resisting the police. The other three were released."
Cangir said that those who were detained and arrested for violating Law no: 2911 on Assemblies and Demonstrations, were only practicing their democratic rights.
"The incident is no different than what's going on in Fellujah," said Cangir, about the killing of Ugur Kaymaz. "Children are being killed there, and this is the same."
Governor and Officials are expected to make a statement
Cangir said that the people of Kiziltepe are "furious." "Protests will continue until especially the governor makes a statement," he said. "Those who were killed were civilians. After this incident, people started to feel that they could be killed by security forces some day or be declared as terrorists."
"The statements of the Mardin Governor has hurt people's consciences," said Cangir. He said the statements of Governor Temel Kocaklar were contradictory:
"The governor, in his first statement, said that Ugur and Ahmet Kaymaz were killed in a clash. In his second announcement, he said they were shot and killed because they did not listen to calls to stop. It is not fully clear who carried out this operation because the case is being kept a secret. But it is understood that it was the joint work of the paramilitary police and the police forces."
Violation of the right to live
On November 21, 2004, at around 5:00 p.m., the Mardin branch of IHD received an application. The applicants said that 30-year-old Ahmet Kaymaz and his 12-year-old son Ugur Kaymaz were shot and killed by security forces in the Kiziltepe district of Mardin. They said this was a violation of the right to live and asked for assistance.
The IHD formed a group to investigate the incident. The group went to Kiziltepe on November 23, carried out an investigation, and put their findings together in a report.
The group was made up Mihdi Perincek, the IHD's East-Southeast Regional Representative, lawyer Huseyin Cangir, the head of IHD's Mardin branch, lawyer Selahattin Demirtas, head of IHD's Diyarbakir branch, lawyer Irfan Eser, board member of the IHD Diyarbakir branch, and lawyer Erdal Kuzu, the secretary of IHD's Mardin Branch. The IHD, a day before the group went to Kiziltepe, asked for appointments from Mardin Governor Temel Kocaklar, Kiziltepe's Local Official Engin Durmaz and Kiziltepe Republic Prosecutor Ozlem Pinar Haktanir Akkoc.
IHD received the only positive response from Prosecutor Akkoc. Mardin Governor Kocaklar refused saying he was very busy. Kiziltepe's local official Durmaz was said to be out of town. IHD could not reach Durmaz.
The group met with Makbule Kaymaz, the wife of Ahmet Kaymaz and the mother of Ugur Kaymaz; and other witnesses.
Makbule Kaymaz talked about the incident
Makbule Kaymaz, the 30-year-old wife of Ahmet Kaymaz, and the mother of Ugur, spoke to the IHD group about the incident:
"My husband Ahmet was a truck driver. He transported goods with the truck which did not belong to us. My son Ugur was born in 1992 and was an elementary school student. He used to sometimes accompany his father to work. The day after the incident, my husband was scheduled to go to Iskenderun to pick up his load. He was getting prepared for the journey.
On the day of the incident, at about 4:30 p.m., we had prepared the table for dinner. My husband took a blanket and other things he would need for the journey and carried them to the truck with my son Ugur. They both had slippers on. They were going to put those things in the truck and come back inside to have dinner. The truck was parked some 40-50 meters from the house near the highway.
We heard gunshots soon after they went outside. My three other children and my mother-in-law were also in the house with me. We got scared when we heard the gunshots and jumped into the backyard of our next door neighbor, who is also our relative. At that moment, I saw that my son Ugur was kneeling in front of the truck facing the ground (I recognized his white trousers). Gunshots continued. In a short while police officers came and searched our house. The prosecutor took and questioned us. Later, I found out that my husband and my son had been killed."
13 bullets
The IHD group's report also summarizes the autopsy report and emphasizes that the bullets were fired from a very short distance.
* In the autopsy report; it is stated that there were a total of 13 bullets in Ugur Kaymaz's body. Four of them were in his right and left hands, and nine on his back. It was determined that nine of the 13 bullets were fired from a very short distance (less than 50 centimeters). Ugur had gunpowder marks on his body. Ahmet Kaymaz had eight bullets in his body.
Two of them were in his thigh and left hand, four in his chest, and two on his back. All eight bullets in Ahmet Kaymaz's body were fired from a short distance and he also had gunpowder marks on his body.
* According to the autopsy findings; it was determined that the bullets were not fired from different directions. After the first bullets hit the victims' bodies, the rest of the bullets were fired from the same direction and landed into the bodies in the new position they took after each shot.
Demands
The IHD report also contained certain requests:
* It is highly possible that there are more witnesses to the incident. The safety of the people living in the surroundings should be guaranteed and they should be encouraged to serve as witnesses.
* All the security personnel who used weapons during the incident, or who directed the operation, should be immediately be removed from duty.
* Legal action should be pursued so that the incident can be uncovered and those responsible can be punished.
* The safety of the victims' family should be guaranteed and they should be compensated. (YS/BB/YE)
