Newala Qesaba is known as a place where many Armenians killed in 1915 were buried in mass graves. Besides, many Kurds killed in armed conflicts or unidentified murders are also believed to be buried in this area.
Luxurious villas are being built in Newala Qesaba (River of the Butches) which is a mass grave for those who lost their lives in massacres of Armenians and Kurds.
Newala Qesaba, the story of which has been told in many songs, books, and films so far, is close to the city center in Siirt, Türkiye and covers an area of 405 decares according to the figures of the Human Rights Association (İHD).
Newala Qesaba is known as a place where many Armenians killed in 1915 were buried in mass graves. Besides, the PKK members or people who were the victims of unidentified murders after the armed conflicts that started following the 1980s have also been buried in this area.
Subtitles of the trailer of the documentary
He asked me, "What is your cause?" And I said: "My cause is my husband's bones. I want my husband's bones." He asked me, "Where was your husband killed?" I said: "They killed him. And they threw him in Newala Qesaba." He said, "How do you know? Who told you?" I said, "The state told me." I said, "I saw his dead body on the television." He asked me, "Hasn't the state told you 'This is your deceased, come and take him." I said, "No, not until today." That day I told my son Mazlum, "I am going to go to Newala Qesaba. I will go there. And I will dig. Maybe I will find some bones. " And he told me, "Mom you can't go. Believe me, you cannot go. It is forbidden." What should I do? What should I say? They should be afraid of God. My eyes are now blind. I cannot walk. It has been almost 30 years. I am crying. We don't want to cry anymore. Enough crying. What else should I say?
Mahsum Korkmaz (Egît), a PKK member killed in the Gabar Mountains in 1986 is also known to be buried here and there are reports that at least 300 Kurds are buried in this area.
However, it was never possible to make clear the whole picture. Digging was carried out for the first time here on April 22, 1989, and the bones of eight people were found in only a few hours. The digging was stopped on the same day with the instruction of the governorship and no work was carried out since then.
However, over time, the river area was zoned for construction. Also made a dump area for a period, first, a double highway was built here. Then a building permit was issued for a wedding-ceremony hall.
As if this was not enough, a Police Academy was built in the area where people think mass graves are located.
And now villas are being built in the area where hundreds of Kurdish and Armenian people are buried without graveclothes.
A sign was placed for the new project. The project is undertaken by a company called "War Construction" (War Yapı). Sales continue in an office and it has been told that there are police officers, soldiers, and AKP members among those who applied in order to purchase.
Nearly a hundred villas are being constructed and nobody is being allowed to approach the site. Cameras have been installed at many points in the construction area next to the police station and the highway. It was reported that besides the cameras, people driving vehicles that are not official cars have been threatening the people who want to shoot pictures or videos.
Fethi Balaman from Mezopotamya Agency reported that they have been able to shoot images of the construction nevertheless and that there are vehicles belonging to the Siirt Municipality run by appointed trustees in the area constructing roads.
It was also reported that 8-floor apartments and a swimming pool are going to be constructed in the area next.
Objections to construction in the area
Objections were raised to the opening of the area as a construction area.
Lately, the bar association and many other professional associations and non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement on April 11, 2022, and objected to the construction work in the area.
On April 13, 2022, a delegation of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) including the group deputy chairperson Meral Danış- Beştaş, and MPs Hüda Kaya, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Garo Paylan, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Hişyar Özsoy, and Sıdık Taş went to Newala Qesaba and wanted to make examinations in the area, together with the representatives of non-governmental organizations of the city. The police stopped them from making any examinations and the delegation had to leave after speaking to the press. (EMK/PE)
Öcalan and the DEM Party delegation at İmralı prison on Feb 27.
Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), met with family members on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking a rare visit permitted at İmralı Island Prison. Three other prisoners held at the facility, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım, and Veysi Aktaş, were also allowed family visits.
The visits took place as part of the holiday visitation rights granted by prison authorities, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reported. Öcalan met with his nephew, Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MP Ömer Öcalan.
Family visits to Öcalan have long been restricted. Since 2014, he has been allowed to meet with relatives only seven times. The previous visit took place on Oct 23, following a 44-month period of total incommunicado detention. That visit, which involved Ömer Öcalan, came amid a broader political initiative launched by the ruling bloc in October to address the Kurdish issue.
The other inmates have also faced severe limitations. Konar and Aktaş, both transferred to İmralı in March 2015, have each had only four family visits to date, including this one. Yıldırım has had just three.
Lawyer access has similarly been restricted. Öcalan has had only five meetings with his legal team over the past 14 years, the last of which took place on Aug 7, 2019. Konar, Yıldırım, and Aktaş have not had any lawyer visits since being moved to İmralı.
On Mar 28, the Asrın Law Office, which represents Öcalan and the other prisoners, stated that 52 requests for family and lawyer visits had gone unanswered and called on the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to urgently visit the prison.
As part of ongoing political engagement, a DEM Party delegation visited İmralı three times, on Dec 28, Jan 22, and Feb 27, within the framework of efforts to find a democratic and peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue. After the third meeting, Öcalan issued a call for the PKK to lay down its arms after four decades of armed insurgency. (VK)
Mahir Polat, deputy secretary-general of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was transferred back to prison after undergoing angioplasty at a hospital. Polat had been remanded in custody along with 50 others, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
After experiencing health issues on Mar 27, Polat was taken to the hospital from Silivri Prison.
During earlier police and prosecutor questioning, Polat had described his health conditions and requested they be taken into consideration.
He said that he had undergone angiography two weeks prior to his detention and had six stents inserted. “In addition, two of my arteries are still blocked,” he said.
Polat added that a second angiography had been scheduled and that his treatment was ongoing, including a course of medication. “Because I had thyroid cancer, I regularly undergo PET scans to monitor for metastasis. I also live with sleep apnea and rely on a CPAP device. On top of that, I have hypertension and diabetes,” he told authorities.
Polat, who previously overcame thyroid cancer, is under regular cancer screening and suffers from hypertension and diabetes.
Background
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık, and nearly 100 others, were detained during early-morning police raids on Mar 19.
The detentions were part of two separate investigations. The first probe focuses on allegations of organized corruption involving municipal companies, including claims of rigged tenders, fraud, bribery, and unlawful acquisition of personal data. Prosecutors allege that İmamoğlu formed a “criminal organization for personal gain” during his time as mayor of Beylikdüzü, prior to his election as İstanbul mayor in 2019.
The prosecution claims that municipal subsidiaries were used in connection with these alleged offenses.
More than 90 individuals were detained in connection with this invstigation, including İmamoğlu's advisor and Medya Inc. executive Murat Ongun; his campaign manager Necati Özkan; Tuncay Yılmaz, general manager of İmamoğlu Construction; Metropolitan Municipality Secretary-General Can Akın Çağlar; İstanbul Planning Agency head Buğra Gökçe; Culture İstanbul Director Murat Abbas; İlbak Holding board chair Murat İlbak; and shareholder Mustafa İlbak.
The second investigation pertains to what prosecutors call a "terrorism" case tied to a political agreement, dubbed as "urban consensus" between İmamoğlu's Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party in the 2024 local elections.
As part of this probe, detention orders were issued for seven people, including İmamoğlu. Prosecutors allege that some municipal council members and deputy mayors appointed through the CHP quota had links to outlawed organizations, and that sympathizers were employed through İBB subsidiaries such as the İstanbul Planning Agency (İPA) and BİMTAŞ.
Mahir Polat, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, and Reform Institute Director Mehmet Ali Çalışkan were among those detained in this investigation.
Following four days in custody, İmamoğlu and others were referred to court on Mar 22. On the morning of Mar 23, the court ordered the arrest of 48 individuals, including İmamoğlu, Murat Çalık, Buğra Gökçe, and Murat Ongun, in connection with the corruption probe. An additional 44 people were released under judicial supervision.
In the terrorism-related file, the court rejected the prosecution’s request to detain İmamoğlu. However, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Deputy Secretary-General Mahir Polat, and Reform Institute Director Mehmet Ali Çalışkan were formally arrested on Mar 23 under the "terrorism" investigation. Şişli Deputy Mayor Ebru Öztürk, who was also sought in the case, was taken into custody on Mar 29.
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