His family searching for his grave for 40 years: Where is Veysel Güney?

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40 years ago today, on June 10, 1981, Veysel Güney was executed in Antep Prison following the military coup on September 12, 1980.

The Revolutionary 78s Federation has released a statement in memory of Güney, whose deceased body was not given to his family.

Referring to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) as well, the statement has read, "We condemn all governments, especially the ruling AKP, which have made no efforts to find the grave of Veysel Güney."

The Federation has briefly stated the following:

'They have put us on trial'

"Veysel Güney, on June 10, 1981, was executed in Antep Prison upon the instruction of the fascist generals of September 12. It has turned out to be a wrongful execution, but there is no going back from execution.

"The main issue is that the deceased body of a revolutionary executed by the state was not given to his family. His family and friends have been searching for Veysel Güney's grave for 40 years.

"Taking the deceased body following the execution to give it to the family, captain Burhan Erdem buried him in an unknown place. This captain is still alive. He is getting a salary from the state. He is benefiting from military officers' clubs. His whereabouts are known.

"The applications to the Parliament and to the judiciary have remained inconclusive. We are still looking for Veysel.

"Upon the will of Veysel Güney, a memorial was set up in Malatya-Hekimhan-Davulku village. Every June 10, we meet at this memorial and express our demand that Veysel Güney's grave be found and his deceased body be given to his comrades and family. We have been unable to go there due to the pandemic in the last two years.

"Instead of giving the deceased body of a person who was entrusted to it and whom it executed to the family, the state has filed a lawsuit against the ones looking for the grave and expressing their demands to find it on charge of 'propagandizing for a terrorist organization.' The Federation and our Association members have been put on trial.

"An organization which does not give the body of a person that it killed to the family is called an organization of murder. We would like to remind you that Veysel's memorial is still awaiting his bones.

"Sentencing him to capital punishment based on no evidence at the second hearing, the military court's presiding judge Colonel Ahmet Arısüt and members of the court board Lieutenant Colonel Ayhan Ulusoy and First Lieutenant Güney Sert; and, issuing the indictment that led to Veysel's execution, prosecutor Caner Ersu committed a wilful murder.

"All military and civilian elements of September 12, primarily Kenan Evren, Gaziantep Martial Law Commander General Şahabettin Balkan and Captain Burhan Erdem, who received the body of Veysel with an official report, were responsible for the execution and disappearance of Veysel.

"We condemn all governments, especially the ruling AKP, which have made no efforts to find the grave of Veysel Güney." (AÖ/SD)