FATMA KOÇAK / HAŞİM ABAK

MARDİN / ISPARTA (DİHA) – After being raped by a soldier and village guards, Ş.A. committed suicide and her family left their own lands with this agony carried 14 years. Family will make denouncement about the soldier and village guards that one of them is currently a member of AKP town council.

Ş.A’s life story is one of painful stories in the Region. It took 14 years to speak out about it because of fear, shame and heavy oppressions on Kurdish people. Being exposed to considerable risk cannot be belittled by some one who lives in the Region where army and village guards’ violence and terror were freely traveling around.

This story makes it clearer how powerful of the oppressions and intimidations on the people who were living in the Region.

Ş.A. and her grandfather Mecit Aydın together had been taken into custody following soldiers’ house raid in Mardin. Allegedly Ş.A. was raped by a soldier and village guards before her grandfather’ very eyes. She committed suicide at very day of following her being released. Then Aydın family moved to Isparta. Aydın Family have carried this excruciatingly painful secret since than, for 14 years.

Being raped is shameful for women so they have had really hard time to speak up about it. Since works on this case are getting increase, more cases about the rapes were being uncovered.

'Here is the Ş.A.’s story;

A captured guerilla from PKK’s army ARGK, gave the name of Faris Aydın and soldiers and village guards raided on his house on September 19, 1995. Security forces took Faris Aydın’s father Mecit Aydın and Ş.A. who is Mecit Aydın’s daughter-in-law into custody when he wasn’t found. Ş.A had been raped again and again before his own eyes by a soldier and some village guards according to the allegation of Mecit Aydın. Rape and brutal torture lasted along a week when she had been kept in custody. Following being released she locked herself in the house. Her body had been found as hanged a day later. Following her committing suicide her father-in-law, Mecit Aydın, also committed suicide by hanging him self. And then left of Aydın Family had to move out from Midyat a district of Mardin. A part of family relocated in Diyarbakır while others in Isparta.

Father and son suffer for years

Faris Aydın, who moved to Isparta, received psychological treatment for long time to overcome the pain of his daughter-in-law and father. He thought in passed 14 years that he was the responsible because of his beloved people’s death since soldiers and village guards came to take him instead of them. He thought the soldiers and guards had taken his relatives as hostage to force him for giving himself up.

His son, husband of Ş.A. also has never come back to Midyat after this incident.

'I cannot take this anymore’

The soldier and guards got away with and I cannot carry this secret and pain anymore said Faris Aydın and went on saying; this is too much too carry for me. I want everyone to know my family’s situation and guilty people to be tried and punished. I will make denouncement about 15 village guards and soldier who were on duty at that time. My family was fall apart fallowing this case. Some body has to be paid back. This crime against humanity and some one has to be tried even we are belated to speak up.

More agony for Families

There is more agony fallowing Ş.A. and witness of rape Mecit Aydın's committing suiciede. Ş.A.’s father had hard attack after he learned what happened with her daughter. M.E., Mother of Ş.A. speaks: My husband died just after my daughter’s suicide. She had explained everything to me and gave me some of guards’ name. They are still on duty in Midyat. I couldn’t discharge my duty. I feel responsible and guilty about it since I couldn’t help my daughter.

This was not the first crime of the guards

According to allegations this was not the first crime of the guards. Particularly Yusuf Taş (as known blind Yusuf), Kadri Dağ, Nedim Yusuf Neso and one more guard as known

Feyzi Boti who is from Şırnak, were well known rapist guards. And Nedim Yusuf Neso is currently a member of council from AKP and also chief guard.

Feyzi Boti was also chief guard who shot by a man who was husband an abused woman by Feyzi Boti. Boti also was on agenda of Midyat 7 months ago for abusing another woman by breaking her house.

Sexual torture used as a method of war

Attorney from Legal Assist Office against Sexual Abuse and Rape in Custody, Eren Keskin, particularly pointed out that sexual torture was employed by security forces as a method in the fight;

“Generally women, who shamed and feared because of dominated male and feudal values, intended not to share their pain. That is why the crimes committed against women during the conflict in the region have been never uncovered. There is no conviction has been given for accused rapists who are from official departments. Being uncovered after 14 years, case of Ş.A., shows us tragic situation in the region. We believe in there are a lot of these kinds of cases in the region. Though, firstly we are going to do everything what ever it takes to exercise justice for women.

(gü)