Crisis Desk: Death toll of Cizre massacre reaches 145

The Crisis Desk formed by DBP, MEYA-DER and Mesopotamia Lawyers’ Association (MHD) for the purpose of identifying the casualties of Cizre massacre held a press conference in DBP Headquarters in Amed. MEYA-DER Amed Branch Co-President Ayşe Dicle spoke on behalf of the crisis desk and announced that the number of casualties, who were sent to Mardin, Urfa, Şırnak, Silopi and Antep for autopsy purposes, reached 145. Dicle noted that some of massacred civilians’ family members could not yet give their DNA samples due to the on-going state of emergency in Cizre.

‘AKP AIMS TO HIDE THE MASSACRE’

Dicle emphasized that Mardin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was trying to bury the bodies before the autopsy reports were prepared, with the excuse that the bodies were not suitable for identification. Dicle stated that this attempt was aiming to hide the Cizre massacre and pave way for future massacres. Dicle recalled that the autopsy reports of people who were killed during Ankara massacre were prepared in one day, but Erdoğan and the AKP government were trying to hide massacre through delaying the process of DNA confirmation.

MEYA-DER Amed Co-President emphasized that Erdoğan and the AKP government would be crushed under the weight of the massacre they carried out, and invited everyone to end the on-going silence and take a stance against the massacres of the Turkish state.

‘200 FAMILIES APPLIED’

Dicle stated that nearly 200 families applied to the crisis desk regarding the bodies, and the massacre was graver than originally thought. MEYA-DER Amed Co-President noted that DNA samples from the bodies were obtained in Mardin and Silopi, and renewed her call for applications for DNA sampling to the families of the massacre people.

DATA ON THE MASSACRE

Below is the current data obtained from the Crisis Desk:

* From among the 17 bodies autopsied in Mardin, 3 were sent to Cizre, one to Gercüş in Batman, and one to Nusaybin.

* From among the 28 bodies autopsied in Urfa, the body of Mesut Karşin was sent to Van, the body of Fehmi Fekah Dinç was sent to Batman, and the body of Sultan Irmak was sent to Silvan.

* The 13 bodies in Şırnak are still being autopsied.

* From among the 51 bodies in Silopi, the body of Abdulselam Turgut was sent to Van, and the body of Murat Kazıcı was sent to Viranşehir.

* Some of the bodies are impossible to identify, and doctors and lawyers were prevented from entering the autopsy room.

* 25 bodies in Urfa, 49 bodies in Silopi, 13 bodies in Şırnak, 12 bodies in Mardin, 16 bodies in Cizle and 20 bodies in Antep await autopsy procedures. As of today, the death toll reached 145.