A delegation of families and representatives of civil society organisations set off for the Federated Kurdistan Region to take the bodies of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were killed by Turkey's UCAV attack.

 

The delegation, including Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) Mêrdîn (Mardin) MP Kamuran Tanhan, Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), representatives of civil society organisations and families, has been kept waiting at the Habur Border Gate in Silopi district of Şirnex (Şırnak) since 6 January. After 3 days of waiting, the delegation left the border with a statement and travelled to Silopi district.

 

'WE ARE KEPT WAITING AGAINST THE LAW'

 

DEM Party Mêrdîn MP Kamuran Tarhan, who made a statement on behalf of the delegation at the border, stated that they had been kept waiting for 3 days under different pretexts and said "For 3 days we have been confronted with an understanding and approach that tramples on human values at the Habur Border Gate. Unfortunately, all the attempts we have made both in the parliament and here have been fruitless. Maybe it will be a first in the history of the Republic, but we are faced with a situation where a citizen is not allowed into the country. Although we were informed that there was no problem in receiving the bodies and that the necessary facilities would be provided, we have been kept waiting at the Habur Border Gate since Monday with an unlawful decision."

 

'THE BODIES HAVE BEEN KEPT WAITING FOR 20 DAYS'

 

Stating that they will protest the situation with a press statement in Silopiya Tarhan said, "Today, at this time of the night, we will leave the Habur Border Gate and make a press statement in Silopi tomorrow at 2 o'clock. We want all public opinion to use their right to protest against this decision, which is their legal right on legal grounds. The bodies are being kept in the morgue. And they have been kept waiting for 20 days. In a 20-day diplomacy process, no progress has been made. We will leave the Habur Border Gate tonight in order to prevent further torture to the bodies, to prevent further torture to the families. We invite all our people to the democratic and legal protest we will organise tomorrow."

 

'THEY DID NOT FULFILL THEIR PROMISES'

 

Nazım Daştan's father Mehmet Ali Daştan also reacted to the situation and said that they will continue their struggle. Daştan said, "We have been here for 3 days. Our children were journalists, they were slaughtered in the line of duty. We do not accept this massacre. For 3 days we have been waiting here to pick up the bodies. What we want is to get the bodies. They deceive us by saying 'there is no system'. We do not accept this. We want the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior to fulfill their promises to us. The Minister of Justice himself told our party, 'go and get the bodies'. We came here in line with their promises, but they have kept us waiting here for 3 days."

 

Tomorrow, NGOs, DEM Party, DBP, DFG and MKG will protest against this practice with a mass statement in Silopi.