JINHA

ŞIRNEX – In the town of Silopi, Turkish state forces killed a 10-year-old boy named Mehmet Mete. Police then buried Mehmet secretly without consulting the family. Mehmet’s mother Gurbet said she never got the chance to embrace her child one last time.

For 37 days, Turkish state forces maintained a nonstop attack on neighborhoods in the town of Silopi. Among those killed in the attack was 10-year-old Mehmet Mete. Mehmet was in his home in the Karşıyaka neighborhood when artillery struck the house, wounding him. As Turkish state forces continued to block ambulance access to the neighborhood, Mehmet died of blood loss.

As the attacks continued, Mehmet’s family took his small body to the neighborhood mosque to put it on ice until the attacks abated enough to hold a funeral. That was when police raided the neighborhood and the mosque, taking Mehmet’s body with them as they retreated. State forces later buried the boy without notifying the family.

Mehmet’s twin sister Mercan Mete survived the attack by chance. She said that she and her brother were playing when they heard a large explosion. Both were hit by shrapnel.

“At first we didn’t know what was happening. Our mother came into the room and we saw that Mehmet’s head was hurt. My grandpa picked him up and took him away,” said Mercan.

Gurbet Mete said her son died of blood loss because Turkish state forces prevented the family from getting him to a hospital.

“Without telling us, they took his body away to [nearby provincial capital] Şırnak,” said Gurbet. “Then they called us and said, ‘come, we’re burying your kid.’ They had surrounded us with armored vehicles and tanks. That was how they buried my son.

“The people who killed my son are my enemies. And my son was buried in a grave dug by my enemies,” said Gurbet. She said that she would never forget her son or the people who killed him, and would continue to resist.

(ekip/gc/cm)