They kill my son in the front of our eyes ...

by Roni Alasor

Brussels, 3 July 2020 - Middle East Diplomatic - The 72 years old Mrs. Sultan Ugras is mother of seven children. She is from Kurdistan region in Turkey but she is not Kurdish. She belongs to a ethnical group called Mihallemis (Mihallemiler). Mihallemis have been living in Kurdistan since at the list beginning of the islamisation of Kurdistan and Mesopotamia.

Mrs Ugras known as Daika Siltan (Mother Sultan) by Kurds. She never forgot the tragic memories she has been trough in 25 years ago. They killed hers 20 years old son in the front of parent’s eyes. The memories she has, never going away. We met Daika Sultan in the front of Royal Theatre in Brussels where she use to demonstrate against brutal regimes in Turkey, Iran and Syria.

-In the summer, especially in July, it’s very difficult to sleep in Kurdistan region. Nusaybin-Mardin, Diyarbekir, Cizre and many other regions are more difficult. People use to sleep on the open roofs. It was late night in on 3th July 1995. Like most of people, we were also sleeping in the open roof of our house. Around midnight, our home has been surrounded by many a dozen of turkish security forces. They came with my 20 years old son Serdar. Just some days ago he came from turkish city Edirne where he was studying the university. Serdar was arrested. Turkish security forces were beating, torturing Serdar to accept that he has connection with Kurdish guerrilla fighter. He denied that he has any connections what he was accused for. Special forces were looking after weapons. They could not find anything. It was already early morning of 4th of July. They push him to lean against the wall of our neighbour and they executed him with 8 bullets. But police commissar Emrah shout to police-killers and said : He is not killed yet. Then with a final single shot to the head, they killed Serdar. But some months later, this commissar has been killed by Kurdish forces, saying Daika Sultan.

 From right to left : Sibel, Sabri, Sultan and Serdar

Two years later, she lost one other child, hers loved daughter Sibel was also killed by turkish security forces. Since that she wear a gold necklace, Sibel & Serdar.

Mrs Ugras and hers retired teacher husband Sabri Ugras have been active in the Kurdish legal political party HEP, DTP, DBP. She is still active for Kurdish movement and HDP since 2012. Ten years ago, she had to flee to Belgium to become a political refuge. During the Turkish referendum election on 30th March 2017, Mrs. Ugras has been attacked by Turkish-extremist-islamists near the  Turkish Embassy in Brussels where she has been wounded by several knife attacks. Her husband died 2019.

More can be read in a special report from Amnesty International: TURKEY: STUDENT KILLED IN EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTION (Index number: EUR 44/183/1996).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the 1990s several thousands of Kurds have been killed and over 4000 Kurdish villages have been burned or destroyed. Over 3 million Kurds have been forced to move to Turkey to be assimilate. Today between 3 and 4 million Kurds living solely in Istanbul, but there are also some millions of Kurds living in the other turkish cities especially in Izmir / Aegean sea cost. Most of the Kurdish children are under the turkish assimilation policy both in Kurdish region and in Turkish part of country because Kurdish children are deprived of learning their mother tongue.