Father and son killed by police fire commemorated in Kızıltepe on 9th anniversary of death

MARDİN – Doğan News Agency

Relatives, locals, representatives of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Kızıltepe's mayor and independent Mardin Deputy Ahmet Türk attended the event in Kızıltepe, Nov. 21. DHA photo

Ahmet Kaymaz and his 12-year-old son, Uğur Kaymaz, who were shot dead by police while walking along a local street in the southeastern Mardin province's populated Kızıltepe district nine years ago, were commemorated on Nov. 21 by relatives and members of civil society.
 
The event was also attended by the independent Mardin Deputy Ahmet Türk as well as his nephew and Kızıltepe's Mayor elected from the ranks of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Ferhan Türk.
 
The case, which happened at a time when the state of exceptions had been abolished after many years, caused great outrage, which led to the young boy becoming a symbol of the abuse of Turkish security forces in the southeast.
 
It has become known as the “13 bullets trial” as the 12-year-old was shot a total of 13 times by police.
 
“Kurds have been living under immense oppression for centuries. This oppression still continues today. However, Kurds have never surrendered to the state's oppresion,” Türk said during the event.
 
“One of our children, a 12-year-old, was killed by the state’s bullets. A similar oppression is pursued to silence the Kurds. But we are proud of our martyrs,” he added.
 
The investigation and trial concluded the victims were killed at a “clash during a security operation,”acquitting the security officers involved. The witnesses, however, gave a very different account, saying that the son was helping his father, a truck driver, to load his truck in front of their homes during an ordinary afternoon.