Unearthed human remains rise to 19 in southeast Turkey
DİYARBAKIR - Doğan News Agency
Minister Mehmet Mehdi Eker says the excavations continue layer-by-layer. AA Photo
The number of human skulls found in the vicinity of a former gendarmerie building in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır has increased to 19, the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehmet Mehdi Eker said yesterday.“The excavations continue layer-by-layer. To find out how long ago these skulls and bones were buried, we need to wait for the official analysis. As yet, we do not know if they belong to the recent history. What I have seen is lots of human bones were found in a confined space,” Eker said.
When reporters asked for Eker’s personal observations on the case he responded by saying, “It seems like they were not buried in accordance with religious procedures. It looks like they were all thrown into 4 or 5-square-meter graves. When the case becomes clearer, all the details will be made public.”
Diyarbakır Gov. Mustafa Toprak and some Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies also attended Eker’s visit to the site.
Archeologists had unearthed human skulls and bones Jan. 11 during restoration work of a building formerly used by the Gendarmerie Intelligence Anti-Terrorism Unit (JİTEM) in Diyarbakır. JİTEM is an intelligence unit of the gendarmerie which has never been officially recognized by the military. Six of the buildings in the area will be used as museums, Eker said.
