It has been 9 years since the death of 17-year-old Rozerin Çukur, who was shot in the head on January 8, 2016 during the curfew imposed in 2015-2016 in Amed's (Diyarbakır) Sûr district and whose body was given to her family 5 months later. While the investigation into Rozerin Çukur's death was ruled “no prosecution”, applications to higher courts were also rejected.

 

'TERRORIST ORGANIZATION MEMBER' DEFENSE FROM THE MINISTRY

 

The Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed Branch Law Commission, which provides legal support to the Çukur family, applied to the Constitutional Court (AYM) on November 18, 2020 on the grounds of “violation of the right to life”. Upon this, the Constitutional Court requested an opinion from the Ministry of Justice on “violation of the right to life”. In its opinion given on December 12, 2022, the Ministry claimed that Rozerin Çukur was a “member of a terrorist organization”. In the intervening 5 years, the Constitutional Court has not issued a final decision on the application.  

 

The family's pain is as fresh as the first day as they continue their search for justice. Mother Fahriye Çukur spoke about what they have been through in 9 years and their struggle for justice.

 

Fahriye Çukur started her speech by smelling her daughter's school uniform and said, “My daughter was murdered while wearing her winter school uniform. This is the school uniform of the Republic of Turkey... Take a good look at this... My daughter was murdered while wearing this.”

 

Stating that Rozerin was her first child, Fahriye Çukur said that her daughter was loved by her friends and family. Fahriye Çukur stated that she used to take Rozerin, who had a heart condition, for treatment and said, “I used to take Rozerin to school and carry her backpack. There was a market near her school. Every time I went to the market, Rozerin would come out from behind me, call 'mom' and help me. She would take the bags from my hand, take them home and then run back to school. Now I don't go to that market because I know Rozerin won't follow me. All I have left of Rozerin is the picture of a donkey and a duck she drew on the wall of the neighborhood. After Rozerin, I was afraid to be a mother again. Rozerin and I grew up together.” 

 

HER VOID IS NOT FILLED 

 

Fahriye Çukur, who wrote her memoirs, said that her daughter loved reading books and writing poetry, “She wanted to be a psychologist. She used to say, ‘I will listen to all people's problems and find solutions’. I used to tell her that I was behind her no matter what she decided. She was also interested in taking photographs. She even received awards for the photographs she took,” said Fahriye Çukur and added, "I still miss my daughter and still put Rozerin's spoon on the table when I prepare the table. Whatever I buy, I also calculate for Rozerin. No one can understand my problem. I go to bed and call out, 'Daughter, come home,' but she doesn't come home.” 

 

Fahriye Çukur asked, “Why did they massacre our children, what was their sin?” and continued as follows: “They destroyed our houses, they left no stone unturned. They even demolished the walls of years and melted the earth. What was our crime? What did we do? They murdered our children by calling them 'terrorists'. They put us in the grave alive in this world. They didn't give us our bodies for a long time. When they did, they gave them to us in pieces. We could not even wash and shroud our children. We want this massacre to end and the bloodshed to stop. We did not plunder their land, they plundered our land. The world fell on us like a fire. For 1 month and 40 days we couldn't even leave our homes, we couldn't meet our needs. Children died in their mothers' wombs, old people were killed. May Allah not spare us.” 

 

MA / Heval Önkol