The heroic resistance of Altınoluk (Gera Cafer) village, wherein 15 residents of it were martyred by PKK bullets, in Mardin province against PKK’s persecution and brutality is still remembered.
Talking about the PKK’s massacres and brutality, relatives of the victims in Gera Cafer cannot forget those painful days.
Located on rocky mountains, Gera Cafer first met with armed PKK militia in 1991. The residents of the village were rounded in the middle of the village and they were dictated that; ‘you have to pay PKK dues regularly, each family has to give one of their children to PKK and you have to vote for SHP/HEP.’ Over these words, Mehmet Uğurtay stood up and said to them that: “who are you? Are you thugs? We will not pay you anything nor we will vote for your party.” After that speech, PKK’s persecution was turned up over the village. Mehmet Uğurtay was kidnapped several times and he was attacked many times and he survived these attacks wounded.
“Scholars refused to make PKK propaganda executed by shooting”
Targeting Imams and scholars, PKK executed Mullah Ramazan in the mosque’s yard, who was working as an imam in Zewuke Village near Gera Cafer, over refusing to make PKK propaganda. The slain of mullah Ramazan under heavy torture made villagers indignant with PKK brutality.
“Bloody ambush: 5 martyrs 10 wounded”
Laying an ambush coming from camps in the mountains, PKK militants attacked villagers commuting their village with heavy weapons. Laying a bloody ambush by hiding in a sheep herd, PKK killed Beşir Tokdemir, Mahmut Kaya, Hasan Orhan and Ramazan Orhan.
“Land mines planted on the village road”
In 1995, 15 years old Ali Tokdemir, one of the students of village madrassah, got ill and he was taken to the hospital with a tractor. Hearing about this situation, PKK militants planted land mines on the village road. In this attack, Beşir Ulaş, Selim Orhan and 15 years old Ali Tokdemir killed. Nusrettin Çiçek, a high school student in Batman province, was kidnapped by PKK while he was returning to his village and no news received from him since then.
“We have 15 martyrs; we can sacrifice more if it is necessary for Allah”
Hacı Ekrem Çiçek, who is the witness of all pains caused by PKK’s oppression, said that along with Mehmet Salih kaya, they had 15 martyrs in their village. Çiçek: “All these martyrs gave their lives in the way of Allah and His messenger. They didn’t die for any worldly wealth. Their blood was shed for Allah, prophet, and Islam. They didn’t bear any enmity against anyone. PKK forced its ideology down us and our martyrs’ throats. Yet, we said to them that ‘we will not surrender your brutality if it is necessary we will move from here but we won’t bow our heads.’ But they replied to us that ‘you cannot get out of our hands wherever you go. But if you leave your religion then we will not pursue you.”
“They didn’t let us even take grains to the mill”
Being a close friend of martyrs’ and bear all those though years, Çiçek kept going on saying: “I had all my life with martyrs Hacı Mehmet, Hacı Süleyman and Mullah Abdurahman. They put an embargo on us. They didn’t even let us take our grain to the mill. Nobody even said hello. Even our friends began to bear hostility against us. People asked us ‘why are you different?’ we said to them that we had no difference from them. Then they started to martyr us. One day in 1991, a man from PKK came to Martyr Hacı Mehmet and said PKK wants to see you. I accompanied him so as not to leave him alone. To the guy we met, Hacı Mehmet asked ‘what do you want from us? ‘The PKK militant said him ‘you bear separatism among us. You carry an Islamic ideology and spread your ideology and we cannot find more supporters here. That’s why we don’t accept you. If you keep going on your path, we will kill you all.”
“You assert that girls’ participation in our ranks is forbidden in Islam”
Expressing that they only convey the message of Islam to everybody, Hacı Ekrem Çiçek said: “Then Mullah Abdurrahman also got involved in the conversation. When PKK militant asked him ‘where are you working as an Imam?’ he responded that he was working in a neighboring village and telling people the religion of Allah and His prophet. The PKK militant said him ‘you assert that girls’ participation in our ranks is forbidden in Islam. Is that true?’ Mullah Abdurahman said’ I don’t but Allah and His prophet say this. How can I allow something forbidden by Allah?’ the conversation went on more for a while then we decided to go. PKK militants asked for our ID cards. Then, they marked the Hacı Mehmet’s ID card with a red highlighter. That day Mullah Abdurahman was martyred and Hacı Mehmet got wounded. These people sacrificed their lives in the way of Allah. They had no any evil intention in their hearts.”
PKK laid an ambush on the village road
Telling us about those dark days, Hacı Mehmet Çiçek said: “One day we were walking with martyrs Hasan, Hüseyin and Beşir. Beşir asked me what is going on in the village. I said him that it was fine. Then I left them and reminded them to be careful. PKK heard about them and laid an ambush on the road where they were going to a neighboring village. When our friends came on that point, PKK militants opened fire and clashed with them. As a result of this attack, these three friends of ours were martyred. There were no many people in the village since it was fieldwork time. So we heard about the incident very late after midnight. May Allah’s mercy be upon our martyrs.”
“PKK raided the village with 1500 armed militants”
Saying that all those people’s goal was to earn God’s pleasure and forbid what is wrong enjoined by Allah, Hacı Mehmet Çiçek said: “This attitude never served PKK’s aims and they came here and martyred our friends. They martyred our friend Mahmut at the entrance of the village. That day nearly 1500 PKK militants raided the village. At least 50 militants attacked at each of our trenches. The clash went on till the dawn. During the clash, PKK set the village surroundings on fire. Feeling uneasy about the situation, our friends chanted Salawats. Hearing these Salavats, some PKK militants shouted at our friends saying ‘where is your God? Call him to save you if He can. You either surrender now or you are all going to be killed.’ Our life has passed in this fight against them. Those who lost their lives became martyrs in the cause of Allah but for nothing else. Their way was Allah and His prophet’s cause. May Allah put us among those who pursue His path.”