İSTANBUL - Family of Nazım Tok who lost his life in a clash in Tatvan, have been looking for the bones of their son for 25 years. Her application for the DNA testing for the bodies buried underneath the Kilyos Cemetery has not been responded for 2 years.

 

Tok family, living in İstanbul have been looking for the bones of their son Nazım Tok who joined PKK and lost his life in a clash in 1995 since then. Mother Naile Tok (60) says she never lost her hope.

 

HER LIFE CHANGED

 

Nazım Tok who graduated from high school in Adana, started working as a contractor. Having met the PKK in 1992 when he went to his village to visit his family, Tok never returned to İstanbul again and joined PKK at the age of 20.

 

Mother Naile Tok said: "My son went to İstanbul when we came to Tatvan, but he told how beautiful our city was every time he visited. He never returned to İstanbul when he came visiting in 1992. He met the PKK members and could not break with them again. One day I saw that mu son has left. We haven't heard from him ever again. He did not speak Kurdish because he was raised in Adana but he was very attached to his roots.

 

THEIR VILLAGE WAS BURNED DOWN

 

The family whose village was burned down by the soliders in 1994, had to migrate to Van. They heard that their son was killed in a clash in 1995, which as they describe, was the worst day of their lives. The family who could not claim the body of their son despite all their efforts, had to migrate to İstanbul due to financial disfficulties.

 

The family who heard that there were 282 bodies exhumed from Garzan cemetery had been sent to İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institude (ATK) for DNA testing, acted as soon as they heard the news. Father Kazım Tok gave a blood sample for DNA testing, hoping it might match one of the people buried underneath the sidewalk in Kilyos Cemetery two years ago. The family still hasn't heard from the ATK yet.

 

WE STILL HAVE HOPE

 

Mother Naile Tok who recieved a death certificate stating that her son was killed in a clash, says she still has hope that her son might be alive today. Tok said: "They said he was dead, but we don't actually know what happened. We are still waiting for him. I have been crying for 25 years now."

 

IF ONLY WE HAD A GRAVE TO VISIT

 

Stating that all she wants is to find the bones of her son, Tok said: "I wish I could find his body. I wish I could have a grave to visit. I want the bones of my son. Not knowing tears you apart. I still have hope that maybe one day he might come back."

 

Stating that the Kurdish people and the mothers should stand side by side and struggle for peace, Tok said that only this kind of struggle could stop the blood from spilling.  

 

 

MA / İdris Sayılğan