Editorial of February 2000


 

"Wolves, birds, deer, show me the way, let me and my son be reunited…" Elif Tekin


"My name was Dunguz Tekin, Ferhat Tepe, Hasan Ocak. I have been kidnapped and tortured and they killed me at least. For me, it was ended. But how could it be ended for my people who waited and are still waiting ? Anywhere in the world death gives us eternity ; only in our country, survivors bear it and their mournings never stop. Because we are not dead : we have just disappeared one day. And since, our pictures look at you."

There are three faces on the picture of Boran. Low, there is a young man's picture. It is half-cutted we're just seeing his forehead and his eyes. These eyes are looking at us, as all the pictures that we had seen on Istiklal avenue in Istanbul. Above, there is a woman's face, half-cutted too, and we just see her eyes. She holds his picture's son, like the disappeared's families held their missing's pictures with th words : "Neredesiniz ? " Where are they ?

And at the upper part of the picture, a blindfolded young man's face. His checks are tumefyed, his lips are swelled. Here is Dunguz Tekin, as shows to us the camera of Huseyin Karabey, as his family could never see him after his rapt, as his tormentors had seen him before he was shot. And the Dunguz Tekin and his mother Elif Tekin 's stories is the reconstructed story of all these faces, mute and blind, so unforgettable and so heavy for suvivors.

My name was Dunguz Tekin, Ferhat Tepe, Hasan Ocak. One day, we have disappeared one day and since our missing bodies haunt the world. No one amongst you will be in mourning. How could you ? Who burried us ? How could you weep for such uncertain dead and be comforted at least ? We lie heavy on you, on our relatives, and will lie heavy a long time on that country, we are opened holes among our people. They exhibit our portraits in the town, and these portraits are the only things we let from us, they show them, they relate them, and from the moment when men sprang from their cars and threw us on the back siege, we were only these pictures that Istanbul will surprisingly watch "Who are we ? What have we done ?"

When they began to beat us, we died already even if we quite ignored it, and our people will never be sure."

Dunguz Tekin, Ferhat Tepe, Hasan Ocak… The first Saturday of every month we could see your portraits and your names and wonder : "Neredesiniz ?". Since one year it is not allowed. Military cars and policemen replace you front of the black and golden gates of the Galata Saray school. And darkness cover you a second time.

 

Sandrine Alexie


Summary