The name of the bloody history: Hizbullah
Prepared by:
NEVZAT AYDIN
Kurdish Observer/Ozgur Politika
January 22-29, 2000

First, the abduction of businessmen in Istanbul and then, the clash occurred
in Beykoz district of Istanbul brought Hizbullah organization, which is
known by the Kurds for years, to Turkey's agenda. The shootout in Beykoz
marked the first time Hizbullah and Turkish security forces have traded
fire. Surely, Hizbullah put its signature on hundreds, even thousands of
armed actions but never had any clash with the state forces since the
beginning of its foundation. Hizbullah carried several question marks
together due to both this aspect and its anti-PKK armed campaigns, which
they massacred the moderate Kurds, including intellectuals, tradesmen, imam
(prayer leaders), politicians and the members of other religions from the
every part of the society in Kurdistan. Not taking any action against the
Hizbullah until the end of 1997, Turkish state started its 'arrest
operations' against the 'hit-men' of the organization specifically in
Diyarbakir, Sirnak and Batman after this date. The arrest operations
accelerated in the last year. In the operations organized by Diyarbakir
Police Headquarters, approximately 1000 people were taken into custody for
being responsible of killing 163 people, injuring 102, taking money by
force, and setting fire. Later, 400 of them were arrested. It was claimed
that the computer discs containing the information about Hizbullah were
obtained in the operations carried out in June. The representatives of
police and gendarme in the State of Emergency Rule (OHAL) and surrounding
provinces, which are not officially under OHAL but its practices are also
being implemented, held a 'Hizbullah summit' on December 20 1999 while the
arrests were being continued time to time.

It is being evaluated that state took a further step in its attitude, which
was changed towards Hizbullah since 1998, and turned into 'liquidation
operations' by killing the leader of the organization Huseyin Velioglu in
the operation in Beykoz and capturing the leaders of the armed wing of the
organization, Edip Gumus and Cemal Tutar. Certainly, in the upcoming days
the reality will become clear. But, specifically the Kurds will remember
Hizbullah with its bloody murders, question marks and dark sides.

The name Hizbullah, which means the "party of God' or 'follower of God' in
Arabic, was heard first time in Lebanon at the end of the years of 1970. The
organization, which was established by Shiaa rooted radical Islamists in
primarily Bekaa Valley and many other centers to carry out an armed struggle
based on Islamic doctrine, became very well known in the whole world in a
short time with their 'suicidal and Katyusha rocket attacks' in order to get
back the holy Palestine lands under the occupation of Israel. Later, several
organizations, which also called themselves as Hizbullah, were established
in several Muslim countries, but their ties with each other could not go
beyond the speculations.

Several groups in Turkey also used the name, Hizbullah. And the name was
recorded in the official documents first time with the several robberies,
kidnappings and seizures occurred in Istanbul between 1983 and 1984. The
activities of the organization in Istanbul continued in the framework of
"Yeryuzu" magazine, which is controlled by a former follower of the
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Burhan Kavuncu. According to the
intelligence reports, the organization did not carry out any further
activity.

According to the official reports, Huseyin Velioglu, who is registered to
Hiro (Bagozu) village of Gercus district in Batman province founded
Hizbullah in Diyarbakir in 1987 and the organization carried out hundreds of
bloody murders in Kurdistan. Velioglu, who was involved with several
organizations like, "Muslim Brothers' and "Idealist and Raider Youth" while
he was a student in the School of Political Science at Ankara University and
who was also active in "National Turkish Student Association" before 1980,
organized Hizbullah in the framework of 'Science Bookstore' he opened in
Diyarbakir. Sevket Boru, who is from Bingol province and formerly was a
seller of liver and lungs (of animals) and Haci Beyancik, who was an
independent mayor candidate in the election of 1984, were carried out the
activities of the organization. Surely, the organization of Hizbullah, which
emerged at the same time when the PKK launched "Serhildan" (popular
uprising), a very important stage in the PKK's war, is not simple as it is
described in the official reports.

A few murders everyday

On one hand Hizbullah was trying to be organized, on the other hand it
started its bloody murders. Nusaybin, Idil, Mazidagi, Diyarbakir, Mardin,
Kiziltepe, Silvan, Ceylanpinari, Viransehir, Cizre and later Van, Urfa, and
Antep were constituted main lines on its murder map.

Hizbullah killed Mikail Bayro, who was an Assyrian and loved by the people,
on December 3, 1991 in Idil district of Sirnak. Mikail Bayro had been chosen
as a target consciously to create a conflict between the Assyrians and the
Kurds. But the murder got big reaction from the people. Hizbullah engaged a
real 'fear-terror' policy and consequently, targeted the students, teachers,
religious functionaries, intellectuals, tradesmen and unemployed people,
briefly, they targeted everybody. Abdulsamet Cetin, a student at Dicle
University killed on January 12 1992, Huseyin Pamukcu, a Yezidi Kurd and
elected headman of Feqiran village killed on January 24, and M. Nuri Ekinci,
a high school student in Batman killed on February 11, became a few names of
those killed by Hizbullah.

Specifically Batman started to be mentioned as the city of 'unknown
perpetrators' among the people due to the murders of Hizbullah. The members
of the organizations, who use Macarov, Checkvizor and Tacarov type
revolvers, were approaching their targets from the back at either early
morning or just nightfall and shooting at their heads and then running away
rapidly from the scene. Mostly, the ordinary people were chosen as target
while the well-known people were also targeted time to time. This situation
had created a panic on everybody for 'being a target of Hizbullah". This was
the real goal of the organization. While the axes were used in the attacks
against the students, if the death decision was not taken for the target,
then the victim was being beaten by sticks with chains and injured
seriously. The attacks with axes were mostly happening in Diyarbakir.
Rarely, the hit men were using silencer and mask in their murders. Giving
damages to the target's work places became the main actions of the
organization. Only in Silvan more than 10 work places, like restaurant,
small shop, furniture store, tailor shop, etc., were set on fire.

Police protection to hit men

Many incidents were showing the ties between the Hizbullah and the state
besides Hizbullah's appearance and its direct involvement in the conflicts
against the PKK. The one of the most striking examples of the
state-Hizbullah relations was happened on April 1992 in Silvan. Fikri
Bayram, well-known hit man of the organization, murdered a tradesman, Menaf
Simsek at his shop. The father Izzet Simsek, who was at the shop during the
incident, fired on attacker. Over noises, the people chased the attacker and
caught him. The police rescued Bayram, who was wearing bulletproof
waistcoat, and took him into custody. Bayram was treated in Diyarbakir
Military Hospital and released one week later. Many incidents like this
happened especially in Diyarbakir. Usually, the police was detaining the
attackers caught by the people and couple days later the same person was
being seen while he was walking freely. Another striking example of this
relation was that the special team members attended the funeral ceremony of
Hizbullah member Zeki Demir, who was punished by the PKK on January 21 1992
in Cizre, and swore to take his revenge. Another example was that Cemal
Sonuk who left Hizbullah, was killed in 1992 and tried to be shown as the
PKK member.

PKK strengthened Hizbullah emerged

1990-1991 were the years that the PKK had big effect on the people primarily
in Sirnak, Mardin, Diyarbakir and Batman, and was able to organize mass
protests, to close up shops and etc. everyday. Hizbullah were launched its
armed attacks at the same time and especially in these provinces where the
PKK was effective. The general opinion of the Kurdish public about the
organization, which it started to be known as Hizbullah, was a
state-sponsored organization and founded in order to break the PKK's
efficiency.

Kiziltepe district of Mardin province was the first one of the places where
Hizbullah was organized. In the spring of 1991, this small district of
Mardin was stirred up with the rumors that 'Pan-Islamist militants were
being trained' in some houses. Several BMW, Mercedes brand cars with Yozgat,
Zonguldak, Trabzon, Urfa, Izmir and Aydin licenses started to be seen
frequently in the district alongside these rumors. The resource of the
rumors became clear after a short time. Two Koran courses started to give
education to the students, 3-4 of whom were 'middle school' students from
Kiziltepe and majority of whom were from Elazig, in Yenimahalle and Bilali
counties.

State-sponsored Hizbullah education

It was noticeable that special team members were standing guard on the roofs
of two buildings where the training of Hizbullah was engaged. The activities
in Kiziltepe spread to the work places, schools and the houses protected by
the police and then, to the mosques in a short time. Later, the written
statements signed as "Yekitiya Olderên Welatparêzên - Patriotic Religious
Union of Kurdistan" distributed to the offices and houses were pointing out
the target of the activities. It was said in the statements, "Patriotic
imams (prayer leaders), join the struggle against the PKK. Do not be afraid!
Explain the lies of Apo about independence and freedom in your sermons in
the mosques."

While these developments were happening in Kiziltepe in those days, the
meetings were also being organized in the mosques and the poor neighborhoods
on the outskirts of the cities as well as in many stationers named as
'science', 'schools' etc., in Diyarbakir and Batman. In those meetings, on
behalf of Hizbullah which type of attitude should be taken against the PKK
was being discussed.

In the news published on the February 16th issue of "2000'e Dogru" (Towards
2000) based on the witnesses and Hizbullah sympathizers, it was said that
the members of organizations were trained seriously in Diyarbakir
Headquarters of Mobile Forces. A watchman working in the police headquarters
was saying that some bearded people with unique shalwars (very baggy
trousers) were entering the Mobile Forces' building between 11:00 p.m. and
1:00 a.m. and meeting for hours. Two days after the publication of issue,
the correspondent Halit Gungen, who prepared the news, became a victim of an
'unsolved murder'.

Relation with the state splits Hizbullah

Hizbullah never openly denied its relation with the state. However, both its
ties with the state and its merciless attacks against the Kurdish patriots
caused organization to be called as 'Hizb-i Contra' among the people and to
split into two groups, named as Ilimciler (The Scientists) and Menzilciler
(The Rangers) in 1993. Approximately 400 people were killed during this
intra-organizational conflict..

While the Rangers group leaded by Mele Mansur Guzelsoy was defending to
reach the goal by communication, the Scientists group controlled by Huseyin
Velioglu insisted on continuing on the old methods. The group Rangers
started to give theoretical education to its members. The danger of having
ties with the state was taught in the training and the group started to take
action against the Scientists.

Scientists-Rangers Clashes

The members of Scientists injured a member of the Rangers in August of 1993
and this caused clashes to happen between two groups. The Rangers
distributed a statement entitled "to Our Muslim People" in Diyarbakir in
September of the same year. Referring the Hizbullah leaded by Huseyin
Velioglu, it was said in the statement, "They are not Hizbullah, they are
"Hizbul-Oppression". They killed hundreds of Muslims with axes, sticks and
guns for four years. They oppressed the Muslims. 'Hizbul-Oppression' is
under the protection of dark forces." Hizbullah killed approximately 30
members of the Rangers until November 1994. It was noticeable that the
police also started the 'arrest operations' against the Rangers in Batman
and Diyarbakir at the same time. Police was defining Scientists as 'good
Muslims' and the Rangers as 'dangerous Muslims'. An attack with Kalashnikovs
was organized to the one of the leaders of the Rangers, Fidan Gungor in
September of 1994. Gungor left the province after this attack, in which five
people were killed. It is being estimated that at least 300 people were
killed in the clashes, which also continued time to time in 1999 between
Range and Science groups.

Kayali: Hizbullah was tolerated

State-Hizbullah relation became a current issue frequently in the later
years. The former governor of Diyarbakir, Nafiz Kayali was indirectly
accepting the ties between the state and Hizbullah in a statement given
before April 18 elections. In the news published by Tugba Bayramoglu
signature in Radical newspaper on April 6 1999, Kayali was explaining the
state's approach to Hizbullah in the past as follows: "At the beginnings,
the birth of Hizbullah was an element to balance the PKK. Therefore, it was
tolerated. PKK marginalized but Hizbullah is continuing on its organizing
efforts. If the necessary measures would not be taken, it could create
problems in the future." In fact, the governor's statement, which said that
it should not be given permission to the HADEP to win in upcoming elections,
and his open support for the candidate of Virtue Party, Ahmet Bilgin in the
same news were showing that the tolerance shown to Hizbullah was still
continuing on even though it was in different form.

Torture under the mosque

The reality of the Hizb-i Contra shelters became clearer after this event.
The biggest one of these shelters, which the inhabitants of Diyarbakir and
Batman talked about for years, was discovered in Susa (Yolac) village of
Silvan in 1997. The village Susa became a main base for Hizbi-i Contra since
1992 and the soldiers expatriated its inhabitants, who were not the members
of the organization in 1995. This village was becoming a current issue
frequently with the graveyard so-called 'cemetery for the martyrs', which
was built for the dead members of the organization, and the collective
visits of the Hizbullah supporters to this cemetery. The migrated villagers
were allowed to return back in 1997 with a condition that they had to become
village guards.

The militants of Hizb-i Contra murdered Halis Guneyli, a contractor from
Susa village, in July 1997. This caused a tension between the village guards
and the members of organizations. 20 people from the village were taken into
custody for the murder of Guneyli. A clash occurred between these people,
who wanted to return back to the village after their interrogation at the
JITEM, and the village guards, who are the relatives of Guneyli, at entrance
of the village. One person died and approximately 30 people were injured in
that clash. The members of Hizb-i Contra had to leave the village after a
short time from this incident. Many shelters built by the members of
organization under the mosque of the village were 'discovered'. Whether or
not there were bodies in those shelters, which several tools used in torture
and the blood stained clothes were found, is still being discussed. But, it
is estimated that the lives of twenty disappeared people in Batman ended in
the fear shelters of Hizb-i Contra in Susa or in other places.

"Hizbullah is not against the state"

Director of Police Headquarters prepared a 71-page report about the
organization in the mid-1992 due to the allegations that Hizb-i Contra had
ties with the state and the state was using the organization against the PKK
to break its efficiency. The some statements in the report were virtually
confessing those ties between the police and Hizb-i Contra although that
report was prepared to prove that those allegations were wrong. The report
prepared by Halil Tug, the chairman of the Intelligence Unit, containing a
preface written by Yilmaz Ergun, term president of the General Police
Headquarters, was specifically underlining that the organization was not
against the state and its indivisibility. The report was describing the
conflict between the PKK and Hizb-i Contra as a 'mandatory' and describing
with the following statements: "...The PKK, which murders the Muslims,
cooperates with the Armenians, serves the communism, and aims to divide the
Muslim community, is seen by the Hizbullah circles as an enemy that should
be fought with and even to be destroyed." The Hizb-i Contra-state relations
were being denied in the report with the classical state expressions:
"Turkey's esteem wanted to be damaged in internal and external public
opinion by creating an illusion that the state organized and supported the
Hizbullah, claiming that the state used extrajudicial ways and killings in
the fight against the PKK."

Is Hizbullah Pan-Kurdist?

The official circles had brought the allegations of "the PKK-Hizbullah
relations" and "Pan-Kurdist Hizbullah" to the agenda in 1995 due to the
frequent claims emphasizing the state-Hizbullah relations. While these
allegations started to be stated openly in the last two years. Some
'intelligence reports' with unknown origins, trying to prove the
PKK-Hizbullah relations, started to take place in the newspapers. The
allegations about Hizbullah being "Kurd" and "Pan Kurdist" were also
published in the newspapers after the last clash occurred in Beykoz. But it
is very well known fact that there is no alliance between the PKK and Hizb-i
Contra despite the statements and claims of state officials. It is estimated
that these allegations based on the relations between the PKK and the
Soresger-Revolutionary Hizbullah leaded by Ethem Barzani in southern
Kurdistan or the ERNK receipts found in the Hizb-i Contra shelter in the
region were not found seriously even by its owners.

The members of Hizb-i Contra used the expressions, which can be called as a
kind of "Kurd-Islam synthesis", specifically in the last years to gain
sympathizers due to the high Kurdishness conscience of the people in the
region. Because the organization knew that it would not be able to gain
sympathizers or survive in the region by continuing on an anti-Kurd policy.
The basic principle of organization policy was depending on the Shari'a
(Islamic Law).

Outline of the Organization

Hizbullah was also famous with its secrecy. It does not have any official
publication. It was said in the books and brochures read by its members for
education purpose that the preeminence on the earth was belong to God and it
was necessary to establish a state based on Islamic laws in order to rule
over the system determined by Koran, the hadiths and the consensus of
religious authorities. The organization has been carrying out its activities
by two leaderships, political and military. Jihad and Notification methods
were used for the targets and the organization accepted that the
notification was the first step. Notification also means to organize the
people besides the invitation of polytheists to the religion. On the other
hand, Jihad is being defined as the violence (war) used against those
defined as 'untrue' and ' infidel'. The performance, interrogation and
execution units have been carrying out the Jihad.

If the target does not accept the notification, the interrogation units were
questioning the target about 'why the notification was not accepted." One of
three methods is applied to the interrogated target. The target is released
after either warning or getting tax from him, or the target is murdered. The
execution units are carrying out the death. The execution composed of the
units with 'axes' and 'arms'. It is necessary for the execution unit to get
fetwa (order) from the party administration and interrogation units before
carrying out the death.

The administrators of the organization are being called by the Islamic
terms: The high rank officials: Musaid (assistant), the new people joined to
the party: Muntesip, active members: Amil (agent), activists: Mucahid
(Islamic fighters), top officials: Nakip, the head of the units: Naib
(viceroy). The top committee of the organization is called as Sura
(Council). Sura is composed of political and military high rank officials.
Hizbullah mainly organizes in the mosques, schools (middle and high school),
stationers opened by them, high schools for Islamic training, dormitories in
the universities and the youth organizations of the political parties.

The people caught, state released

The perpetrators caught by the people during the incidents were being taken
into custody by the police and then released from the back door of the
police station. The police rescued the Hizb-i Contra members, whom wanted to
be lynched by the people in Silvan. The members of the organization taken
into custody were released the next day. Some policemen were said to the
people, "Do not hand over the attackers. They are being released from the
back door of the station."

Hizb-i Contra is only one of the actors played in a bloody scenario
displayed in Kurdistan between 1990 and 1994. The contra-guerrilla, which is
revealed itself at Susurluk incident, and its local extensions like
Yuksekova and Cermik gangs were the other actors in this bloody scenario
besides burning villages, disappearances while in custody and open attacks.
There are more than 3,000 political mystery murders in this scenario mainly
in Diyarbakir, Batman, Mardin, Bingol, Sirnak, Hakkari. Susurluk incident,
which soldiers, police, village guards and politicians involved in, has not
been solved and its members are still walking among us with the secrets of
hundreds of armed actions against the Kurdish people. The other gangs like
Yuksekova was rapidly taken away from the public agenda by giving light
punishments to few policemen.

Now this bloody period in the Kurdish provinces wanted to be concealed by
explaining everything with Hizb-i Contra. This inclination is clearly
noticeable in the operations of Diyarbakir Police Headquarters against the
Hizb-i Contra specifically in the last two years. There are hundreds of
political 'unsolved murder' files at both investigation and trial stages in
Diyarbakir. The most striking example of this inclination is Mehmet Sincar's
file, which is one of the symbols of political murder period.

In an attack in September 1993, Habib Kilic (38), the member of DEP
(Democracy Party-now-banned) Batman executive committee was killed and his
brother Hikmet Kilic was injured. Consequently, a crowded committee from
HADEP general center, including Mehmet Sincar, an elected member of DEP,
went to the region. The committee was met by tens of police and the PKK
informers including Alaattin Kanat at the Diyarbakir airport. Nesim Kilic,
the brother of Habib Kilic, was taken into custody at the airport. Later,
the committee members went to Diyarbakir Police Headquarters and saw that
the informers were also there. The committee members were followed
continuously by these informers and police during their stay in the city.
Later, the committee went to Batman and decided to visit all the tradesmen
in the province. Police who followed the committee during their visit
suddenly 'disappeared' on September 4. On the same day, the committee
members were strafed with machine guns around 5:00 p.m. while they were
visiting the tradesmen on Elma street. Mehmet Sincar and Metin Ozdemir, one
of the party administrators died and many others, including deputy
Nizamettin Toguc were injured in the attack. While a curfew declared in the
province after the attack the 'disappeared' police since the morning tried
to prevent the injured people to be taken to the hospital.

DEP officials stated that the hit men of the murder were Alaattin Kanat and
his team by holding the state responsible for the attack. Four years later,
Murat Ipek, a PKK informer, who committed several murders for the state,
said in his confession, which was published in several newspapers for days,
that Mehmet Sincar was murdered by Alaattin Kanat and his team. Similarly,
the Susurluk report was also officially registered the existence of Kanat in
the murder of Sincar. The report of Kutlu Savas, the chairman of Inspection
Committee of Prime Ministry, said that Alaattin Kanat, Mahmut Yildirim (code
named -Yesil), Mesut Mehmetoglu and Ismail Yesilmen killed Mehmet Sincar.

Police blamed Hizb-i Contra

Diyarbakir Police Headquarters launched operations against Hizbullah in
Diyarbakir, Mardin and Batman in March 1999. 122 people were captured with
20,000 page documents related to the organization in the operations. It was
said in the statement issued by the Diyarbakir Police Headquarters that the
captured people were carried out the murders of Ubeydullah Dalar, the imam
of the Et Balik Kurumu mosque in Diyarbakir province and Tahsin Ibiceker, an
imam in Asagi Konak village of Cinar district. The police also claimed that
Orhan Ilcin and Veysi Kovan, the members of Hizb-i Contra on fleeing, killed
Mehmet Sincar.

State-Hizb-i Contra Relation

The state-Hizb-i Contra relation is a reality that even the circles close to
the state accepted. The developments advanced after the hundreds of murders
clearly exhibited this relation, which some officials are now trying to
define it as 'tolerance',

Mikail Bayro, an Assyrian tradesman, was killed on December 3 1991 at his
shop. While Bayro lost his life during the attack the people, who came to
scene over the gun shots, chased two attackers. One of the attackers,
Muhammet Ata Zengin was killed a few meters away from the scene and the
other one Menaf Kilic was injured. Later, the soldiers took the corpse of
Hizbullah member and injured Bilgin to an unknown place. The investigation
started for the murder of Bayro was put aside and the case remained as
'unsolved murder'.

Another incident happened in Nusaybin one month after the murder of Bayro
was showing how the Hizb-i Contra organized. Seyfettin Oktay, a motorcycle
repairman in the district took his pregnant wife to the hospital on January
25, 1992. Later, he went to the pharmacy to buy the medicines in the
prescription given by the doctor. He was attacked by two people with the
masks, in Kisla quarter. Oktay died at the scene. The statement of his
relatives was indicating that the members of Hizb-i Contra were being taken
from district to district and used in the murders. Muhammet Ata Zengin, who
was killed by the people during the murder of Bayro one-month ago, had
worked in Oktay's shop as a worker. Oktay had suspected Zengin's ties with
Hizb-i Contra, therefore, firstly he had warned him, and later dismissed
him. Zengin was send to Idil district because he had been uncovered in
Nusaybin. Then he was used in the murders there.

Hizb-i Contra team sheltered in the battalion

Similar incidents happened specifically in Mardin and Sirnak in 1991. On
January 20, 1992, the house of Mehmet Yavuz, an elected headman of Bahcekapi
village of Dargecit district was blockaded by a team composed of 10 people.
Mehmet Yavuz informed his friends and relatives by telephone. In a short
time, hundreds of people rushed to Yavuz's house so the attackers run away
by a panzer waiting near the village. Later, at that night around 9:00 p.m.
the house of Besir Dolasmaz, the chairman of HEP, was blockaded and
similarly, Dolasmaz informed his relatives and party members. Approximately,
1000 people, many of whom were armed, walked to his house and then, the
attackers harbored in the Dargecit Gendarme battalion. The inhabitants of
the district walked to the battalion and demanded that the attackers
composed of police and Hizb-i Contra members should be handed over to them.

Invitation to the murders

Meanwhile, the incidents, happening in those days in Mazidagi district of
Mardin province were more striking. On January 22, 1992 a group with masks
attacked Haci Hamarat and Mikail Delek and Hamarat was injured in the
attack. Both the residents of the quarter and Hamarat identified Yunus Tuna,
a member of Hizb-i Contra, among the attackers. But, police did not take any
measure against Tuna. Next day, on January 23, a Hizb-i Contra group,
including Tuna attacked to Nizamettin Kisin. Kisin, who was seriously
injured in the attack, lost his life in Diyarbakir State Hospital. After
this incident, Tuna 'disappeared'.

Date April 3, 1992, place Silvan, known with the murders of Hizb-i Contra.
Abdulmenaf Simsek, a member of Municipality Assembly and automobile parts
shop owner, was killed by four Hizb-i Contra members in the front of his
shop around 6:00 p.m. The people around and Simsek's friends chased the
attackers. The attackers were entrapped in a place, 300 meter far away from
the scene. Fikret Bayram, one of the attackers started to fire on the
people. Although father Izzettin Simsek was injured the people captured
Fikret Bayram. He had a bullet proof waistcoat and two revolvers. The police
took injured Bayram to the Diyarbakir State hospital. But the murder of
Simsek remained as 'unsolved murder'.

Reconnaissance for action in police car

One day after this incident, Bayram Gulec and Ayhan Kirkan became the
targets of Hizb-i Contra. Four Hizb-i contra members shot Gulec and Kirkan
while they were going to their homes from Baglar cafe. Gulec died at the
scene and Kirkan injured. People again chased the attackers and caught two
attackers, who wanted to harbor in a house. The attacker, Salih Fidanci, who
had three identity cards registered to Batman, Lice and Istanbul but later
it was understood that he was from Lice, was killed by lynching. The police
rescued the other injured attacker. Witnesses said that they saw two
attackers in a police car, whose license plate was 72 AC 737, near Baglar
Cafe.

Similar things happened in the murder of Dr. Oktay Turkmen, district
secretary of Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP). On February 1992,
Turkmen was killed by a Hizb-i Contra hit man near his house. The hit man
was captured by the people and handed over to the police. The murder of
Turkmen also remained as 'unsolved murder'.

Translated by Hanife

Massacre of imams in the name of Allah

The imams were harmed mostly in the distribution of the mosques between the
Rangers and Scientists. The organization members, who claimed to be the
followers of God, killed 22 imams refused to support them only in Diyarbakir
between 1990 and 1993. Hizb-i Contra used the mosques in the region as
organizing places from the first day of its activities. Firstly, the
organization members were trying to find supporters by joining the
congregation then the imams were joining to their sides by either
voluntarily or involuntarily. After that, they were turning the mosques into
places, where the meetings were held, and shelters where the weapons were
hidden. In 1993, almost everybody in Diyarbakir knew that the mosques in 5
Nisan, Korhat, Huzurevleri and Seyrantepe districts were controlled by the
Rangers and the mosques in Yanikkosk, Fatih, Kaynartepe, Kosuyolu,
Balikcilarbasi and Mardinkapi districts were under the control of
Scientists. Meanwhile, the National Youth Foundation (MGV), whose closeness
to Welfare Party (RP) was known at that time, also took part in the mosque
dividing and took control of the mosques in Sehitlik and Ofis districts.
Especially, after 1993 the Rangers and Scientists organized merciless
attacks to each other in the mosque division. In this distribution, the
imams were the ones harmed mostly. The followers of God did not feel any
reluctance to kill the religious functionaries, who refused to join them and
who had warm feelings about the Kurdish issue. The imams, who did not
deliver sermons containing anti-PKK propaganda, were declared as infidels.

The first attack of the organization against the imams was carried out in
Batman in July 1991. The members of organization shot Resul Ibak, the imam
of Nur masque. Only three days after this incident, Abdurrahman Akyuz, the
imam of Amediye mosque and Ahmet Baytar, a former imam, were killed in the
same province while returning to their homes from morning namaz (ritual of
worship centered in prayer). Both imams died at the scene. On the other
hand, Hizb-i Contra killed Talat Turhan, the imam of Rahmet mosque on August
24.

Ubeydullah Dalar was very well known among the people due his warm feelings
about the Kurdish issue and he was also against the Hizb-i Contra's use of
mosques as weapon stores and propaganda sites. Dalar was attacked by a group
of Hizb-i Contra members with sticks and beaten to death on December 21,
1992 while he was going his home from Et Balik Kurumu mosque after his
morning namaz. The organization killed 22 imams and injured 12 only in
Diyarbakir until the beginning of 1996. More than 100 imams were killed by
Hizb-i Contra members in the other provinces of the region during the same
time.

Hizbullah with the statements of witnesses

Fear Shelters

The one of the widespread, fearful actions of the organization in the region
was kidnapping. Abductions were experienced frequently in Batman between
1994 and 1995. Approximately 30 people were disappeared in two years. It was
frequently becoming a current issue that the missing people were held at the
underground shelters of Hizbullah. It was said in the report prepared by a
TBMM Commission for the 'Investigation of the Murders by Unknown
Perpetrators' chaired by Sadik Avundukoglu in that period that there were
shelters in three villages belong to Gercus district and the military
officials in the region were aware of the existence of these shelters.

The information about these terrifying shelters were only depending on the
rumors until Sakir Tanrikulu, Halit Teymur, Selahattin Yasak, Halit Aydin,
Osman Kuntes Arif Gezici, Ahmet Gunbati and Ekrem Sasmaz, who were abducted
between 1994 and 1995, were released on January 11 1996. Elementary school
teacher Selahattin Yasak, who was kidnapped on January 11, 1995 by two
Hizb-i Contra militants defining themselves as police, and kept in a 1-2
meter square shelter for one year, was describing his experience as the
follows: "I was thinking that I stayed there for five, six years. I could
not continue to follow the time after certain point. They never told why
they kept me, and what they would do to me? They spoke to me only 1-2 words
during the time between the kidnapping and release. They did not give us
anything else other than dry bread to eat and candle. My clothes and coat,
which I was sleeping on, decayed on the stone ground. I could not take a
bath, shave my beard and cut my hair during that time. I was talking to
myself and singing in order not to forget speaking."

"If they would tell me even one word about why I was kidnapped, I would be
rescued from the thoughts that were eroding my brain and collapsing my
psychology". Yasak's these words were describing the terrifying days, which
the victims of Hizbullah experienced. The other released person was the
chairman of Belediye-Is (Municipal Workers Union), Osman Kuntes. Osman
Kuntes said that he was kept alone in an underground shelter and they gave
him only bread and onion to eat. By saying, 'We are releasing you,' they
changed my places frequently, said Kuntes. He was describing his one-year in
the 'fear shelter' as follows: "Because I was an unionist, they were asking
1.5 billion Turkish liras from me as ransom. I told them that I did not have
that much money and I would not be able to give. We were kept in a 2-meter
shelter excavated under the house during that period. We also had to use the
same place for our toilet needs. I accepted the day I was released as my
birthday."

I have read similar reports in some renowned german newspapers, too.
Of course, turkish nationalists will say that the Germans are anti-Turkish
and support any allegation that is against Turkey.
But parts of the turkish media and the politicians and also the military
know where to point their fingers to, when they want to distract attention
from themselves: IRAN.
Iran is the alleged mother of all problems: Iran supports the PKK, Iran
supports, funds and arms the Hizbullah (which by the way has nothing to do
with the iranian and lebanese Hizbullah who are Shia and no Sunnis!), Iran
carries out terrorists attacks and so on......

Regards

Alemao
"Hanife" <han...@mediaone.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:zk0i6.64535$k8.13957238@typhoon.southeast.rr.com...

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