Diyarbakir Human Rights Museum
This year, in September, there will be something else for tourists to see in Diyarbakir, but this place will represent a rather tragic aspect of Diyarbakir’s history. The Diyarbakir Prison is being turned into a human rights museum. The following story which comes from Today’s Zaman.com. I do not need to say more.
Diyarbakır prison to turn into human rights museum
The Diyarbakir Prison
Diyarbakır Prison is known as one of the main places where post Sept. 12, 1980 coup atrocities and crimes against humanity took place. Thirty-four people died under torture in Diyarbakır Prison between the years 1981 and 1984, dozens of people were permanently disfigured or disabled, and almost every inmate experienced some form of torture at the hands of its cruel wards.
Thirty years have passed, and the crimes against humanity perpetrated behind its thick walls are being attested to now for the first time, thanks to a three-year project by a civil society organization known as the 78’ers Union, which compiled documents, witness accounts and testimony from 450 individuals and other information on the horrific crimes these prison walls have seen.
Now the prison, which served as a military prison after the coup, will be hosting various items such as pictures, personal belongings of inmates, letters, documents, paintings and documentaries as it becomes the Diyarbakır Prison Human Rights Museum, scheduled to open shortly after Sept. 12 of this year.
A majority of opponents of the regime were brought to Diyarbakır Prison in the post-coup era after they were arrested. In addition to extensive torture and violations of human rights, many died behind its walls during the eight years it served as a military prison, until its transfer to the Ministry of Justice. Many accuse this prison of being one of the major factors that contributed to establishment of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK).
Shutting down the infamous prison was first put forward by Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, who suggested that it be transformed into a school. However, many past inmates of the prison, civil society representatives and intellectuals opposed this, saying a place known for torture and crimes against humanity cannot possibly be used as an educational institution for children. Instead, it should be a museum, they suggested.
The 78’ers Union first established the Justice Commission to Research the Truth about Diyarbakır Prison in 2007. Now it has come to opening a Human Rights Museum inside the prison walls. The museum opening scheduled after Sept. 12 of this year will be accompanied by the simultaneous opening of the Sept. 12 Museum in Ankara. Celaleddin Can, a spokesperson for the 78’ers Union said: “We have pictures from the victims. We have paperwork from the Council of Forensic, petitions, documents and letters from 450 people. We will also use pictures, documentary screenings, statues and paintings to symbolically express what was experienced in Diyarbakır Prison.” He said they planned to open the museum a week after Sept. 12, when Turkey will hold a referendum on amendments to the Constitution.”
Photo courtesy of http://www.chipsurl.com/
News Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/
Update: A few days ago in the news media, an article appeared on the www.bianet.org website about the people who were tortured in Diyarbakir Prison. The victims in Diyarbakir Prison are now taking the torturers to court. They will be called to account for their crimes against humanity by the Facts Research and Justice Commission.
“The Facts Research and Justice Commission decided to take the torturers of the Diyarbakır prison from the time around the 1980 military coup to court. Kurdish politician Miroğlu who was detained in the prison for several years, is both a victim and a witness.”
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