Necman Ölmez and Ferhat Ediş -- both 35 years old -- were found in the Beytüşşebap district of Şırnak on Sunday. The heads of the victims were smashed with stones, and they had been shot in the chest. Cizre Mayor Aydın Budak claimed that the DTP members were killed by a group of village guards known as the “Hançer Timi” (Dagger Team). “Twelve other people were killed in the same region in the past. A team of village guards was established in the region. We believe the murders were committed by this team. The fact that the brother and nephew of Ölmez recently joined the Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK] and Ediş received frequent death threats support our theory,” Budak stated.
Sevahir Bayındır, a DTP deputy from Şırnak, claimed the murders were aimed at damaging the current peaceful atmosphere in the country, which may result in a solution to the long-standing Kurdish question. “Some circles are trying to disrupt this peaceful atmosphere. One morning when we woke up, we saw that the letters ‘PKK' were written [with rocks] at the foot of a nearby mountain. Then came the soldiers, and bullets were shot into the air. They tried to provoke our youngsters,” Bayındır stated.
DTP Chairman Ahmet Türk agreed that the murders were the work of a secret group to prevent a solution to the Kurdish matter.
“We see that the deep state is in charge. These murders show that the deep state is still active and is trying to hinder the settlement of the Kurdish issue. I was always saying that such incidents may take place at a time when we are so close to a solution. Our aim is to side with peace despite all such provocations,” the DTP chairman remarked.
The government is currently working on a new initiative to solve the Kurdish question. A workshop was held in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır over the weekend, attended by various Kurdish groups and individuals from various backgrounds, to discuss how to give a common voice to demands among different Kurdish groups.
