The Siirt branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) issued a statement regarding reports that Newala Qesaba (Butchers’ Creek), known as one of the largest mass grave sites in the region, has been opened to residential construction, and that human bones unearthed during excavations have allegedly been dumped into a landfill. The association called for the site to be declared a place of memory.
At a press conference held at its branch office, IHD co-chair Zozan Akdoğan Nas read the statement, reacting to claims that part of Newala Qesaba will be developed for villas and housing, despite its history as a mass grave and lack of proper excavation procedures.
Mass grave opened to construction
Nas said: “Work has begun after the decision to open to construction an area alleged to be a mass grave, with plans to build residential housing there. Previous criminal complaints, public statements, witness testimonies, and map-based location identifications have all been reviewed.”
Bodies dumped in landfill
According to Nas, official correspondence between the Ministry of Interior, the Siirt Governor’s Office, and the Siirt Municipality, referenced in prosecutor’s files, contains records confirming that bodies were discarded in a landfill at Newala Qesaba.
She added: “In the investigation conducted by the Siirt Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, many witnesses testified, confirming that bodies were buried in the landfill area. Some remains were uncovered during excavations there.”
Allegations of Armenian and Chaldean victims buried there
Nas also noted long-standing claims that Armenians and Chaldeans killed in the early 1900s were buried at the site, but emphasized that no definitive evidence has yet been established in official files or witness statements.
IHD’s demands
The association outlined several urgent demands to ensure justice and historical truth:
– All construction activities at Newala Qesaba must be immediately halted. The site should be respected as a legal and moral space, with the sound of justice and scientific inquiry replacing heavy machinery.
– Excavations must follow the UN Minnesota Protocol on Autopsy. If excavation occurs, an independent investigation commission—composed of impartial, qualified experts and supported by civil society organizations and independent observers—must oversee the process.
– A truth commission should be established, conducting meticulous forensic, anthropological, and criminological investigations, and working transparently under international monitoring.
– In line with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to private and family life), all unidentified bodies believed to be buried at Newala Qesaba must be identified and returned to their families. This is not only a matter of justice, but also a duty of humanity.
– Newala Qesaba must be declared a site of memory and preserved as a lesson for future generations. Existing buildings should be demolished, the area closed to development, and the site maintained as a space of collective conscience to ensure such tragedies are never repeated.