The body of Fehim Tosun, a Kurdish man killed earlier this week at the Turkish-Iranian border in the province of Van, has still not been recovered since the incident. Relatives and villagers continue to wait at the scene, while their access to the area remains restricted.
According to information from the village, Tosun, who lived in the Elbês neighborhood of the Başkale district, was on his way toward Iran when he was shot dead in the border area on Monday. According to village head Cezmi Arslan, an arrest warrant had reportedly been issued against him, which is why he intended to flee to East Kurdistan.
Witnesses believe that Tosun was killed by a gunshot wound to the head while attempting to cross the border. Several people reported hearing gunfire shortly before the body was found. The Turkish military’s claim that he died as a result of a mine explosion is strongly disputed by his relatives. The condition of the body—visible in an available photograph—shows only a head injury, contradicting the army’s account.
Since the incident, Fehim Tosun’s body has remained in the border area. His relatives criticize that recovery efforts are being denied on the grounds that the area is allegedly mined. Tosun’s brother and a cousin have been waiting for a third consecutive day in close proximity to the scene, hoping that a prosecutor and a mine expert will arrive to conduct an investigation, but so far in vain.
The previous day, villagers attempted to reach the body together with an explosives expert. However, according to their account, adverse weather conditions prevented the recovery: strong winds caused snow to accumulate on the body, making a safe examination impossible. The family is calling on the authorities to finally take the necessary measures to recover the body and hand it over to them. Meanwhile, the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear.