Tears of Humanity over Siirt Incidents

It was not very long time ago; last week, Turkey was shocked by the news targeting our hearts from deep inside. Two sisters, aged 14 and 16, from a poor family were raped by dozens of men for more than two years. Elder sister reported to the police that the rapers aged between 14 and 70, and include classmates, deputy principal at the girls’ school, storeowners, a policeman, a military personnel and a number of people from prestigious families in the province. As the time passed since this incidence was first publically available by a group of brave and honorable media agencies, there have been deep debates of social dissociation, sexual harassment, rape and vendetta. Unfortunately, top government officials recently warned the media over recent coverage of rape incidents in the province of Siirt. By this way, the motto of “big fish eats little fish” was proven one more time, and some secret powers has pushed the button to squelch the silent scream.
While the country has been boiling with the news of this rape and digesting the consequences of forceful media silence, shocking news shook Turkey from east to west two days ago. Turkish dailies reported on Monday that eight minors aged 13 and 14 raped two toddlers aged 2 and 3, killing one of them, last year in Siirt. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Education Minister Nimet Çubukçu talked to reporters on Monday about the issue; with both saying the media should be more careful about covering the incidents.

The worst news was not the rape and death of toddlers by other children, but the fact that this incidence had happened one year ago and had been tried to be kept secret by paying a blood money to the families of toddlers. Mayor of Siirt indicated that the inhabitants of the city are all relatives as belonging to a big tribe. Not only the families, but also police, governor, mayor, leaders of political parties and district prosecutor were all aware of the incidence. According to the Mayor, these people kept the incidence as a secret because they did not wanted the name of Siirt be remembered with bad.

PM Erdoğan mentioned that “The issue is brought to the agenda again. This is not what journalism is about. This is not the rationale of the media. This does not go with media ethics. On the contrary, this causes psychological damage to people related to Siirt and the people who are involved. I think we need to be very careful about this.” What a shame on a prime minister, the primary duty of whom should be “the protection of weak”.

These incidents indicate the probable strengths and weaknesses of “tribe” knowledge in Anatolia. It is worth to mention here that whatever the tribe council takes a decision, the members of the tribe should follow it. This time tribe in Siirt decided on paying the blood money to the families of those two innocent toddlers and keeping this secret forever to protect the name of their city being called with rape. However, they forgot that a secret is not a secret any longer if two people know it.

Finally, it is impossible for me to understand those people who show themselves as Muslim to accept a sexual rape as a natural thing and not mentioning it any longer even if rape is totally banned in Quran, and the rapers were cursed. This is like turkeys voting for Christmas.

I hope these Siirt incidences will be announced as the milestones of humanity and help us to develop our country over strong bricks of non-tribe based, secular ideas in which humanity and human rights always come first.

A small final note:

On May 9, Mother’s Day, Siirt inhabitants are planning to protest the media for their brave journalism about the secret of a tribe and questioning of humanity in Turkey.

References:

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-208220-100-15-arrested-dozens-more-involved-in-siirt-rape-case.html

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-208658-101-government-warns-media-over-coverage-of-siirt-rape-incidents.html

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=from-the-bosphorus-straight---what-kind-of-future-for-our-children-2010-04-22