Mr. Nihat Cakar
DGM Bassavcisi
Devlet Guvenlik Mahkemesi
Diyarbakir
Turkey

Dear Prosecutor:

I am writing to express my concern for the safety of Sirin Bayram (aged 17) and his uncle, Ramazan Tekin (aged 62), father of six children. Village guards took both of them from the uncle’s home in the village of Demirli (local name: Temiran), province of Diyarbakir, on 2 November 1996, and neither has been seen since. The family of Sirin Bayram was initially told by village guards that the young man had been brought to the gendarmerie but they did not know what happened to him after that. However, later inquiries to Diyarbakir State Security Court resulted in denials that the young man was even being held, and two additional petitions received the same response. The uncle’s whereabouts also remain unknown.

I am particularly concerned because of the recent discovery of the bodies of other individuals -- individuals who, like Sirin Bayram and Ramazan Tekin, had previously "disappeared" in police custody in Diyarbakir. The bodies of Atilla Korkmaz (aged 26) and Mahmut Onerari (aged 31) were found on 23 December 1996, and both showed signs of torture. The body of Tevfik Kusun (aged 36) was discovered on 7 January 1997.

Sir, I urge you to use the powers of your office to find out where these two men are immediately. See that their detentions are registered and their families informed immediately. Also please ensure that they will not be subjected to torture or any other form of ill-treatment, and that they are brought before a judge promptly to be charged with a recognizably criminal offense under existing laws, or else released. If they have committed no crime, they should be free.

I trust you share my concern and will do all you can to bring a prompt resolution to the "disappearances" of Sirin Bayram and Ramazan Tekin.

Respectfully yours,

cc: Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
1714 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036