Behice Kaya’s son, Kasım Kaya, a People’s Defence Forces (HPG) fighter, died in an airstrike that was conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the Tendürek region of Ağrı (Agiri) on 12 June 2021.

The family gave a blood sample for DNA testing but still could not get the body of their beloved son returned to them. The mother, Kaya, who has been struggling to retrieve the mortal remains of her son, keeps asking the authorities to respect the family’s sorrow.

Behice Kaya spoke to Jin News. She said her son Kasım Kaya went to the mountains in 2013.

“We learned from TV that he lost his life. After that, we started asking about him. We learned that he was martyed in Ağrı Tendürek.”

The father of Kasım Kaya travelled to the region after that, asking officials about his son’s body. “When my husband went to the Prosecutor’s Office and asked about his body, they told him, ‘There is nothing here: wolves and bears ate his body.'”

But the family did not trust the officials statements and continued to look for their son’s remains. Later, they found out that his body was there. They gave blood for DNA samples to be taken.

Mother Kaya said: “I want to bring my son to our village. I want to be able to say that here is the tombstone of my son, when I go to the cemetery. We only ask for the remains of our son, nothing else.”

Behice Kaya appealed for an end to the war: “It hurts us. Let them give us his body. Let us go from Thursday to Thursday to our son’s grave. We don’t want anyone’s mother to cry. We don’t want guerrillas, policemen, and soldiers’ mothers to cry. May all mothers stand up and join hands and make peace. Just don’t let anyone’s children die. May peace come to this world and may mothers never cry.”