Per news article published in the Cumhuriyet Gazetesi on 4th January 1997 and Amnesty Inernational’ call for action released on 8th January 1997, Atilla Korkmaz was the owner of the Centrum supermarket located in the Batıkent district of Diyarbakır. On 9th December 1996, he was forced into a white Toros car, with the license plate 21 AV 545, by four plainclothes men, carrying walkie-talkies. Initially, the authorities said to his family that he was taken into custody but later they denied it.

On 23rd December 1996, Ali’s dead body was found near the Diyarbakır-Adıyaman road, next to the body of Mehmet Örenarı, who had been abducted on 8th December by men driving a white car. On 2nd January 1997, his family identified Atilla’s body. Ali and Mehmet’s hands and mouths were taped and had been shot in the head.