Two brothers, 35 years old Cemal Göksel, and 30 years old Yaşar Göksel was living in Urfa’s Viranşehir district. They were working in a restaurant. The two brothers had been interested in politics from a young age and were members of the Kurdish political parties founded during 1990s. Cemal had been in prison on charges related to his political activities.

A few months after Cemal’s release from prison, village guards and a special forces team raided Göksel brothers’ house and took them into custody. According to eyewitness accounts, both were taken near the Beyaz Kule and executed.

The following day, their elder brother went to the police station to look for them; he was also taken into custody to be released the next day. He learnt that his brothers were executed and went to the Beyaz Kule to collect their bodies. When he arrived there, the Commander of the Gendarmerie Station said, “Take the bodies and leave, do not say anything, otherwise you will also be killed.” After the burial of Cemal and Yaşar, security forces continued to threaten Göksel family.

Göksel family feared to take any legal action. In 2007, they applied to the Human Rights Association in Diyarbakır. They also applied to the Office of Urfa Governor for the examination of the disappearance and execution of Göksel brothers. A commission established within the governorship under law 5233 ordered a compensation of 30 thousand liras to be paid to the family. However, no legal action has been taken against the village guards or members of the special team.