Mehmet Fındık
person- Image
- Sex
- Male
- Civil status
- Married
- Occupation
- Muhtar
- Dependants
- 8
- Event description
Per ruling delivered by the European Court of Human Rights on 9th October 2012, the Doruklu village of Şırnak was under intense pressure from the security forces due to their refusal to serve as village guards. On 31st December 1995, the commander of the Silopi Gendarmerie Station asked the mukhtar of the village Mehmet Fındık to bring the station a turkey for the new year celebration. Fearing to go by himself, Mehmet Fındık left the village with his brother Ömer Fındık and cousin Ömer Kartal. When the three men did not return to the village, the gendarmerie station claimed that after bringing the turkey to the gendarmerie, the men had left for the police station. The police station also alleged that the men had left the station safe and sound. The car that the three men were driving on the night of their disappearance was found abounded the following day not far from the police station.
The investigation in Turkey is on-going.
In its 2012 ruling, the ECHR found the case inadmissible due to the six-month time limit for applications.
- Geolocation
Latitude: 37.3055432
Longitude: 42.4983217
- Geolocation
- City
- Şırnak
- District
- Silopi
- Date of disappearance
- Dec 31, 1995
- Year of disappearance
- 1995
- Age at the time of disappearance
- Yaş:39
- Status of the victim
- Still missing
- Type of source material
- Interview with family member (audio and video records)
- Victim statement to prosecutor
- Decision by the prosecution office
- Decision of non-prosecution due to other reasons
- Verdict of ECHR
- Non-compliance with the six-month time limit
- Summary of the legal proceedings
Per ruling delivered by the European Court of Human Rights on 9th October 2012, Mehmet Fındık, the mukhtar of the Doruklu village of Şırnak which was under intense pressure from the security forces due to their refusal to serve as village guards, disappeared along with his brother Ömer Fındık and cousin Ömer Kartal on 31st December 1995, after they went to the Silopi Gendarmerie Station per commander’s request to bring the soldiers turkey for the new year dinner.
The gendarmerie station claimed that after bringing the turkey to the gendarmerie, the men had left for the police station. The police station also alleged that the men had left the station safe and sound. The car that the three men were driving on the night of their disappearance was found abandoned the following day not far from the police station.
In 1996, the Silopi Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a standing search warrant; however, there have been no leads in the investigation, which is still on-going.
In 2009, following exhumations in Silopi for victims of enforced disappearances, the families filed a criminal complaint with the Silopi Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In its 2012 ruling, the ECHR found the case inadmissible due to the six-month time limit for applications.