The first time we met Recai Altay in 2013,our small group of seven had just walked down from Soorp Garabed church to the town square of Chungush. Somehow, he had heard Armenians were in town and was desperate to speak with us… to tell us the story of his mother-in-law Asiya. Recai Altay (Photo: George Aghjayan) It was a fortuitous assembly that led to a deep friendship with Recai, and his family and Asiya,the final Armenian of Chungush. As a Kurd, Recai had spent 10 years in the infamous Diyarbakir prison during the 1980’s. final month, and he was detained as co-chair of the local Democratic Regions Party (DBP),a sister party to the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). In the early morning of Nov. 4, a bomb was detonated external the police station where Recai was being detained. A portion of the building collapsed and Recai was tragically killed. Below is a letter written to our dear friend Recai. *** My dear friend, or How will we find the words to replace the ax in our hearts upon hearing the news of your death in yesterday’s bombing in Diyarbakir by the prison where the cowardly swords detained you,and the [...]
Source: armenianweekly.com