After Trabzon, 19 graves in the Christian cemetery in Ortaköy district in Ankara also were destroyed. While 5 young people were detained about the incident; the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality started to the restoration on the graves.
While serious damage occurred in graves; 5 young people, aged between 16 and 17, were detained for the incident.
Olga Komshdoğan, seeing that the grave of her 17-year-old son, whom she lost last year was destroyed, said, “Which conscience can accept such a thing? My son is burried here too. I lost him last year, he was 17 years old. Children of the same age as him can come and destroy his grave. Which conscience can accept this?” Expressing her reaction in words, Komshdogan said, “Moreover, they hide from us that my son and other Christian tombs were destroyed. We learnt this through a marble shop. My heart is crying.”
Stating that she would act on the subject, Komshdoğan said, “If my son lived, he would not do such a thing. They did it before, and no one was caught. I want those who do it to be punished. We will also sue for material and moral damages.”
Meanwhile, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality officials announced that a work has been initiated to repair the graves and to take security measures in the area.
A similar incident occurred in Trabzon; the cross on the grave of a Christian citizen named Zehra Çolak buried in the graveyard of Santa Maria Catholic Church was found broken and burnt on January 18. (Cumhuriyet)
