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Yusuf Halajoghlu: If the archaeological diggings found bones collected one on another it can not be called mass burial place

13 April 2007 15:07 (UTC +04:00)

â€œIn Turkey archaeologists are in charge of carrying out diggings in the mass burial places. But before the diggings archive materials are researched, the eye- witnesses of the events, grandchildren of massacred people are interviewed,â€ director of Turkish History Agency Yusuf Halajoghlu exclusively told APA. Yusuf Halajoghlu shared some details of researching mass burial places.
â€œAfter researches archaeologists work in the burial places. The archaeological research of mass burial places should be conducted very cautiously. The most characteristic feature of mass graveyards is that they scattered in dispersed form. If the archaeological diggings found the bones collected one on another it can not be called mass burial placeâ€.
Yusuf Halajoghlu said it is very important that bones found in dispersed form. â€œIf the bones are found row by row it can be thought that dead bodies are buried immediately. When the bones are found in that form it can not be called mass graveyard Arzurum and Van Universities have scholars specialized in the researching of mass burial places. If there is need, we engage them in the research works. The diggings process should be approached very carefully using special archaeological instrumentsâ€. Yusuf Halajoghlu said archaeological diggings will be carried out in Mardin in connection with so-called â€˜Armenian genocideâ€™. â€œThere are evidences that Mardin has mass graveyards. As you know some Swedish MPs claimed that surianis were massacred in Mardin. MP from Sweden David Lant accepted to join diggings in that territory. We even agreed to send the archaeological findings to be researched in international laboratory. We are waiting for research results now,â€ the historian underlined. /APA/