Two martyrs of sacrifice and patience: Sukru and Nasir

BATMAN - Exactly 23 years ago, two brothers, Nasir and Sukru Pekince were murdered by the PKK in Batman. Their wives who maintain their fortitude in the face of this massacre shared their thoughts and feelings after many years.

Nasir Pekince and Sukru Pekince were brutally murdered by the PKK with an interval of one year, Nasir being murdered on 29 September 1992 and Sukru being murdered on 30 September 1993.  Meanwhile the spouses after years full of pain, shared their thoughts and feelings.

Nasir aged 31 and Sukru aged 26 brothers were neither the first nor the last oppressed target of the PKK in Kurdistan. People and institutions of Islamic identity in the Mustazaf geography has always been the target of the PKK. Yesterday Mulla Zeki’s, today Orhan teacher’s, Yasin’s, Turan’s, Riyad’s, Hasan’s and Huseyin’s became the target of brutal attacks.

After 23 years, wives of martyrs Sukru and Nasir spoke to ILKHA News Agency (ILKHA). They said that their husbands spent their whole lives in Islamic services and they received their reward by drinking from the martyrdom sherbet.

Beyce Pekince: Nasir lived a duly Islamic life

Nasir’s wife Beyce Pekince stated that her husband was born in Beşiri (Qubînê) town in Batman on 4 April 1961 and that they maintained their livelihood through farming.

Beyce, "We got married with martyr Nasir at age 19. After marriage, shaheed used to go the west to work due to lack of employment opportunities in the area. Over time we had three children. Two years ago he decided to stay and find a job in Batman in order to stay with the children. He used to buy fruit and vegetables from the wholesale market and sell them to the shops. Before he became a martyr, he started buying fish from the Dicle River and selling them in the village.

Along with the business he also took part in Islamic services. He lived a duly Islamic life.”

"Due to the Islamic service he was always threatened by the PKK"

Nasir's wife stated that he was constantly threatened by the PKK before his martyrdom. Beyce, "Martyr was always threatened by the PKK for participating in Islamic services. The day he was killed he received a threat letter from the apostates. He read the threat letter to his mum, dad and me.  His father said, 'Don’t go, this could be a trap’ but he said, ‘I have not harmed anyone; the enemies of Islam may martyr me in one of the streets of Batman or in one of the villages that I go to. I will not know this; if it is meant to happen it will happen even when I am at home.’ After these words he left to go and sell the fish. That day received the news that he became a martyr in one of the villages.”

Beyce, "Sometimes when he was playing with our children he used to say to our youngest child; 'You are my youngest child, I will not have any other children after you'. However, after his martyrdom I could give meaning to those words. He felt that he would be martyred. He valued his family. He was full of Imaan and taqwa. All friends, relatives and neighbours knew him with these qualities.”

Sukru from his wife Remziye’s point of view

Sukru Pekince's wife Remziye shared her feelings as follows: "Martyr Sukru was born in Beşiri (Qubînê) town in Batman on 6 June 1967. After completing primary education, he went to study in a madrasah in Diyarbakir. We married at the age of 19. Our three children were born. Before we got married he used to work in construction? in the west. After we married he continued to work in construction in Batman. Afterwards he started working as a peddler. One term he started selling Nasheed tapes. Before he became a martyr he opened a tantuni buffet in front of Fatih high school.”

“He used to teach Quran in his buffet”

Remziye stated that him starting a business near a school relates to a mystery adding that, “When my husband opened the tantuni (fast food) buffet, he always thought it was a very good idea and that he will continue to run this business. When he bought the buffet he also made a private section to teach Quran to the children. He also made sitting areas in the buffet and he began to teach Quran and Islamic lessons. His main concern was the students and he used to talk about Islam whenever he could. During school breaks he used to sell tantuni and teach the students at the same time. He transferred his knowledge from what he learnt in Madrasah.”

“He taught lessons in the mosque regardless of the threats”

Remziye remarked that his husband received threats from the PKK and the government, “At one time the police drove on to him with a panzer saying ‘you cannot work here’. My husband responded saying ‘I am the breadwinner of my children and therefore I have to work here for them’. His buffet was decorated with tahwid flags and for this reason the police accused him of brainwashing the children by teaching them Islam. He continued with his teachings regardless of the police threats. He used to go to the mosque to teach, after he came home work. He used to teach Quran in Hamidirler Mosque and he used to attend his own halaqah lessons. His life was Islam and Quran.”

“Our life should be Islam and Quran”

Remziye underlined that her husband Sukru valued his children’s education, “My husband always wanted me to read him a book after he came home from a long and tiring day. He was a martyr at the age of 26 and he fully lived the 26 years of his life. His only struggle and effort was put to raise young people. He used to say ‘The dawah of Islam will grow with this young generation’. He always wanted me to attend lessons even though our children were very young at the time. He used to say ‘Don’t do home chores, I don’t want food or anything else from you. I just want you to attend lessons with our children to teach Islam’. He never missed any of his lessons and he always said that ‘Our life should be Islam and Quran.”

“Some wanted to take him hospital when he was wounded but the police refused”

After the death of her brother Nasir, Remziye spoke about her husband Sukru’s murder by PKK in September 30, 1993 “They fired shots on him when he was sitting in his buffet and several bullets hit his back. Some people wanted to take him hospital after seeing the serious wounds but the police officers refused to allow any action and did not allow anyone near him. Some people even stated that they witnessed his body being covered with newspapers even when he was still alive. As soon as we heard about the incident we made our way down to the scene and when we arrived his body was taken away from the scene. Everyone who heard about his martyr was outside the hospital, all his friends and students.” (ILKHA)