23.07.2026 10:21
In the Yüksekova district of Hakkari, a cow, which was the sole source of livelihood for a family and their grandchildren, rolled down a 200-meter cliff while grazing and died. Ayni Özbek, a mother of seven children, collapsed onto the steep rocks upon seeing the lifeless body of the animal she had cared for like her own child for years, weeping for hours and cried out for help, saying, "My world has collapsed; we have no branch left to hold onto."
In the Yuksekova district of Hakkari, Ayni Özbek, a mother of seven children, burst into tears after the family's only source of income, their cow, fell from a 200-meter cliff and died. The anguished mother, who had cared for the animal like the apple of her eye for years, waited helplessly by its side for hours, her cries piercing the hearts of onlookers.
ROLLED DOWN A 200-METER CLIFF
The incident occurred in the village of Yeniışık, located about 30 kilometers from the Yuksekova city center. The cow, which the Özbek family had raised with great effort and which was the sole means of their livelihood, lost its balance while grazing in the pasture and tumbled down a steep cliff approximately 200 meters high. Upon learning that the cow had died, Ayni Özbek, mother of seven, rushed to the rocky area where the incident happened. Finding her cow—which provided the family's income and milk for her grandchildren—lifeless, Özbek could not leave its side for hours, weeping uncontrollably.
"MY WORLD COLLAPSED"
Ayni Özbek, stating that the family had lost their only support, expressed her deep despair with these words: "When I received the news of our cow's death this morning—our only pillar—my world collapsed. It fell 200 meters from the steep mountains and died. As a family, we are in great pain and helplessness because we had no other support besides it. As soon as I heard the news, I ran to where it fell. Now, I don't know how to leave it here so helplessly. My children, my son—we all lived off this cow's milk and blessings. What will we do now? We are very destitute."
"EVEN OUR LITTLE CHILD'S MILK HAS STOPPED"
İshak Özbek, noting that his mother had been crying for hours on the cold rocks, conveyed the family's plight as follows: "Our cow went out to graze in the pasture early in the morning as usual. I think around 8:00 AM, it lost its balance and fell from that steep cliff. When we reached it around noon, we were frozen in shock at the sight. My mother has been sitting on those cold rocks for hours, crying nonstop by her dear friend's side. This cow wasn't just an animal; it was our household's sustenance. Now, even a single drop of milk for our little child has stopped. We are completely helpless and destitute."
Not knowing what to do after their great loss, the family awaits a helping hand from authorities and philanthropists.