Turkey deliberately sends Kurdish army soldiers to clash zones, lawyer says
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkey is purposely deploying Kurdish soldiers to curfew areas in the country’s Kurdish regions that have seen daily clashes between the military and guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a pro-Kurdish lawyer said.
“There is a purpose behind sending Kurdish police and soldiers to our areas,” according Feride Lacin, a lawyer who is also a member of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP).
”Kurdish soldiers must not point their guns at their own people. They should throw their guns and refuse to kill their own people,” Lacin told Rudaw.
The assassination of Diyarbakir’s famous Kurdish lawyer Tahir Elci sent shockwaves through the region when it was established that Kurdish policemen were patrolling the area where Elci was murdered.
Hundreds have been killed since clashes broke out in July 2015, including 256 civilians, according to Lacin, who said 65 children were among the fatalities.
“Turkey has violated international laws on human rights when it attacked civilians inside their own homes killing over 40,” Lacin said, adding that many of the victims were in their 60s or older.
Turkey’s attorney general has brought legal cases against over 60 local mayors in Kurdish areas who are accused of “endangering the unity of the country,” with 31 of them already serving various prison terms.
“They have also removed 23 members of the city councils from their offices and detained 54 staff members in the municipalities,” Lacin said. She added that the attorney general had asked for life sentences for some of the detainees.
International rights groups including the European Court of Human Rights have called on the Turkish government to prevent the army’s indiscriminate attacks, where the civilian population could be targeted, and to allow medical personnel access to conflict areas.
The Turkish army has been accused of using empty school buildings as military bases from where it directs attacks on guerrilla positions in the cities.
“The Turkish army is committing major human rights breaches. In the town of Slopi for instance they drove out people from their own homes and gathered them in neighborhood centers and inspected them and searched their houses for weapons. This is against all human rights laws,” Lacin said.
Turkish human rights groups say mass evacuations on large scales have taken place in some Kurdish areas, including in Cezire, where only an estimated 20,000 people out of 115,000 residents are still in the city as most locals fled the violence last year. “Legal bodies, the constitutional court and the attorney general have all been paralyzed. Our only hope is now international judiciary groups,” Lacin said.
“There is a purpose behind sending Kurdish police and soldiers to our areas,” according Feride Lacin, a lawyer who is also a member of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP).
”Kurdish soldiers must not point their guns at their own people. They should throw their guns and refuse to kill their own people,” Lacin told Rudaw.
The assassination of Diyarbakir’s famous Kurdish lawyer Tahir Elci sent shockwaves through the region when it was established that Kurdish policemen were patrolling the area where Elci was murdered.
Hundreds have been killed since clashes broke out in July 2015, including 256 civilians, according to Lacin, who said 65 children were among the fatalities.
“Turkey has violated international laws on human rights when it attacked civilians inside their own homes killing over 40,” Lacin said, adding that many of the victims were in their 60s or older.
Turkey’s attorney general has brought legal cases against over 60 local mayors in Kurdish areas who are accused of “endangering the unity of the country,” with 31 of them already serving various prison terms.
“They have also removed 23 members of the city councils from their offices and detained 54 staff members in the municipalities,” Lacin said. She added that the attorney general had asked for life sentences for some of the detainees.
International rights groups including the European Court of Human Rights have called on the Turkish government to prevent the army’s indiscriminate attacks, where the civilian population could be targeted, and to allow medical personnel access to conflict areas.
The Turkish army has been accused of using empty school buildings as military bases from where it directs attacks on guerrilla positions in the cities.
“The Turkish army is committing major human rights breaches. In the town of Slopi for instance they drove out people from their own homes and gathered them in neighborhood centers and inspected them and searched their houses for weapons. This is against all human rights laws,” Lacin said.
Turkish human rights groups say mass evacuations on large scales have taken place in some Kurdish areas, including in Cezire, where only an estimated 20,000 people out of 115,000 residents are still in the city as most locals fled the violence last year. “Legal bodies, the constitutional court and the attorney general have all been paralyzed. Our only hope is now international judiciary groups,” Lacin said.