Released Soldiers in Prison!

After a battle in the Daglica/Hakkari region in south-eastern Turkey, 12 soldiers were killed and eight were taken hostage by the PKK.

Released after two weeks  

Two weeks later, the eight soldiers were released in Northern Iraq, handed over to a delegation which included three MPs from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). The soldiers were then flown to Turkey and intensive questioning started.

Now detained in prison

Yesterday (11 November), the military court in Van, south-eastern Turkey, decreed that the soldiers be detained. The soldiers stand accused of "violating the duties of a civil servant", "serious suspicion of a crime", "excessive weakening of military discipline", "insistence on disobedience" and "desertion abroad". The soldiers are to be tried while in detention.

All eight to be tried 

The Van Gendarmerie Public Order Corps Command Military Court has pronounced the following charges: sergeant Halis Cagan is charged with violating the duties of a civil servant, privates Ilhami Demir, Irfan Beyaz, Özhan Sabanoglu, Fatih Atakul and Mehmet Senkul are accused of insistent disobedience, and privates Fuat Basoda and Ramazan Yüce are charged with insistent disobedience and desertion abroad. It was argued that there was strong suspicion of guilt and that military discipline had been greatly weakened. Citing Article 71 of Law 353 and Articles 100 and 101 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the court decided to detain the eight soldiers.

Büyükanit: "Administrative investigation" 

The arrest of the soldiers followed an earlier statement by Chief of Staff Yasar Büyükanit, who had said that there was no evidence that the soldiers were "PKK moles".

When the soldiers were being questioned, Büyükanit had said, "We are talking with everyone who was there and was attacked. This is an administrative investigation in order to see whether mistakes were made, whether lessons need to be learnt. A picture will emerge from the investigation. There is nothing worse than labelling the eight soldiers criminals from the start. I have no information saying that any of them were PKK moles. I find it wrong to look at a soldier's ethnic origin and make comments. According to the Turkish constitution, the state is made up of citizens, not of people of one race."

Families in shock 

The families of the soldiers, who have been waiting to see their sons for 21 days, have reacted strongly. Irfan Beyaz's father Halil Beyaz in Gaziantep heard of his son's arrest when journalists called him to ask for his reactions. Beyaz could not believe the news, saying: "I have just found this out from you. I don't understand why and how. I will wait for information."

Özhan Sabanoglu's family in Hatay found out on television. Father Bahattin Sabanoglu said, "We have been waiting in fear and pain for days. We love our country. I cannot understand it. We have not been informed." Reproachfully, he said, "My plea to the General Staff, to the generals, give us information."

"Guns jammed, no support"

According to today's newspapers, one soldier said: "Because I was injured and did not have a gun, I said in Kurdish that I would surrender". Another apparently said, "During the exchange of fire we did not have the support of any of our commanders or soldiers. We were fighting on our own." It was also said that most of the soldiers' guns jammed. Another soldier stated that his commander had taken his gun. (EZÖ/EÜ/AG)

* This news item is based on the news from the Ntvmsnbc website and the Sabah, Milliyet and Radikal newspapers.