Court blocks access to reports about 'chemical attack' allegations

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The Ankara 2nd Penal Judgeship of Peace has ruled that access to several online news reports about the allegations that Türkiye used chemical weapons against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) should be blocked.

The Ministry of National Defense had applied to the court, alleging that 22 articles were intended to damage its reputation, and provoke the people into enmity and hatred by spreading false information regarding Türkiye's internal and external security.

The judgeship blocked access to the articles as per the Internet Law.

bianet reports

Two reports on bianet's Turkish website are also among the blocked articles.

One of them was about the comments of Ertuğrul Kürkçü, honorary chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), about the allegations. He had said Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar had already confessed Türkiye's use of chemical weapons, citing Akar's statement about a 2021 military operation in Garê, Iraqi Kurdistan, where he had said tear gas was used in caves.

The other article was about an International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) report, which stated that there were "indirect evidence" regarding Türkiye's use of chemical weapons and the claims should be subject to further investigation.

On October 18, the Fırat News Agency (ANF) released a video clip of two PKK members allegedly exposed to chemical weapons. The clip showed a man having a seizure and a woman showing delirious behavior. Both people eventually died because of the exposure, according to the PKK.

ANF had further cited a PKK statement that Türkiye used chemical weapons at least 2,476 times on the PKK in Iraq's Kurdistan Region in six months during its military operations. Türkiye's government dismissed the allegations. (HA/VK)