HRW: We’re Concerned About Rise in Civilian Deaths

Click here to read the article in Turkish / Haberin Türkçesi için buraya tıklayın.

Human Rights Watch Turkey has made a statement regarding curfews, operations and civilian deaths.

“During operations and armed conflicts ongoing since July 2015, a vast number of Kurdish civilians have been killed including women, children and older persons.

“Despite the difficulty in figuring out the exact numbers, the deaths of persons claimed to be youth section members of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and deaths of PKK members has exceeded hundreds”.

Artillery shooting at neighbourhoods

“Local human right groups are reporting that over 100 civilians have been killed and many others injured. Curfew has been declared in some provinces following the unprecedented dispatch of soldiers to the region recently.  Some neighbourhoods of these provinces have been exposed to artillery shootings of the military and heavy armed conflicts between these and armed Kurdish groups”.

HRW has expressed their concerns that the number of civilian deaths could increase rapidly in the following days.

“Many buildings in Silvan have been damaged due to the operations run by the police and the military, and combats engaged with Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement; PKK’s youth section during the curfew between the dates of July 3-July 14, 2015”.

No water, no electricity, no food

HRW has run interviews with witnesses and relatives and of 15 civilians who had been killed on the operations run by police and military forces during the three long-period curfews imposed in September and November.

”Reportedly, during the curfews the access of the injured to treatment has been blocked off, water and electricity has been cut off in the neighbourhoods entirely and getting food became impossible. Many persons had to abandon their homes to escape from the armed conflicts”.

“Security forces should be restrained”

HRW senior Turkey researcher Emma Sinclair-Webb has stated:

“The Turkish government should restrain the security forces. Misusing and using disproportionate power must immediately come to an end and the civilian deaths and injuries during operations should be investigated.

“Ignoring and whitewashing what has been done to the Kurdish population in the region would only affirm the prevalent view in the Southeast: When it comes to police and military operations against armed Kurdish groups, there are no limits, no boundaries and no law.”

“Fire opened on the ones getting out of their houses”

Witnesses whom the organization has interviewed have stated that the forces have opened fire on everybody observed by security forces on the street or leaving their houses, regardless whether they were armed and were a threat.

“A comprehensive investigation should be launched to determine the deaths, identify the responsible in every case and to find out whether there were ones involved in the armed conflicts among the deaths.” (AS/DG)

Click here to read the statement in full text and the story of the witnesses of the curfews and operations.