'Is massacre the punishment for smuggling?'

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Şahap Şendol (23), who was a shepherd in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeasten province of Hakkari, and C. E. (17), who was doing border trade in the region, were shot by soldiers while they were trying to cross from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to Turkey.

On May 18, 2021, Şendol, who was grazing sheep in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and C.E., who had crossed to the Region to buy cigarettes, were returning to their hamlet, Derindere (Çemêkurk) in Hakkari's Derecik district, which is 10-15 meters away from the border.

As they approached the Turkey border, soldiers opened fire on the two young people without a "warning."

Şahap Şendol was seriously injured by a bullet that entered his hand and C.E. was injured by a bullet that entered his body from his back and came out from the lower part of his heart.

The young ones were taken to a hospital in the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government by citizens and relatives who came to the region.

While Şendol, who had been injured in his hand, lost two fingers, C. E., who underwent two surgeries, is still under treatment.

On the other hand, no statement has yet been made by the Governor's Office of Hakkari regarding the incident.

'Impunity makes them more powerful'

Speaking to bianet about the issue, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP Sait Dede and Hakkari Bar Association Chair Ergün Canan have said that the main reason for the incidents on the border is the policy of impunity and the lack of solution to the Kurdish question.

HDP Hakkari MP Sait Dede: "The place called Derindere is a stream, it is bad and 10-15 meters away from the border. The animals are always crossing to the other side of the border.

"Most of the families living in this village live in Iraqi Kurdistan. People are in constant contact with the other side, and some of them have dual citizenship.

"In addition, livestock, pasture, and transhumance cannot be done in Derecik because of security policies. They go to the other side because of family ties, and the government knows this."

Görüntüler yine Derecik'ten, sınır hattında silahsız sivil iki gencimiz askerler tarafından açılan ateşle vuruldu.İmha konseptiyle uyum içinde ilerleyen ve failleri elbirliğiyle koruyarak cesaretlendiren yargıya soruyorum hangi yasalara göre hareket ediyorsunuz,hani yaşam hakkı! pic.twitter.com/RpNzUzwiCJ

— Dr. Sait Dede (@DrSaitDede) May 19, 2021

Sait Dede posted a Tweet which includes a video taken by one of the people trying to help Şendol and C.E. while the soldiers are shouting and asking the reasons why they are on this side of the border. Dede posted the Tweet with the caption, "The footage is from Derecik again, two unarmed young people were shot by soldiers on the border line. I ask the judiciary which proceeds in harmony with the concept of annihilation and encourages the perpetrators by protecting them: Which laws do you act according to? Where did the right to life go?!"

'They open direct fire'

"Şahap also works as a shepherd in Iraq, and they are returning to their village with C. As they come towards the border, they are shot by the soldiers. Families say that the soldiers opened fire from 40-50 meters away. Sanctions may be imposed on the grounds of border violations, fines, detention but these are not done, they open direct fire.

"Also, the soldiers do not help them after shooting. They were hospitalized with the help of the peshmergas from Iraqi Kurdistan and are currently being treated there.

"The incident happened on May 18, we heard about it last night. Such incidents are covered up if they are not reported by the press.

"When such incidents are reported by the press, justifications such as 'because they were smuggling' or that it was a 'ricochet bullet' are formed. Is massacre the punishment for smuggling?"

'Events are covered up'

Hakkari Bar Association Chair Ergün Canan: "The village where the incident happened is very close to the border. The two young people are on the other side of the border. The people of the village are constantly grazing their sheep or doing border trade in the area.

"These young people are also shot without any warning. No matter which side of the border they are on, they cannot be shot in this way. This situation has now become common in the region. This is not the first time; people are killed by claiming that they disobeyed the stop warning. These incidents in the border region are not addressed at the courthouse, they are covered up." (RT/DCE/SD)