More than 130 people killed at borders on Turkish army’s ‘shooting orders’

ANKARA

Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz announced that some 134 people were killed on the borders in the last 11 years. AA Photo

Some 134 people were killed on Turkey’s borders in the last 11 years, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz announced.

Yılmaz’s announcement came on Feb. 4 in response to a written motion filed by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu who had questioned “shooting orders” given concerning smugglers at borders and persons who try to trespass borders through illegal means.

Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Internal Service Law and the Law on Prevention and Prosecution of Smuggling outline the authority of soldiers for the use of weapon, Yılmaz recalled.

“The total number of persons who lost their lives on the borders of Turkey between Jan. 1, 2003, and Oct. 1, 2013, is 134,” he said.

In addition to dealing with a huge influx of refugees since the start of the civil war in the neighboring country of Syria, particularly since the last summer, Turkey has also been dealing with intensified smuggling attempts across the border. These attempts have sometimes been remarkably launched by large groups of persons.