Military ops led to death of three civilians in Turkey’s southeast: Human rights report

DİYARBAKIR

AA Photo

Operations caused the deaths of three civilians and injured three others in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır’s Silvan district on Aug. 18, during a period when a curfew had been declared, according to a human rights report prepared by local civil society organizations. 

Three civilians died in wide-scale operations launched in Silvan early on Aug. 18, after a curfew without a pre-defined ending time was announced early on the same date, according to the report prepared by representatives of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır branch, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Diyarbakır branch, the Diyarbakır Bar, the Diyarbakır Medical Chamber and the Mesopotamia Lawyers Association (MHD). 

The report stated that 25-year-old Serhat Bilen was killed in the fire opened by special security forces during the time of the curfew. 

80-year-old Hanife Durak and 60-year-old Veysi Toraman were reported to have died due to heart attacks induced by blasting hand grenades and the tension of the clashes. 

20-year-old Handan Altunterin and Ayşe Topdemir were both wounded in separate fires opened, while 24-year-old İsmail Bozkurt was injured due to a detonating bomb.

The state has not yet made any announcements about the civilian deaths. 

Meanwhile, the report stated that some security forces were seen saying “Allah is great,” while opening fire with long barreled guns in footage taken at the community health center. 

The representatives preparing the report talked to public prosecutor Tuba Köse in the district and demanded an investigation be opened into the footage. She responded by saying she would launch a probe.