Uludere investigation ‘unreliable’: Amnesty International
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Investigations continue in the area. DHA Photo
Amnesty International described the investigation on the Uludere raid that left 34 villagers dead as "unreliable," in a letter sent by the organization to Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin.
The letter voiced "grave concern" over the investigation of the deaths of civilians by an army plane and said proper compensation should be paid to the victims' families.
The organization called for an "independent, objective and in-depth" probe on the matter that would reveal how the incident occurred as well as those who were responsible.
The letter said there were witnesses saying the military personnel were aware of the civilians in the area at the time of the bombing.
Members of human rights foundations who tried to visit the site for further investigation were prevented on “security concerns,” the letter read.
Amnesty International also warned about the state of the investigation if it relied completely on evidence collected from the locals by army officials and demanded an explanation for the reasons on why the process of investigation was kept away from the lawyers of the families under confidentiality rules.