Uludere report points to lack of coordination

ISTANBUL

An attack in Uludere killed 34 civilians on Dec 28, 2011. DHA photo

A flaw in coordination between military and security officials was the main reason behind the Uludere tragedy, a draft report by a parliamentary commission concluded, adding that there were no intentional actions leading up to the incident. 

A sub-commission of Parliament’s Human Rights Inquiry Commission assigned to examine the controversy surrounding the Uludere tragedy was approved 5-3 yesterday, with each vote of approval cast by a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) member.

“The AKP-General Staff cooperation is obvious,” said Levent Gök, member of the commission from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), following the meeting. “This report is empty. There are contradictory statements which do not point to any responsible party. They draw attention to the flaw in coordination between the military and the civilian administration,” Gök said.

“Via a motion they [AKP deputies] introduced, they got a report saying that there was no intent behind the incident,” he said, noting there was no expression regarding military officials in the report. “As if we have another army, there is an army which came from the space and it did [the raid].”

The Uludere incident refers to the death of 34 civilian villagers in an air strike on Dec. 28, 2011, when they were allegedly mistaken for PKK militants as they smuggled oil and other goods such as sugar and tea from northern Iraq into Turkey. 
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