Girl in critical condition after being hit by tear-gas canister in southeast Turkey

SİLOPİ

DHA Photo

A 14-year-old high school student has been taken to hospital with serious head injuries after being struck by a tear-gas canister fired by soldiers in the restive southeastern province of Şırnak amid continuing violence in the area.

Zeynep Taştemur was struck late on Jan. 19 by soldiers firing from a convoy that came from the Habur Border Gate with northern Iraq. Children in the area had allegedly begun throwing stones at the soldiers, who responded with tear gas.

The convoy reportedly failed to stop to assist the girl following the incident.

Taştemur was transported to Silopi State Hospital, but was soon discharged by doctors at the hospital. The girl’s condition, however, worsened after she was brought home, prompting her family to bring her to Cizre State Hospital in the nearby district of Cizre, according to reports.

Cizre and Silopi have been racked by violence since the end of last month, with police accused of opening fire and killing a number of boys between the age of 12 and 14. Last week, police officers allegedly fired and killed 12-year-old Nihat Kazanhan with live ammunition as he was playing with friends in a neighborhood of Cizre.

Government officials have denied that police were responsible for the incident.

Earlier this month, police in Silopi also shot and killed 25-year-old Musa Azma as he was observing protests related to the violence in Cizre from his home’s balcony.