Serious violations of basic human rights in regards to the right of life are increasing at an alarming rate in Turkey in recent months. In the latest incident, soldiers opened fire on three youngsters who had travelled to their village, Anadağ (Bêruh) in Derecik district of Hakkari (Colemêrg) to pick acorns and have a picnic at 3pm on the afternoon of November.
Özcan Erbaş (18) was injured after being hit from gunfire that had targeted the youngsters. Özcan Erbaş’s uncle Sabri Erbaş said, “The 3-4 youngsters including my nephew, had gone to Anadağ to have a picnic and pick some acorns. Soldiers opened fire on them when they arrived at that spot. They opened fire on the boys from the Bağlıca (Mamreşan) and Gerdin military posts. After we heard about the incident, we rushed there to come to the aid my nephew. We began to argue with the soldiers as they were not letting us to help the injured. They were not helping them either. I insisted and carried my nephew to the road. A bullet had injured his back. We rushed him to the Hakkari Public Hospital for autopsy.” Özcan died from a fatal shot to his back.
‘We will call them to account’
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari deputy Sait Dede confirmed the incident via a post he shared on Twitter. Dede said, “A Kurdish youngster again died in a remorseless execution. Eighteen years old Özcan Erbaş was killed with a soldier’s bullet in Birox (Anadağ) village in Derecik district of Hakkari at around 15.00 today. We know he will be protected with an impunity shield again. However, we will call them to account even a hundred years pass by.”
Repression of the Kurdish people soars in Turkey
Regarding the Kurdish question, repression against the Kurdish people has dramatically risen especially in recent times in Turkey.
Apart from assaults against Kurdish seasonal agricultural workers in Sakarya in previous months, a Kurdish construction worker was murdered in Afyon city.
After that another assault and torture committed by soldiers was heard from Van (Wan) city of Turkey. On 11th September 2020, two villagers, Osman Şiban (50) and Servet Turgut (55) were taken into custody in the Çatak (Şax) district of Van (Wan) in Turkey after a military operation. Two days after being detained, news spread that Şiban and Turgut were in hospital. They had been tortured.
Servet Turgut lost his life on 30th September. It had been revealed that both villagers had been thrown from a military helicopter on 11th September. Hospital records and eyewitness statements confirmed that the incidents took place.
Another incident had taken place again in Hakkari on October 29. Şerali Dereli (61) was reportedly murdered by soldiers in Duranlar (Awyan) village of Esendere region. His family had claimed that soldiers opened fire on them as they tried to reach his body. After the incident, footage was publicly released that shed further light on the attack.
According to a report on violations of human rights released by CHP deputy and human rights lawyer Sezgin Tanrikulu, 42 violations of the ‘right to life’ and 339 cases of reported ‘torture’ took place during October 2020.
