Turkish PM Davutoğlu crime against humanity, “Who did the state fight against in Cizre”?

September 14, 2015 By administrator

By CAFER SOLGUN,

Cizre is a district of Şırnak province with a population of 140,000.

It is situated at the epicenter of the geographical area Kurds call Botan, a region where Kurdish identity has always been strong. It has a long history of resistance that can be traced back to the 19th century. A number of Kurdish uprisings began there. For this reason, many operations have been conducted in this area. Cizre is a residential area at the skirts of Mount Cudi. It is also the crossing to Iraqi Kurdistan. For this reason, it has served as a venue where Kurdish rioters were based. Mount Cudi is also currently one of the places where PKK guerrillas are located. It is not easy to maintain military control there. State pressure and military operations have not brought Cizre closer to the state. On the contrary, these measures have pushed the district away.

The interim government, in which the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is dominant, imposed a blockade upon Cizre for eight consecutive days. The state shut down all channels of communication, and thousands of members of security forces were deployed to the city. No information about what was happening in the district was transmitted during this period lasting over a week, and even delegations from civil society groups, and from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) were denied entry. Also prohibited from entering were HDP ministers serving in the interim government; they were harassed by security forces who upheld the blockade.

And this operation was called an operation to purge Cizre of terrorists. The state invaded this town by deploying 5,000 military and security officers to “purge” 100-150 “terrorists.”

However, terrible news has been reported, in spite of the strong blockade. Children were killed. They were kept in freezers because their parents were not allowed to bury them. A number of civilians died. Sick patients were not taken to the hospital and people were unable to maintain adequate food supplies because of the curfew.

But according to Ahmet Davutoğlu, the prime minister of the interim government, not a single civilian was harmed during this huge military operation. Davutoğlu made such statements, which were quickly proven wrong. It is not possible to understand why he does so.

EU Minister Ali Haydar Konca (an HDP deputy) made this statement, which refuted Davutoğlu’s claim: “It is evident that there is wide-scale destruction in Cizre, where more than 20 people have died and 50 are wounded. Even in times of war, the dead are buried and the wounded are taken to hospitals. We could not do this in Cizre. It saddens me deeply to see those images. The bodies of children were kept in freezers for days. This is not something we would like to see in this country.”

The news reports and photos from Cizre taken after the blockade reveal the sad truth. In the days to come, hidden truths will be further revealed when the stories of human beings are told. The truth will be revealed, despite efforts by the pro-government media and the AKP. In Cizre, the state fought against the people, not “terrorists.”

It is not possible to establish domination in Cizre, Botan and Kurdistan by relying on the logic and practice of war. Please read the first paragraph of this column to better understand this.

Cizre has gained a symbolic meaning in reference to the strategy of inciting chaos that the AKP calls the fight against terror. By reliance on this logic, it is not possible to take Cizre into the framework of unity and solidarity. You may approach Cizre and the Kurds by offering a real peace to them. But the AKP is devastating the basis of this peace.

Turkey Rights activist Kaya: Gross human rights violations committed in Kurdish town Cizre

September 13, 2015 By administrator

After a nine-day round-the-clock curfew in the southeastern district of Cizre, just north of the Syrian border, the extent of the devastation to civilian life and property has not yet been revealed, but the first photographs from the region have shown a war-torn town.

“Security reasons cannot be an excuse for killing children and other civilians, for preventing citizens’ access to food, water, electricity and healthcare services. There can be no legitimate excuse for what the government has been doing in Cizre. Civilians have been punished by being made hostages in Cizre,” said Nurcan Kaya, a member of Barış Meclisi (Peace Assembly) based in İstanbul and Turkey coordinator for Minority Rights Group International (MRG), a London-based NGO.

The curfew left residents living in dire conditions due to constant gunfire and explosions that have destroyed many homes in the district.

While Interior Minister Selami Altınok said that up to 32 members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU and the US) had been killed in Cizre, in addition to one civilian, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said that at least 20 civilians, including children, were killed in the violence.

Opposition politicians hold President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan completely responsible for the surge in terrorism and chaos after the June 7 election, in which former Prime Minister Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was unable to form a single-party government due to the success of the HDP passing the election threshold with 13 percent of the vote.

Many HDP politicians — including members from the interim Cabinet steering the country to the Nov. 1 snap election — attempted a 55-mile march to Cizre as security forces blocked roads to the town, but their entry was not allowed for “security” reasons.

Elaborating on the issue, Kaya answered our questions.

Turkey Curfew re-declared in tense Cizre, where numerous civilians were killed in clashes

September 13, 2015 By administrator

A curfew, which was lifted as of Saturday morning after it had been in place for eight days in the restive district of Cizre in the southeastern Şırnak province, has been re-declared on Sunday.

According to media reports, the Şırnak Governor’s Office declared a new curfew in Cizre, the district where the prolonged curfew has left behind a scene resembling a battlefield due to days-long clashes between Turkish security forces and terrorists of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The curfew reportedly began at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) reported on Saturday that 22 civilians were killed in clashes in the district with a population of more than 100,000.

On Saturday, Interim Minister of European Union Affairs Ali Haydar Konca also reported the deaths of more than 20 civilians, adding that approximately 50 had been injured while the curfew was in place.

Turkish Gov’t Atrocity Photos reveal intensity of clashes in Cizre after curfew lifted

September 12, 2015 By administrator

A curfew that was imposed eight days ago in the restive soutehastern district of Cizre was lifted on Saturday morning with photos from the area revealing the intensity of clashes.

Hundreds of empty catridges scattered on the streets and devastated buildings were seen in initial photos from the district.

A curfew was imposed in Cizre on Sept. 4 as of 8 p.m. in what officials said to ensure security in the district in the wake of rising threat by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Residents ventured out to stock up on groceries and check on their shops after authorities lifted a nine-day round-the-clock curfew at 7 a.m.

There were still strict measures in main points of the district. Armoured vehicles prowled the streets of Cizre just north of the Syrian border and security forces set up checkpoints on the town’s outskirts. The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) said 21 civilians were killed during the fight in Cizre, a town of more than 100,000 near the Iraqi and Syrian borders.

The government said one civilian and some 32 militants died.

“We suffered from hunger and thirst in our homes for eight days. It was like scenes from Iraq or Syria. We don’t deserve this,” said Haci, a labourer and father of three who spoke to Reuters by phone from Cizre. He did not want his last name to be published.

“We are caught in the crosshairs. We don’t know how many people died. People were unable to bury the dead.”

Meral Danış Beştaş, an HDP lawmaker who visited Cizre on Saturday, told Reuters: “People are still unable to hold funerals, as bodies are at the morgue. It’s not possible to say that life has returned to normal. Food is scarce and so are medical services.”

Security forces had barred Bestas and some 30 other MPs who attempted to walk to Cizre to protest the violence. “This was the state at war with its own citizens … People are traumatised, they spoke of their fear and anger,” she said.

Communications were restored on Saturday after the state suspended mobile-phone and internet services with the curfew. Long lines formed Cizre’s bakeries, and television footage showed bullet holes covering the facades of homes and the wreckage of vehicles strewn in the streets.

The curfew left residents living in dire conditions due to constant gunfire and explosions that have destroyed many homes in the district. According to media reports, heavy weapons were used in the fight between security forces and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists. In the district where gunfire was relentless, life completely came to a standstill.

Source: Zaman

BBC Report Turkey lifts week-long curfew on Kurdish city of Cizre

September 12, 2015 By administrator

Turkey has lifted a week-long curfew imposed on the predominantly Kurdish south-eastern city of Cizre, media reports say.

Cizre was sealed off since last Friday after the Turkish army launched an operation against Kurdish militants there.

Civilian casualties have been reported and there are concerns about food shortages.

The Council of Europe has asked Turkey to allow access to observers.

Amid the operation against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), Cizre locals have also complained of shortages of water and electricity. People have also been unable to bury their dead.

Grim reports from Turkey’s Cizre

Turkey-PKK conflict: Why are clashes escalating?

A statement from the local authorities thanked Cizre residents for their patience during the “successful operation against the terror organisation”.

Twenty civilians have died since Friday, eyewitnesses said, although the government has said only one civilian died and that the rest were militants.

Turkey has described Cizre as a hotbed of PKK activity, with one official saying they believed 80 professional PKK fighters were operating there and around 200 young people had taken up arms.

But Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party, has described the curfew as a “death sentence” for Kurds in the Kurdish-majority city of 100,000 people.

One doctor, who is responsible for more than 4,000 patients but cannot leave his home, told the BBC that the emergency department at the state hospital was closed and pharmacies were not opening.

Violence has surged between the Turkish government and the PKK since a ceasefire collapsed in July.

On Friday, an attack on a cafe in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir left a waiter dead and three policemen injured.

More than 40,000 people have died since the PKK launched an armed campaign in 1984, calling for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey.

Turkey Council of Europe urges immediate access to Cizre by independent observers

September 11, 2015 By administrator

Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks has urged Turkish authorities to allow independent observers to enter Cizre, amid growing concerns of serious human rights violations.

“Thus far, the information provided by the authorities does not allay all concerns. I urge the authorities to ensure immediate access to Cizre by independent observers, including by Turkey’s national human rights structures, in order to dispel the rumors of human rights violations perpetrated by security forces. I hope for a quick end to this emergency situation,” Muižnieks said in a written statement Sept. 11.

The curfew declared in Cizre, a city of 100,000 inhabitants in the southeastern province of Şirnak, has entered into its eighth day, with reports on continuing clashes between security forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Interior Minister Selami Altınok has said that 30-32 terrorists have been killed in clashes, while there are claims of a loss of around 20 civilians so far.

The commissioner highlighted his concern for Cizre, amid his increasing alarm regarding the recent increase in violence around the country.

“I have received reports that public life, including essential services such as healthcare, and means of communication have been severely disrupted as a result [of the curfew], and that entry and exit from the city have been barred. More disturbingly, I have also received serious allegations of disproportionate use of force by security forces against civilians,” he said.

He also said he did not question the Turkish authorities’ right to carry out anti-terror operations “in a particularly difficult and violent context.” However, he added, “the proportionality and legality of such operations must always be very carefully scrutinized by the authorities and by courts, including in the light of relevant international human rights standards.” He reiterated his deep concern for the current situation, as “an exceptionally severe interference with the human rights of a very large population and a near-complete information blackout.”

Turkish Kurdistan Cizre will not surrender

September 11, 2015 By administrator

In Cizre, Turkish Kurdistan city has been placed under martial law for almost two weeks. In this city, where, however, the state does not confront the PKK guerrillas, but the population that defends, it is a war that is being waged. The city, its population, means of communications are cut off from the outside. Cizre was attacked by the army. A massacre took place in Cizre. In Turkey more than 308 attacks were carried out in the last 48 hours by the extreme right, against the Kurds and against the offices of the HDP.

In Cizre, Şırnak province, the people resisted against the war waged by the palace. 5000 policemen and soldiers were sent to help in Cizre where martial law continues. During the blockage continues, homes and civilians were targeted yesterday armored vehicles doing the rounds in the city, threatening to shoot all that moved. Despite the attacks and blockade, the people continue to resist, the HDP elected said, “Be attached to Cizre which is under the threat of a massacre, break the blockade.” Since last Friday, nine people lost their lives in organized attacks.

Friday, September 11, 2015,
Jean Eckian © armenews.com

Other information available: on New Turkey

Turkey Gunfire continues in Cizre, locals living in dire conditions due to curfew

September 10, 2015 By administrator

The co-chair of the pro-Kurdish HDP, Demirtaş walks with his party members to the town of Cizre on Thursday. (Photo: Reuters)

Residents are living in dire conditions due to the constant gunfire and explosions that have destroyed many homes in the tense district of Cizre in southeastern Şırnak province, which has been under curfew for a week with a delegation of ministers and lawmakers being prevented from entering by authorities.

According to media reports, heavy weapons are being used in the ongoing fighting between security forces and PKK terrorists in Cizre, where many homes have been destroyed due to explosions. The number of casualties has been increasing day by day, the reports say.

The delegation made up of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which includes the party’s leader, Selahattin Demirtaş, two ministers and dozens of lawmakers, is being prevented by security forces from marching towards Cizre to make first-hand inspections in the district.

The delegation set off on Wednesday to reach Cizre, which no one has been able to leave or enter, amid clashes between security forces and the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The HDP delegation consists of Development Minister Müslüm Doğan, European Union Affairs Minister Ali Haydar Konca, HDP leader Demirtaş and around 30 deputies.

After being intercepted by security forces on their way to Cizre, the delegation left their vehicles behind and continued on foot on Wednesday, in order to draw attention to the violent incidents in the district.

The delegation spent Wednesday night in Şırnak’s İdil district and attempted to continue their march to Cizre at about 4 a.m. on Thursday. The delegation was stopped by armored vehicles and water cannons on the Midyat-İdil road.

Citing an order from the Şırnak Governor’s Office, the security forces said they were ordered to block the road. The HDP delegation then left the road and attempted to walk to Cizre via a mountain path.

After walking about a kilometer, the delegation was stopped by riot police. Media reports say that a scuffle erupted between the riot police and lawmakers in the delegation, with several police officers pushing the lawmakers back with their riot shields during the scuffle.

Demirtaş voiced objections to the riot police, saying that the police cannot stop them because where they are marching is not under the jurisdiction of the police, but the authority of the gendarmerie.

The tension between the police and the delegation members lasted for several hours in the mountainous area between Şırnak’s İdil and Cizre districts. Finally, the delegation decided to return to İdil.

One member of the delegation, HDP İstanbul deputy Garo Paylan, shared photos on his Twitter account and said the police had blocked the group from entering Cizre. A journalist named Fuat Yaşar also shared photos on his Twitter account and claimed that the police assaulted the deputies and that several special operations teams were deployed in the area.

Demirtaş: Cizre locals cannot meet their basic needs due to curfew

Commenting on the police barricade against his party’s delegation, Demirtaş said on Thursday that the aim of the march is to put an end to the fighting in Cizre and create a peaceful atmosphere in which the residents will be able to meet their daily needs.

Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s earlier statement that the curfew in Cizre has been applied just for several hours a day, Demirtaş said that Erdoğan is mistaken or being misled about the issue, assuring that the curfew in Cizre has been implemented 24 hours a day.

A curfew is normally applied at night, but the curfew in Cizre is in force for the whole day.

Demirtaş also said that the corpses are being cooled with ice because their burial is being forbidden, adding: “There is no [drinking] water, food or bread. There are injured people, but the ambulances are banned from entering the district. The district has been under a blockade for eight days. … Thus, we want this unlawful practice to be ended.

“The curfew should be lifted, people should be allowed to meet their daily needs and bury the bodies of their relatives. There are even babies among those killed. Our friends shared information from the district: There are dead bodies of babies, but it is not being allowed for them to be buried. I request Mr. President to reconsider the issue from that perspective with due sensitivity.”

There were photos circulating in the Turkish media that showed the body of a 10-year-old girl in a deep freezer in Cizre. The girl was identified as Cemile Cizir Çagırga, who died from a gunshot wound while inside her family home in the Cudi neighborhood of the district.

Communication has been cut in the area and basic requirements such as food and water are scarce. According to the reports, the accumulated garbage and frequent water cuts pose a serious health risk.

Seven men who have been stuck at their workplaces at the entrance to Cizre for over a week due to the curfew and the clashes spoke to a Cihan news agency reporter, saying they have not heard any news from their families who live in the Nur and Cudi neighborhoods of Cizre.

One of the men, Fahrettin Ecer, says they are watching the fighting from the windows, adding: “My wife and children are in the Nur neighborhood. We are stuck here. They [the Turkish security forces] won’t allow us to leave. We are not able to get any news about our families. I am going crazy. I no longer even have the strength to stand.”

Another of the men, Mehmet Çağlı, told Cihan: “We have been in a kind of torture for over a week here. I watch our homes being bombarded in the clashes from the window. … If this goes on like this, I will risk my life and leave here.”

Minister says HDP delegation not allowed to enter Cizre

Interior Minister Selami Altınok made a statement on Thursday in which he provided figures about the clashes in Cizre, saying that nine civilians have died during the fighting but also claiming that the security forces have taken measures to protect civilians.

Altınok also said security forces have killed 32 PKK terrorists during the confrontations in the district, adding that the ministry is planning to lift the curfew in the district as soon as possible.

The interior minister added that the ministry will not allow the HDP delegation to enter Cizre for their own safety.

However, HDP Şanlıurfa deputy Leyla Güven — one of the lawmakers in the delegation — told the media on Thursday that eight people, including a child, were killed during the clashes on Wednesday night alone.

In addition, HDP parliamentary group chairman İdris Baluken said during a press conference in Parliament on Thursday that more than 20 civilians have been killed in the past week in Cizre.

Truck drivers attempt to pass Turkey’s Iraqi border to join march to Cizre

About 500 truck drivers left their trucks in northern Iraq and started to march towards from the border town of Zakho in northern Iraq towards Cizre, which is located at the southeastern part of Turkish border with Iraq, on Thursday to protest the weeklong curfew. When the drivers attempted to enter Turkey by illegally crossing the border, the Turkish gendarmerie forces opened fire on them on Thursday afternoon.

According to the Doğan news agency report, four truck drivers, who were holding up white flags while passing the border, were injured during the gunfire. The news agency also stated that 50 truck drivers were able to pass the border, while the others gave up their attempt and returned to Zakho.

However, the HDP claimed via its Twitter account on Thursday that two truck drivers were killed and three were injured when the gendarmes opened fire on the drivers.

The curfew in Cizre was declared by the Şırnak Governor’s Office in response to an increase in terrorist incidents in Cizre.

A statement released by the governor’s office last week said a curfew was declared in the district to ensure security in the wake of increasing terrorist incidents in the area and to capture members of the PKK who were involved in violent acts. It also said the curfew would be in place until further notice.

Source: ZAMAN

Turkey: Cizre under siege: Police “Bastards of Armenians! “

September 10, 2015 By administrator

A Cizre district of Şırnak province, located on the banks of the Tigris, blockaded for a week, the speaker of the Turkish police, insult the Kurds by launching their “You are Armenians! Bastards of Armenians! “ReportsAvaXascar on Twitter, adding that the city is under siege. Firing mortars, shells and snipers have several casualties among civilians, including 5 children. A call Selahattin Demirtas leader, members of the pro-Kurdish party HDP coming towards Cizre, denied access to the city by the Turkish authorities.

Turkey: Elected HDP walk to the town of Cizre blockaded

September 10, 2015 By administrator

Wednesday, 9 September, a delegation from the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas including the Co-Chair, two ministers and several MPs began way to Cizre, to support the people of this city blockaded and under the state of emergency regime. However, out of Midyat / Mardin, the convoy was stopped soon after by the police acting on the orders of the Turkish Minister of the Interior.

Ignoring the prohibition to move forward, the Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtas HDP, said that the delegation would continue his journey on foot. “By decision of the Prime Minister, we are blocked at 90 km from Cizre and prevented from leaving Midyat. However, we can not abandon the people of Cizre to death. Together with Ministers and Deputies, we will reach Cizre walk. “

For over six days that the town of Cizre suffered the repression of the Turkish security forces. So far, eight civilians were killed and many others wounded by gunmen elite police snipers on rooftops. For fear of being targeted by snipers, people dare not leave their homes. Those who come out, even if only to buy bread, are killed or injured. In the latter case, they can neither go to the hospital or to have the assistance of an ambulance.

A man aged 80 died for lack of medical supplies. Moreover, the body of a 6-year-old girl killed in the Nur district is maintained by his parents in a freezer, unable to bury. Countless are snipers on rooftops ambushed and continue to terrorize the people, preventing them from going outside, to take their wounded to hospital and even to bury their dead.

Because of the seriousness and urgency of the situation, an HDP delegation decided to enter in Cizre in solidarity with the inhabitants of the besieged city, to try to end the curfew and the state Emergency and to investigate and testify about the atrocities committed against civilians.

Given the silence of the international community to terrorism Turkish forces against Kurdish civilians, it is up to the democratic forces and the population of the town of Cizre support and respond to the most urgent needs.

We call upon the international media to cover this crucial peace march. Distance from Midyat Cizre is 97 km, which requires a step of about 20 hours.

The Kurdistan National Congress