IHD exposes use of chemical weapons by Turkish army

The Diyarbakır branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) said in an astonishing report today that some 437 guerrillas lost their lives in approximately 39 separate operations carried out with chemical weapons by the Turkish army since 1994. The human rights group released its “Report of Chemical Weapons” which contains important information regarding the operations of the Turkish army carried out with chemical weapons. According to the report which was released by IHD administrator Serdar Çelebi and featured on the ANF NEWS AGENCY site, chemical weapons were used in 39 operations among those carried out from 1994 to 2011, while 437 guerrillas lost their lives in these operations.

Some other figures in the report are as follows;

• Alleged use of chemicals on nature and lands: 5
• Alleged use of biological weapons: 2
• Number of militants who died as a result of chemical weapons use: 437
• Number of animals perished as a result of chemical weapons use: 134 ”

The report which reminded that the allegation concerning the use of chemical weapons has been frequently brought to the agenda since the 1990s also gave examples from the military operations where chemical weapons were used.

Remarking that all the applications made on the subject remained inconclusive so far, Branch Secretary Raci Bilici called on national and international civil organizations and competent institutions, individuals and governments to investigate the allegations concerning chemical weapons. Bilici said; “The rules of humanitarian law regulate the rules that must be obeyed even under war circumstances. We expect competent authorities to investigate all these allegations which mean a violation of the humanitarian law, the laws of war and armed conflict and to make scientific data-based statements to the satisfaction of the general public.”

Some other information from the report, which consists of the applications made by families as well as the compilation of news from DIHA and ANF, is as follows;

The report said that 20 PKK militants, who lost their lives in the operation near the Ballıkaya (Bilika) village in Silopi district of Şırnak on May 11, 1999, were asserted to have been killed with chemical weapons. To the extend reflected to the media; a chemical gas tube, claimed to have been used in the operation and found at the scene, was sent to Germany by militants for a criminal investigation. The report issued after the investigation in the criminal laboratory in Germany concluded that the material (the tube) was of a deadly chemical gas containing chemicals.

The report also added that some eight PKK militants including two women, who lost their lives in a clash in September 2009 Cukurca district of Hakkari, were killed using chemical weapons. Upon finding some photos and materials verifying the assertion, human rights organizations sent the materials to Germany for an investigation after which the German press wrote that the Turkish army used ‘chemical weapons’ against PKK militants. While German human rights activists and politicians demanded an international investigation into the issue, the University of Hamburg issued a report and proved the use of chemical weapons by the TSK (Turkish Armed Forces). 

Read more: ANF NEWS AGENCY