DİHA - Dicle News Agency

NEDİM TÜRFENT

HAKKARİ (DİHA) - Practices perpetrated by JITEM during the 90's, which mainly included torture and crime against humanity on the bodies of Kurdish guerrillas and civilians, continue to be committed by the AKP government today.

The savage war crimes in question have emerged once again today with the torture committed against YJA Star guerrilla Kevser Eltürk (Ekin Wan), whose naked body was exposed in photographs after her death in a clash in Varto district of Muş in mid August; and Hacı Lokman Birlik whose dead body was tied behind an armored vehicle and dragged through streets in the wake of his execution in Şırnak earlier this month.

New footage obtained by Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reveal the dimension of the savagery perpetrated on the bodies of 8 HPG members killed in Şemdinli's Bêzelê (Aktütün) region in October 2008.

Yet another inhuman treatment by Turkish forces is blown wide open in another case as military officials, policemen and health staff drag the bodies of the guerrillas all together, and have themselves photographed as grasping the naked dead bodies of guerrillas by their hair and ears.

The lack of bullet marks on the bodies of the guerrillas manifest the possibility that all might have been killed by chemical weapons.

While the war crimes of the state's paramilitary force JİTEM still remain questionable since their involvement in inhuman and savage cases in North Kurdistan territory during the 90's, similar incidents are being witnessed once again today as the AKP's war government has become the address of a dirty war with its policies of denial and annihilation with regards to the Kurdish question, in which in tramples on all international conventions such as the Geneva Convention of War.

Traces of chemical weapon on the bodies of 8 guerrillas

The mentioned images of torture against the dead bodies of Ekin Wan and Hacı Birlik didn't only lead to huge public indignation, but also revealed the dimension of the war waged by the AKP government and the Turkish state against the Kurdish people. New footage obtained by DIHA lay bare the atrocity suffered by eight HPG members who are guessed to have been killed by use of chemical weapons in Şemdinli district of Hakkari in 2008 as they are seen to have no bullet marks on their bodies which are covered with burns, wounds and coal black marks.

Attempt to cover the savagery

A video footage of 8 minutes and 12 seconds, obviously shot by a soldier or a special operation police as much as is understood from the conversations, was montaged in some parts. The video which was shot at night hours shows at the beginning an ambulance coming to the morgue of Şemdinli State Hospital, during which someone is heard saying "You are shooting a video". As the ambulance approaches to the entrance gate, followed by another car, someone says "Shoot it a little bit from forward and do not capture anyone", in an attempt to cover the savagery and not let it be known by the people living in the houses nearby.

Commander and police discuss on video shooting

Healthcare staff M.O and M.E.B. then appear at the entrance gate, another civilian Şemdinli Forensic Officer E.A. holding a blue dossier in hand, who shake hands with several people in civil clothes, and opens the ambulance door. One of those in civil clothes tells those inside the building to "take something covered", to which he is responded "all right, sir".

As the ambulance door is opened, then appear a special operation police in civil clothes and a military jacket, and another person with a camera in the hand. There are also seen black bags in the ambulance. A commander in military uniform, who then notices the video being shot, moves out of the view.

When the commander asks "Have you shot?", the person shooting the video answers; "Police, my commander police", upon which the commander once again appears and comes near the mentioned police, who says; "My commander, I am a police, it is okay". The commander therewith says "No, just shoot the ambulance".

Bodies dragged one by one

Later are involved some more military officials, men in civil clothes and some healthcare staff, two of whom bring a large iron bin and leave it on the ground near the ambulance, after which they take the bag, in which a guerrilla was put, out of the ambulance and throw it onto the bin. Then says the one in civil clothes and with a radio in the hand; "Let's take the photo. On which side is the head?", upon which another one in civil clothes opens the bag, saying; "Shoot it, my brother". On seeing the decomposed face of the guerrilla in military uniform, they give a reaction, saying "Oooo..". As another guerrilla's body in another bag is then thrown onto that bag, one says "Slowly... All needs to be shot one by one". The video ends at that moment, after which it is understood that bodies are carried into the building one by one.

After that, body of another guerrilla in military uniform is taken out of another ambulance and put into the bin. The video ends there once again.

Naked bodies thrown one onto another

Then is seen a third ambulance with its door open at the gate of the hospital. When the camera is turned into the ambulance, bodies of guerrillas are seen as naked and all put one onto another. Healthcare staff therewith hold a body from the hand, drag it to the gate and then put it into the bin. As one says "The thin one can fit into here", a health worker pushes the bodies in the bin with his feet.

Photos taken as bodies grasped by the hair and ears

Pointing to the body in the bin, the one shooting the video says; "Raise his head, bro", upon which one in civil clothes grasps the head by the hair and raises it. The guerrilla is seen to have marks of torture on the face and black-and-blue marks around the eyes.

When the third body is brought, one is heard saying "lay it down on the back", and the health worker does so. Then grasps one the body by the head and ear, and has a photo taken. The presence of a black soot on the guerrilla's face and the lack of a bullet mark on the body indicates the probability of use of chemical weapon. The one shooting the video therewith asks "Why is this one black, bro?", to which he is answered "Nothing". Then grasps one in civil clothes the body by the ear and holds it up, and one other takes a photo.

Bodies start bleeding

The bodies start bleeding after being dragged and thrown into the bin which therewith fills with blood. While the bodies are photographed as their hair and ear being grasped, one is heard saying "Let's shoot this one too and give it to the press". Marks of torture on mainly faces and necks of the guerrillas also grab attention. Once the photograph is taken, one says "Mehmet, is it okay?", and the video ends again.

Naked savagery

The video resumes, showing another ambulance standing at the gate. Health care staff opens the door of the ambulance and drags another guerrilla's naked body out and throws it into the bin. One other guerrilla body, on whose arm a white stuff like a paper is tied, is in the same way dragged and thrown into the bin. The video ends once again while the last guerrilla's body is raised from the hair.

Will the war crime be investigated?

While the exact date of the savagery cannot be verified, the evident appearance of the number plates of the ambulances constitute a major proof for a probable investigation. It is an issue of concern whether an investigation will be launched into the inhuman treatment and crime against humanity that was jointly perpetrated by the military officials, policemen and hospital staff in the video.

(nt)