‘Turkish army use chemical weapons against HPG members’ says German experts

NEWSCENTRE (DİHA) ‘Turkish army use chemical weapons against HPG members’ reported by well-known German weekly magazine der Spiegel yesterday on its website, Der Spiegel also published photographs showing the bodies of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that had been killed by allegedly chemical weapons.

The report, which is based on a report published over the weekend, claims German experts have examined and confirmed the photographs' authenticity.

According to the report, the horrifying images show burned, maimed and scorched body parts. Kurdish human rights activists believe the people in the photos are eight members of the PKK underground, who were killed in clashes with the Turkish military in September 2009.

The photographs were transferred to a human rights delegation including German activists, journalists, and far-Left Turkish politicians.

The report said the photographs were transferred to a forensics lab and were examined by experts from Hamburg University Hospital. Expert Hans Baumann confirmed the initial suspicion that it is highly probable the eight Kurds died "due to the use of chemical substances."

This is not the first time Turkey is suspected of using chemical weapons, in violation of the international treaty to which it is a signatory. Such suspicions have led German politicians to call for an independent international probe into the matter.

Gisela Penteker, a Turkey expert with the international medical organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, noted that Turkey has been suspected of using chemical weapons for years. "Local people have said that again and again," she explained. Finding proof is difficult, however, she said, because bodies were often released so late that it was hardly possible to carry out a thorough autopsy.

On the other hand, the paper reported that the Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the claims, saying, "Turkey is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and its armed forces do not possess any biological or chemical weapons."

Meanwhile, Berlin daily newspaper Die Tageszeitung and The Junge Welt newspaper also reported that the bodies belonged to six Kurdish guerrillas including two females who were found dead in a cave in Cukurca district of Hakkari in September 2009. Die Tageszeitung has obtained additional, shocking pictures, supposedly autopsy photographs of six other killed Kurds.
One more use of chemical weapon against Kurds

Families of Sevdin Nergis (Serhıldan Amed) and Mehmet Önkol (Laşer), two of five members of People Defense Forces (HPG) who were killed on August 8 in Beşiri countryside in Batman, claimed that corpses were burnt and meltet. Families struggle to take their loved ones’ bodies to burry them in decent way, finally concluded, at least for two of them. Nergis and Önkol’s corpses gave their family yesterday. Thousands attended their funeral in their hometowns.

Meantime, families condemned the government strongly since they saw the bodies as meltet and burnt. ‘What they did the bodies is beyond atrocity’, said families and added that: “Their bodies were completely deformed.” Some of relatives of Önkol and Nergis, who attended bathing the deceased, were taken to hospitals since the scene is unbearable for them.

Participants of the funerals took the pledge to keep up the struggle for all Kurds’ rights.

On the other hand, family of Alper Ayna, killed on August 11 during the clashes Turkish Army Forces and HPG in Çaldıran district of Van, applied to the prosecutor to take the body. Following procedure he will burry in Sarıkamış/Kars.

HPG attack on military convoy leaves five soldiers wounded in Yuksekova
At least five Turkish soldiers were wounded during clashes with HPG and TSK in Yuksekova, a town of Hakkari province. The clashes took place when HPG attacked on a military convoy Thursday midnight. Five soldiers were wounded following HPG hit the convoy, officials said.
Meanwhile, TSK organized a parade contained by tanks in the center of Yuksekova same day the soldiers’ wounded.

Forest fires continue

Forest fires in Tunceli, Helqiz Mountain in Batman and countryside of Hazro and Lice in Diyarbakır continue for three days without any respond to extinguish it.

American reporter is still under custody

Jake Hess, American journalist who was taken into custody yesterday, is still into custody. Diyarbakır Police department demanded the additional time from the prosecutor to extend his custody period. His additional time is going to end tomorrow.

(gü)