TURKEY-KURDS/CIZRE UPDATE Pro-Kurdish leader arrives in Cizre after curfew is lifted

Record ID: 139946

  • Title: TURKEY-KURDS/CIZRE UPDATE Pro-Kurdish leader arrives in Cizre after curfew is lifted
  • Date: 12th September 2015
  • Summary: CIZRE, TURKEY (SEPTEMBER 12, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BUILDING WITH BLOWN-OUT WINDOWS AND BULLET HOLES IN WALLS PRO-KURDISH PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY (HDP) LEADER SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS SALUTING THE CROWD PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) HDP LEADER, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, SAYING: "We have wounded brothers and sisters. I wish them a speedy recovery. I hope they will be fully on the mend soon. As for you, people of Cizre, 120,000 people were kept as hostages here for ten days. You were under bombardment day and night for ten days." DAMAGED GATE OF A HOUSE DAMAGED WALL AND SECURITY CABIN BULLET HOLES IN BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) UNNAMED WOMAN RESIDENT OF CIZRE, SAYING: "We were terrified. We didn't have electricity. We were starving to death. We didn't live. What on the earth did we do to deserve this? I hope God will punish you for this, Erdogan." MAN STANDING AT THE ENTRANCE OF A DAMAGED BUILDING PEOPLE WALKING PAST RUBBLE (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) UNNAMED MALE RESIDENT OF CIZRE, SAYING: "All of my children were awake. We ran to the backyard but they opened fire on us." (REPORTER ASKING IF THEY HAD ELECTRICITY) "We didn't have electricity or water. We just started to get electricity" DAMAGED PHONE MAST/ DAMAGED BUILDING VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDINGS
  • Embargoed: 27th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8UYMGMHNU3SHDZUAMS1465VMT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas visited the southeastern Turkish town of Cizre on Saturday (September 12) after a curfew imposed by authorities to combat PKK militants was lifted.
    The decision to lift the Cizre curfew came despite tensions persisting in the town of 100,000, with five members of the security forces wounded by a bomb blast on Friday (September 11).
    Authorities have been facing mounting pressure to open access to the town and allow investigations into claims of disproportionate force used by security services.
    Turkish authorities said the curfew had remained in effect for eight days.
    But addressing residents of Cizre on Saturday, Demirtas accused the government of taking the town 'hostage' for ten days.
    "We have wounded brothers and sisters. I wish them a speedy recovery. I hope they will be fully on the mend soon. As for you, people of Cizre, 120,000 people were kept as hostages here for ten days. You were under bombardment day and night for ten days," Demirtas told residents.
    Pro-Kurdish politicians say 21 civilians were killed and a humanitarian crisis unfolded, with the dead going unburied and food and water running short. They said special forces, acting on the local governor's orders, had been shooting anyone venturing out on the street.
    The interior minister said on Thursday (September 10) that only one civilian had died in Cizre and that military operations there had killed dozens of militants. A group of HDP lawmakers was denied access to the town on Thursday.
    Residents of Cizre said they were without power and water for days.
    "We were terrified. We didn't have electricity. We were starving to death. We didn't live. What on the earth did we do to deserve this? I hope God will punish you for this, Erdogan," said one woman, blaming Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan.
    Another resident said his house came under fire.
    "All of my children were awake. We ran to the backyard but they opened fire on us," he said.
    Nils Muiznieks, human rights commissioner at the Council of Europe, demanded immediate access for observers to assess the situation, whilst Amnesty International said in a statement it was was extremely concerned by the impacts of the curfew.
    State authorities had also imposed an overnight curfew in the town of Yuksekova near the Iranian border due to what they said was increased militant activity.
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