Clashes Continue in Kurdish Regions of Turkey

While the Human Rights Commissioner at the Council of Europe has called for the Turkish government to allow international observers to visit the Kurdish regions of the country, reports from news agencies indicate that unrest and clashes continue in these areas. According to the Associated Press, Nils Muiznieks, the Human Rights Commissioner, expressed concern over what he described as 'disproportionate use of military force against civilians' in Turkey's Kurdish regions. Meanwhile, on Friday morning, September 20, the French news agency reported, citing Turkish security sources, that a masked militia member suspected of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) opened fire, resulting in the death of one civilian and injuries to three police officers. This shooting occurred in a small café in the district of Diyarbakir, where a young man working at the café was killed. Reports indicate that the condition of one of the injured police officers is critical. Diyarbakir is the largest Kurdish district in southeastern Turkey and has witnessed unrest and clashes between Turkish state and security forces and PKK members and supporters of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in recent weeks. The Turkish government claims it initiated military operations in Kurdish regions, including the city of Cizre, following armed attacks by the PKK on Turkish military personnel, which resulted in the deaths of 16 Turkish soldiers. The Turkish state television website reported that since July, during military operations against PKK positions both inside and outside the country, 1,116 individuals labeled as 'terrorists' have been killed. Since September 4, the Turkish government has declared martial law and curfews in Cizre as part of its military operations. This situation has faced criticism from HDP members in the Turkish parliament, to the extent that last week, Selahattin Demirtaş, the leader of the HDP, along with thirty other party representatives, attempted to walk to Cizre to assess the conditions of its residents but were prevented from entering the city by Turkish military and security forces. According to reports, Demirtaş and other accompanying representatives have staged a sit-in on a hillside near the border with Syria and Iraq, where they were stopped by Turkish security forces in full riot gear. They have stated their intention to draw public attention to the dire security and health conditions of 120,000 residents of Cizre. According to the Cumhuriyet newspaper, Leila Zana, an HDP representative, announced that she would go on a hunger strike if the clashes do not cease. The HDP has reported that during government operations, 21 civilians, including several children, have been killed, and living conditions in Cizre are worsening daily. Meanwhile, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry, in the latest round of clashes in Cizre, seven Kurdish militants and one civilian were killed. On the other hand, Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, who visited Turkey, called on Thursday for the restoration of peace and calm between the Turkish government and the PKK. In response, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu emphasized the continuation of airstrikes against PKK positions, stating that these operations will continue until the complete destruction of the PKK. In this context, Turkey has closed two of its border points with Iran due to 'terrorist activities' and has sent Turkish forces into Iraq in pursuit of the PKK.