Turkey's use of 'chemical weapons' on PKK 'must be investigated'

Diyarbakir, Aug.12 (AKnews)-  Two Turkish organizations have filed a case against the Turkish army, accusing it of using chemical weapons in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Turkish Human Rights Association and Mesopotamia Association for Solidarity with the Relatives of Victims brought the claim yesterday after relatives of PKK members claimed the fighters were killed with chemical weapons.

Raci Bilci, a member of the Turkish Human Rights Organization told a press conference that the civil war the country for three decades introduced ‘abhorrent’ human rights violations, evident from many mass graves in the country in addition to numerous missing individuals.

The spokesman called on the Turkish officials to ‘work to end the doubts’ of the complaining families.

He said: “the bodies of some PKK victims did not have any trace of gunshots but were swollen with the skin falling off, an event which requires investigation.”   

Mr. Bilci suspected that “there is a strong possibility that chemical weapons were used against PKK fighters,” and called for “an investigation into a war crime.”

The armed struggle of PKK for more ethnic recognition of the Kurds has cost over 40,000 lives since 1984.    

By Mașala Dekak
LH/PS