Turkish Gov’t Says it ‘Regrets’ Airstrike Which Killed 35 Civilians
The Intel Hub
December 31, 2011
ANKARA (BNO NEWS) — The Turkish government on Friday said it regrets an airstrike which mistakenly killed 35 civilians along the Turkey-Iraq border on late Wednesday evening, the Antolia news agency reported.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the incident was unfortunate and saddening. He said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had noticed that nearly 40 people were moving in a region where the main camps of the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are situated.
“Naturally it is not possible for unmanned aerial vehicles to identify the group exactly. In a further identification, it is revealed that the group was comprised of cigarette and diesel oil smugglers,” Erdogan added.
Turkish F-16 warplanes carried out the airstrike in Uludere township of Şırnak province on Wednesday night after receiving information that PKK members were preparing to cross into Sirnak. At least 35 Kurdish civilians who were mistaken for PKK members were killed.
President Abdullah Gul also expressed sorry about the incident and offered condolences to the victims’ families. Gul and Erdogan said an investigation will be conducted into the incident, adding that there was about four hours of footage from the operation.
A mass funeral for the victims took place on Friday afternoon in Uludere. Thousands of Kurds gathered to mourn the victims and condemn the attack.
The PKK, which has been labeled as a terrorist organizations by the United States, Turkey and the European Union, was established in 1984 in its efforts to establish the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey as an autonomous Kurdish state. Over 40,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed in violent clashes since the group took arms. The PKK maintains its military bases across the Iraqi border.
© 2011. BNO News. All Rights Reserved. Published by The Intel Hub with permission.
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