Turkey: the battle for Cizre

By Euronews with Reuters, AFP

Published on 02/01/2016 - 21:33

The worst violence for twenty years?

Operations in Cizre, Silopi and Sur
261 PKK fighters killed – Turkish military
ECHR gives Ankara until Jan 8 to explain curfew

What is happening?

Turkish tanks are pounding Kurdish militant outposts as part of a military campaign to push the group back in the country’s southeast.

This is Nur neighborhood of #Cizre in #Sirnak province where endless curfews are in effect via FaysalSaryldz</a> # <a href="https://t.co/Xe3GzEoWij">pic.twitter.com/Xe3GzEoWij</a></p>— Mutlu Civiroglu (mutludc) December 29, 2015

#Turkey deploying special commandos to #Cizre, ugur_ergan</a> reports <a href="https://t.co/cHkAs78aWc">https://t.co/cHkAs78aWc</a> <a href="https://t.co/PTwbetvzpb">pic.twitter.com/PTwbetvzpb</a></p>— Hurriyet Daily News (HDNER) December 30, 2015

Observers say it is some of the worst violence in the predominantly Kurdish area since the 1990s.

Residents flee for their lives

AİHM, Cizre'deki sokağa çıkma yasağı için Türkiye'den savunma istedi
https://t.co/w37VEHCvRb pic.twitter.com/PNuEndPxPE
— Zaman Gazetesi (@zamancomtr) January 2, 2016

“Forget commerce, it is a warzone here in Cizre” https://t.co/73OUv8i5PO pic.twitter.com/u7AeX6SwR8
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 30, 2015

Kurds fleeing Cizre in winter cold, cursing the Turkish regime “They destroyed our homes, we dont know where to go” pic.twitter.com/UJqFJtzfGD
— Gilgo (@dijraberi) January 1, 2016

Locals are fleeing for their lives, taking only what they can carry.

“We are heading out of town,” said one woman, “They are using tanks to shell us and attack us with mortars. We must go to another region.”

The fighting in numbers

The head of Turkey’s armed forces says at least 261 PKK fighters have been killed in an ongoing operation in Cizre, Sur and Silopi.

Cizre

Three militant fighters have been killed and three more captured in the ongoing operation in Cizre.

179 militants have been killed in the region so far.

Silopi

Five militants have been killed here, according to the official military account.

27 militant fighters have been “eliminated” in the region.

Sur

One militant has been killed and three barricades have been destroyed, according to military reports.

A total of 55 PKK fighters have been killed in the operations so far.

What about human rights?

Concerns have been raised about the human rights implications of the military operation in the Cizre region, in particularly the imposition of a curfew.

The European Court of Human Rights has given Ankara until the 8th of January to give more details about its reasons for the curfew.

European court requests Turkish gov’t defense over Cizre curfew until Jan. 8 https://t.co/qb2OCu3Upr
— MFS – The Other News (@MFS001) January 2, 2016

What people are saying?

It's easy to think people are exaggerating when they use the word besieged, but when it comes #Cizre, #Silopi, #Sur – they aren't. [1]
— Jacob (@JacobLinn1) January 2, 2016

#press not allowed in #cizre but hdp mp FaysalSaryldz</a> keeps us posted. check out his series of english tweets of earlier today. chilling.</p>— Frederike Geerdink (fgeerdink) January 1, 2016

“#Cizre is an epic of resistance.”
YDGK-H (Movement of Patriotic Revolutionary Young Women)
#TwitterKurds pic.twitter.com/mGklfQhmD9
— BerNa (@em_bernadin) December 30, 2015

YDG-H: 35 members of security forces killed in Cizre and Silopi
https://t.co/zGtVQl78F3 pic.twitter.com/PctpfLNWdc
— Firat News Agency (@anfenglish) December 28, 2015

I will keep raising my voice for the civilians who get bombed & killed in #turkey's southeast. #cizre #simple https://t.co/QCbNrNr33A
— Capulcu Tonella (@diehimbeertonis) January 2, 2016

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