The Defence Regions of Medya- Kurdistan: The Member of Executive Council of Kurdistan’s People Union (KCK), Duran Kalkan stated that the number of suspicious deaths of Kurdish soldiers in the Turkish army has been increasing in recent years and he made a call to Kurdish youths to avoid serving in the Turkish Armed Forces.
Kalkan pointed out that the conscientious objection movement should be promoted and asked parents not to send their children to serve in the military and get killed in the hand of the fellow soldiers.
Kalkan stressed that in Cukurca seven soldiers were killed by land mines that were laid by the Turkish army. The Turkish army was caught red-handed using land mines. To use land mines is an international crime and the Turkish army very frequently commits that crime in Kurdistan.
“There was an event which occurred in Karakoçan, targeting Kurdish soldiers: army officers put a hand-grenade, with the pin pulled out, into a soldier’s hand and in the resulting explosion many soldiers were killed. To cover this up they said that it was an accident. However, it came to light that the commander himself had done this. We believe that this type of event was certainly consciously performed, he said”
“There are thousands of young people that serve in the military. They are subjected to many kinds of insults during their service. When they show a reaction, they are immediately taken away and murdered. After that, they state that those soldiers committed suicide or that an accident happened. Kalkan added”
The KCK’s Executive Council’s member stated that similar situations have been occurring in the Syrian army. There is a significant increase in such events in recent years. These cannot a coincidence but rather feed on and increase such actions. In this regard this shows an increase of fascist nationalism.
“So, what should we do about this situation? Do we expect the army to reform it? Is it possible to demand this in this case? Even if we could insist these changes, would they result in effective action? Of course not; so what should we do? We should not go to the army… I speak openly: why should mothers, fathers, Kurdish families send their children to a place where they subjected to every kind of indignity and insult? Kalkan conclude”.