Turkish state official attacked in village where airstrike killed dozens

[News_Editor]

Turkish state official attacked in village where airstrike killed dozens

2012-01-02 07:10:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

ANKARA (BNO NEWS) -- A group of angry Kurds on Saturday attacked a Turkish government official in the Uludere district of Sirnak province where 35 civilians were killed in an airstrike earlier this week, the Hurriyet Daily News reported on Sunday.

A group of people wielding sticks attacked and hurled stones at the deputy governor of Uludere, Naif Yavuz, who was traveling to Gülyazı village to offer condolences over the killings. The 35 civilians were mistakenly killed when Turkish warplanes carried out an airstrike in Uludere on Wednesday night after receiving information that Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members were preparing to cross into Sirnak.

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Hasip Kaplan has warned against any visits from state officials to the village of Uludere. "The people do not want to see them [state officials] right now," Kaplan said, as quoted by the newspaper. "If they come here, we would not be able to control the young people."

"Everyone will be armed," Kaplan said and added that any state visit to the village would act as a provocation.

The Turkish government on Friday said it regretted the airstrike along the Turkey-Iraq border. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan 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.

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.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-02

[Steely Dan]

Perhaps they should have sent a drone with a sign attached to the back saying 'Sorry!'.