ŞIRNEX – Soldiers and village guards attacked koçers (nomads) who were taking their animals to a plateau they had rented, with a notarized title deed, from the village of Çemhaskê in the Elkê (Beytüşşebap) district.

 

Soldiers and village guards attacked nomads who were taking their animals to plateaus they had rented in the village of Çemhaskê in the Elkê district of Şirnex (Şırnak).

 

The nomads, who had rented the plateaus from village residents with a notarized title deed, took their animals to the plateaus they had rented. Kokel Özdemir, a retired village guard, objected to villagers renting out their plateaus and, together with soldiers stationed at Boğaz Ören Outpost, forcibly removed the nomads from the plateaus they had rented. 

 

During the forced removal of the nomads, Kokel Özdemir's son Fahri Özdemir, who is a village guard, and Boğaz Ören Outpost Commander İbrahim Türkoğlu attacked the nomads who reacted to the action. A shepherd was beaten as a result of the attack. During the incident, soldiers threatened the nomads who were filming on their phones. The nomads continued filming despite the threats.

 

The nomads reacted by telling the soldiers they were acting unlawfully, saying: "You are acting on the word of the agha, you are breaking the law. We will film you and file a complaint."

 

The citizens are continuing to wait in a location near the plateaus they had rented.

 

MA / Emrullah Acar