Another Kurdish child killed after being hit by police-driven vehicle

In the Yüksekova district of Hakkari, Erdem Aşkan, a 5-year-old Kurdish boy, lost his life after being hit by a car driven by a specialized sergeant. The car driven by a specialist sergeant on duty at the Yüksekova District Gendarmerie Command hit a 5-year-old child, Erdem Aşkan, who was dragged 200 meters along the road by the impact. While the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation, the detained specialist sergeant was released on 8 June under judicial control.

According to an eyewitness who spoke to the Duvar newspaper, the specialist sergeant was on his mobile phone when he got out of the car after hitting the child. The sergeant was told after the incident that the child should be taken to hospital, yet he did not take the child to hospital. The eyewitnesses also stated that the sergeant pointed a gun at people and threatened them in response to the reaction of the citizens present at the time of the incident. He then got into his vehicle and fled the scene.

Öznur Bartın, the deputy of the Green Left Party (YSP) in Hakkari, made a statement on social media: “4-year-old Erdem Aşkan lost his life in Gever when he was hit by a vehicle of the security forces. Impunity continues to cause the death of Erdem and dozens of children. What happened is not an accident, it is murder!” According to the report prepared by the Diyarbakir branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), 44 people, including 21 children, have died in the last 15 years as a result of being hit by armored vehicles and vehicles driven by soldiers and police officers.

The report also points out that the deaths are related to the Kurdish question. In its report, the IHD states that accidents caused by armored military vehicles, which constantly patrol Kurdish cities and drive in violation of traffic rules, have become widespread and continue to cause violations of the right to life. Against the policy of impunity, the association calls for effective judicial and administrative investigations against law enforcement officials who are the perpetrators of incidents leading to deaths and injuries.