Two Syrian men shot in cold blood by Turkish border police 

In the border area of ​​Ras al-Ayn/Serê Kaniyê, located in the region of Al-Hassaka, two young men were shot dead by the Turkish border guard agency, the so-called “Genderarmerie”.

These brutish murders constitute a repetitive escalation of ongoing violence, taking place both in the camps and amongst those residents who work on their agricultural fields, closely to the Syrian-Turkish border.

The gendarmerie was charged with “perpetration of alleged violations against Syrian nationals”, who attempted to cross the border into Turkey. In fact, numerous incidents of killings and assaults have been documented over the years by different organizations. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the number of civilians killed by Turkish border guards since the beginning of the year has reached 28, including one child.

Not only deaths but also injuries were recorded in various Syrian areas near the Turkish border. A total of 44 people, including two children and three women, were severely wounded by the Turkish “Gendarmerie”.

In a previous report, Human Rights Watch urged Turkish authorities to “stop the pushbacks of Syrian asylum seekers and investigate the guards’ usage of excessive force.”