Former soldier Yaylalı: I am a witness to war crimes 

2022-10-28 12:46:56


	 

	İZMİR - Speaking about the Turkish authorities' refutation of the footage of the chemical attack and reminding that he served in the military in Şırnak in the 1990s, Peace activist Yannis Vasilis Yaylalı said: "I was a witness to the war crimes that took place."

	 

	Images have been published showing that Turkey repeatedly used chemical weapons in the attacks launched on April 17, in the Zap, Metina and Avaşîn regions of Southern Kurdistan, in partnership with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Finally, on October 18, images of 2 HPGs were shared. It is seen that the gases used in the images target the nervous systems of HPG patients and leave them paralyzed. Condemnations against Turkey are growing both in Turkey and abroad on the images.

	 

	Peace activist Yannis Vasilis Yaylalı, who was detained by the PKK during his military service in the 1990s and later released, spoke about the use of chemical weapons.

	 

	DIRTY DEAL

	 

	Emphasizing that Turkey is stuck in the military sense, Yaylalı said: “We know that Turkey is stuck in Medya Defense Zones. Medya Defense Zones have almost become Vietnam for the Republic of Turkey and its army. Turkey was looking for a provocation to get out of there. It wanted to attack and invade Rojava. In this sense, Russia wanted to get results by going to many places in America and Europe, and even by meeting secretly with the Syrian state but it saw that in the short term it would not get any results from this. For this, it turned to the Media Defense Areas. Turkey had to come out with a certain gain from here until the elections. It is understood that they have made dirty deals with international powers because over 200 chemical bombs were used in 6 months. In this sense, it is understood that NATO is aware of it.”

	 

	'HISTORY HAS EXAMPLES'

	 

	Noting that Turkey used the Russian-American contradictions and acted with the idea that if Turkey makes such an attack, everyone will remain silent and there will be no reaction, Yaylalı said: "The Armenian Genocide was carried out by taking advantage of the 1st World War and the Pontus Genocide by taking advantage of the chaos. Similar attacks took place in the history of Turkey. Rızanur has a dialogue with Topal Osman in the memories of the Pontus massacre. Topal Osman tells how he killed civilians in caves by strangling them. Fires are lit in the mouths of the shops, and by allowing the smoke to enter inside, civilian women, children and the elderly are killed by suffocation with smoke. It was also proven that German chemical gases were used in the Dersim massacre. We know that chemicals were used against the Kurdish movement in the mid 60's and 80's; however, if Iraq, as promised, establishes a commission and investigates this and calls the OPCW to duty, Turkey will get into trouble."

	 

	AKAR CONFIRMED THAT THEY USE TEAR GAS IN CAVES IN THE WAR AGAINST PKK

	 

	Drawing attention to the images published about the use of chemical weapons, Yaylalı continued as follows: "Hulusi Akar has already confessed and said that they use tear gas in caves in the war against PKK. OPCW and anti-chemical conventions also prohibit their use of tear gas. Even in his own confession, we see the use of banned chemical weapons. Even though President Erdogan said that there is no such a dirty page in the history of the TAF, the army, which he speaks of cannot find a dirty page, attempted a coup against them on July 15. Do they skip this? It is known what this army did on February 28. Now, how could this army not break the rules and the law?”

	 

	'I AM A WITNESS OF WAR CRIME'

	 

	Reminding that he served as a commando in Şırnak in the 1990s, Yaylalı said: "I witnessed many massacres, torture and war crimes at that time. In the mid-90s, chemical bombs were dropped on the area where female guerrillas took a shower in our region. There, many women died from a guerrilla-smelling yellowish, orange gas. These gases have been used many times until today. NATO is an organisation that has committed war crimes in many countries and continents. In this sense, they do not betray each other.”

	 

	ISOLATION POLICY

	 

	Adding to his words that those who oppose the use of chemical weapons are wanted to be isolated by pressure, Yaylalı said: "The detention of Şebnem Korur Fincancı and 11 journalists is a part of the use of chemical weapons. When the Turkish state is going to commit massacres, journalists, academics and professional organisations specialized in this field, human rights defenders will make the first attack because it doesn't want its crimes to be heard outside. Şebnem Korur Fincancı also asked about a chemical attack that cost the world public opinion. Naturally, as the head of a professional organisation and forensic medicine specialist, she can express her opinion and call for investigation. We need to embrace such people in processes where the state goes beyond the law, so that we can prevent this illegality and hold those who do it to account."

	 

	ELECTION PREPARATION

	 

	Speaking that the most beautiful children of the Kurdish people are fighting against all this dirty war to protect the freedom of the people with scarce means at their disposal, Yaylalı said: "The Turkish state, which cannot cope with these fighters, is desperate and wants to evacuate an area with a chemical attack in order not to show that it has been defeated against the guerrilla. Despite using all kinds of attack techniques, they could not evacuate but with such attacks, they will make it their material of choice. Turkey wants to go to the elections with the propaganda that they have entered the areas that cannot be entered. In this sense, the public should oppose this war crime situation; however, the Turkish state will withdraw if there is a strong condemnation from Turkey or international institutions only take action when you put pressure on them. Other than that, they're already collaborating; otherwise, more than 200 attacks in 6 months can never be carried out without informing NATO. Therefore, it is necessary to mobilize international public opinion in order to mobilize this hypocritical West. This dirty special war can only be pushed back and defeated by struggle.”

	 

	CALL TO STRUGGLE

	 

	Calling for the struggle to be enlarged, Yaylalı said: "No matter what they do, no matter how dirty they put into action, they will not be able to ignore the Kurds and freedoms in this geography. The Kurds will soon live freely in their own land. They will either do it willingly or they will establish their life by making themselves accepted by the freedom struggle.``

	 

	MA / Tolga Guney