Two civilians killed amid clashes, curfews in Turkey’s southeast

ŞIRNAK – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

Two civilians have been killed in the Cudi and Sur neighborhoods of southeastern Şırnak province’s Cizre district, where a military-imposed curfew has been in effect since Dec. 14, 2015, as operations continue against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). 

A 35-year-old civilian, identified as Mehmet Kaplan, was shot dead on Jan. 18 in front of his house in Cizre’s Sur neighborhood, where clashes have been ongoing. 

Details on Kaplan’s cause of death were not disclosed. 

In a separate incident, the body of a civilian was found outside Cizre’s Cudi neighborhood. The man, identified as 36-year-old Mehmet Rıdvan Kaymaz, was shot in the head, although the details of the killing remain uncertain. 

Reports indicated Kaymaz left his house on Jan. 17 in order to feed his animals but did not return home. 

Kaymaz’s family went out to look for him and discovered his body, which had a gunshot wound to the head, near the animals. 

The man’s body was brought to Cizre State Hospital for an autopsy.