Man who entered military post in southeastern town injured

DİYARBAKIR / HAKKARİ

A young man who entered a military post without permission in the Lice district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır has been shot and wounded by soldiers. The man, identified only as R.K., was taken to hospital soon after the incident, which came as rising tensions in the region spilled over into protests.

One reporter was wounded in the head and another was detained in the southeastern province of Hakkari on Dec. 8 during the protests, which came after the death of protester Rojhat Özdel two days ago.

The Diyarbakır Governor’s Office said in a written statement on Dec. 8 that R.K. attempted to seize a soldier’s gun with the intention of shooting at the military post, Cihan News Agency reported.

“R.K. entered the garden of the military post through a barbed-wire barricade at around 9:45 a.m. and attempted to seize a gun with the aim of shooting at the post. He did not stop, despite warnings from the soldiers on duty, and he was neutralized in an act of self-defense,” said the statement.

R.K. was charged with deliberate attempt to injure and was released on probation. An investigation has been opened into the incident.

During the protests in Hakkari, Doğan News Agency Bureau Chief Behçet Dalmaz was wounded when a stone hit his head, while the police detained a reporter working for the Dicle News Agency. Separately, one police officer was wounded when protesters threw Molotov cocktails at armored police vehicles in the southeastern province of Şırnak late on Dec. 7.

Militants were halting people in their cars and checking identification in the Cizre district of Şırnak on Dec. 7.

After arriving at the scene, the police dispersed the group using tear gas and armored water cannon vehicles (TOMAs).

The group, reportedly sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), had built road barricades on a street using garbage containers and stones to prevent the security forces' intervention.

A police officer driving home in his private car, identified only as F. E., attempted to help disperse the protesters, but his car was attacked with Molotov cocktails and he received burns on his face and head.