In the town of Cizre, in the province of Şırnak in South East Turkey, since 14 December there has been an uninterrupted 24 hour curfew. This has meant that anyone venturing onto the street at any time may be fired on by the security forces. In the period since 14 December 2015, according to reports by human rights organisations, 66 civilians have been killed, and there are strong claims that all of them died from gunshot wounds inflicted by the security forces.

Since 23 January 2016, a humanitarian tragedy has been being played out in the houses at 23 Bostanci Street, Cudi district. 31 people have sought refuge in the basement of this house.

One of these people is Cihan Kahraman. Wounded in the clashes, he took refuge in the basement at 31. An ambulance was called for Cihan, but none came. Cihan’s lawyers applied to the European Court of Human Rights, because he had not been taken to hospital. Despite an emergency ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, Cihan was not taken to hospital and died.

Despite further emergency rulings by the European Court of Human Rights in their cases, Serhat Altun and Hüseyin Paksoy were not taken to hospital and also died in the basement at 31. Appeals to the authorities for these 31 people to be taken to hospital have gone unanswered. There are no officials of the Turkish Republic to whom appeals have not been made.

In the 8 days to 31 January, the number of dead reached 7, the last known dead being Sultan Irmak who died on 30 January.

There is now no longer any communication with the other wounded, Mahmut Yavuzel, Feride Yıldız, Ferhat Saltıkat, Ali Fırat Kalkan, Mustafa Vartiyak, Tahir Çiçek, Rıdvan Ekinci, Dersim Aksay, İslam Balıkesir, Serdar Pişkin, Ferhat Karaduman, Sercan Uğur, Rohat Aktaş and Fehmi Dinç.

Those who have gone to try to rescue the wounded, Hacer Aslan, Gülistan Üstün, Sakine Şiray, Berjin Demirkaya, Ramazan İşçi, Mahmut Duymak, Kasım Yana, Osman Gökhan and İzzet Gündüz are now waiting with the wounded in appalling conditions to be rescued. The building and the street in which these remaining 24 people are are the target of continuous artillery fire.

The Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) parliamentary group, in particular, Faysal Sarıyılıdız MP, Human Rights Organisations, and other democratic groups have made extraordinary efforts to save these men and women. Despite these efforts delegations and volunteers trying to reach these men and women have been blocked by security forces. It is as if what is wanted is for us to witness the deaths of these people as they happen.

We are facing a terrible tragedy. Turkey’s Constitutional Court has refused to accept an application for an emergency ruling that military operations should be paused to allow these people to be taken to hospital. The European Court of Human Rights has now rejected the latest application for an emergency ruling, while noting that the government has a duty to protect the right to life of all of its citizens.

With the imminent deaths of these people, justice and the functioning of the state are also dying. 24 people, 15 of them wounded, are awaiting rescue.

We, the undersigned, appeal to anyone with any humanitarian feelings.

It is a basic humanitarian duty to allow the transfer of wounded people to hospital. In a state based on the rule of law, it is obligatory. In circumstances where armed clashes have gone beyond reason, we can find no other road than to appeal to humanitarian conscience. To die and to kill is at the same time to kill humanity.

We call on the officials of the Turkish State for the 24 people in Cizre, 15 of them wounded, to allow them to be transferred to hospital.

4 February 2016

Peace Block

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