People of Qandil: “The Institute of Forensic Medicine is hiding the real reason for deaths in Qandîl”

On August 1, 2015, Turkey bombed the village of Zergele in the Qandîl region. Eight people lost their lives in the attack and 18 others were injured.

Five years have now passed, but the effects of the attack are still visible in the village. People who suffered from the bombings and lost their relatives are criticizing the Kurdistan Regional Government for hiding the real costs of the war.

Mihemed Salih is from Borîskan village. He lost 5 relatives in the Zergelê massacre. 12 of his relatives were also injured in the bombings.

Resûl claims that the government in South Kurdistan is hiding the real cause of death of those who were killed in the attacks.

“Our relatives died in these bombings. However, when we look at the reports written by the Institute of Forensic Medicine, we see that they wrote, ‘died because of a traffic accident or an unknown explosion.’ This is totally unacceptable.”

Resûl recalled that when a Turkish person was killed in Hewler recently, it became an important topic in the region and started a big debate. Yet when Kurds are killed, the government does not pay attention to these killings.

“Since the people who are killed are Kurds, it is never seen as important. The Kurdistan Government is hiding the reality that Kurds live in this region. They are doing this on purpose.”