The Human Rights Association (IHD) Adana Branch and the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD) Adana Branch for Muharrem Aksem, who was found dead on 24 March in Micit (Çalışkan) in Urfa, in an area where Turkish special operations police were conducting target practice.

The statement supported by political parties, democratic mass organizations and union representatives was made at the IHD Adana Branch building.

Lawyer Umay Büyükdağ read the statement and said that the state was openly responsible for Aksem's death.

'We won’t normalize another killing’

Büyükdağ said that the right to life, which is the most basic human right, was once again ignored by the state and added: “Another child was murdered. It doesn't matter to us whether this incident was an accident or not. We will not normalize and accept another killing, just like the deaths caused by the collision of armoured vehicles.”

Article 17 of the Constitution says that “everyone has the right to life and the right to protect and develop their material and spiritual existence. – said the lawyer - The right to life is the foundation of all rights. While the state does not fulfil its positive obligation to keep people alive, it also clearly violates its obligation not to violate the right to life. Let alone fulfilling the responsibilities arising from the state's formation, we do not accept and once again expose the torture, ill-treatment and violations of the right to life, especially in Kurdistan and all over Turkey, by state agents."

Büyükdağ said: “Knowing the attitude of the state and all state agents in similar cases, we would like to remind everyone that by conducting an effective investigation and punishing those responsible, similar cases under the name of 'accident' will not occur. This investigation is also the primary responsibility of the state.”

Background

Muharrem Aksem was found dead in the neighbourhood of Micit (Çalışkan) in Eyyübiye, district of Urfa, where special operations police officers use a field for firearm training and practice, on 24 March 2022.

Unable to contact him last Thursday, his family started searching for Aksem and eventually found his body near the shooting field, a kilometre away from the village.

According to the preliminary autopsy report, Aksem had no right hand and several open wounds on his face and body. The report found 12 metal objects of different sizes in his body.

As reported by the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Aksem family's lawyer, Hatice Akıllı Öz, said that according to the report the cause of his death is attributable to being hit by metal pieces. The exact cause of death will be determined in the report of the İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institution's Specialized Board.