The police officers involved in the massacre committed in Digor district of Kars where 17 people were killed in 1993 are rumored to be stationed in Hakkari’s Yüksekova district now.

A civilian who lives in Yüksekova and wishes to remain anonymous for security concerns stated that the police officers in question are still in the region and said, “They openly say they are the police officers who partook in the 1993 Digor Massacre.”

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Thousands had gathered in Kocaköy (Nexşan) village on August 14, 1993 to celebrate the breakthrough of August 15 and wanted to march towards Digor. The crowd including children and the elderly was cut off by special operations police units 2 kilometers away from Digor and were raked without a warning. The crossfire killed 17 people, 5 of whom were children, and hundreds more were wounded.

The casings of weapons used by the special operations units were found but the RPGs and rifles were never found. On a verdict issued on 2006, the police officers were acquitted on grounds of “justifiable self defense”.

The relatives of those killed in the massacre took the verdict to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The Court convicted Turkey to pay pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.

Kars Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office acquitted the police officers in a investigation report issued in 2006.