The Turkish army continues to terrorise the population of the villages of Memkava, Dara, Kaport and Nêbarê in Gever (tr. Yüksekova) district of Hakkari. A military operation has been taking place in the area since Sunday. Ten people were detained in Memkava and have since been released. Those affected are members of the same family, among them at least four women. They were ill-treated in state custody.

Another person, Esat Çakmak, was detained in Dara and imprisoned today as an alleged member of a terrorist organisation. Çakmak was tortured during his detention and at the police station in Gever.

Meanwhile, the military operation has been extended to the high alps of Dola Kubê, Dola Xokê, Kelega, Serê Gorangê and Mişkan. The army has installed photo traps and surveillance cameras on the paths and is blocking access. Villagers have been prevented from milking their sheep in the pastures. According to reports from Memkava, people are constantly being checked. Even for a visit to a neighbour's house, one has to show an identity card.

HPG denies Turkish media reports

The People's Defence Forces (HPG) announced on Tuesday that the guerrilla fighters Eylem and Evîn were killed in a battle with the Turkish army in the area between the villages of Kapotê, Yekmal and Darê in the Gever district. Three "counter-guerrillas" were killed in the battle. HPG also contradicted the report published in the Turkish government-controlled media that a guerrilla fighter had been captured: "This claim is not true. The Turkish state raided villages in the area after the battle and arrested many civilian people. One of the arrested civilians was tortured and portrayed in the special war media as an HPG member."

Kurdish resistance stronghold

Gever is located in the extreme south-east of Turkish territory and is known as a Kurdish resistance stronghold. The Turkish army operates a large base area in the mountainous region of Gever. To the south, the district borders the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and thus the guerrilla-controlled Medya Defence Areas, where a Turkish invasion has been ongoing since April this year.