İmralı Delegation has released a report following observations at Tendürek in Ağrı where Turkish army carried out a provocative operation on 11 April. The delegation will submit the report to both state officials and Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The delegation stated that Turkish soldiers attacked two civilians who went to the Sapling Planting Festival area near Yukarı Tütek village early in the morning to hang a banner, killing DBP Diyadin former co-chair Cezmi Budak and severely wounding Meya-Der executive Cenap İlboğa.

Remarking that soldiers also prevented the local people from entering the area upon the governor's instruction, the report noted that groups including DBP and HDP executives and civilians reached the festival area despite all the restrictions after hearing of the military operation launched by the Turkish army.

“Civilians entering the area carried Cezmi Budak and Cenap İlboğa, and wounded soldiers, to a lower area and took them to hospital themselves, thus enabling the survival of the wounded who were left there to die”, the report said, adding that this was also proved by photographs and video images already published on visual and written media.
Stating that Turkish troops launched an operation against the guerrillas near the festival area and instigated clashes at the night of 10 April, the delegation said it was understood that a PKK member lost his life and many soldiers were wounded in clashes that continued the day after.

'Clash started before the people went to the festival area'

İmralı Delegation pointed out that the statements and allegations of state officials and the President that “PKK members would put pressure on local people to vote for HDP in the elections” did by no means reflect the truth, adding; “Because clashes had already erupted before the local people attempted to reach the festival area and were hindered by soldiers.”

The delegation said they were told that preparations for the operation had began days before, adding; "Another detail we obtained from the talks we held there is that military units had been deployed in villages near the festival area and entered the operation area from these villages several days before the incident."

Stressing that the ceasefire in effect since 2013 Newroz was evidently violated in Ağrı, the report said; "This incident and the deadlock in the resolution process has once again proved how crucial it is to establilsh a Monitoring Committee to which we attach great importance."

'Operation related to the election process'

Underlining that the operation in Ağrı was also related with the election process, the delegation said; "The fact that the President, Prime Minister and government officials targeted the HDP soon after the Ağrı incident provides information about the background of the operation. It is quite evident that some provocations were put into play in Ağrı incident as part of the strategy to hinder the rise of HDP and to leave it below the election threshold."

The İmralı Delegation, according to which the attitude of the Governor of Ağrı has also provided basis for provocation, pointed out that the government which has put the Internal Security Package into practice to restrict the democratic sphere and obstruct the democratic will of the people was responsible for all the negative developments and losses of life in Ağrı.

The delegation  highlighted the following demands in its report on Ağrı provocation;

"The peace and negotiation process is too precious to be wasted for the elections. All those responsible for the Ağrı incident, the Governor in the first place, must be brought to light in order for the process to ensure a healthy progress, for the provocations to be prevented and for this incident which violated the ceasefire and caused casualties to be investigated in all details."

The delegation called on Turkish President, members of the Resolution Board, government officials, non-governmental organizations and all sensitive circles to make an observation on site, to listen to the happenings from the witnesses and local people, and to initiate a legal and administrative process into the incident.

İmralı delegation also urged the government to immediately abandon practices and approach violating the ceasefire and to fulfill the requirements of the resolution process.