Peoples’ Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi - HDP) prepared a 135 page report on the Turkish state’s genocidal attacks against Şırnak’s Cizre district titled “The Anatomy of An Atrocity”, which was shared with the public in a press conference held in the headquarters of Switzerland Press Club in Geneva, Switzerland.

NORMAN PAECH: “THE EVENTS CORRESPOND TO WAR CRIMES”

HDP Şırnak MP Faysal Sarıyıldız, first hand witness to the Cizre Massacre, and Norman Paech, professor of International Law and the Constitution, participated in the press conference where Norman Paech gave a speech following Sarıyıldız’s presentation of the report. Paech stated that the Turkish state’s massacres during the self-government resistances in Cizre, Silopi, Nusaybin and Sur constitute war crimes according to international law.

Norman Paech said the Turkish state prepared for and implemented systemmic attacks in these areas and added: “The Turkish state presented the people in the areas they attacked as PKK members, but that does not reflect the truth. Because the people targeted in these regions were merely civilians. Attacks against civilians and the displacement of civilian populations are clearly defined as crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

“UN SECURITY COUNCIL COULD HOLD A TRIAL IF THEY WISH TO”

Paech said Turkey can’t be put on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity directly in the International Criminal Court (ICC) because the country is not a signatory in many international treaties, and added: “But the ICC could put Turkey on trial on the UN Security Council’s demand. The path to Turkey’s trial on international courts is not completely shut off. Making this a reality is a matter of politics, as much as a matter of law. The stance international forces and the UN takes in this issue will play a determining role at this point.”

“TURKEY’S EXCUSE IS NOT VALID”

“The Turkish state claims the incidents in the region don’t constitute war but rather security operations, but both reports by the UN and other institutions and the Turkish state practices implemented at the time openly show that there was a war there,” said Paech and continued: “At the time, cities were torn to the ground as part of the collapse plan being implemented. The Turkish state didn’t only commit massacres in the region, but also forced mass migration on the population. An example of this was seen in Sur. Displacing populations outside of times of war and changing demographic makeups of evacuated areas clearly constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity according to international law.”

“IT WAS AN ATROCITY”

Paech stated that experts of international law consider the incidents in Cizre, Sur and Nusaybin to be war crimes: “The dismemberment of the people who lost their lives by soldiers is a blatant affront to human dignity. What we are talking about here is not mere deaths, but atrocities. The Turkish state defends itself on this issue, but their actions only correspond to two things: crimes of war and crimes against humanity. As I stated in the beginning, the UN Security Council should intervene to put Turkey on trial.”

SARIYILDIZ: “THERE IS A HITLER GROWING IN THE MIDDLE EAST, PREVENT HIM”

HDP Şırnak MP Faysal Sarıyıldız answered questions after Paech’s speech and said: “In Cizre, where I was also born and raised, crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed completely out in the open. This happened in front of the whole world to see, and the international institutions are aware of this. We are calling on the UN once more here. As per the reason for your existence, pursue the events of Cizre and put those responsible on trial.”

Sarıyıldız said, “A dictator with blood on his hands is growing in Turkey and the Middle East like Hitler and Mussolini,” and concluded his words with: “If this dictator growing in Turkey and the Middle East is not stopped, this will pose a great danger to us all. We are calling on the UN and international forces to review their policies and state once more that these massacres can never be covered up.”