After Turkish troops opened fire on a group of people carrying out cross border trade in Uludere district of Şirnak province, Serhat Encü from the village of Mergeh (Yermişli) told ANF that the state is preparing the ground for a second Roboski massacre.

On 20 April, soldiers opened fire on villagers who went to support a group of 30 cross border traders who were halted by the troops. Serhat Encü, who witnessed the incident, said 4 villagers were wounded.

Troops opened fire on the people

Encü said that as soon as they heard about the traders being stopped they went from Mergeh to the border to prevent a possible massacre. He said: “The troops were not allowing the group to return home. We tried to speak to the soldiers, but they told us to go home. They they opened fire without warning. We ran in all directions. 4 people were wounded. . We took them to hospital, but the people engaged in cross border trade were unable to return to the North."

Encü said one of the wounded had been released from hospital, while one had been sent to Diyarbakir, where he was in intensive care.

‘The state provides no opportunity to work, and tries to kill us'

Encü said they had held a protest at the attack yesterday by blocking the road in the village of Yekmal, but that apart from the Co-mayor of Uludere, no one had come to support them. so they had gone home. Encü stressed that the authorities were continuing their persecution of those involved in cross border trade, adding that they were preparing the ground for a massacre similar to the one carried out on 28 December 2011, when 34 people from the village of Roboski were killed.

Encü said: “We carry out this trade in order to feed our families. The state does not provide us with job opportunities, and then it attempts to kill us as we carry on trading across the border, which is our only source of income."