UN's call about Cizre: allow independent investigation

In the written statement made in Genova, Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein stated that they received a series of highly worrisome reports from “reliable sources” about the violations committed by military and security officials between mid-December and March. 

In the report, it is stated that those reports include incidents like unarmed civilians including women and children were intentionally shot by snipers or by security forces in tanks or other armored vehicles, torture, arbitrary detention and disproportionate damaging of the buildings belonging to the civilians. 

Al-Hussein characterized the reports about the people who were burned to death in the basement that were surrounded by the security forces as “the most worrisome reports”.

High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that, “It is necessary to regard human rights during anti-terror and security operations. International law prohibits torture, unlawful execution, disproportionate use of force and arbitrary detention.”

Al-Hussein also pointed out that there is a major forced immigration because of deaths, detentions and clashes. 

“No response from Ankara”

According to the statement made by the Commissioner's Office, UN demanded an investigation on the violations of rights, but the government hasn't responded to it. Moreover, the government didn't allow the Commissioner's Office to make observations in the clash zones. 

Stating that the claims about what happened in Cizre is particularly worrisome, Hüseyin said, “Given that it is 2016, it is both unusual and worrisome that so little and so incomplete information is coming from such a wide region.”

“Blackout causes suspicion”

Hussein said, “The efforts for whitewashing what happened cause suspicion.”

Hussein said that along with UN officials, observers, researchers and journalists should be allowed to enter the region. 

UN High Commissioner's Office for Human Rights repeatedly demanded Turkish government allow independent human rights inspectors, but never received an affirmative response.