A Turkish drone attack has reportedly killed 1 civilian and wounded 3 others in Turkey’s Hakkari province on Friday. According to local reports, 4 men who are said to be local villagers were targeted by an armed Turkish drone near Oglu (Tale) village in Hakkari.
Pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Nihat Akdoğan has identified the victim as Mehmet Temel, a local from Oglu village. İsmail Aydın, Musa Tarhan and İbrahim Sak were wounded in the attack. Wounded villagers were taken to Hakkari State Hospital and two of them are in critical condition.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that Turkish officials blocked religious service for Mehmet Temel. According to the reports Temel’s family was first denied a transport service for Temel’s body by the hospital and the municipalities in Van. After Temel’s body was taken to Hakkari city center, the governor blocked religious service at the funeral. The Hakkari governor ordered the mosques to remain closed and barred the personnel from giving religious service for Temel.
Temel’s body was taken to the cemetery in Kiran neighborhood. HPD deputies Bedia Özgökçe Ertan and Lezgin Botan was reportedly among hundreds of people who attended the ceremony. Temel was laid to rest after religious service by a local elder.
Turkish governor in Hakkari accused villagers of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Interior Ministry also released a statement saying that a group was targeted while carrying livestock for the PKK. Turkish army started using armed drones against PKK militants last year.
