Kurdish children whose deaths are attributed to the presence of armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry are being killed regularly on the streets of Kurdish majority urban areas of Turkey. These deaths are now being brought onto the agenda of the United Nations. Yasemin Soydan, a Kurdish lawyer attached to Lawyers for Freedom Association in the country, is spearheading this initiative.
Speaking to Artı Gerçek on Sunday, lawyer Soydan announced plans to petition the UN concerning the alarming rate of child deaths in Kurdish regions attributed to armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry in urban centres.
Soydan, who is known for her advocacy work as a member of its Children’s Rights and Memory Commission of Turkey’s Lawyers for Freedom Association, highlighted the gravity of the situation. Referring to a report titled “They would have been our friends if they hadn’t been killed”, which she and two other colleagues drew up in 2021, she detailed the some of the names and stories of children killed or injured in Kurdish regions in 2000-2020.
“These years saw the deaths of nearly 385 children and injuries to around 850,” Soydan remarked. “The ways they died evolved according to changing political landscapes. Initially, conflicts in rural areas resulted in casualties from landmines and bombs. However, the influx of armoured vehicles into urban settings marked a new era, with a surge in children dying from being hit by these vehicles.”
Soydan emphasised the urgent need for action, stating, “The presence of armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry in Kurdish regions has become distressingly normalised. These instruments of conflict must be removed to restore safety for children.”
Highlighting the lack of attention from international bodies, Soydan criticised the United Nations for its neglect of Kurdish children’s issues. She stressed the need to bring the matter to the forefront of global discourse, and announced plans to petition the UN for the removal of armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry from Kurdish-majority urban areas.
“We must address the root causes of these child deaths in addition to criminal proceedings in these instances,” Soydan urged. “Turkey, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, must take immediate action to ensure the safety and well-being of Kurdish children. This includes lifting reservations on language and cultural rights and fostering a peaceful environment conducive to childhood development.”
