New testimonies confirm that two Kurdish civilians, Servet Turgut and Osman Şiban, were thrown from a helicopter during a military operation in Turkey’s eastern province of Van (Wan) on 11 September 2020, reported Mezopotamya News.
Turgut was killed upon impact, and Şiban seriously wounded as they fell from the moving aircraft coming in to land on the runway. Recently, soldiers that witnessed the incident confirmed that the two men were purposely thrown out of the helicopter.
At the time, statements were taken from 40 soldiers involved in the operation who unanimously agreed that Turgut and Şiban were detained and put on the helicopter intact. Soldiers present on the runway said that they saw the two men fall from the helicopter as it approached. One soldier said that he saw two injured civilians on the ground.
An investigation did take place but it was not clear whether any disciplinary or legal action was taken.
The newly emerged witness statements shed new light on the case that, over the past three years, has attracted widespread criticism from human rights groups, and the testimonies have reignited calls for a full and transparent investigation.
