67 children killed by armored vehicles or abandoned explosives in 11 years in Turkey

A total of 67 children have been killed by armored vehicles, mines and unexploded ammunition since 2011 in Turkey, according to a report released by the Diyarbakır Bar Association. The report has revealed that 66 of the deaths occurred in the eastern and southeastern regions of the country.

Thursday March 03 2022 02:17 pm

Duvar English

A recent report by the Diyarbakır Bar Association has revealed that 67 children have been killed by armored vehicles, mines and explosive remnants of war since 2011 in Turkey.

According to the report titled "Child Rights Violations due to Armored Vehicles, Mines and Remnants of Conflict-War," 66 of the children died in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey, while one died in the Marmara region.

While armored vehicles caused 22 of the deaths, mines and explosive remnants of war caused 45 deaths.

Meanwhile, 162 children in total were injured during this period due to the same reasons.

The head of the Diyarbakır Bar Association Nahit Eren drew attention to the increase in violations, especially in 2015, when the "peace process" between the state and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) came to an end.

“The children's deaths and injuries are increasing due to the armed conflicts in the city centers and the state policies that prioritize security with the state of emergency, especially after 2015. There was a dramatic increase in the number of deaths and injuries between 2016 and 2018,” the report said.

The state has been protecting the security personnel involved in the incidents, granting them the privilege of immunity from prosecution, according to the report.

The Diyarbakır Bar Association called on the authorities to clean all landmines and unexploded munitions as per the Ottawa Convention, also known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. It also demanded that the use of armored vehicles in the cities should be prohibited, and that if this is not possible, their uses should be minimized.