General Evaluation

Between 1st January and 11 September 2015 there have been a total of 218 violent incidents in Cizre town of Şırnak province.

Of these incidents 192 were violent attacks involving fire arms, molotovs and explosives.

The PKK terrorist group youth entity-YDG-H militants set up 140 ditches and barricades in the 4 neighborhoods (Nur, Cudi, Yafes, Sur) of Cizre with the aim of preventing intervention by law enforcement forces in the safe houses and ammunition storages that they have formed in resident areas.

In order to counter the activities by the terrorist group in the town center, law enforcement authorities decided to carry out an operation against the PKK terrorists who have been using civilians as human shields.

To that end, a curfew has been declared on 4th of September 2015 and it was revoked 11th

September 2015 at 7 a.m.

Due to the continued operations as necessitated by the security risks the curfew was re-introduced for the second time as of 19:00 on 13th of September2015, until the morning of the 14th of September.

The operations by the security forces aim at ending actions disrupting normal life, such as setting up mined barricades and digging ditches in the town streets and apprehending the YDG-H members as well as terrorists that infiltrated to the region from terrorist camps and bring them to justice.

Operation in Cizre (4-11 September 2015)

Most of the law enforcement operations targeted terrorist elements in the Nur neighborhood.

During the pre-operation assessments, the total time of the operation was estimated as 7-10 days, due to the expected gradual achievements, because of the presence of civilians used as human shield.

Nur neighborhood had the most number of obstacles such as barricades, ditches etc. (more than 60 obstacles)

The curfew was not announced only for Nur neighborhood but for all Cizre town.

For the areas excluded from active operation zone, the curfew has been applied in a more flexible manner.

The curfew has been applied as a preventive measure in all of the town because of the possibility of occurrence of terrorist acts, bombings or demonstrations in other parts as well.

During the operations, the 45 of 60 barricades and ditches have been dismantled and 20 improvised explosive devices (IED) have been destroyed.

Other remaining obstacles are relatively small and are being dismantled.

The volume of the explosives destroyed by the Security forces exceeds 800 kg.

7 terrorists who fired at law enforcement forces have been killed and 10 terrorists are under custody. The losses of the terrorists are estimated as close to 40.

Since 4th of September 2015, at minimum, 21 rockets, 19 IEDs and a booby trap have been used against our law enforcement forces and 15 Security personnel were wounded during these terrorist attacks.

The maximum effort for the continuity of the health, nutrition, electricity, etc. services have been shown.

From beginning of the curfew, until 11th of September, the people of the Cizre made 251 emergency calls. Our health service personnel couldn’t reach to 68 of these 251 cases because of their security concerns.

27 calls of these 251 were the cases of inflicted injury and 10 of them were transferred to the State hospitals in Şırnak province. In 17 of these cases, response was not possible, because of the gunshots made against the ambulances andthebarricades or ditches made by the terrorists.

Cizre State hospital has been in service with its 9 specialized doctors, 2 generalist doctors, 22 healthcare personnel and 13 administrative and auxiliary personnel.

1603 patients has applied to Cizre State hospital since the beginning the curfew. 940 of them have been treated in this hospital. Other cases were transferred to other medical centers.

34 cases of child birth were transferred by the ambulances.

3 markets have been kept open during the curfew.

20 electricity transformers have been damaged because of the attacks. The repair service teams are already in the neighborhoods where the transport is possible.

During this curfew period, the authorities supplied water to 1 neighborhood a day.

The Nur neighborhood which suffered the water shortage most acutely, has been provided by water, from 10th of September.