URFA - Bakır Aksem, uncle of shepherd Muharrem Aksem, who was found dead in a place where the police were doing target practice, said, "They were shooting here all day long. We don't suspect anybody other than the police force."

 

Muharrem Aksem, a 16-year-old shepherd, was found dead on March 23 in the Eyyübiye district of Urfa, where the special operations police were performing target practice. It was noted that Aksem had gone to that region on the day of the incident, and when he did not return, his family reported the situation to the gendarmarie. While the family was looking for their children with their own means, they found his body in the shooting range. The body, whose limbs were severed and which was estimated to have been shot by a large number of bullets or shrapnel, was laid to rest yesterday after the autopsy was carried out at the Urfa Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK). It was revealed that in the pasture where Aksem's body was located, the police have been performing target practice two days a week, and that no signage or protective measures were taken. Black gas bombs, some of which had exploded and some unexploded, and empty shell casings of long-barreled guns were also found at the firing range.

 

Aksem's relatives and neighborhood residents, who attended the ceremony after the burial, told about the incident to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

 

THEY FIRE WITH BIG WEAPONS

 

Muharrem Aksem's cousin, Muzaffer Aksem (19), who has been working as a shepherd in the same region since his childhood, said that bullets passed over them at every target practice. Expressing that the smoke bombs affects them, Aksem said, "As shepherds, we cannot go that way. They shoot their guns in our presence and even towards us sometimes. They tell us to leave. Yesterday we were in that area again, they were shooting with machine guns and big guns."

 

'TOMORROW I MIGHT BE NEXT'

 

Explaining that when they went to the funeral yesterday, they saw that Muharrem had bullet marks on his body, Muzaffer Aksem said: "There were a lot of bullets where we found his body. We don't want special operation police to come to ourland where we take our animals. They killed our cousin yesterday, they might kill me tomorrow. The government needs to find an urgent solution to this problem. This is the only place where we can graze our animals. The other side is the organized industry, another side full of galaries, and the other side is the vineyard and orchards of the residents.”

 

Aksem stated that special operations forces have been coming to the region for the last 2 years and that there was no problem until they arrived.

 

'THEY ARE SHOOTING RANDOMLY'

 

Bahaddin Demir, a resident of the neighborhood, drew attention to the fact that there were no protective measures and informative signboards at the target practice area. Demir added, "The area they are practicing is not suitable for shooting, How many times we called the police station and said that bullets were coming our way. We said that bullets were coming out of the shooting range. The police station told us to find evidence to prove this and then they would come. Now they show up. We do not claim that they fired on purpose. We are saying that no measures have been taken despite our warnings. One of our children died today. More can be killed here tomorrow."

 

 

UNCLE:HE WAS FOUND WITH IMPAIRED BODY INTEGRITY 

 

Speaking at the place where Aksem was murdered, his uncle Bakır Aksem reminded that his nephew was a shepherd. Underlining that the special operations police are training on their pastures, Aksem said: "There is neither a warning nor a polygon here. They shoot from the opposite hill to here and behind the hill in the village. This is a peanut field. There should be a warning or a sign." Uncle Aksem, who stated that he was among those who searched and found the body, told that the body was severed. Addressing the authorities, Aksem said: "We have no enemies here. Is this a polygon? We don't want the special operations police to train here. This is where we graze our animals. The only suspects are the police. His body was in pieces. There are still unexploded bombs in that place."

 

 

 

MA / Emrullah Acar