NEWS CENTER - It was revealed that no investigation was conducted at the scene where Free Press workers Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn were killed.
Turkey targeted a vehicle carrying journalists with an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) on August 23 in Seyidsadiq district of Silêmaniyê. Journalists Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn were killed in the attack. Rebin Bekir, who was driving the vehicle, survived the attack with injuries.
According to Fırat News Agency (ANF), the journalists, who set out in the morning in two vehicles belonging to Chatr Production to film a program in the Hewraman region, were targeted by an UCAV around 10:30-11:00 local time in the Tepe Reş region, 52 kilometers from Silêmaniyê city center. The vehicle in which Gülistan Tara, Hêro Bahadîn and Rebin Bekir were traveling in the back and the vehicle driven by Keser Buldan, an employee of Chatr Production, was traveling in front of them. Keser Buldan, who noticed the attack on the car controlled by Rebin Bekir in his rearview mirror, braked and maneuvered to help his colleagues and thus luckily survived the second bombardment.
Bekir, who survived the attack with injuries, said: “There was an explosion and the vehicle started burning. I didn't understand anything, our car started spinning and drifting. I couldn't open the seat belt with my right hand, I was able to open the seat belt with my left hand and people around pulled me out of the vehicle.”
ANF team followed the contacts of the delegation that traveled from Europe to Silemaniyê 45 days after the attack with the call of ROJIN and Kurdistan Journalists Initiative. The delegation also visited the scene of the attack. The delegation found parts of the bombed vehicle lying at different points at the scene.
After the incident, the regional police had published news and photos claiming that they had conducted an investigation in the area. However, the delegation and journalists who visited the area observed that 250-300 meters away from the scene of the incident, the bomb and vehicle parts were still not removed.
“There was no crime scene investigation here,” said journalist Emma Audrey. Journalist Alice Magar reacted by calling what she saw “unbelievable”.