Images of guerrillas exposed to Turkish chemical weapons

  • actual
  • 09:07 19 October 2022
  • |
img
NEWS CENTER - The video of the effects of Turkey's chemical weapons attack on 2 HPG members has been broadcasted.
 
Fırat News Agency (ANF) has released an image on the effects of chemical weapons used by Turkey in its attacks on the Federated Kurdistan Region.
 
The Turkish army has been using chemical weapons in guerrilla-controlled areas in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) since mid-April. According to a new balance sheet published by the People's Defence Forces (HPG) on 17 October, banned bombs and chemical weapons have been used at least 2476 times in the last six months. These war crimes have been documented by ANF several times with images and testimonies.
 
In October, the organisation International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear (IPPNW) called for an independent investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Southern Kurdistan, saying that the available evidence was sufficient.
 
ANF has obtained new footage from the Werxelê resistance area in Avaşîn, one of the targets of the occupation and chemical weapons attacks. The footage shows a group of Turkish soldiers arriving at the war tunnels of Werxelê and some soldiers with ropes tied around their waists being lowered down at the entrance of the war tunnel. The soldiers can be seen throwing chemical weapons into the war tunnel and then quickly retreating.
 
DIFFERENT FORMS OF POISON GAS
 
Zîlan Mêrdîn, a guerrilla medic who provided first aid to the guerrillas exposed to the poison gas, stated: "In the tunnels of Werxelê, the war is very intense and permanent. Almost every day, at the entrances to the tunnels, the enemy first explodes large bombs with high explosive power, immediately afterwards or at the same time they also use various poisonous gases and irritants. The explosions follow one another directly, so that it is not clear what is actually happening.
 
Baz and Helbest were exposed to chemical weapons attacks on different days, but in a similar way. We did not hear from the comrades after the big explosions. They were later taken to a safe place and protective measures were taken. As they reported, there were different smells in the area due to the explosion, but they could not detect a very distinct smell of chemical weapons, but a dense grey gas."
 
“NERVOUS SYSTEM AFFECTED”
 
Zîlan Mêrdîn explained that the two guerrillas who were exposed to the gas later showed signs of amnesia when they were taken out of the area: "They could not remember anything. Comrade Helbest first had memory loss, then uncontrolled behaviour and laughter, as if she had gone mad. Then she lost consciousness and died.
 
Helbest could not control her speech and behaviour. The poison gas she had inhaled had affected her nervous system and the normal physiological functions of her body were suppressed and disrupted. Her sudden euphoria was an abnormal state caused by the chemical weapons. Hevala Helbest was a commander we had known for a long time and she never did anything like this in normal times.
 
We know that the Turkish state has chemical weapons that cause such effects and that these chemical weapons are called 'nerve gas' and 'capacity-disrupting substances'. They use tabun, soman and sarin as chemical weapons. Although 'capacity-disrupting agents' are not absolutely lethal in open areas, they can be lethal when exposed intensively indoors. As the name of this chemical weapon suggests, it involves destroying people's nervous systems and willpower to incapacitate them."
 
“HE WAS NOT WITH HIMSELF”
 
Zîlan Mêrdîn stated that similar effects occurred with the guerrilla Baz: "When the comrades reached him and took him out, he couldn't remember anything, he was unconscious. He behaved as if he had gone crazy. His condition was even more serious than that of Helbest. We don't know exactly how many minutes and what kind of chemical weapons he was exposed to. When our comrades reached him, he had already collapsed. We started the first interventions we knew.
 
The comrade had severe breathing problems. His respiratory system and central nervous system were badly affected. As can be seen in the footage, he was experiencing excessive sweating and tremors. His body was trying to expel the poison from inside him. This is because when a person is poisoned, the body activates its defence mechanism and reflexively tries to expel the poison through saliva and sweating. That's why he had seizures. Baz had difficulty breathing. He made a wheezing sound and tried to breathe intermittently."
 
“FALLEN BECAUSE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE”
 
Mêrdîn further said: "Baz, Helbest and Demhat Têkoşîn fell after being exposed to chemical weapons attacks. We tried to intervene with the limited means at our disposal, but unfortunately we could not save our friends. The enemy attacked each time from a different place, in a different way and with different types of chemical weapons. We have experienced and are still experiencing such situations. We are still exposed to the same attacks, and we are still resisting. Many of our comrades are resisting sacrificially in the positions. All should know that every single martyr makes our anger, conviction and will even stronger."
 

View More Articles

16/07/2023
10:33 Şenyaşar: If justice is not provided, we will stage the sit-in before the ministry
14/07/2023
16:57 Countryside of Xûlepûr village in Xîzan bombed
16:04 Merdan Yanardağ's indictment accepted
15:58 Tactical nuclear bomb attack on Zap
15:55 New application submitted by the families of Öcalan and other prisoners
15:54 11 people detained in Mersin
15:49 Investigation into 54 lawyers who supported Jîna Emin's family
14:58 Crime scene investigation footage of the attack on the Şenyaşar family
14:50 Head of the ranger who killed Musa Çelik imprisoned for only 20 months
14:17 No news from Abdullah Öcalan: The state is breaking its own laws
13:40 Lawyer Alagöz: ATK violates the principle of equality
12:25 'Be a Barricade Against Drugs' campaign in Amed
10:42 Prisoner released after 31 years
13/07/2023
15:27 Green Left Party and HDP: Crimes against children are increasing, take action
15:14 Criminal complaint from lawyer Çelik about the police
14:46 2 people detained in Basa
14:38 Signature campaign for ill prisoner whose release prevented
14:31 KNK Co-Chair Murad: The unity of the Kurds will lift the isolation
14:09 Application from lawyers for meeting with Abdullah Öcalan
13:17 Nephew of the ill prisoner who lost his life: ATK supports death
12:41 Witnesses of the July 14 resistance: The message was resistance
09:09 7 prisoners been on hunger strike for 3 days in Tarsus Prison
12/07/2023
17:46 Journalists released after 13 months
16:34 Prosecutor demanded continuation of detention of journalists
16:18 Journalists' trial: We have been unlawfully arrested for 13 months
15:23 Journalist Oruç: It is not possible to give up on the truth
14:59 Parliament will be asked whether Bayındır elected as an MP
14:41 HDP: We do not accept discrimination against political prisoners in execution
14:24 Prisoner Ataş held despite rotting of her heart valve
13:50 Yaylali: Lavrio Camp was evacuated in cooperation with NATO
13:05 Thematic meetings from HDP and Green Left: We are the center of the Third Way
12:16 'If national unity is not achieved, Lausanne may be repeated'
11:44 93 years passed since Geliyê Zîlan: The same mentality continues
10/07/2023
16:29 'We can break the international silence against Imrali with struggle'
15:14 Hospital barrier for ill prisoners in Antalya Prison
14:53 430 attacks in the last 5 days
14:52 Hundreds of trees uprooted in Xîzan
14:41 Kurdish politician Galvani tortured to death in custody
14:30 Dağ and Er been on the hunger strike for 54 days
14:29 Çelik: We will start the people's struggle against Lausanne
13:07 Abdullah Öcalan: The deadlock in the Kurdish issue must be overcome
11:50 Call for imprisoned journalists from CGD and TGS
11:29 Urgent call from KNK to EU and UN for a delegation to İmralı
09/07/2023
16:02 Şenyaşar family: The justice we seek is for everyone
14:49 Imrali application to the UN from lawyers
13:12 Hunger strike in Hewler Prison is on its 53rd day
13:12 Yavuz returned to his hometown after 30 years of imprisonment
11:41 Prisoner Derviş, who has been tortured for 8 years, looking for his family
11:01 Attempt to block Kurdish concert in Amed
10:42 Journalist Altan: We will not be judged, but held accountable