Zahir Teker, Harun Akkaya and Lokman Koç were attacked by the soldiers who are conducting an operation against smugglers and were left for dead after being beaten to death. The shepherds who went to the hospitals by themselves, went back home after treatment. Their statements were not taken and no one asked what happened to them at the hospital.

 

Zahit Teker spoke to Mesopotamia Agency and said the soldiers told them they would kill them there, that the kalashnikov he's holding is not registered.

 

Zahir Teker stated that they are taking care of the animals of the villagers for a living. Teker said: "We were drinking tea. The soldiers came. They started shooting around us. They told us to lay down. We did. We couldn't understand what was happening. They told us we were terrorists. We told them we were shepherds. Then they told us we were helping the smugglers. We told them we did not.

 

Stating that the soldiers took two of them with them and left one with the animals while going to search for the smugglers, Teker said: "They made us walk a lot. Then they told us we were leading them to a trap. They held guns to our heads, told that they will kill us. He told us the kalashnikov he held was not registered and he could kill us and no one would know."

 

Teker said: "Then they started hitting us with sticks and stones. My leg is broken you see. They hit my head with stones. Blood was everywhere. They beat us for almost an hour. We found our phone. My friends help me mount the horse. We had one horse. They couldn't walk so I rode the horse until the phone had service. I called the villagers. Then I fainted."

 

Stating that no one had taken their statements while they were being treated at the hospital, Teker said they will hold those soldiers to account.

 

MA / Cemil Uğur