In Van, the weapons of 6 village guards who were assigned to Southern Kurdistan but refused to participate in the invasion operation were confiscated and an investigation was opened against them.
Van Regiment Command assigned 400 village guards to participate in the Turkish invasion operations in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq).
It is reported that 150 village guards were selected from the district of Başkale and the rest from Çaldıran, Çatak and Erciş districts. These village guards are set to move to Southern Kurdistan on 18 October 2024.
Many village guards objected to the decision. Nedim Yiğiter, the head of the village guards, threatened the village guards who said ‘We are temporary village guards, we are only responsible for protecting our own village, we are not commandos.’
According to reports, Nedim Yiğiter, who serves the occupying Turkish army, said: “If you refuse to participate in these operations, we will consider you as supporters of the organisation (referring to the PKK). Everyone should take their weapons and go to the designated place. You will be rewarded for this, but if you act otherwise, it will be bad for you.”
Despite Yiğiter's threats, 6 village guards in Aydemir village refused to accept the assignment. An investigation was initiated against the village guards whose statements were taken at Eşmepınar police station and their weapons were confiscated.
The village guards, who were sent to Southern Kurdistan in advance for the invasion operation planned to be carried out in the near future, are asked to stay in the occupation zone for one year, while they are allowed to visit their families every two months.
In the past years in Van, investigations were launched against the village guards who refused to participate in the occupation operations and they were dismissed.
Village guards
Village guards are Kurdish paramilitaries in the service of the Turkish state. The village guard system was established in Turkey in 1985 to combat the Kurdish liberation movement and has its roots in the Hamidiye Regiments in the Ottoman Empire. The paramilitary units, founded according to tried and tested colonial methods, are now officially called the "Security Guard" and are used as local experts and cannon fodder in Turkish military operations in Kurdistan. Their mission also includes foreign missions.
