YPG/PKK’s brutality on its own members revealed

By Lale Koklu

HATAY, Turkey

The YPG/PKK terrorists group in northwestern Syria had killed with rockets its own members for trying to flee the organization, said an indictment submitted to a Turkish court on Friday.

The indictment prepared by the public prosecutor’s office in southern Turkish province of Hatay and accepted by the 3rd High Penal Court in the province demanded up to 15 years of imprisonment for three YPG/PKK members.

According to the indictment, Syrian nationals Mihemed Ibrahim, 19, Mihemed Shex Hesen, 30, and Suleyman Cemil Kil Xilo, 23, were detained in Syrian city of Afrin by the Turkish forces in early days of the Operation Olive Branch.

During the interrogation, Shex Hesen told the prosecutors that YPG/PKK forcibly took him from his house and gave armed training under the pretext of “volunteer military services”.

“I have joined the YPG/PKK following the order [via a notice sent to our house]. They give 25,000 Syrian pound. One could leave after 11 months of military service. We do not win the ranks, we can be freed after completing the service in the lowest rank. I started military service in Aleppo. I got 51-day training.[...] Then I came to Kara Baba village in Rajo district of Afrin and then we went to Firfirke village. Soldiers were being recruited there. We were on duty there," Hesen said."

Hesen claimed that there was no land where mines were planted in Syria and said even if the mines were planted there, the commanders did not tell them.

"On January 21, we arrived at Adamanli village. They brought us for the mount guard. We were about 14-15 people. Four of us have surrendered. One of our friends was shot by YPG/PKK people while the others had escaped. The civilians in the villages we reached had fled following bombardments."

Kil Xilo had joined the terror group 10 months before he was captured, according to the indictment.

"We came to Adamanli village on January 21. We were brought here for mount duty. First, we came here as a five-people group. Then eight more people had come. There were no YPG/PKK members in Adamanli village except us. Our commander left us here. We had been living in an empty house in the village. The house was ready but owner was not there. We attempted to flee when Turkish military started bombing us."

"Our commander named Salah had escaped and three of us surrendered. While attempting to surrender [to Turkish military] other YPG/PKK members attacked us with rocket launchers. One of our friends had died," said Kil Xilo.

Ibrahim, who joined the YPG four months ago, was assigned to Kirmizi Tepe, near the village of Sorke, and was apprehended on January 21, said the indictment.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear terrorist groups from Afrin amid growing threats from the region.

On March 18, Turkish-backed troops liberated the town center of Afrin as part of Operation Olive Branch.