Der Spiegel reports that German experts have confirmed that the Turkish military used chemical weapons against Kurds, who may have been PKK insurgents. Given the nature of the fighting, it's almost certain that a number of innocent civilians were killed.
Turkey has almost 12 million Kurds - oh, excuse, me 'mountain Turks' because Turkey does not allow them to be referred to as Kurds- who want increased rights and autonomy. Turkey has used its armed forces to suppress and control the Kurds. They actually crossed the Iraq border to go after insurgents, shamefully, with American acquiescence.
Der Spiegel cites Gisela Penteker, a Turkey expert with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War as saying that the Turks have been suspected of using chemical weapons on the Kurds for quite some time. "Local people have said that again and again," she explained.
Turkey is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Turks have said repeatedly that they do not possess any chemical weapons.Using them would be a violation of that treaty.
Members of the German Bundestag have called for Turkey to submit to an international investigation, but the Turks have refused to do so.
And in any event, the UN isn't going to investigate a Muslim cou8ntry for human rights violations.
Now, if Israel were the accused party in something like this...well, now that would be a different matter, wouldn't it? And no evidence would even be necessary, just the wild allegations of a country like, well, Turkey.
Further discussion and analysis by my blogpals Benjamin Weinthal in the Jerusalem Post and Carl over at Israel Matsav.
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