Turkey grants immunity to security forces committing crimes against Kurds

Turkey’s parliament has granted immunity from prosecution to members of the armed forces conducting counter-terrorism operations as security forces battle Kurdish militants in fighting that has killed thousands in the past year.

The law, passed late on Thursday, gives expansive powers to the military as it tries to stamp out an insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after last year’s collapse of a two-year ceasefire.

Before becoming president in 2014, Tayyip Erdogan spent much of his rule as prime minister building up civilian oversight of the military. Critics say the new law undoes some of those reforms.

The legislation could make it harder to investigate allegations of rights abuses.

The United Nations and human rights groups have raised concerns about such violations during the last year of operations that have been centered in densely populated cities.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed, according to opposition parties...
[kurdishdailynews.org/REUTERS]
25/6/16
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