İHD: ISIS Using Turkey As Logistical Base

A new report from the Human Rights Association (İHD) asserts that the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) and other radical groups are using Turkey as a logistical base from which to carry out their war in Syria, according to an article from DİHA carried by Özgür Gündem. Among the report’s major claims is that the Karkamış Refugee Camp located near the Karkamış Reservoir is being used as an ISIS training center.

The report is to be released by the İHD’s general directorate and was compiled by an İHD committee which traveled to Turkey’s border with Rojava in order to observe and better understand the situation. The report points to the revolution that has taken place in Rojava under the direction of Kurds and other peoples and highlighted its historical importance. The report also stresses how ISIS gangs have attempted to destroy the revolution on the eve of its secondary anniversary, reading “the attacks against Rojava by al-Qaeda, al-Nusra are attacks directed at breaking the Rojava Revolution and peoples’ self-government.” It also accused such groups of using Turkey as a logistical base and of having carried out various attacks from its soil.

Protest Camp Attacked By Police To Make ISIS Passage Easier

The report recalled the resistance in the district of Birecik, where the İHD committee visited the village of Ziyaret and the nearby camp set up to protest Turkey’s support of armed groups in Rojava. It drew a connection between the Turkish army’s decision to demolish the protest camp and the ISIS camp in Karkamış, saying “according to claims this camp is used as a logistical base for ISIS militants. They use this camp to attack the Kobanê Canton of Rojava through Turkey and therefore the HDP-DBP delegations which wanted to set up a protest camp in the region were violently assaulted by the army – who by burning their tents, destroying their vehicles, using large amounts of tear gas and plastic bullets, and throwing around their personal possessions wanted to create a large amount of fear and drive them from the area. In fact when we saw the area that the wanted to set up their tents there was a hill from which one could see the entire region and the Karamış Refugee Camp in particular and all movements could be seen as plain as day. Turkey is constantly attacking protest camps on the border in order to prevent anyone from seeing the passage of jihad groups like ISIS across the border. There is no other explanation. The details of this visit along with observations and conclusions will be included in the final report.”

Turkish Officials May Be Held Accountable In The Future

“In conclusion” the reports reads “there is action to be taken as regards the trial of war crimes directed against Rojava by jihadi groups on the Turkish-Rojava border which cannot be ignored. We are once again warning all those officials who ignore or support these actions.” The report goes on to suggest that such officials could face prosecution at a future international war crimes tribunal over Syria.