December 30th, 2011
07:51 AM ET

Turkish PM Erdogan regrets Kurdish civilian airstrike deaths

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that he regrets the deaths of 35 civilians in an airstrike in a Kurdish area on the border with Iraq late Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, he said, "It is an unfortunate outcome. It is a sad outcome."

Pledging a full investigation, he said those killed were smuggling cigarettes and fuel, with almost half of them below the age of 20.

Erdogan said Turkey's military had been monitoring the area because it was in constant use by terrorist groups and that security forces had become suspicious because of the size of the group and number of donkeys used.

The funerals of the victims, who all came from three villages in the Uludere area of Sirnak province, should now have been conducted, he said.

His words came a day after a senior member of a Kurdish separatist group urged Kurds to rise up against Turkish authorities over what he called a massacre.

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Filed under: Iraq • Turkey
soundoff (20 Responses)
  1. Mr. Ducky ™

    Regret isn't going to bring them back.
    That being said, they were smuggling...how about a little better protection instead of slaughter?
    Yippee. Now look for repercussions from the Turks...
    GD it, another bunch of senseless BS!

    December 30, 2011 at 10:25 am | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    @ mr. ducky, Ik,r? Lmao

    December 30, 2011 at 12:12 pm | Report abuse |
  3. chrissy

    But actually they WERENT smuggling so much as SMART SHOPPING! They sent younger family members because they were younger/stronger and could carry more supplys there fore making fewer trips and not putting theirselves at risk.

    December 30, 2011 at 12:25 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bobcat (in a hat)©

    I thought we were tough with our no smoking regs. They've been preaching for years how dangerous tobacco is. Now that's what I call an incentive to quit.

    I apologize for the irreverence, but it's the end of the year, and I had to get one last shot in.

    December 30, 2011 at 12:42 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Tcr C2

    Happy new year to all of the good people!!!!!!!

    December 30, 2011 at 1:33 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Mr. Ducky ™

    Tcr C2:

    Happy New Year, and all the yada that goes with it!

    December 30, 2011 at 2:33 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Mr. Ducky ™

    @bc(iah)©

    Nah, it's not irrelecant at all!
    Get it out, bc.
    Rawr!

    December 30, 2011 at 2:37 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Mr. Ducky ™

    @bc(iah)©

    Nah, it's not irrelevant at all!
    Get it out, bc.
    Rawr!

    December 30, 2011 at 2:39 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Mr. Ducky ™

    Mr. Ducky ™'s wingertips aren't working very good.

    December 30, 2011 at 2:43 pm | Report abuse |
  10. bobcat (in a hat)©

    My main resolution for the new is not to change one iota of myself.
    Now that's a resolution I know I can keep.

    December 30, 2011 at 2:47 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat (in a hat)©

      P.S.

      ROOOOWWWWRRRRR

      December 30, 2011 at 2:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat (in a hat)©

      P.S. # 2

      Meant new year.

      December 30, 2011 at 2:51 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Mr. Ducky™

    @bc(iah)©:
    I like you just the way you are; don't change a thing!
    Actually, my resolution is the same as yours; I'm pretty comfortable with myself, also.

    December 30, 2011 at 9:03 pm | Report abuse |
  12. bobcat (in a hat)©

    @ Mr. Ducky

    The way I look at it is, if you don't like you, nobody else will like you too.

    December 30, 2011 at 9:31 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Ibrahim

    The Turkish are animals. They murder innocent people and know one says nothing.

    January 2, 2012 at 10:00 am | Report abuse |
    • adam

      you are right my friend,turkey's governmet killed lot of kurdish people till now.they are twoface for kurdish people

      January 2, 2012 at 2:17 pm | Report abuse |
    • gok

      your own people killed most of those Kurds, you Kurds are the bloody backward animals.

      January 2, 2012 at 8:30 pm | Report abuse |
    • gok

      damn mutts

      January 2, 2012 at 8:30 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Emre

    (for adam) Your government kill many middle-eastern people (by your army) too. And your people didn't try to save their human rights. Also in Guantanamo – your government torturing many people.

    Maybe; you're thinking about Turks as animal – also you're...

    the US turned to prison – all of the world for "your developed economy"...

    You're guilty about; sarcity in africa, wars in middle east and pressure on people (in everywhere)

    Your Office of Defense Co-Operation units on the world killing many people – what are you thinking about this situation?

    Your soliders come back Iraq but still killing people in your country. You can't stop them – it's their habbits...

    Politics isn't easy – you've to learn many thing (before talking about politics)

    Most of citizens of us don't know – what your government until done – and still doing...

    Best wishes...

    Emre – from Smyrna

    January 4, 2012 at 11:43 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Emre

    We are sad BECAUSE they were CIVIL and they didn't deserve die... 🙁

    But trust me; TERRORISM IN TURKEY made by USA – actually MOST OF THE WORLD 😉

    Your government tell you "we're going to war on terrorism"

    And you don't ask anything?

    Why terorism affected us?

    Why our solider going to middle east?

    Middle east not far from here?

    Why are we in Iraq? or Afghanistan? or Somalia? or Libya?

    *If you're going to ask; I will answer...

    BECAUSE US AN IMPERIALIST – MILITARIST STATE 😉

    **but I know; you cant ask – if you ask, you will on pressure by your government....

    January 4, 2012 at 11:52 pm | Report abuse |
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