AKP Spokesman states strike mistakenly hit civilians
Turkey's ruling party spokesman said on Thursday initial reports into a Turkish air strike in northern Iraq overnight showed the 35 people killed were smugglers whom the military mistook for armed militants.
AK Party spokesman Hüseyin Çelik called the incident "saddening" and said reports from local government officials showed most of those killed were smugglers under the age of 30.
"It has been determined from initial reports that these people were smugglers, not terrorists," Çelik told a news conference on live television. "If mistakes were made, if there were flaws and if there were shortcomings in the incident that took place, by no means will these be covered up."
"It has been determined from initial reports that these people were smugglers, not terrorists," Çelik told a news conference on live television. "If mistakes were made, if there were flaws and if there were shortcomings in the incident that took place, by no means will these be covered up."
Last Update: December 30, 2011 09:41