U.S. Department of State report: 38 percent of PKK members are under the age of 18

Half of the PKK consists of children

“SABAH”26.5.2012 – A report prepared by the U.S. Department of State dealing with ‘Child Militants’, includes the PKK which it states consists of 38 percent of members under the age of 18.





According to a Human Rights Report prepared by the United States Department of State, the PKK terrorist organization’s wing in the mountains continues to bring in children, with almost half of the members now under the age of 18. The 2011 report also states that the number of deaths and injuries sustained by security forces in the fight against terrorism has more than doubled compared to the toll from the year prior. The death toll and number of wounded civilians has also increased since 2010. Reports from security forces in Turkey (military, police and gendarmerie) reveal that in the first ten months of the year, 31 civilians were killed and 53 wounded in combat related to the fight against terrorism. In the first ten months of the year, 220 security force members were killed and 475 wounded. Meanwhile, 303 terrorists were killed and five wounded, with the majority of combat taking place in the Southeast.



ACADEMIC RESEARCH FINDINGS



In the section entitled ‘Child Militants’, based on information from an academic research, it states; “The PKK regularly brought in children to join the terrorist group. Thirty-eight percent of PKK members are under the age of 18.”



http://english.sabah.com.tr/National/2012/05/26/half-of-the-pkk-consists-of-children

Denmark: European children fighting for PKK, claims former ROJ TV chief

http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2010/05/denmark-european-children-fighting-for.html

Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende continues to publish more information about ROJ TV and the PKK. Their most recent report reveals that the PKK is using children-soldiers. Pictures tkaen by former ROJ-TV director, Manouchehr Zonoozi, show youth, the youngest of which is supposedly 14-16, and Zonoozi claims he saw children in the camps as young as 8-9.
(more pictures here)

This article was prepared by the Islam in Europe blog - islamineurope.blogspot.com

Putting aside the issue of using children as soldiers, Zonoozi makes another very interesting claim. He says that most children in the camps come from Iran or Europe, and don't have their parents with them.The youngest get school education, the older ones are trained in using weapons, fighting and Kurdish history, with emphasis on the PKK and the movement's founder, Abdullah Öcalan."In an asylum camp in Iraq I met a Syrian-Kurdish family. They were looking for their daughter, who fled to the PKK. But the PKK didn't want to give her back to the family. I was really upset at that," says Manouchehr Zonoozi.
Source: Berlingske Tidende (Danish)