178 Deaths Mark the First Half of 2012 in the East

A total of 15,109 rights violations took place in eastern and southeastern Turkey, while 56 security personnel and 122 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) also lost their lives, with another 123 injured during the same period, according to the Rights Violations Report of the Human Rights Association's (IHD) branch office in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

A surge in the frequency of military operations have marked the first six months of 2012 despite winter conditions, said Raci Bilici, the head of the IHD's Diyarbakır branch.

"We found ourselves in the midst of a process of intensifying conflict with the advent of spring. These clashes grew even more intense toward the middle of the year, leading to further loss of lives. These operations and clashes have also brought along civilian deaths, repressive [policies] against the peasantry, the destruction of nature and many more rights violations," he added.

Bilici also drew attention to the ongoing operations against the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK,) highlighted the need to restart negotiations and called for the employment of democratic and peaceful means to resolve the Kurdish issue.

Highlights from the report:

*Security personnel killed / injured during clashes - 56 dead, 119 wounded

*PKK militants killed / injured during clashes - 122 dead, 4 wounded

*Civilian deaths emanating from unresolved murders, extrajudicial killings and clashes - 16 dead, 75 wounded

*Deaths under suspicious circumstances - 13

*Deaths caused by official errors and negligience - 16 dead, 2 wounded

*Suicide by Military personnel / police - 2 suicides, 1 attempted suicide

*Suicide by women - 14 suicides, 4 attempted suicides

*Suicide by men - 19 suicides, 8 attempted suicides

*Suicide by minors - 10 suicides, 3 attempted suicides

*Detentions - 2,675

*Arrests - 1,006

*Torture and ill-treatment - 398

*Number of people under investigation, on trial or penalized - 1,386

*Political parties, unions, associations, cultural institutions subjected to pressure and attacks - 84

*Political parties, unions, associations and cultural institutions shut down - 9

*Publications prohibited and collected by officials - 632 (NV)