GÜLEÇ JUDGMENT OF 27 JULY 1998 8 The District Commissioner also requested the gendarmes to inform him of “the identity and addresses of those gendarmes in the armoured vehicle who allegedly opened fire, wounding citizens”. He added: “This information will serve as a basis for the investigation to be carried out by my officials.” (i) Letter of 14 June 1991 from the İdil gendarmerie, replying to the letter of 12 June 1991 from the İdil District Commissioner 23. In this letter, the gendarmerie state, firstly: “Your authorities know perfectly well that this illegal demonstration was organised by terrorist PKK militants. It was not simply a demonstration, since the offices of public authorities were attacked. Moreover, the infiltration of armed militants among the people and the use of weapons during the demonstration show how serious the situation was. The District Commissioner’s office asked us for backup in order to prevent the situation getting out of hand; in view of the urgency and dangerousness of the situation, all our available personnel were sent to the scene.” 24. The gendarmerie gave the following reply to the District Commissioner’s request: “We hereby inform you that, as stated above, given the sudden and serious nature of the events in question, the exact position of each of our men was not noted in the logbook. We are no longer in a position to verify their position on the day in question, given that more than three months have since elapsed.” (j) Documents relating to the investigation carried out by the military investigators 25. On 11 April 1991 the Governor of Şırnak Province instructed Mr Celal Uymaz, a gendarmerie lieutenant-colonel, to hold a preliminary investigation into the events of 4 March 1991. Lieutenant-Colonel Uymaz took evidence from the following witnesses: Şakir Ece, mayor of the Atakent district of İdil (statement of 22 July 1991): “... We heard children’s voices coming from the Midyat road. The children carried on marching towards the centre. They were not carrying anything, but simply making “V” signs and chanting slogans... The major arrived. He was in front of the Ziraat Bank. The demonstrators, who had become more agitated, carried on marching. The major then gave the order to fire. We heard shots from all sides. I took refuge on the second floor of the building with the people who had been in front of the District Commissioner’s offices. Through the window I could see that four or five people had fallen to the ground as a result of the shooting, but I did not recognise them. Subsequently, the gendarmes and police arrived, dispersed the demonstrators and took the wounded to hospital...”