4 İLHAN v. TURKEY JUDGMENT State Hospital; Dr Selahattin Varol, from Diyarbakır State Hospital; Abdülkadir Güngören, the Mardin public prosecutor; and Nuri Ay, a soldier with paramedical training who had served at Mardin. 11. The Commission's findings of fact, which are accepted by the applicant, are set out in its report of 1 March 1999 and summarised below (Section A). The relevant domestic proceedings and the Government's submissions concerning the facts are also summarised below (Sections B and C). A. The Commission's findings of fact 12. Abdüllatif İlhan lived in the village of Aytepe, located in the southeast region of Turkey, about 60 to 70 km from the town of Mardin. It came under the jurisdiction of the gendarmerie command at Mardin. The nearest gendarmerie station was at Konaklı, several villages away. The central provincial gendarmerie commander, Şeref Çakmak, knew the village. He had been informed that the İlhan family cooperated with the PKK (Workers' Party of Kurdistan) who were very active in the region at this time. He also suspected the villager İbrahim Karahan of involvement with the PKK. 13. Aytepe village was located on high ground in a hilly area. There was a garden area below the village to the south, described as containing fruit trees and bushes. The descriptions of this area given by witnesses before the Commission's delegates varied. It was common ground that there were stone walls in the garden which were in places quite high. There were rivers or streams to the east and west of this area. 14. On 26 December 1992, shortly before dawn, the Mardin gendarmes, under Şeref Çakmak's command and assisted by men from Konaklı station, started an operation at Aytepe village. The report by Mardin central provincial gendarmerie command stated that a villager, Mehmet Koca, was wanted for harbouring two persons wanted for aiding and abetting the PKK. The weather was very cold, with snow on the ground. 15. Abdüllatif İlhan and İbrahim Karahan saw the soldiers approaching the village from the surrounding hills. From past experience, they feared that they might be beaten. They ran to hide in the gardens south of the village. They did not hear anyone shouting after them to stop. Ahmet Kurt, the Konaklı station commander, saw the two men running away through binoculars. He was ordered by the operation commander, Şeref Çakmak, to apprehend them. He took a team of seventeen men and went to the gardens. 16. The gendarmes found both men hiding under the bushes and trees in the garden area. İbrahim Karahan did not try to run away when he was found. He was beaten and kicked by the gendarmes. They found Abdüllatif İlhan hiding nearby and gathered round him. İbrahim Karahan saw the gendarmes kick him. He also saw them raise and lower their rifles as if striking Abdüllatif İlhan with the butts. He did not, however, see any rifle