Turkey to compensate air-strike victims
(AP) Turkey will compensate the families of 35 civilians mistakenly killed in an air-strike meant for Kurdish rebels, the deputy prime minister has said, even as he insisted that military officials followed proper procedures, including firing warning shots.
The air-strikes, guided by intelligence from drones and fired by Turkish F-16 jets, hit a group of Kurdish smugglers in northern Iraq last week. The loss of life was one of the highest civilian death tolls in one day in Turkey's conflict with the rebels.
The incident set off violent protests in mostly Kurdish cities and further undermined Turkey's attempts to address the grievances of the Kurds, who make up about 20% of its 74 million people and some of whom want autonomy in the south-east region where they dominate.
The deputy prime minister, Bülent Arinç, did not specify how much money will be paid to the families of the victims, but said on Monday that the payments would come within days. He also said the government was exploring ways to increase the amount of the compensation.
full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/03/turkey-compensate-air-strike-victims