Kurdish editor and reporter Rohat Aktaş, who worked for daily newspaper Azadiya Welat, died in January 2016 in the town of Cizre, in south-eastern Turkey. The exact date of his death is unknown. The town, with a majority Kurdish population, had been under curfew since Dec. 14, 2015 following clashes between Kurdish militants and Turkish forces. Aktaş was reporting on the effect of the conflict on civilians when his group came under fire and he was forced to seek cover in a building basement. During the incident, Aktas was reportedly shot in the arm. He was able to contact his family and Azadiya Welat while in hiding, but he was not heard from after Jan. 30. News reports at the time indicated that Turkish security forces, citing attacks by Kurdish militants, declined to allow ambulances to access the building, where Aktaş and a number of wounded civilians were trapped. Aktaş’ remains were identified by DNA testing on Feb. 24, 2016.
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