In October 2014, protests erupted across the majority Kurdish south-east of Turkey in response to the advance of the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS) on the city of Kobani/Ayn Al-Arab. Demonstrators protested against the IS and those they claimed to be its supporters within Turkey and its government. These protests and linked large-scale violence left more than 40 people dead. This briefing identifies failures by the authorities to prevent deaths and injuries during clashes between rival groups, the use of excessive force by police officers resulting in deaths and injuries and the inability of the judiciary to provide justice and reparations for the victims.
