The London-based Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) has opened up a new case against Turkey in the European Court of Human Rights. KHRP claims that Turkish bombing in Northern Iraq has caused a large number of civilian deaths:

“We have been told that Turkish shelling and bombing caused civilian deaths and injuries, and damage to livelihood, farmland and property,” he said. “In Iraq I witnessed some of these atrocities and also saw that civilians have been traumatized [and] … displaced. The military operations have compromised the human rights of Iraqi civilians.”

This case is intended as a test. It will show much how far the ECHR is willing to go in prosecuting Turkey for its conduct in the fight against the PKK. If the Court finds in favor of the plaintiff, it could unleash a torrent of prosecutions against Turkey. This is the last thing Turkey needs as it tries to get on the good side of a very hostile European public.

More on human rights in Turkey.