The Yüksekova Gang was an illegal organization in the Yüksekova districtofHakkari Province accused of killing 16 people, with apparent links to the Turkish Gendarmerie's JITEM unit and possible links to the Ergenekon organization.[1] According to Today's Zaman it was "headed by three high-ranking military personnel and various politicians [and] smuggled drugs and weapons."[2]
Its activities were first revealed in 1996, in the aftermath of the Susurluk scandal. Its activities『are only one part of the JİTEM activities』that have been sent to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). All of the local court prison sentences concerning the Yüksekova Gang were cancelled by the High Court of Appeals of Turkey, leading the ECHR to fine Turkey 103,000 Euro for its decisions about the Yüksekova Gang.[2] The mayor of Yüksekova, Ali Ihsan Zeydan, was arrested in 1997.[3]
