For
further information, contact:
Jeri Laber:
(212) 972-8400
Chris
Panico: (212) 972-8400
Susan Osnos:
(212)-972-8400
Ethnically
Kurdish Villages and Hamlets Forcibly Depopulated by Turkish
Security
Forces in Southeastern Turkey
October
19, 1994 (New York)--Turkish security forces in southeastern Turkey have
depopulated up to 1400 villages and hamlets in their fight against the PKK
(Kurdistan Workers Party), according to Human Rights Watch/Helsinki, which has
called for an investigation of these practices. In “Forced Displacement of
Ethnic Kurds From Southeastern Turkey,” released today, Human Rights
Watch/Helsinki documents a pattern of abuses by Turkish security forces in
their 10-year campaign against the PKK guerrillas. In an effort to deprive the
PKK of its logistic base of support, security forces forcibly evict villagers
from their villages and sometimes destroy their homes. Torture and arbitrary detention
often accompany such evictions. Security forces especially target those
villages that refuse to enter the village guard system or those that give food
or shelter to PKK fighters. The report was sent with a letter to Prime Minister
Ciller deploring such practices and urging that they immediately be ceased.
The
Turkish government has long refused to acknowledge the extent or importance of
forced civilian depopulation by security forces in southeastern Turkey, and
recently Interior Minister Nahit Mentese attributed these acts to the PKK. But
last week Turkish State Human Rights Minister Azimet Koyluoglu called Turkish
security forces’ burning of civilian villages in Tunceli province “state
terrorism,” and Turkish President Suleyman Demirel called for an investigation
in that province. In the letter released today to Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Ciller,
HRW/Helsinki Executive Director Jeri Laber applauded President Demirel’s call
for an investigation, but warned that, “Arbitrary depopulation of Kurdish
villages by security forces is not limited to Tunceli province, but is
widespread throughout southeastern Turkey.
There should be an investigation in the whole region.”
The
report also criticizes the PKK, which has brutally punished any cooperation
with the Turkish state in the region. From September to October 1994, the PKK
murdered fourteen teachers in the region. The report states that, “The PKK
routinely commits such abuses as summary execution, hostage- taking,
indiscriminate fire, and destruction of civilian property in an attempt to force
the civilian population to comply with its wishes.”
Human
Rights Watch/Helsinki (formerly Helsinki Watch) Human Rights Watch is a
nongovernmental organization established in 1978 to monitor and promote the
observance of internationally recognized human rights in Africa, the Americas,
Asia, the Middle East and among the signatories of the Helsinki accords. It is
supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide.
It accepts no government funds, directly or indirectly. Kenneth Roth is the
executive director; Cynthia Brown is the program director; Holly J. Burkhalter
is the advocacy director; Gara LaMarche is the associate director: Juan E. Mndez is general counsel; Susan Osnos is the
communications director; and Derrick Wong is the finance and administration
director. Robert L. Bernstein is the
chair of the board and Adrian W. DeWind is vice chair. Its Helsinki division was established in
1978 to monitor and promote domestic and international compliance with the human
rights provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. It is affiliated with the
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, which is based in Vienna, Austria.
Jeri Laber is the executive director; Holly Cartner, counsel;
Erika
Dailey, Rachel Denber, Ivana Nizich and Christopher Panico are research
associates; Anne Kuper, Ivan Lupis, and Alexander Petrov are associates; eljka
Marki and Vlatka Miheli are consultants. Jonathan Fanton is the chair of the
advisory committee and Alice Henkin is vice chair.
October 19,
1994
Prime
Minister Tansu Ciller
Basbakanlik
Ankara
Turkey
Dear
Prime Minister Ciller:
Human
Rights Watch/Helsinki has monitored human rights in Turkey for more than ten
years. A report released today based on an August 1994 investigation in Turkey
reveals that Turkish security forces routinely evict ethnic Kurds from their
homes in southeastern Turkey and often burn their villages in the fight against
the PKK. Security forces especially target those villages that refuse to enter
the village guard system or are suspected of giving food or shelter to PKK
members. Torture and arbitrary
detention often accompany such actions.
Human
Rights Watch/Helsinki urges the government of Turkey to bring these practices
to a halt and punish those who have committed crimes. We also call on you to provide compensation and aid to the
displaced from the southeast, which State Minister for Human Rights Azimet Koyluoglu
recently put at two million. While we are encouraged by President Demirel’s
call for an investigation in Tunceli province, arbitrary depopulation of
Kurdish villages by security forces is not limited to Tunceli province, but is
widespread throughout southeastern Turkey. There should be an investigation in
the region.
Human
Rights Watch/Helsinki’s report also criticizes PKK abuses in the region. We
recently issued two press release concerning the PKK’s murder of fourteen
teachers in southeastern Turkey. During our August 1994 mission to Turkey, we
intended to investigate PKK abuses based on direct testimony from victims and
informed the Turkish Foreign Ministry, which responded favorably. While in
Diyarbakir, however, the Emergency Rule Governor’s office provided no
cooperation, and thus our reporting on the PKK is based on secondary sources.
We urge you to provide access to the region to Human Rights Watch/Helsinki, as
well as to all legitimate human rights organizations and journalists.
Again,
we urge the government to end the practice of forced civilian displacement in
southeastern Turkey, punish those responsible, and pay compensation to and aid
the displaced.
Respectfully,
Jeri
Laber
Executive
Director
Human
Rights Watch/Helsinki
CC: Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir
United States Embassy, Turkey
Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal