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DIYARBAKIR: Diyarbakir Branch of the Human
Rights Association (IHD) has said that a total of
2,262 violations of human rights occurred and 140
people were killed in clashes in the
Kurdish-populated provinces in March, April and May.
There was a drastic increase in human rights abuses
in the past three months.
IHD Diyarbakir Branch unveiled its reports about
human rights violations observed in the
Kurdish-populated provinces in March, April and May
2005. In a statement he made at the headquarters of
the branch, Selahattin Demirtas, head of the branch,
said that "there had been a drastic increase" in
human rights violations in the past three months as
compared with the previous periods, adding that a
total of 147 people had been killed in hostilities
since the beginning of 2005, including 140 killed
over the past three months.
"Begging the United State for a solution"
Blaming the government for the reported abuses,
Demirtas said that the government was making efforts
in the United States to escalate hostilities rather
than to take steps to achieve peace in response to
calls made by the Kurdish people for years. Accusing
[Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan of fanning the
fire, Demirtas went on saying: "If the government
wants to ensure Turkey's accession to the EU, it
must resolve the Kurdish question. If it wants to
resolve the Kurdish question, it must establish
dialogue with the other parties concerned with the
problem. In other words, Turkey could join the EU
only if it agrees to sit at the negotiating table
with the Kurdish opposition groups and find a
democratic solution. We advise the government, which
is begging the United States to find a solution and
trying to escalate hostilities, to take a more
honorable approach and to resolve the Kurdish
question with its own citizens."
Torture incidents decreased while convictions for
"thought crimes" increased
Expressing satisfaction about progress made in the
fight against torture, Demirtas commented:
"Incidents of torture, which tended to decline last
year, maintained the downward trend in the past
three months." Noting that the legal arrangements
made in the field of freedom of expression had not
been put into practice yet, Demirtas complained that
more intolerant attitudes were observed in that
field. Pointing out that legal proceedings had been
instituted against 2,811 persons for expressing
their opinions in the region over the past five
months, Demirtas stated: "Those facts indicate that
achieving an overall improvement would not be
possible before making serious progress regarding
all aspects of human rights. Ups and downs observed
in human rights violations are an important
indication of wavering policies and insincere
attitudes."
"The ban on mother tongue has not been lifted"
Noting that education in mother tongue was another
crucial issue, Demirtas said that assuming that the
problem could be resolved by opening several private
language centres would be a serious mistake.
Emphasizing that private language centres charging
an enrolment fee could not contribute to resolution
of the problem related to mother tongue, Demirtas
went on saying: "Kurdish children, who want to
receive education in their mother tongue, are denied
this right, which conflicts with the related
international agreements, especially the Lausanne
Treaty. The problems being experienced by the Kurds
about their cultural rights have remained
unaddressed and there is no sign of improvement."
140 killed in clashes
Following Demirtas' statement, Mihdi Perincek, IHD
regional representative, outlined the report about
human right abuses reported in the Kurdish-populated
provinces in March, April and May in 2005. According
to the report, 140 people were killed in hostilities
while 21 others were wounded. Five people were
murdered and six others were wounded as a result of
attacks carried out by unidentified assailants.
Landmines and bombs killed 13 victims and wounded
12.
A total of 491 persons were detained during the
three-month period and 48 incidents of torture and
maltreatment were reported, including nine committed
by gendarmerie officers and 37 by police officers.
The report says that five people have been reported
missing and a total of 93 people were arrested.
According to the report, 452 security officials were
subjected to disciplinary actions as a result of
administrative investigations. It said that a total
of 2,262 human rights violations had been reported.
www.kurdishinfo.com
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