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Turkey: Iranian refugees of Kurdish stock-
we are killed if we turn back
13.7.2005
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Turkey-Kurdistan,
VAN (DIHA) - In
the eastern city of Van, 18 Iranian refugees of
Kurdish stock who went on a hunger strike so that
they might have been sent to a third country, in
accordance with what the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had accepted, have
temporarily stopped their action as a result of the
attempts by Van Human Rights Center (VIHM).
Iranian refugees have demanded not to return to
Iran, stating "we are killed if we turn back".
The 18 Kurdish refugees had taken shelter in Turkey
in 2001 by appling to Van Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) after they fled
from Iran, and today they have provisionally ended
the hunger strike they started in front of the UNCHR
Van Office and have continued in their house for 41
days, in the direction of the VIHM's request.
'Asylum-seekers agreed to our proposal'
VIHM Coordinator Bedia Özgökçe, who held a written
statement on behalf of the VIHM to bring the sate of
the 18 to light, says they, as VIHM, were following
the hunger a total of 1204 Iranian refugees have
continued in their house in 17 distinct cities. In
accordance with international agreements, it is
necessary to send these refugees to a third country
and to allow them to make use of social and medical
rights, explained Özgökçe, and they brought the
proposal 'end action and continue with struggle for
the aim'. ''They accepted our suggestion. Here, we
are calling in the whole public opinion to be
sensitive about the matter", continued Özgekçe.
Chair of the Van Bar Association Ayhan Çabuk
recorded that they asked right of constant asylum,
which they have deserved, to be implemented for the
18 Kurdish refugees. "The question is not just that
of Turkey, but of the whole world. So as these
people not to have to apply for such ways, we are
inviting leading the press all private and official
and public opinion to be sensitive about the issue."
'Ahmedinejad is a terrorist'
Karo Rawşani, Kurdish asylum-seeker who spoke in the
name of 18 refugees, argued that Iran put oppression
on the Kurds. "We, as Kurds, are under heavy
pressures and would like to go to a third country.
Even the newly elected Iranian President is
associated with the Kurds' being penalized with
death", said Rawşani.
"No one can ask us to go back to Iran. Newly-elected
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a terrorist
who had killed lots of Kurds. It is possible to this
matter by documentary evidence. We are killed if we
turn back Iran, transition to a third country should
be provided for us", said Rawsani.
At the time of the press statement, 18 refugees also
carried the pictures of their relatives killed by
Iranian security officials.
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