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Turkish Kurd Journalist Accused of
Relations with PKK Extradited from Azerbaijan to
Turkey
23.11.2006 |
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November 23, 2006
The journalist Elif Pelit accused by the law
enforcement of Turkey of PKK was extradited from
Azerbaijan to Turkey, the representative of the
United Nations High Commissariat for Refugees in
Azerbaijan William Tol informed Trend.
The employee of the “Mesopomiya” News Agency was
detained in Nakchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR),
when she tried to illegally pass through the
Turkish-Azerbaijani border. Despite that the Court
fined her the amount of $2,000 and then released
her.
She was arrested once again by the employees of the
Azerbaijani Interior Ministry at the request of the
Turkish law enforcement, forwarded to the
Azerbaijani law-enforcement bodies in relation with
the extradition of Elif Pelit.
The journalist, Kurd by origin, is accused by the
Turkish law-enforcement bodies of co-operating with
the Kurdish rebel organization PKK. The Azerbaijani
Court on Heinous Crimes made the decision in 2004 to
deport Elif Pelit to Turkey.
Elif Pelit complained about the decision to the
higher authority that in 1994-1995, the
investigation group opened a criminal case on the
co-operation of Elif Pelit with PKK. But the case
was annulled due to the absence of evidence.
In addition, she is a recognized refugee under the
1951 Refugee Convention in Germany and is a German
citizen. Only Germany may require her extradition
from Azerbaijan. But the high court instances kept
the decision of the initial court authority in
force.
The representative of the United Nations High
Commissariat for Refugees in Azerbaijan also
stressed that Elif Pelit’s extradition is contrary
to the international conventions. “According to the
Convention adopted in 1951, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, as German Embassy in
Azerbaijan, appears with a position that Azerbaijan
is a signatory to the 1951 Convention, which clearly
states that refugees are not to be forcibly
returned.
In mid-October Ms. Pelit was deported to Turkey,
which is in clear violation of Azerbaijan’s
responsibility and obligations under this
convention,” Tol concluded.
More than 37,000 people have been killed since 1984
when the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
trend az
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan"
Southeast Turkey.
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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