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Turkey: Governor threatens to deprive
Kurdish demonstrators and their families of health
care
31.10.2008
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October
31, 2008
Amnesty International, Press Release
Reported plans by the governor of the southern
Turkish province of Adana to cut health care from
demonstrators and their families violate
international standards, Amnesty International said
Thursday.
Demonstrations against the alleged ill-treatment of
imprisoned Turkey's Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
leader Abdullah Ocalan have taken place across the
southern and eastern provinces of Turkey since
17 October.
There are continuing reports that the law
enforcement response to the demonstrations,www.ekurd.net
which were at times
violent, has included excessive use of force and
other forms of ill-treatment
“The authorities’ response to the demonstrations
must be consistent with their human rights
obligations and not involve collective punishment,”
said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International’s expert
on Turkey.
Amnesty International has learnt that the Adana
provincial authorities have started legal
proceedings to withdraw so-called “green cards” from
families of children who participated in these
demonstrations.
“Green cards” allow the poorest families access
health care and treatment. Reports also indicate
that the authorities are taking steps to prevent the
families of such children to receive assistance from
the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation.
This body provides coal to help poor families heat
their homes in winter,www.ekurd.net
among other forms of
assistance.
“The steps to deprive children suspected of
involvement in the demonstrations and their families
of health care and other benefits are a form of
collective punishment and violate the right of all
persons to health and to an adequate standard of
living, without discrimination,” Andrew Gardner
said.
“Rather than violating human rights, the Turkish
authorities should ensure that their responses to
the demonstrations are consistent with their
obligations to respect and protect the human rights
of all persons within their territories.”
Such a response could include ensuring that the
policing of the demonstrations is carried out in a
manner that is consistent with international
standards, including the use of force and firearms.
Any cases against individuals alleged to have been
involved in criminal conduct should be pursued
through the criminal justice system in proceedings
that meet international standards of fairness,
particularly those set out in the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
amnestyusa org
* Since 1984 the
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan). A large Turkey's
Kurdish community
openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas, the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, ranting them full
political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by
Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel
group PKK and its political wing on
the European Union's terror list.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population
as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural
rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish
language and private Kurdish language courses with
the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish politicians
say the measures fall short of their expectations.
** Kurds are not recognized as an official minority
in Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
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 over 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.
Turkey is home to 25 million ethnic Kurds, a large
Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with
the Kurdish PKK for a Kurdish homeland in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media. The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish alphabet has led
to judicial persecution in 2000 and 2003
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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