Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sixty people detained in Ankara, tension sky high
31 May 2011, One man died as police attacked crowd protesting against PM, scores arrested while protesting against police violence.
It is difficult to write with pictures of people beaten, attacked with incredible violence, dead bodies, young, women, old, men running to escape police fury in front of your eyes. It is even harder because this violence just seems to get worse by the minute. There seems to be no end to this violence. The state violence, the government violence.
Prime Minister Erdoğan seemed determined to prevent anyone protesting against him and his government by ordering the police to literally quash them.
The chronicle of today is a chronicle of escalating violence. People with blood on their faces, people baton charged by police, tear gas thrown with the precise aim to hit. More violence, more detentions. On Erdoğan's side, one of his bodyguard is said to be in critical conditions after falling from the roof of a bus, part of the Prime Minister's election convoy.
After learning of the death of 54 years old teacher Metin Lokumcu in Hopa, people took to the streets in many cities around the country to protest loudly against this violence.
They were met by more violence. Scores have been detained. At least seventy people have been taken into custody in Ankara, after police attacked the crowd. In Istanbul Taksim square demonstrators were attacked by police. And it has been like that all afternoon.
Tomorrow Erdoğan will be in Diyarbakir and already he has been told he is not welcomed. But he will go. In the last act of arrogance and defiance. The Prime Minister and his government seem to have lost it and this is dangerous.
The message is loud and clear. The people of Diyarbakır said to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: don't come.
After the fiasco in the rest of the Kurdish cities, Erdoğan might be trying a coup de theatre in Diyarbakır, tomorrow. He might, because all indication suggests that indeed the Prime Minister has little more to add to what he has said in Hakkari or Van.
His approach to the Kurdish Question but before that, his approach towards the Kurdish people has been one of dismissal, in fact arrogance and to a certain extent annoyance. Which in other words equals to say that the Prime Minister showed annoyance to a third of the people of his country.
Not exactly nice. And indeed the Kurdish people did not like it one bit. So the message they sent back was clear and loud. While the Prime Minister was around, they simply did not turn up. And actually they did their own demonstrations. They closed their shops and emptied the streets. Now, from Diyarbakır, they said it again: don't come.
Of course Erdoğan will go. But it won't have anything to say. Simply because his government (indeed his governments, since 2002) has never wanted to face reality. That is the existence and rights of the Kurds. So he could hardly hope to please someone by saying tomorrow something that will simply sound as words taken out from the magician's hat, in other words, meaningless, empty words.
“No steps have been taken for the solution of the Kurdish question and democratization of the country so far. The visit of the prime minister to Diyarbakır will have no meaning if he does not say something new,” mayors of Diyarbakır and its districts have written in statement issued on Monday. “In light of these developments, we call on the government and all relevant bodies to take steps toward the solution of the Kurdish question,” the statement said.
And this is the point: because most likely the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) will be in term for the third time and the very first question on the agenda of its - or any other - government will be the Kurdish Question. Because looking at it closer, it appears clear that the Kurdish Question has in itself many other issues which need to be addressed. Because it has to do with basic rights of a people (and therefore immediately it remands to the need for a new, truly democratic Constitution) and with the need to overcome old and gone ways of governance (which brings to the table the need to address the democratic autonomy proposal, but the autonomy issue in a wider context).
So the Kurdish Question is in reality the very issue which carries in itself the solution (or proposal of solution) to many other issues which indeed interest not just Kurds but the whole nation.
In this context in their statement, the local mayors slammed Erdoğan’s government for remaining indifferent to the developments in the region and for not heeding the demands of local residents, including the establishment of “democratic autonomy” in the region. “The Kurds want the determination of their status through a democratic constitution. Steps to build up local governance should be taken,” the statement said.
Considering that the Prime Minister will after all go to Diyarbakır the only thing he could really do - a part from leaving aside his arrogance - would be to listen. Something, unfortunately, Erdoğan has proven not to be very good at.
NUCAN CUDI - ANF NEWS AGENCY
http://en.firatnews.com/index.php?rupel=home
It is difficult to write with pictures of people beaten, attacked with incredible violence, dead bodies, young, women, old, men running to escape police fury in front of your eyes. It is even harder because this violence just seems to get worse by the minute. There seems to be no end to this violence. The state violence, the government violence.
Prime Minister Erdoğan seemed determined to prevent anyone protesting against him and his government by ordering the police to literally quash them.
The chronicle of today is a chronicle of escalating violence. People with blood on their faces, people baton charged by police, tear gas thrown with the precise aim to hit. More violence, more detentions. On Erdoğan's side, one of his bodyguard is said to be in critical conditions after falling from the roof of a bus, part of the Prime Minister's election convoy.
After learning of the death of 54 years old teacher Metin Lokumcu in Hopa, people took to the streets in many cities around the country to protest loudly against this violence.
They were met by more violence. Scores have been detained. At least seventy people have been taken into custody in Ankara, after police attacked the crowd. In Istanbul Taksim square demonstrators were attacked by police. And it has been like that all afternoon.
Tomorrow Erdoğan will be in Diyarbakir and already he has been told he is not welcomed. But he will go. In the last act of arrogance and defiance. The Prime Minister and his government seem to have lost it and this is dangerous.
The message is loud and clear. The people of Diyarbakır said to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: don't come.
After the fiasco in the rest of the Kurdish cities, Erdoğan might be trying a coup de theatre in Diyarbakır, tomorrow. He might, because all indication suggests that indeed the Prime Minister has little more to add to what he has said in Hakkari or Van.
His approach to the Kurdish Question but before that, his approach towards the Kurdish people has been one of dismissal, in fact arrogance and to a certain extent annoyance. Which in other words equals to say that the Prime Minister showed annoyance to a third of the people of his country.
Not exactly nice. And indeed the Kurdish people did not like it one bit. So the message they sent back was clear and loud. While the Prime Minister was around, they simply did not turn up. And actually they did their own demonstrations. They closed their shops and emptied the streets. Now, from Diyarbakır, they said it again: don't come.
Of course Erdoğan will go. But it won't have anything to say. Simply because his government (indeed his governments, since 2002) has never wanted to face reality. That is the existence and rights of the Kurds. So he could hardly hope to please someone by saying tomorrow something that will simply sound as words taken out from the magician's hat, in other words, meaningless, empty words.
“No steps have been taken for the solution of the Kurdish question and democratization of the country so far. The visit of the prime minister to Diyarbakır will have no meaning if he does not say something new,” mayors of Diyarbakır and its districts have written in statement issued on Monday. “In light of these developments, we call on the government and all relevant bodies to take steps toward the solution of the Kurdish question,” the statement said.
And this is the point: because most likely the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) will be in term for the third time and the very first question on the agenda of its - or any other - government will be the Kurdish Question. Because looking at it closer, it appears clear that the Kurdish Question has in itself many other issues which need to be addressed. Because it has to do with basic rights of a people (and therefore immediately it remands to the need for a new, truly democratic Constitution) and with the need to overcome old and gone ways of governance (which brings to the table the need to address the democratic autonomy proposal, but the autonomy issue in a wider context).
So the Kurdish Question is in reality the very issue which carries in itself the solution (or proposal of solution) to many other issues which indeed interest not just Kurds but the whole nation.
In this context in their statement, the local mayors slammed Erdoğan’s government for remaining indifferent to the developments in the region and for not heeding the demands of local residents, including the establishment of “democratic autonomy” in the region. “The Kurds want the determination of their status through a democratic constitution. Steps to build up local governance should be taken,” the statement said.
Considering that the Prime Minister will after all go to Diyarbakır the only thing he could really do - a part from leaving aside his arrogance - would be to listen. Something, unfortunately, Erdoğan has proven not to be very good at.
NUCAN CUDI - ANF NEWS AGENCY
http://en.firatnews.com/index.php?rupel=home
Turkey: Police attack demonstration: one dead
ANF -Police attack demonstration: one dead
One man has died when crowd was attacked by police in Hopa, province of Artvin. Fifty four years old teacher Metin Lokumcu has died after suffering a struck. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was holding an election meeting in Hopa when police attacked the crowd of people protesting at the PM speech. Soon the place turned into a battlefield and police threw tear gas at the crowd.
One person lost his life after clashes broke out between hundreds of Hopa citizens who staged a protest before the electoral meeting by Prime Minister Erdoğan in Hopa. Police attacked the mass with tear gas and pressure water.
Gathering at Hopa Square following the call by ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed), Halkevleri and ODP (Freedom and Democracy Party) to protest against the ruling AKP policies, hundreds of people carried banners and chanted slogans to expose the government policy.
During the action, attended also by Artvin independent candidate Birsen Kaya, 54-year-old retired teacher Metin Lokumcu died of a heart attack.
ANF NEWS AGENCY
One man has died when crowd was attacked by police in Hopa, province of Artvin. Fifty four years old teacher Metin Lokumcu has died after suffering a struck. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was holding an election meeting in Hopa when police attacked the crowd of people protesting at the PM speech. Soon the place turned into a battlefield and police threw tear gas at the crowd.
One person lost his life after clashes broke out between hundreds of Hopa citizens who staged a protest before the electoral meeting by Prime Minister Erdoğan in Hopa. Police attacked the mass with tear gas and pressure water.
Gathering at Hopa Square following the call by ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed), Halkevleri and ODP (Freedom and Democracy Party) to protest against the ruling AKP policies, hundreds of people carried banners and chanted slogans to expose the government policy.
During the action, attended also by Artvin independent candidate Birsen Kaya, 54-year-old retired teacher Metin Lokumcu died of a heart attack.
ANF NEWS AGENCY
AGAIN: Appeal to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for urgent rescue of 10,000 people trapped in region of Yefren, Nafusa Mountains, Libya
http://shabablibya.org/urgent/appeal-to-un-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon-for-urgent-rescue-of-10000-people-trapped-in-region-of-yefren-nafusa-mountains-libya
There is high time to help the suffering civilians in western mountains, who doesént have a chance poorly armed, starving and without help and aid to survive without NATO´s help.
This is a real Scandal!! It´s wellknown that Gaddafi thugs wowed to kill all Berber people in this area, and so far he´s doing quite good..
This is against the UN resolution, who state the civilians will be helped in any means.. Please go ahead, before its to late and more bloodsheed.
Regards Gerd Liljander
Well...OBVIOUSLY NATO is more into bombing while Turkey sits in meetings, commits politized on the whole Kurdish political sphere as a "US-democratic example" and killing Kurds in its ongoing genocide and exterminations all the way into Iraq, contracts are secured in Benghazi, Libyans are killed in a average of 12 and 70 maimed in Misrata a day and the UN body and its humanitarian agency is totally absent while people are starving to death where there is no #¤¤ BCC riding around with "rebels"!
There is high time to help the suffering civilians in western mountains, who doesént have a chance poorly armed, starving and without help and aid to survive without NATO´s help.
This is a real Scandal!! It´s wellknown that Gaddafi thugs wowed to kill all Berber people in this area, and so far he´s doing quite good..
This is against the UN resolution, who state the civilians will be helped in any means.. Please go ahead, before its to late and more bloodsheed.
Regards Gerd Liljander
Well...OBVIOUSLY NATO is more into bombing while Turkey sits in meetings, commits politized on the whole Kurdish political sphere as a "US-democratic example" and killing Kurds in its ongoing genocide and exterminations all the way into Iraq, contracts are secured in Benghazi, Libyans are killed in a average of 12 and 70 maimed in Misrata a day and the UN body and its humanitarian agency is totally absent while people are starving to death where there is no #¤¤ BCC riding around with "rebels"!
Syria: massive explosions heard in Homs. Helicopters are flying all over the city, eye witness talking about fires, smoke, and ambulances
Yeah..While "counting on Russia." NATO has it ships in the Gulf of Aden where the most gross crimes are going on simultaneously in Yemen! Turkey and Syrian regime have high level cooperation's and Syrian colonels sent to Misrata to participate in crimes. Turkey have meeting with "rebels" and a ongoing genocide on "rebels", while people are committed genocide on and starving to death in West Libya and people are creating petitions to get SOME #¤¤ ATTENTION to a humanitarian catastrophe, starvation and death and genocide at the same time - the same day the UN has anniversary of its peacekeeping missions!
SERIOUS! WHAT THE HELL DO THIS #¤¤ COMPLETE IDIOTS TAKE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD FOR?
SERIOUS! WHAT THE HELL DO THIS #¤¤ COMPLETE IDIOTS TAKE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD FOR?
Radfan: Security forces are bombing citizens houses and neighborhoods
http://www.facebook.com/EngYemenNews
Renewed heavy gunfire in Moala main st. in Aden right now. Fierce clashes taking place now next to Mesbahi Round close to Presidential Palace.
Clashes between Sheikh Al-Ahmar supporters and Saleh's forces near the General Commander of Armed Forces office in Qyada St.
Military reinforcements from Saleh's militia from central security, republican guards and thugs at the entrances of CHange Square from Kentucky Round and Agriculture St.
Viloent clashes between Al-Ahmar supporters and Salehs security forces near ''alhasaaba police station..! Clashes between Al-Ahmar supporters and Salehs Forces at expo gallery and its spread to ''alwahda'' park (10 meters away)...as well as clashes near Fun city park 2 miles away from the republican palace. Clashes between Al-Ahmar supporters and the republican guards at close range from the Ministry of Defense..at ''alqiyada'' street.
Dal'aa: violent clashes currently taking place in Dali in Shahth are and Al-Shanfara station
Masdar: Military reinforcements from Ibb towards Taiz city now.
Backup of troops and artillery are now being sent to Alhasba zone from the republican guard camp. Renewed shelling and explosions in several parts of Hasaba, and clashes using machine guns on Amran St, TV St. Seyana St and Hasaba
Aden: Continuous live bullets clashes in Moala's Main St. and power outage in that st.
Mukalah protesters condemn the attacks of the peaceful protesters in Taiz yesterday
Renewed heavy gunfire in Moala main st. in Aden right now. Fierce clashes taking place now next to Mesbahi Round close to Presidential Palace.
Clashes between Sheikh Al-Ahmar supporters and Saleh's forces near the General Commander of Armed Forces office in Qyada St.
Military reinforcements from Saleh's militia from central security, republican guards and thugs at the entrances of CHange Square from Kentucky Round and Agriculture St.
Viloent clashes between Al-Ahmar supporters and Salehs security forces near ''alhasaaba police station..! Clashes between Al-Ahmar supporters and Salehs Forces at expo gallery and its spread to ''alwahda'' park (10 meters away)...as well as clashes near Fun city park 2 miles away from the republican palace. Clashes between Al-Ahmar supporters and the republican guards at close range from the Ministry of Defense..at ''alqiyada'' street.
Dal'aa: violent clashes currently taking place in Dali in Shahth are and Al-Shanfara station
Masdar: Military reinforcements from Ibb towards Taiz city now.
Backup of troops and artillery are now being sent to Alhasba zone from the republican guard camp. Renewed shelling and explosions in several parts of Hasaba, and clashes using machine guns on Amran St, TV St. Seyana St and Hasaba
Aden: Continuous live bullets clashes in Moala's Main St. and power outage in that st.
Mukalah protesters condemn the attacks of the peaceful protesters in Taiz yesterday
Yemen: The most gross crimes going on for weeks with US, IMF aid, US training, British weaponry and NATO ships at the Gulf of Aden!
AlJazeera: 4 blasts heard in Sanaa after at least 30 people were reportedly killed in air raids on southern city of Zinjibar. A huge explosion rocks the capital Sanaa now believed to be a rocket.
Clashes between Sheikh Al-Ahmar supporters and Salehs forces near the General Commander of Armed Forces office in Qyada St.
Sanaa NOW: "I can hear nonstop rain of gunfire towards Change Square."
Sanaa NOW: I can hear nonstop rain of gunfire towards Change Square. It is getting worse
In Sanaa NOW!! Heavy arms, bombs, mortars, tanks, rockets ....
Taiz: "Army used water trucks to spray petrol on protest camp before burning it down, handicapped amongst burnt to death"
"PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES! RIGHT NOW WE ARE FREAKING OUT AND NOTHING HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. I OWN THREE RIFLES AND LOTS OF AMMO. THEY ARE IN MY CLOSET & WILL REMAIN THERE UNTIL SALEH STEPS DOWN!"
Military reinforcements from central security, repGuards and thugs at the entrances of ChangeSq 4m Kentucky Round and Agriculture St
Aden NOW: Heavy gunfire in Mualla district amdist total backout. Salehs 4th warzone after Abyan, Taiz & Sanaa. Continuous clashes with live ammunition on Dairi Rd & Main St. Power outage has been reported on that street as well, crossfire in Dairi Road and the Main St. using light and medium weapons.
Clashes between Sheikh Al-Ahmar supporters and Salehs forces near the General Commander of Armed Forces office in Qyada St.
Sanaa NOW: "I can hear nonstop rain of gunfire towards Change Square."
Sanaa NOW: I can hear nonstop rain of gunfire towards Change Square. It is getting worse
In Sanaa NOW!! Heavy arms, bombs, mortars, tanks, rockets ....
Taiz: "Army used water trucks to spray petrol on protest camp before burning it down, handicapped amongst burnt to death"
"PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES! RIGHT NOW WE ARE FREAKING OUT AND NOTHING HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. I OWN THREE RIFLES AND LOTS OF AMMO. THEY ARE IN MY CLOSET & WILL REMAIN THERE UNTIL SALEH STEPS DOWN!"
Military reinforcements from central security, repGuards and thugs at the entrances of ChangeSq 4m Kentucky Round and Agriculture St
Aden NOW: Heavy gunfire in Mualla district amdist total backout. Salehs 4th warzone after Abyan, Taiz & Sanaa. Continuous clashes with live ammunition on Dairi Rd & Main St. Power outage has been reported on that street as well, crossfire in Dairi Road and the Main St. using light and medium weapons.
How about Humanitarian Air Drops while the UN body with agency and other humanitarian organizations have been totally absent the whole time?
Pls Sign To do Humanitarian Air Drops in http://goo.gl/8JSuA
Totally absent the whole time while people are starving, while flying over and around for weeks and having meetings in Istanbul!
Totally absent the whole time while people are starving, while flying over and around for weeks and having meetings in Istanbul!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Well...actually, the US-Jewish-Turkish--Pak-Azeri Turc-Anglo.Ink have full fledged genocides on 3 fronts going on for decades!
Pakistan maybe to launch attacks on Haqqani. Haqqani potential target for Abbottabad-like raid.
On 3 fronts.. and that´s just the surrounding neighbouring countries and people of Pakistan..and East of Iran..Then we have West of Iran..and a couple of more fronts! Through Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey to the Balkans, the Mediterranean Sea, the coast of North Africa, Africa, the Gulf of Aden, Yemen, the PERSIAN Gulf, Bahrain, to Sri Lanka, India and back to the Gwadar port again!
Maybe we shall do a map here including NATO´s ships in the Gulf of Aden while Somalis were fed to the Sharks, even though they do not favor humans, they use to spit them out!
9/11 did came "handy"...DIDN´T IT!
Targeting Haqqani now after have cleaned up everything and every one on all fronts looks more like another "cleansing" to us, especially considering how containers have been handled!
Be ware! Be VERY #¤¤ ware!
On 3 fronts.. and that´s just the surrounding neighbouring countries and people of Pakistan..and East of Iran..Then we have West of Iran..and a couple of more fronts! Through Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey to the Balkans, the Mediterranean Sea, the coast of North Africa, Africa, the Gulf of Aden, Yemen, the PERSIAN Gulf, Bahrain, to Sri Lanka, India and back to the Gwadar port again!
Maybe we shall do a map here including NATO´s ships in the Gulf of Aden while Somalis were fed to the Sharks, even though they do not favor humans, they use to spit them out!
9/11 did came "handy"...DIDN´T IT!
Targeting Haqqani now after have cleaned up everything and every one on all fronts looks more like another "cleansing" to us, especially considering how containers have been handled!
Be ware! Be VERY #¤¤ ware!
Turkey on black list of ILO together with Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Congo, Cubit, Guyana, Mauritania, Zimbabwe
28.05.2011, İSTANBUL (DİHA) – International Labor Organization (ILO) took Turkey on its black list for violating the Agreement for Protecting the Freedom to Form Trade Union and the Right to Unionization.
Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Congo, Cubit, Guyana, Mauritania, Zimbabwe are already on the black list because of the same violation.
According to ILO’s press release; the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) practices did not meet the requirements of ILO even AKP’s commitments; no law on trade union which suitable with ILO’s standards; a half of all workers are unrecorded; 25% of people are living under starvation line; thresholds like 10 % for sectors and 50% for work place are still in effect, notary obligation for being member of any trade union, prohibitions against strikes, long trials for re-hire cases are the reason for Turkey to be on black list.
http://www.diclehaber.com/2
Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Congo, Cubit, Guyana, Mauritania, Zimbabwe are already on the black list because of the same violation.
According to ILO’s press release; the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) practices did not meet the requirements of ILO even AKP’s commitments; no law on trade union which suitable with ILO’s standards; a half of all workers are unrecorded; 25% of people are living under starvation line; thresholds like 10 % for sectors and 50% for work place are still in effect, notary obligation for being member of any trade union, prohibitions against strikes, long trials for re-hire cases are the reason for Turkey to be on black list.
http://www.diclehaber.com/2
Another Kurdish worker killed at the Iranian borders with "identity crises"..
30 May 2011, ERIWAN, East Kurdistan, -- Abdullah Azerme who was shot by the Iranian soldiers last week, died of wounds today after 7 days of battling for life.
As a result of military raid on the workers in East Kurdistan, Abdullah Azerme came under the gun fire of the Iranian soldiers in the vicinity of Zirebar Lake. While injured by the bullets fired within the raid, after 7 days of fighting for life, Mr Azerme died of wounds.
As a result of military raid on the workers in East Kurdistan, Abdullah Azerme came under the gun fire of the Iranian soldiers in the vicinity of Zirebar Lake. While injured by the bullets fired within the raid, after 7 days of fighting for life, Mr Azerme died of wounds.
Kurdish Mothers search site of clash to find family members’ corpses
27.05.2011, 6ŞIRNAK (DİHA) – The bodies of Abdulkerim Tufan and Atanur Şahin, two of the 10 PKK members killed in May 12-14 in the rural areas of Şırnak’s Uludere, or Qileban in Kurdish, district, are still missing. Their families are searching at the site of the clash in hopes of locating their bodies.
The Tufan family has waited for the past week in Şırnak for the body to be delivered; the Şahin family arrived at the site yesterday to join Tufan family.
The families made unsuccessful appeals to the Şırnak Attorney General’s office for permission to go to the site of the clash to locate their loves ones. This morning, they appealed once again to the Governor and Attorney General. “I can give you permission to search within the borders, but, in order to search in areas outside of the borders, you must receive permission from the Attorney General,” Vahdettin Özkan, the Governor of Şırnak reportedly told the families.
The Tufan and Şahin families then met with the Attorney General, Murat Köse. He refused the families’ request to go with Peace and Democracy Party Chair Abit İke and the Şırnak Mayor to the site of the clash. Köse claimed that it would be a provocation to the state and insisted that they go alone.
The families objected to the Attorney General’s decision and finally succeeded in receiving oral permission from the Governor. Then, they left for the scene of the clash in Uludere with a committee made up of BDP Chairs and members of the Mesopotamia Solidarity Association for Families of the Missing (MEYA-DER).
The Attorney General insisted that village guards accompany the families to the clash area, but the committee will not be allowed to join them.
http://www.diclehaber.com/2
The Tufan family has waited for the past week in Şırnak for the body to be delivered; the Şahin family arrived at the site yesterday to join Tufan family.
The families made unsuccessful appeals to the Şırnak Attorney General’s office for permission to go to the site of the clash to locate their loves ones. This morning, they appealed once again to the Governor and Attorney General. “I can give you permission to search within the borders, but, in order to search in areas outside of the borders, you must receive permission from the Attorney General,” Vahdettin Özkan, the Governor of Şırnak reportedly told the families.
The Tufan and Şahin families then met with the Attorney General, Murat Köse. He refused the families’ request to go with Peace and Democracy Party Chair Abit İke and the Şırnak Mayor to the site of the clash. Köse claimed that it would be a provocation to the state and insisted that they go alone.
The families objected to the Attorney General’s decision and finally succeeded in receiving oral permission from the Governor. Then, they left for the scene of the clash in Uludere with a committee made up of BDP Chairs and members of the Mesopotamia Solidarity Association for Families of the Missing (MEYA-DER).
The Attorney General insisted that village guards accompany the families to the clash area, but the committee will not be allowed to join them.
http://www.diclehaber.com/2
Antalya will host Syrian dissidents conference. Turkey is proposing itself as mediator in conflicts while ignoring the demands of the Kurdish people
Antalya will host Syrian dissidents conference
30 May 2011, Many Kurdish parties from Syria have decided not to take part in conference in Turkey. Turkey is somehow becoming a crossroad for all of the present conflicts. Or almost all. It has some kind of sinister taste.
More than 100 members of Libya's Warfalla tribe gathered in İstanbul over the weekend to discuss the North African country's future, hit by a revolt against Muammar Gaddafi's four-decade-long rule. And tomorrow in the south city of Antalya Syrian opposition groups will be meeting for three days in a conference organised by the Egypt-based National Organisation of Human Rights (NOHR).
It sounds odd, to say the least, that Turkey is spending so much energies in dealing and proposing itself as mediator in so many conflicts while ignoring the very demands of the Kurdish people at home.
The conference has been organized to ‘support the revolt in Syria and claims of the Syrian people,’ said Ammar Qurabi, NOHR president. The conference is called ‘Change in Syria’ and attendance is expected to be around 200, including writers, activists and business leaders.
According to the conference website, the gathering ‘aims to unite the energies’ of all Syrians of different ethnicities, sects and political affiliations and ‘direct them in a more meaningful way so that the democratic change in Syria will become a reality.’
Attendees will include such figures as Dr Abdul-Razzak Eid, head of the Damascus Declaration and Mamoun Homsi, a former member of the Syrian Parliament. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Independent Industrialists & Businessmen’s Association have also been invited. Some individual activists from the Kurdish opposition will be in attendance, but representation from Kurdish political parties in Syria will be absent.
In an article published in Asharq al-Awsat, a group comprised of 12 Kurdish political parties in Syria (National Movement of Kurdish Parties in Syria) announced that they intend to boycott the opposition summit. The group stated that ‘any such meeting held in Turkey can only be a detriment to the Kurds in Syria, because Turkey is against the aspirations of the Kurds, not just with regards to northern Kurdistan, but in all four parts of Kurdistan, including the Kurdish region of Syria.’
Kurdish Leftist Party representative Saleh Kado echoed that concern saying that Turkey ‘has negative attitudes towards the Kurdish issue in general’ and that Ankara needs to ‘first resolve the issue of 20 million Kurds living within their territory before seeking to bring together the Kurdish Syrian parties [in Turkey] to come to an agreement on a unified project with regards how to deal with the current events in Syria.’
Kado stressed that ‘we, the Kurds in Syria, do not trust Turkey or its policies, and that is why we have decided to boycott the summit.’ Kado also said part of the reason for the boycott was the attendance of the Muslim Brotherhood.
But other reasons have also surfaced. Two weeks ago the National Movement of Kurdish Parties in Syria announced its own plan to resolve the current crisis in Syria. The Kurdish initiative, which outlined a comprehensive plan for democratic change and fundamental reform at all levels, was largely ignored by non-Kurdish groups.
Abdul Baqi Youssef, a leading member of the Kurdish Yekîtî Party in Syria, told AKNews that they do not know who supports this conference or what its goals are. Nor, he said, did the conference organisers make any contact with the Kurdish Movement during the preparations for the conference.
This feeling of lack of inclusion in the process and not receiving any support from other opposition groups in Syria on its own proposal could also be contributing factors in the decision not to attend the Antalya summit.
Additionally, not all Kurdish parties were invited to attend the conference either. Only five of the parties were asked to attend. They are: the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria [KDP-S], the Kurdish Leftist Party in Syria, the Kurdish Azadî Party, the Kurdish Future Movement, and the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party [PDPK-S].
Faisal Yousef, a senior member of the PDPK-S, said that his party would abide by the boycott decision so as not ‘to cause division within the Kurdish ranks, especially during this sensitive time in the history of our people.’
Mustafa Ibrahim, a KDP-S senior leader said that his party’s leader, Dr Abdul Hakeem Bashar was invited to attend the Antalya summit, but that ‘he will not go against the strong decision taken by the Kurdish political forces in Syria, in order to preserve Kurdish unity and discourse.’
But not all Kurdish leaders agree on the boycott. Kurdish Future Movement representative Mohammed Hammo took a contrary position calling the boycott a ‘huge mistake.’ Hammo said that ‘as Kurds, we should take advantage of every opportunity to discuss the future of our people and nation; I do not favour boycotting a summit of this [political] weight, particularly in light of the sensitive and critical situation in Syria today.’ Hammo also stressed that this was his personal opinion and said that he intends to attend this summit in his own personal capacity, not as a representative of the Kurdish Future Movement.
Kurds are not the only ones sceptical of the conference. Ribal al-Assad, the Director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria and cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has criticised some of the ‘Syrian opposition’ involved in the proposed meeting for not being genuine representatives of the Syrian people and called for the ‘evil agenda’ of the conference to be ‘exposed to the international community.’ He says that ‘[a]ny meeting of the Syrian opposition must include a broad coalition of groups that genuinely believe in freedom, democracy, and religious pluralism.’
The meeting, according to the conference Website, will be centred on the following principles and foundations:
1 - Support the peaceful revolution of the Syrian people to achieve its goals of getting rid of the authoritarian regime and transfer Syria to a new horizon where the true values of freedom, dignity and citizenship prevail.
2 - Establish a temporary National Council to manage the crisis and mobilise all the possible support to protect the lives of the unarmed civilians who are exposed to the worst kinds of oppression by a regime that ignores the rights of citizenship and the responsibility if the State to protect its people.
3 - Provide a temporary alternative that helps in moving the country to the brink of safety provided that the mission of the National Council is a temporary alternative and it doesn’t have any custodial authority on the revolution of the Syrian people and its right to determine its fate in a free election where the council has no privileges.
4 - Assign experts in Syrian law to prepare a new draft constitution that guarantees the standards of full citizenship, equality in rights and duties of all the components of the Syrian community as a prelude to organize free and fair elections where the ballot box is the only legitimate way to rule the country.
5 - Ask all international bodies and NGOs in the world to support the Syrian people in their revolution for freedom and provide all forms of political and volunteer support which contributes in the saving the lives of Syrians and alleviate their suffering in the crisis that they are going through.
6 - Emphasising the peaceful nature of the revolution and its national motives that are not associated with any foreign agenda or any international balance or interests, the signatories to this declaration refuse all forms of foreign military interventions in this crisis.
The conference, to be held at the Özkaymak Falez Hotel in Antalya, will start with a reception on Tuesday and conclude on Thursday.
ANF NEWS AGENCY
30 May 2011, Many Kurdish parties from Syria have decided not to take part in conference in Turkey. Turkey is somehow becoming a crossroad for all of the present conflicts. Or almost all. It has some kind of sinister taste.
More than 100 members of Libya's Warfalla tribe gathered in İstanbul over the weekend to discuss the North African country's future, hit by a revolt against Muammar Gaddafi's four-decade-long rule. And tomorrow in the south city of Antalya Syrian opposition groups will be meeting for three days in a conference organised by the Egypt-based National Organisation of Human Rights (NOHR).
It sounds odd, to say the least, that Turkey is spending so much energies in dealing and proposing itself as mediator in so many conflicts while ignoring the very demands of the Kurdish people at home.
The conference has been organized to ‘support the revolt in Syria and claims of the Syrian people,’ said Ammar Qurabi, NOHR president. The conference is called ‘Change in Syria’ and attendance is expected to be around 200, including writers, activists and business leaders.
According to the conference website, the gathering ‘aims to unite the energies’ of all Syrians of different ethnicities, sects and political affiliations and ‘direct them in a more meaningful way so that the democratic change in Syria will become a reality.’
Attendees will include such figures as Dr Abdul-Razzak Eid, head of the Damascus Declaration and Mamoun Homsi, a former member of the Syrian Parliament. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Independent Industrialists & Businessmen’s Association have also been invited. Some individual activists from the Kurdish opposition will be in attendance, but representation from Kurdish political parties in Syria will be absent.
In an article published in Asharq al-Awsat, a group comprised of 12 Kurdish political parties in Syria (National Movement of Kurdish Parties in Syria) announced that they intend to boycott the opposition summit. The group stated that ‘any such meeting held in Turkey can only be a detriment to the Kurds in Syria, because Turkey is against the aspirations of the Kurds, not just with regards to northern Kurdistan, but in all four parts of Kurdistan, including the Kurdish region of Syria.’
Kurdish Leftist Party representative Saleh Kado echoed that concern saying that Turkey ‘has negative attitudes towards the Kurdish issue in general’ and that Ankara needs to ‘first resolve the issue of 20 million Kurds living within their territory before seeking to bring together the Kurdish Syrian parties [in Turkey] to come to an agreement on a unified project with regards how to deal with the current events in Syria.’
Kado stressed that ‘we, the Kurds in Syria, do not trust Turkey or its policies, and that is why we have decided to boycott the summit.’ Kado also said part of the reason for the boycott was the attendance of the Muslim Brotherhood.
But other reasons have also surfaced. Two weeks ago the National Movement of Kurdish Parties in Syria announced its own plan to resolve the current crisis in Syria. The Kurdish initiative, which outlined a comprehensive plan for democratic change and fundamental reform at all levels, was largely ignored by non-Kurdish groups.
Abdul Baqi Youssef, a leading member of the Kurdish Yekîtî Party in Syria, told AKNews that they do not know who supports this conference or what its goals are. Nor, he said, did the conference organisers make any contact with the Kurdish Movement during the preparations for the conference.
This feeling of lack of inclusion in the process and not receiving any support from other opposition groups in Syria on its own proposal could also be contributing factors in the decision not to attend the Antalya summit.
Additionally, not all Kurdish parties were invited to attend the conference either. Only five of the parties were asked to attend. They are: the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria [KDP-S], the Kurdish Leftist Party in Syria, the Kurdish Azadî Party, the Kurdish Future Movement, and the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party [PDPK-S].
Faisal Yousef, a senior member of the PDPK-S, said that his party would abide by the boycott decision so as not ‘to cause division within the Kurdish ranks, especially during this sensitive time in the history of our people.’
Mustafa Ibrahim, a KDP-S senior leader said that his party’s leader, Dr Abdul Hakeem Bashar was invited to attend the Antalya summit, but that ‘he will not go against the strong decision taken by the Kurdish political forces in Syria, in order to preserve Kurdish unity and discourse.’
But not all Kurdish leaders agree on the boycott. Kurdish Future Movement representative Mohammed Hammo took a contrary position calling the boycott a ‘huge mistake.’ Hammo said that ‘as Kurds, we should take advantage of every opportunity to discuss the future of our people and nation; I do not favour boycotting a summit of this [political] weight, particularly in light of the sensitive and critical situation in Syria today.’ Hammo also stressed that this was his personal opinion and said that he intends to attend this summit in his own personal capacity, not as a representative of the Kurdish Future Movement.
Kurds are not the only ones sceptical of the conference. Ribal al-Assad, the Director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria and cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has criticised some of the ‘Syrian opposition’ involved in the proposed meeting for not being genuine representatives of the Syrian people and called for the ‘evil agenda’ of the conference to be ‘exposed to the international community.’ He says that ‘[a]ny meeting of the Syrian opposition must include a broad coalition of groups that genuinely believe in freedom, democracy, and religious pluralism.’
The meeting, according to the conference Website, will be centred on the following principles and foundations:
1 - Support the peaceful revolution of the Syrian people to achieve its goals of getting rid of the authoritarian regime and transfer Syria to a new horizon where the true values of freedom, dignity and citizenship prevail.
2 - Establish a temporary National Council to manage the crisis and mobilise all the possible support to protect the lives of the unarmed civilians who are exposed to the worst kinds of oppression by a regime that ignores the rights of citizenship and the responsibility if the State to protect its people.
3 - Provide a temporary alternative that helps in moving the country to the brink of safety provided that the mission of the National Council is a temporary alternative and it doesn’t have any custodial authority on the revolution of the Syrian people and its right to determine its fate in a free election where the council has no privileges.
4 - Assign experts in Syrian law to prepare a new draft constitution that guarantees the standards of full citizenship, equality in rights and duties of all the components of the Syrian community as a prelude to organize free and fair elections where the ballot box is the only legitimate way to rule the country.
5 - Ask all international bodies and NGOs in the world to support the Syrian people in their revolution for freedom and provide all forms of political and volunteer support which contributes in the saving the lives of Syrians and alleviate their suffering in the crisis that they are going through.
6 - Emphasising the peaceful nature of the revolution and its national motives that are not associated with any foreign agenda or any international balance or interests, the signatories to this declaration refuse all forms of foreign military interventions in this crisis.
The conference, to be held at the Özkaymak Falez Hotel in Antalya, will start with a reception on Tuesday and conclude on Thursday.
ANF NEWS AGENCY
Turkey: Democratic Solution Tent raided in Cizre
30 May 2011, "They have carried out a number of raids on our house to take my son into custody. They say that my son is "joining acts."
ANF - Democratic Solution Tent raided in Cizre
ANF - Democratic Solution Tent raided in Cizre
KNK conference ends with historic declaration
ANF - KNK conference ends with historic declaration
30 May 2011, The Kurdish National Congress conference has ended in Brussels. An important statement has been released to Kurdistan and the Region’s people as a result of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) 11th General Meeting. The "national rights and duties" of Kurds and the people of Kurdistan were listed on the declaration which is considered as "important" and "historical".
The declaration, which is taken as "important" and "historical" by the 11th General Meeting held in Brussels at the weekend, has been represented to Kurdistan, Middle East and the world public;
1 - The territory where Kurds and the minorities live with them is named as Kurdistan. KNK General Assembly refuses the names given by colonizers and occupiers and calls on Kurds and the people of Kurdistan to use the name Kurdistan without fear.
2 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan have the right to self determination and to determine the form of government they prefer in accordance with their own demands.
3 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must dominate their mother tongue in their lives, rise the demand for education in mother-tongue and multilingualism must 'de facto' be put into practice in all government agencies.
4 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must live their belief and religion in their own way, perform their religious duties in accordance with their own rules and principles, refuse and not perform the official religion.
5 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must give the greatest support to political and military leadership and the youngsters of Kurdistan must refuse to serve the military duty of the state.
6 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must protect their lands.
7 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must bring all their differences forward against the system and the state's official culture.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
- ANF / BRUSSELS
30 May 2011, The Kurdish National Congress conference has ended in Brussels. An important statement has been released to Kurdistan and the Region’s people as a result of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) 11th General Meeting. The "national rights and duties" of Kurds and the people of Kurdistan were listed on the declaration which is considered as "important" and "historical".
The declaration, which is taken as "important" and "historical" by the 11th General Meeting held in Brussels at the weekend, has been represented to Kurdistan, Middle East and the world public;
1 - The territory where Kurds and the minorities live with them is named as Kurdistan. KNK General Assembly refuses the names given by colonizers and occupiers and calls on Kurds and the people of Kurdistan to use the name Kurdistan without fear.
2 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan have the right to self determination and to determine the form of government they prefer in accordance with their own demands.
3 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must dominate their mother tongue in their lives, rise the demand for education in mother-tongue and multilingualism must 'de facto' be put into practice in all government agencies.
4 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must live their belief and religion in their own way, perform their religious duties in accordance with their own rules and principles, refuse and not perform the official religion.
5 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must give the greatest support to political and military leadership and the youngsters of Kurdistan must refuse to serve the military duty of the state.
6 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must protect their lands.
7 - Kurds and the people of Kurdistan must bring all their differences forward against the system and the state's official culture.
Translation: Berna Ozgencil
- ANF / BRUSSELS
Yemen authorities Taiz massacre 20 reported killed hundreds injured
Taiz: "army used water trucks to spray petrol on protest camp before setting it alight, handicapped amongst those burnt to death."
Bodies were found charred in the tents in Taiz among those who need special needs and physically disabled.
Taiz: the high number of mass murdered at Square massacre rise to 51
Shot by security forces on a tour of Sinan in Taiz when protesters tried to march
Al Jazeera: Yemeni authorities shut down the international communications of mobile phone
Taiz: Ein News correspondent: the descent tanks now to the streets of the city and close to all entrances and prevent them entering, and Ali's militia taking and moving around 140 wounded to the contact center automation without health care coverage.
Marib Press: Abyin: the fall of a missile at a mosque al Haji Ahmad at the City of Zanzibar and the killing of the cleaner (Jamal Abdul Salam) after the warplanes bombarded the center of the city of Zanzibar this morning
Taiz: Ein news: rebounds: cited 20 of the protesters and wounded more than 200 were wounded by live bullets 65 of them in critical condition, dozens wounded in tear gas, stormed by security forces and Republican Guard Liberty Square in Taizz,
Taiz : Armed thugs wearing civilian clothes are rounding in the streets of Taiz and shooting at people who are rushing to support the Youth Revolution Square freedom and arrested some of them.
Taiz - Ain News : A massacre committed by the regime of Saleh is currently opened heavy fire on the Liberty Square in Taiz and the burning of most of the tents, and dozens of dead and wounded were killed in this massacre, and continued writing until this report. With shooting with heavy weapons in central city of Taiz and different places of the city.
Bodies were found charred in the tents in Taiz among those who need special needs and physically disabled.
Taiz: the high number of mass murdered at Square massacre rise to 51
Shot by security forces on a tour of Sinan in Taiz when protesters tried to march
Al Jazeera: Yemeni authorities shut down the international communications of mobile phone
Taiz: Ein News correspondent: the descent tanks now to the streets of the city and close to all entrances and prevent them entering, and Ali's militia taking and moving around 140 wounded to the contact center automation without health care coverage.
Marib Press: Abyin: the fall of a missile at a mosque al Haji Ahmad at the City of Zanzibar and the killing of the cleaner (Jamal Abdul Salam) after the warplanes bombarded the center of the city of Zanzibar this morning
Taiz: Ein news: rebounds: cited 20 of the protesters and wounded more than 200 were wounded by live bullets 65 of them in critical condition, dozens wounded in tear gas, stormed by security forces and Republican Guard Liberty Square in Taizz,
Taiz : Armed thugs wearing civilian clothes are rounding in the streets of Taiz and shooting at people who are rushing to support the Youth Revolution Square freedom and arrested some of them.
Taiz - Ain News : A massacre committed by the regime of Saleh is currently opened heavy fire on the Liberty Square in Taiz and the burning of most of the tents, and dozens of dead and wounded were killed in this massacre, and continued writing until this report. With shooting with heavy weapons in central city of Taiz and different places of the city.
Yemen: Police and military trained by the US, aided by the US and IMF, supplied with crowd control weapons and sniper rifles by Britain
Militia of Ali, who Oversaw the implementation of the murder in Taiz yesterday against the unarmed and many youth protesters under the guidance directly from Ali Abduallah. 20 got killed and more than 200 wounded by live bullets 65 of them in critical condition and dozens of injuries by gas. They also kidnapped the injured and looted the field hospitals and burned the tents in there These criminals are:1 - Abdullah Kiran Director of Taiz security
2 - Gibran alHashedi 33 armored brigade commander
3 - Murad Alaubli Republican Guard commander
4 - Abdullah Abdu Mikhlafi and this person Stormed the Majidi hotel and stole all the tools of journalists and media
Power cut in field hospital of Freedom Square in Taiz, doctors and injured inside
And some will claim it´s morally defensible with Immunity? By #¤¤ WHO?
Nearly 5 am, protesters attacked in their sleep. Protesters who are being shot in Taiz are peaceful and unarmed. Crimes against humanity burning, shooting bombing..killing, massacres. Saleh militia opening full out war against the Yemeni people in Abyan, Arhab, Sanaa, Taiz. Killed and injured Rising.
For WHAT? Because people demand their rights to a more equal society?
Bullshit! There are no #¤¤ justifications what so ever. As we said: Some have worked hard for decades to end up with just British in this region! And Turks..That´s another #¤¤ bullshit..what the hell is a Turk? The Ottomans were committed genocide on as every one else!
Nearly 5 am, protesters attacked in their sleep. Protesters who are being shot in Taiz are peaceful and unarmed. Crimes against humanity burning, shooting bombing..killing, massacres. Saleh militia opening full out war against the Yemeni people in Abyan, Arhab, Sanaa, Taiz. Killed and injured Rising.
For WHAT? Because people demand their rights to a more equal society?
Bullshit! There are no #¤¤ justifications what so ever. As we said: Some have worked hard for decades to end up with just British in this region! And Turks..That´s another #¤¤ bullshit..what the hell is a Turk? The Ottomans were committed genocide on as every one else!
Yemen: security forces burning Taiz Freedom square tents, some say with people in them. Many protesters are dead.
Taiz freedom sq. stormed by security forces. Protestors attacked, tents burned, bulldozers crushing, scenes from square are horrendous. Salehs militia burn tents in Freedom Square in Taiz, many protesters are dead, wounded and arrested. Explosion shakes Sanaa now amid reports of the attack of First Armored Division by mortar bombs.
Massacres, OR ANOTHER AIDED GENOCIDE IN THE MAKING! Counting on Russia´s veto´s and Turkey in the Security council while being trained by the US, aided by the US and IMF and have been supplied with sniper rifles by Britain etc..Saleh can go to Hell together with Madeline Albright and every other mass murderous psychopath. Obvious some have been working for a longer time to have just British left in this region..
Massacres, OR ANOTHER AIDED GENOCIDE IN THE MAKING! Counting on Russia´s veto´s and Turkey in the Security council while being trained by the US, aided by the US and IMF and have been supplied with sniper rifles by Britain etc..Saleh can go to Hell together with Madeline Albright and every other mass murderous psychopath. Obvious some have been working for a longer time to have just British left in this region..
It was a #¤¤ genocidal war-fare then..
And it´s a #¤¤ genocidal war-fare now..
More over, While Turkey commits politized and jail the whole Kurdish political sphere and there are "Rebels Meeting in Istanbul" and Turkey is busy with it´s ongoing genocide on Kurdish "rebels", Kurdish politicians that have escaped Turkish jail have their media and face book pages hacked by fascist-forum-terrorists.
IT´S SO #¤#¤ HARD TO GET IT! ISN´T IT?
More over, While Turkey commits politized and jail the whole Kurdish political sphere and there are "Rebels Meeting in Istanbul" and Turkey is busy with it´s ongoing genocide on Kurdish "rebels", Kurdish politicians that have escaped Turkish jail have their media and face book pages hacked by fascist-forum-terrorists.
IT´S SO #¤#¤ HARD TO GET IT! ISN´T IT?
Amnesty: Scores of people have vanished from Libya’s Nafusa Mountain area
amnesty.org – Scores of people have vanished from Libya’s Nafusa Mountain area apparently at the hands of forces loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi, Amnesty International said today as it released a new report into deteriorating conditions in the western region of the country. This report details a number of cases of people who have disappeared and are believed to have been taken Tripoli from Nafusa Mountain, which has been under siege and fire from pro-Gaddafi forces since early March 2011.
Nafusa residents believe that soldiers have targeted people they believed were involved in protests, supported of the opposition, or were organizing supplies to the besieged region.The report is largely based on a fact-finding visit to Tunisia between 6 and 20 April 2011, when Amnesty International met people who had fled from the Nafusa region.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE19/020/2011/en/aed13a1a-07b4-434b-bb28-0c0aa1d53069/mde190202011en.pdf
Nafusa residents believe that soldiers have targeted people they believed were involved in protests, supported of the opposition, or were organizing supplies to the besieged region.The report is largely based on a fact-finding visit to Tunisia between 6 and 20 April 2011, when Amnesty International met people who had fled from the Nafusa region.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE19/020/2011/en/aed13a1a-07b4-434b-bb28-0c0aa1d53069/mde190202011en.pdf
Confirmed: Misrata West Dafneya area facing heavy bombardment from G forces based in Zilten. Many casualties
Genocidal war-fare..And we know it and we know how, when and where..
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Amnesty International: This footage has to Shame the security council the Arab League
Amnesty International has said the Syrian government should be put to trial over its alleged "shoot to kill policy" towards demonstrators.
Turkey 1986: Directive permitting use of chemical, biological agents, including methods to destroy tunnels
February 1986 - An alleged secret security directive of the Turkish Armed Forces permitting the use of chemical and biological weapons in the war against Kurdish fighters. The same parts of the directive were also reproduced in a book on chemical and biological weapons published in 1992 by the Kurdish author Celadet Celiker.
According to excerpts reproduced in Ikibine Dogru, the directive was issued on 25 February 1986 and was signed by Necdet Öztorun, at that time commander of the Turkish Army. In paragraph 5 it describes permitted methods to destroy tunnels, including:
(d) Can be filled with poison gas.
(e) Can be rendered unusable by breeding specially bred poisonous insects.
In another section, the same document reads:
c. Gas bombs and …
d. NBC Weapons: fog, fire making substances, tear and emetic gases are being used when necessary.
According to excerpts reproduced in Ikibine Dogru, the directive was issued on 25 February 1986 and was signed by Necdet Öztorun, at that time commander of the Turkish Army. In paragraph 5 it describes permitted methods to destroy tunnels, including:
(d) Can be filled with poison gas.
(e) Can be rendered unusable by breeding specially bred poisonous insects.
In another section, the same document reads:
c. Gas bombs and …
d. NBC Weapons: fog, fire making substances, tear and emetic gases are being used when necessary.
Yemen, Eyewitness: bodies of killed people in Abyan are scattered on street sides. Absolute chaos and violence
9 Injured and massacred from today's bombing of Al-Ahmar's house by Saleh's forces
Al-Safwa hopsital in Taiz is drowning in blood ***GRAPHIC
http://twitpic.com/547o4b
http://twitpic.com/5213x8
http://twitpic.com/5210c8
http://twitpic.com/547cda
So the regimes in Turkey, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Israel etc..actually believes they will get away easier from being held responsible for crimes against humanity by committing the most gross crimes simultaneously that makes the Iranian regime look "rather nice"?
Al-Safwa hopsital in Taiz is drowning in blood ***GRAPHIC
http://twitpic.com/547o4b
http://twitpic.com/5213x8
http://twitpic.com/5210c8
http://twitpic.com/547cda
So the regimes in Turkey, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Israel etc..actually believes they will get away easier from being held responsible for crimes against humanity by committing the most gross crimes simultaneously that makes the Iranian regime look "rather nice"?
Turkey´s instigated genocidal - chemical war-fare of aggression against the Kurds in their natural habitats
The dirty war, which has been carried out against the Kurdish people for the last thirty years, has disregarded every humanitarian and legal value. It now appears with a different dimension and is come to the agenda of the international community.
It had once again emerged that the Turkish army, which both has the advantage in numbers and technical capacity against Kurdish guerrillas, has been using chemical weapons. It is obvious that this is not new information and situation for the Kurdish people and the public.
Kurdish politicians, human rights activists and families of the guerrillas who lost their lives in clashes, brought up the use of chemical weapons during the war on many occasions. But, their cries have not been heard from neither the Turkish public opinion nor the world public opinion.
Another dimension of the war carried out against Kurdish people is the state monopoly on the media. In consequence, all claims, observations and opinion related to the use of chemical weapons have been ignored by the Turkish press.
Legal spectators have remained silent and government officials rejected the use of chemical weapons both inside and outside the country. They covered up the crimes that they carried out against Kurdish people and the humanity. Today, the documents, regarding the use of banned chemical weapons by Turkish state, have been clearly revealed by the analysis and opinions of the experts.
The Kurdish people want peace and with the recent decision of a unilateral cease-fire; the Kurdish people have expressed this once again. One of the ways that results with peace is to reveal the severe human rights violations and war crimes that people have suffered and to face up to the past and today.
To investigate the use of the chemical weapons, which is banned by International Conventions, against Kurdish guerrillas; to research all the incidents more closely with technical facilities will reveal the issue in every aspect. This will also put the international community in a deterrent position against Turkish state‟s use of chemical weapons.
We demand you not to remain silent against these crimes against humanity carried out against the Kurdish people. We demand you to show your reaction against this issue and to mobilize (OPCW) and any other related individuals and institutions.
As an active attempt, we ask you for an urgent demand to organize an international observer delegation, which consists of experts on the issue, to go to the areas where the incidents took place in Turkey and to investigate the incidents, which are recorded by human rights organizations and lawyers in Turkey.
Der Spiegel: Turkish army used chemical weapons against Kurdish guerrillas, Shocking Images of Dead Kurdish FightersTurkey Accused of Using Chemical Weapons against PKK.
Put a Stop to the Turkish Army’s Crimes Against Humanity
- Murat Karayilan: Chemical weapons in use for 16 years
- Announcement of HPG
- The Sunshine Project. A Survey of Biological and Biochemical Weapons Related Research Activities in Turkey
- Der Spiegel: Turkish army used chemical weapons against Kurdish guerrillas
Shocking images of dead Kurdish fighters” whose bodies have been “burned, maimed and scorched” by the Turkish Army “are scarcely recognizable as human beings” reported German Der Spiegel.
German press reported that Turkish army used chemical weapons against the Kurdish guerrillas of HPG in the ongoing clashes in Kurdistan. While German human rights defenders and politicians called for an international investigation, Hamburg University documented the chemicals used by the Turkish Army.
German newspapers and magazines like “Der Spiegel”, “Die Welt” and “Die Tageszeitung“ (TAZ) while have been covering the clashes getting harder sine 1 June also drew attention on the chemical weapons used against Kurdish guerrillas and the brutality over their dead bodies chopped by the Turkish soldiers.
German Der Spiegel also reported that pictures of dead bodies of Kurdish guerrillas given to a human rights delegations in March during their visit to Kurdistan are showing that chemicals are used against the Kurdish fighters. Hans Baumann, a German expert on photo forgeries has confirmed the authenticity of the photos, and a forensics report released by the Hamburg University Hospital has backed the initial suspicion, saying that "it is highly probable that the eight Kurds died due to the use of chemical substances", wrote Der Spiegel.
While German politicians and human rights experts are demanding an thorough investigation regarding the incidents Claudia Roth, the co-chair of Germany’s Green Party said "there have been repeated, mysterious incidents of this type and Turkey needs to make an explanation regarding pictures and issue an official statement." “It is impossible to understand why an autopsy of the PKK fighters was ordered but the results kept under seal.” added Roth.
Ruprecht Polenz, a German MP of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee also said an “international investigation would be the best approach”.
Gisela Penteker, an expert on Turkey with the international medical organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) said because the bodies were released so late it was hardly possible to carry out a thorough autopsy. She also pointed out the lack of diplomatic pressure on Turkey.
Der Spiegel further reported that the investigation demanded by national human rights organisations have been constantly ignored and manipulated by the Turkish officials.
“The government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been stubbornly silent or tried to portray the accusations of war crimes as "PKK propaganda‟, added the magazine. Speaking to TAZ Uta Zapf of SPD said it is a clear violation of the international law.
The Junge Welt newspaper also reported that the bodies belonged to six Kurdish guerrillas including two females who were found dead in a cave in Cukurca district of Hakkari in September 2009.
Shocking Images of Dead Kurdish Fighters.
Turkey Accused of Using Chemical Weapons against PKK. Spiegel Online International, 12. 08. 2010, By Daniel Steinvorth and Yassin Musharbash
German experts have confirmed the authenticity of photographs that purport to show PKK fighters killed by chemical weapons. The evidence puts increasing pressure on the Turkish government, which has long been suspected of using such weapons against Kurdish rebels. German politicians are demanding an investigation.
It would be difficult to exceed the horror shown in the photos, which feature burned, maimed and scorched body parts. The victims are scarcely even recognizable as human beings. Turkish-Kurdish human rights activists believe the people in the photos are eight members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) underground movement, who are thought to have been killed in September 2009.
In March, the activists gave the photos to a German human rights delegation comprised of Turkey experts, journalists and politicians from the far-left Left Party, as SPIEGEL reported at the end of July. Now Hans Baumann, a German expert on photo forgeries has confirmed the authenticity of the photos, and a forensics report released by the Hamburg University Hospital has backed the initial suspicion, saying that it is highly probable that the eight Kurds died “due to the use of chemical substances.” Did the Turkish army in fact use chemical weapons and, by doing so, violate the Chemical Weapons Convention it had ratified?
Repeated ‘Mysterious Incidents’
German politicians and human rights experts are now demanding an investigation into the incident. “The latest findings are so spectacular that the Turkish side urgently needs to explain things,” said Claudia Roth, the co-chair of Germany’s Green Party. “It is impossible to understand why an autopsy of the PKK fighters was ordered but the results kept under seal.”
The politician said there had been repeated “mysterious incidents of this type that are crying out for an independent investigation.” Roth demanded that Turkey issue an official statement on the possible use of chemical weapons “in order to nullify further allegations.” Ruprecht Polenz, a member of the German parliament with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union and the chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Relations Committee, sees it the same way. “Turkey needs to urgently look into these accusations,” he told SPIEGEL ONLINE, adding that an international investigation would be the best approach.
Turkey has been suspected of using chemical weapons for years, points out Gisela Penteker, a Turkey expert with the international medical organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. “Local people have said that again and again,” she explained. Finding proof is difficult, however, she said, because bodies were often released so late that it was hardly possible to carry out a thorough autopsy.
‘PKK Propaganda’
In Turkey, human rights advocates have long demanded an investigation. The army, however, has refused to comment on the issue. Similarly, the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been stubbornly silent or tried to portray the accusations of war crimes as “PKK propaganda.”
“The prime minister is not interested in human rights violations,” says Akin Birdal, a member of the Turkish parliament whose pro-Kurdish BDP opposition party has repeatedly questioned in parliament if Erdogan’s war in the southeast of the country is really being conducted legally.
In Birdal’s view, the only thing that matters to Erdogan is that the army eradicates the PKK problem once and for all “by any means necessary.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has rejected the accusations, according to the Berlin daily newspaper Die Tageszeitung, which reported on the case Thursday. Turkey is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and its armed forces do not possess any biological or chemical weapons, the ministry reportedly said.
The newspaper also reports that it has obtained additional, shocking pictures in the meantime, supposedly autopsy photographs of six other killed Kurds. These images, too, have now been submitted to the Hamburg-based experts.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,711536,00.html
Put a Stop to the Turkish Army’s Crimes Against Humanity - Remzi Kartal / Kongra Gel Chairmanship
The news concerning the Turkish army‟s use of chemical weapons against Kurdistan Freedom Struggle guerrillas has been reported in the German media. In response, the SPD, Greens, Left Party and the CDU officials stated that this situation is unacceptable and they called for investigation into the incident.
German Federal Parliament Disarmament Commission chairman and the SPD Foreign Relations spokesman, deputy Uta Zapf, put the issue on the parliamentary agenda by her proposal for an investigation into the allegations and asked the foreign minister to refer the issue to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the investigation into this incident and uncovering of the truth.
Turkish foreign ministry officials announced that they did not accept the claims and they said that they were carrying out a fight against the PKK on many levels. This amounts to an admission by the Turkish foreign ministry that as a state they are carrying out a full-scale war.
Although, in the past many state officials have said that there is a low-intensity war in Kurdistan, the Turkish state officially claimed that it is a struggle against terrorism, not a war. Unfortunately, this policy of the Turkish state, which denies the fact, was taken as a principal claim in international relations and has been supported.
Yet the reality of what is taking place in Kurdistan is an armed conflict which is not between states according to the Geneva Convention, which determines the international law of war, and how combatants should conduct themselves. In other words, if the parties do not comply with international law, the relevant international mechanisms need to take action.
Because the international community have closed their eyes to what is happening in Kurdistan and are compliant with the Turkish state policies, the Turkish state has carried out a dirty and an unlawful war in Kurdistan that has got completely out of control.
Relying on this compliance and support and believing that there will be no international public inspection and pressure, the Turkish state carried out systematic atrocities in Kurdistan and this has been an ongoing reality for decades.
Unfortunately, the voice of the Kurdish people was not heard on this issue. These atrocities, which are being committed by the Turkish state in Kurdistan, are a crime against humanity. It is an eradication of all human values, which have been gained through the thousands years of struggle of humanity.
In condoning the violence for years, the international community has inflicted irreparable damage at the heart of people in Kurdistan. The lack of humanitarian solidarity has deepened the sense of rebellion and anger among Kurdish people.
Through this reality, the investigation of the allegations of the “use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish guerrillas “, which was reported in the German press and was brought before the Federal Parliament, is very important for the revealing the truth. We believe that by taking this issue to the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the German foreign ministry will perform a great humanitarian task.
The revealing of the truth will help put an end to the violence which is ongoing in Kurdistan. It will also bring the reality of war, which was kept close, to the attention of public opinion. These developments will serve the cause of peace and democracy in Turkey and Kurdistan.
We, as the chairmanship of Kongra Gel, would like to state that we are ready to support any attempt and action regarding both the work of the OPCW and the work of any delegations, which will be sent from Germany to investigate the incident.
Murat Karayilan: Chemical weapons in use for 16 years
Kurdish Info 19.08.2010, On 18th of August, 2010, the Chairman of the Executive Council of the KCK, Murat Karayilan, answered questions from the ANF news agency regarding the reports in the German media on the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state.
Karayilan said that the Turkish state army had been using chemical weapons for 16 years now. And, this has again brought to agenda before by a labororatuary in Munich/Germany. He said that Turkey regularly uses chemical weapons in some areas against the guerrillas.
This is not something new. The Turkish state army has been using chemical weapons against our guerrilla forces wherever they have got into difficulty against the guerrillas during the clashes since 1994. Even in the spring of 1999, I think it was in May, 20 of our guerrillas under the command of friend Hamza, have been martyred near the village of Bilika/Cudi/Sirnak as a result of the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state army. After the clashes, our friends found a tube of the chemical that had been used against the guerrillas on the scene where the clashes occurred.
This tube was sent to Europe, where I was at that time. So, I personally followed closely on this issue to be analysed in the laboratories. And, we sent it to a lab in Munich, Germany to analyse the contents of the tube. After that, the result of the analysis was that there was a chemical element to effect a certain small area. So, Germany knows that chemical weapons have been used against the guerrilla forces since that time. What I do not know is why they put this report on the agenda now. And, according to the reports in the press, they even took the case to the German parliament.
So, for the last sixteen years there is use of chemical weapons against our guerrillas. Despite the result of the container with the chemical element, no one, including the international forces, either said or did anything about it.
Somehow, we could not carry this to the international agenda at the time. Yet, now this has been put onto the agenda in Germany. It has to be followed to see how serious they can be to stay on this case. However, it is a reality that Turkey uses chemical weapons, not everywhere, but wherever they see it is as suitable to use.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF HPG, MARCH 26, 2006
On March 24, 2006, Turkish military forces carried out a comprehensive land and air operation against our HPG guerrillas in the south of Mus, which was among Mus Center, Kulp, Genc and Solhan.
On March 24 starting at 6:00am back of Sere Spi, Berbihiv, 15 August and Geliye Pirijman areas have been taken by airborne of ten Sikorsky type helicopters. The same day at 10.00am, the Turkish armed forces directed to the camp that our guerrilla forces were in. The clashes started as a result of this and continued until the evening. The army reinforced its forces after the clashes continued overnight and the army forces surrounded the camp with these reinforcements, and the clashes continued until the morning. As the clashes continued the next day until noon, the Turkish military forces used chemical gas and heavy weapons.
As a result of intense clashes, which lasted until the evening on March 25, and use of chemical gas, our 14 HPG guerrillas, resisting heroically lost their lives. The names of our guerrillas, who died as martyrs as a result of the chemical weapons used in the operation are: Eris Amed, Rojhat, Berxwedan Garzan, Merxas Haki, Mervan Garisa, Mazlum Siser, Zafer, Xemgin Amed, Kawa Nemrut, Rebin Ronahi, Hamza Kubani, Karker Ciwanro, Cekdar Diyar, Aso Rojhilat
HPG-BIM / DECEMBER 12, 2008
Turkish State‟s army is using chemical weapons when they cannot break the resistances of the guerrillas. On December 4, 2008, an operation was carried out by the Turkish army against our guerrillas in Gire Resti, Kani Botke, Geliye Tirsike and Kaplani areas of Besta. The second day of the operation, which was December 5, at 11a.m., intensive clashes took place between the Turkish army and our guerrilla forces. Clashes lasted until 15.30pm.
The Turkish army, which could not break the resistance of our guerilla forces with every kind of technics, tried to counteract our guerrillas using chemical weapons. As a result of the chemical weapons, our friend Servan ( Sasan Mehdizade) lost his life.
HPG BIM / SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
The Turkish army having not being able to defeat our guerilla forces, has resorted to the use of chemical weapons.
On September 8, 2009 at 3am Hesete, Gise and Zavite areas of Cukurca town of Hakkari district and Duguh, Merga Semzin, Geliye Zavite, Deriye Rebene, Ciyaye Samura, Kani Kile, Coxe, Helvesis Hill, Geliye Tiyare, Guza Res areas were targeted by the bombardment of the Cobra type helicopters and by more than ten Sikorsky type helicopters of Turkish army. Despite of the great sensitivity of our guerrillas, the same day at about 12.00pm, they were forced to engage in clashes.
After the clashes, on September 9, our forces, who were forced to engage in clashes, with great resisitance did not let Turkish army to take the control of the area. The evening of September 14, 2009 at about 18.00pm, under the same operation the third clash took place between Turkish army and our guerrilla forces. The Turkish army, which could not defeat our guerrillas in all those three clashes, resorted to use chemical weapons.
As a result of those clashes, 12 Turkish army soldiers were killed by our guerrillas and the net numbers of the injured soldiers could not be clarified. While two Sikorsky type helicopters were damaged during those clashes by our forces, our 8 guerillas (Kemal-Aziz Ozer, Dilges – Ramazan Yildiz, Cudi-Rizgar Askan, Abbas- Kahraman Sex Ali, Cekdar-Salih Gulec, Mazlum-Yahya Musazade, Sila-Aliye Timur, Hedar- Hanife Ali) lost their lives by the chemical weapons that Turkish army used. This operation was terminated on September 15, 2009.
THE SUNSHINE PROJECT
A Survey of Biological and Biochemical Weapons Related Research Activities in Turkey. December 2004 / Research and writing of this report was supported by a grant from the German Greenpeace Environmental Foundation
Summary
1. Information on Turkey´s biodefense activities is very difficult to obtain. In its annual declarations to the United Nations under the Biological Weapons Convention, Turkey has declared that it has no biodefense program at all. Information obtained through open sources indicates that this is not true.
In fact, Turkey´s major military hospital, the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) has a special department for defense research and development activities, including biological defense. The exact nature and extent of the biodefense work at GATA is unclear. In addition, projects related to biodefense – e.g. the development of sterilization techniques for anthrax bacteria – are conducted at civilian institutions, including the Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute and probably also the Refik Saydam Hygiene Center.
Turkey´s declarations that deny the existence of its biodefense program constitute violations of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). We did not obtain any indication that the Turkish Armed Forces are engaged in any illicit activities related to an offensive biological warfare program, but the Turkish government violated its obligation to annually submit to the United Nations comprehensive information about its biodefense program in order to enhance transparency and build confidence among the States Parties to the BWC.
Due to the opacity of the Turkish government, we were unable to determine exact figures for the Turkish military‟s biodefense budget. The Turkish government and the relevant institutions did not respond to written questions about their biodefense research.
In summary, a radical change of the Turkish government towards transparency and improved confidence building measures is urgently needed to counter suspicions about the nature, extent and objective of its activities related to biowarfare agents. The Turkish government must uphold its obligation under the BWC and publish annually comprehensive information about its biodefense activities in order to increase confidence between countries.
One important question that needs to be resolved concerns the status of an alleged secret directive of the Turkish Army permitting the use of chemical and biological measures in counter-terrorist activities.
Absent a clarification from the Turkish government it remains an open question if this document is a forgery or authentic and, if so, if remains in force. If this directive is genuine, the current Turkish government should initiate an independent investigation of this matter and must ensure that no offensive biological weapons activities are conducted, prepared or permitted in Turkey.
The Turkish Armed Forces used and likely still use so called "non-lethal‟ chemical weapons such as tear gas in military combat. In at least one incident tear gas grenades were used in a military operation against armed Kurds that left twenty dead. This violates the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits explicitly “to use riot control agents as a method of warfare”.
2.Biodefense and related activities in Turkey
According to official Turkish government documents, Turkey does not have a research or development program to defend against biological weapons. Turkey, as a State Party to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), is obliged to submit annually a declaration to the United Nations on certain biological activities. These declarations are called Confidence Building Measure (CBM).
The CBMs submitted by Turkey consistently claim that no defensive biological research and development programme exists in the country. Biodefense activities would include, according to the CBM format, “prophylaxis, studies on pathogenicity and virulence, diagnostic techniques, aerobiology, detection, treatment, toxinology, physical protection, decontamination and other related research”.
Based on open sources we conclude that this official declaration of the Turkish government is not true and that biodefense work in Turkey is performed in a variety of different institutions.
The key institution appears to be the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in Ankara, which has an NBC department. We were, however, unable to determine the size, objectives and exact nature of the biodefense work at GATA, nor was it possible to determine the overall biodefense structure and budget in Turkey.
The official website of the Turkish Ministry of Defense features a chart outlining the organisational structure of its Research and Development Unit, which includes an NBC-department
2. The physical location of this department is not clear, it may or may not be identical to the NBC unit at GATA.
In addition to research and development activities at GATA and elsewhere, the Turkish Armed Forces have an NBC school in Kücükyali, Istanbul, that is equipped with a chemical testing laboratory.
3 In this chapter, all information on biodefense related activities in Turkey indicated by open sources is summarised. It is possible that other Turkish institutions are involved in biodefense activities, and it is likely that the facilities listed below are engaged in additional activities that we are unable to document.
2.1 Gulhane Military Medical Academy – GATA
The Gulhane Military Medical Academy (Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi – GATA) is one of the biggest military medical institutions in Turkey. While its main location is in Ankara, it also maintains a hospital and research center in Istanbul. GATA is engaged in a broad range of standard medical research, most of which is unrelated to biowarfare issues. Several laboratories at GATA are working in the field of microbiology, including the Department of Infectious Diseases at GATA-Istanbul and the Departments for Clinical Microbiology and for Virology in Ankara.
A search in the PubMed database using a combined query for Gulhane and microbiology retrieved 58 publications, all of them but one unrelated to typical biowarfare agents. The one exception was a review of 32 cases of naturally occurring anthrax in Turkey published by the GATA hospital in Istanbul. But in addition to the standard medical research, GATA is also engaged in military NBC defense research and development.
In 1983, an NBC department was founded at GATA in Ankara. It is part of the Military Health Services Department. The department “conducts research on the medical effects, diagnosis and treatment of nuclear, biological and chemical substances that can be used for military and terrorist purposes and gives NBC training to the Turkish Armed Forces and civilians.”
The NBC department has its own laboratories covering one floor of the Research & Development Department building at GATA in Ankara. According to its website, it cooperates with universities in some projects. It has a staff of four (three medical doctors and one biologist) and is headed by pharmacist professor, Colonel Turan Karayilanoglu. Several scientific publications from the NBC Department at GATA indicate that its major research focus has probably been on chemical weapons.
In addition to NBC defense research and development, GATA is obviously also tasked with training and education. A GATA NBC Medical Rescue Team was established to prepare and practice for potential NBC attacks. According to one publication, a practical exercise simulating a chemical attack was conducted at GATA. GATA was also involved in a NBC defense workshop organised by Refik Saydam Hygiene Center. Absent any official statement or declaration on this subject, it is not possible to assess whether biological defense – as compared to nuclear or chemical defense – plays an important role at GATA.
2.2 Refik Saydam Hygiene Center – RSHM
The Refik Saydam Hygiene Center (Refik Saydam Hıfzıssıhha Merkezi Başkanlığı – RSHM) is a key biomedical research institution in Turkey that is tasked with control of medical products and the production of vaccines. According to the Turkish CBM 2003, it is fully financed by the Turkish Ministryof Health.
It appears that RSHM is also involved, to an extent, in chemical and biological defense work. RSHM is a focal point to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OPCW and analyses chemical warfare agents and snake venoms.
On its Turkish – but not its English – website, RSHM names explicitly the Turkish Ministry of Defense as one cooperator. The nature and extent of this cooperation remain unclear. In May 2004, RSHM organised a one week training on NBC defense for Turkish doctors. The program included introductory classes to chemical and biological weapons, decontamination techniques and training with gas masks and protective suits. In addition to RHSM personnel, GATA and the Turkish Civil Defence Organisation were involved in organising this workshop.
RSHM maintains a collection of bacterial and fungal cultures including the typical biowarfare agents Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Yersinia pestis (plague), Francisella tularensis (tularaemia) and Burkholderia mallei (glanders).
All of these are or were naturally occurring in Turkey, hence this strain collection is not necessarily specifically linked to biodefense activities.
2.3 Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute
The Food Irradiation and Sterilization Department of the Etlik Institute works predominantly on radiation technologies to sterilize disposable medical material. One of its ongoing research projects (“Elimination of Bacillus anthracis 34F2 Spores by using Radioactivity”) appears to be related to biodefense. According to the project leader, the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) has oversight over this project.
2.4 Tubitak
In November 2002, the Turkish Ministry of Defense ordered 300,000 NBC protection suits from TUBITAK, the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Organisation. TUBITAK is doing contract research and development work for the Turkish Armed Forces. One example is a powder – called the T-1 Cleaning Powder – shielding against chemical weapons that has recently been developed by TUBITAK´s Chemical Technologies Research Institute in its Marmara Research Center (MAM-MKTAE).
3. A secret directive permitting use of chemical, biological agents?
On 23 July 1989, the Turkish newspaper Ikibine Dogru published an article on chemical weapons in which it reproduced parts of an alleged secret security directive (reproduced on the following page) of the Turkish Armed Forces permitting the use of chemical and biological weapons in the war against Kurdish fighters. The same parts of the directive were also reproduced in a book on chemical and biological weapons published in 1992 by the Kurdish author Celadet Celiker.
According to excerpts reproduced in Ikibine Dogru, the directive was issued on 25 February 1986 and was signed by Necdet Öztorun, at that time commander of the Turkish Army. In paragraph 5 it describes permitted methods to destroy tunnels, including:
(d) Can be filled with poison gas.
(e) Can be rendered unusable by breeding specially bred poisonous insects.”In another section, the same document reads”
c. Gas bombs and …
d. NBC Weapons: fog, fire making substances, tear and emetic gases are being used when necessary by friendly forces.”
It is an open question whether or not the directive that was reproduced in Ikibine Dogru is indeed issued by the Turkish Armed Forces or whether it is a forgery. We located the alleged author of the directive, Necdet Öztorun, who is now working at Isik University.
Öztorun did not respond to requests for further information. Considering that the Turkish government never explicitly denied the existence of this directive, it appears to be likely that the directive was indeed issued by the Turkish Armed Forces. Whether or not it is still in force remains unclear.
From a biological arms control point of view, the reference to insects in paragraph 5.e. is alarming. This would constitute a hostile use of biological agents and would thus be an outright violation of the Biological Weapons Convention (which Turkey ratified on 5 November 1974). It is also unlikely that the Turkish Armed Forces would permit the use of "specially bred poisonous insects" if plans or ongoing activities to actually produce these insects were not underway.
If this directive is authentic or even still in force, a thorough investigation of the directive and its implementation is warranted. Were insects ever used for hostile purposes by Turkish forces? To what extent were such insects produced, plans for production made or research and development efforts undertaken in that direction?
If the directive is authentic, the current Turkish government should initiate an investigation into this issue and report all results to the States Parties of the BWC, for example through the annual Confidence Building Measures which include the means to declare past offensive activities. The possible use of chemical agents.
4. A short overview on Turkey’s biological capabilities
Microbiology and the production of biological agents are technology areas with a pronounced dual-use character. Nearly all knowledge and nearly every item that is needed to produce large volumes of biological agents for BW purposes is also relevant for civilian – e.g. medical – purposes. Thus, many countries in the world have the technological basis to engage in an offensive biowarfare program, because they maintain research, development and/or production activities for legitimate purposes. Hence the capability of a country to produce biological agents does not indicate any malign intent, but the absence of any such capability is an indication that a given country may be less likely to engage in illicit activities or may be confronted with major technological difficulties if it starts a BW program.
In the following, we give a short overview on Turkey‟s capabilities in the biological area. This overview is based on a standardized methodology used in all Sunshine Project Country Reports. It allows for a comparative assessment (or ranking) of the capabilities of different countries in the area of research, development and production.
In order to compare countries, we used parameters where global data is available. This is particularly difficult in the area of biotechnology. As no universal and agreed definition of the term "biotechnology‟ exists, hardly any global assessments or rankings on biotechnological capabilities are available. The parameters that are used in the following were selected for the simple reason that comparative data was available. They have limitations, but in combination they give an indication of a country‟s biological capabilities. For the areas of production and development, only quantitative data was available, while the PubMed database allows also for a qualitative assessment of research capabilities.
4.1 Production
The capability to produce biological agents may be assessed on the basis of two parameters: the number of biotechnology companies and vaccine production capacity. No data is available on the number of biotechnology companies in Turkey. The Ernst & Young Global Biotechnology Report that was used in other Sunshine Project Country Reports does not provide data on Turkey.
With regard to vaccine production, a good information source providing global data is WHO, which maintains a database of most producers of human vaccines worldwide. While some of information – particularly the production quantities – is confidential and not disclosed, the list of the manufacturers and the types of vaccines they produce is available from WHO. The number of different vaccine types produced in a country may be taken as an indication of biological production capability.
Refik Saydam Hygiene Center: According to the WHO data, Turkey has one human vaccine manufacturer, the Refik Saydam Hygiene Center (RSHM), which produces a combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. In addition, RSHM is also producing BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine.
The RSHM-website indicates that a new production process for tetanus vaccine using fermenters was introduced in the mid 1990s. RSHM is also responsible for quality control of a broad range of other human vaccines that are obviously imported from other manufacturers. Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute: This institute is located in Ankara and produces a variety of animal vaccines. This includes anthrax vaccine (Sterne strain) for animal use. According to the Turkish CBMs 1997-1999 and a BWC Review Conference document, Yersinia pestis (plague) vaccine is also produced at Etlik, which would raise some questions at this particular institute as plague is not a typical animal disease. It appears to be likely that this entry in the CBMs is a translation error and that Rinderpest vaccine, and not plague vaccine, is produced. A website of the institute indicates that it has a viral vaccine production capacity is 20 million doses annually and that Rinderpest virus vaccine is produced there.
Research
The relative strength of Turkish research in areas relevant to BW is indicated by the number of scientific publications on issues pertinent to BW agents. For the purpose of this study, anti-personnel agents that have been stockpiled or otherwise weaponized by state armed forces since 1946,45 according to their possessor states, were used as examples of typical BW agents.
A search in the PubMed database was conducted, using the term "Turkey‟ in the affiliation of the corresponding author, combined with the scientific names of the agents (bacteria and viruses) or the name of the toxin in case of the four toxins. The search was restricted to the five-year period 1999-2003 to get a recent account of research activities.
For each biological agent, the total number of scientific papers was determined and expressed as percent of the global number of papers in this category. As a control, a general microbiology-related query was used to determine the overall share of Turkish papers in the relevant field.
Turkey appears to have an above average research focus on Francisella tularensis, Bacillus anthracis and botulinum toxin. As a specific research focus in one country may be attributable to specific environmental or other regional conditions, a similar analysis was performed on four neighbouring countries. Based on publications, these three agents appear to be a Turkish speciality.
However, as the total number of Turkish research papers on Francisella was only two, both of which dealing with case studies, this is not considered to be significant. All publications from Turkish corresponding authors on botulinum toxin deal with new treatments for a variety of conditions using botulinum toxin A. From the 16 anthrax-related publications, one is a general review article, six are about individual case reports, all from different hospitals all around Turkey.
Another six publications deal with epidemiol ogical overviews on anthrax cases in different parts of Turkey, including one published by the Gulhane Military Medical Academy in Istanbul. Only two publications, both from university hospitals, were experimental and investigated the antibiotic susceptibility of anthrax isolates.
5. Turkish use of ‘non-lethal’ chemical weapons
In the past, Turkish Armed Forces have used tear gas in military combat, and security forces in Turkey are still trained to use chemical agents in combat, for example, if fighting enemies in caves. While most cases of alleged use of tear gas by Turkish forces against Kurdish fighters are difficult to assess, there is at least one incident where some hard evidence for the use of tear gas in a combat exists.
On 11 May 1999, Turkish armed forces used CS gas near Balikaya, southeast of Sirnak, against armed Kurds hiding in a cave. A piece of shrapnel collected in that cave was provided by a Kurdish member of the red crescent to a German TV journalist. An analysis of the shrapnel at the Institute for Forensic Medicine at the University of Munich identified CS gas.
According to the German TV, the CS grenades were of the type RP707.50 They were produced in Germany by Buck and were exported to Turkey with an official export license since 1995. Although the chemical analysis is conclusive, there is no independent proof that the shrapnel provided to the German laboratory was removed from the cave in Sirnak/Balikaya, hence some uncertainty about this incident remains.
A Foreign Minstry spokesperson denied the allegations made by German TV with the argument that Turkey meticulously abides to its obligation not to develop, produce or stockpile chemical weapons and hence cannot use such weapons. The spokesperson did not relate to the fact that the chemical weapon used was CS gas, which is without doubt stockpiled in Turkey, as it was imported at least from the UK56 and Germany under export licenses.
The fight at Balikaya left 20 combatants dead. It is unclear whether they died from high concentrations of tear gas or whether they were shot when leaving the gassed cave. But in any case a use of chemical agents in such a military combat situation constitutes a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention which explicitly prohibits use of ” riot control agents as a method of warfare”.
A video documentary produced by the Turkish radio and TV station TRT shows that Turkish anti-terrorist forces are still trained to use tear gas in military combat. The thirty minute video features several different training situations. In one scenario, the security forces use explosive grenades against enemies in a cave and thereafter use tear gas grenades to disable any persons left alive in the cave. In another scenario, Turkish security forces fight insurgents in a village, blasting a house and finally using tear gas to force an enemy out of hiding in a well. While the use of tear gas in domestic law enforcement situations is not prohibited under international law, it raises concerns if they are used in such situations and in combination with deadly force and an intent to kill.
Several times in the past 15 years the Turkish security forces have been accused by Kurdish groups to have used chemical agents, but in most cases these allegations were not supported by evidence. In turn, Kurdish fighters have been accused of using chemical weapons in Turkey. None of these competing claims has been supported by even the slightest piece of evidence.
The origin of a mysterious poisoning of 2070 Kurdish refugees in a camp at Mardin in Turkey in June 1989 remains unresolved.
The Kurdish Democratic Party stated at that time that Iraqi agents poisoned bread eaten at the camp. British scientists obtained and analysed blood samples from victims and found indirect evidence for organophosphate poisoning.
They ruled out accidental poisoning by commercial organophosphates and strongly suspected deliberate poisoning using a potent nerve agent. Due to limited sample availability, however, they could not identify the nature and source of the agent.
6. Turkish Confidence Building Measures and Transparency
6.1 BWC ratification
Turkey is party to all major biological and chemical arms control agreements. On 5 October 1929, it ratified the Geneva Protocol with no reservations. It ratified the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) on 5 November 1974. Turkey does not have specific legislation implementing the BWC. According to Article 90 of the Turkish Constitution, however, international agreements duly put into effect in Turkey carry the force of law. In addition, violation of BWC provisions may, according to Turkish officials, fall within the jurisdiction of the following acts, although it is not altogether clear how biological weapons are regulated by these laws:
• Law No. 3736 On the Control of Private Industrial Enterprises Producing War Weapons;
• Law No. 6136 on fire arms, knives and other weapons;
• Law No. 3713 to fight terrorism;
• Turkish Criminal Code.
The Chemical Weapons Convention was ratified by Turkey on 12 May 1997.
6.2 Confidence Building Measures – next to non-existent
Many of the questions and uncertainties cited in this report could and should have been addressed in the CBMs submitted by Turkey to the United Nations. According to the final document of the Third Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, Turkey has the obligation to annually submit a comprehensive and complete declaration on its biodefense program. To date, Turkey has not even remotelycomply with this obligation. The Turkish government and the relevant institutions did not reply to written requests for clarification of issues presented and questions raised in this report.
In each year from 1993 through 2001 and in 2003, Turkey submitted a confidence building measure (CBM) under the BWC. None of these CBMs indicated the existence of a biodefense program or identified a biodefense research facility of the Turkish Armed Forces. Turkey did not submit confidence building measures (CBMs) under the BWC in 1992 and 2002.
The CBMs that have been submitted by the Turkish government contain very limited information and thus do not build confidence from an arms control point of view. In one case (2001), Turkey submitted only the cover form, and in other years only one additional page on vaccine producers. The CBMs from 1997 through 1999 were identical, as were the CBMs in 2000 and 2003.
The incomplete Turkish CBMs – especially with regard to the nature, scope and location of the Turkish biodefense program – raise concerns as they contribute to suspicions about the objective of Turkey‟s biowarfare-related activities, especially in connection with the alleged secret security directive permitting the use of insect and chemical weapons in conflicts with Kurdish fighters.
It has been argued that the current CBM format requires declaration only for a facility “which has a substantial proportion of its resources devoted to the national biological defence research and development programme”, and not for all facilities involved in a biodefense program. Considering that the term „facility‟ is not clearly defined, probably every biodefense institution in the world could be excluded from the declaration requirement if the term „facility‟ is creatively interpreted by the declaring country.
Considering that the purpose of CBMs is to create confidence, countries should abstain from dubious manipulations of the term “facility” to justify omitting significant biodefense institutions from their declarations. The more elements of a national biodefense program that are excluded from a CBM submission intended to build confidence, the more paradoxical the CBM‟s effect will be. This is especially true for Turkey, which explicitly denied the existence of a biodefense program in its CBMs. The Turkish government is not making its CBMs available to the general public. Other governments (Australia, USA) have placed their CBMs on the internet.
It is strongly recommended that Turkey follows this example. To show support for the international ban on biological weapons, and if it supports a strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, Turkey should contribute to building confidence by submitting future CBMs that are complete, consistent and unambiguous.
7. Government Undertaking on Biodefense Programs
The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) prohibits the development, production and stockpiling of biological agents intended to harm humans, animals, plants, materials or the environment. The BTWC allows for defensive research; but contains no exemption for law enforcement, riot control or similar purposes. While biodefense programs are necessary for protection against biological warfare, they can also blur the distinction between offensive and defensive activities and an offensive capability may be generated in the course of defensive work.
There is an urgent need to ensure that governments restrict themselves in biodefense programs and guarantee full transparency in all aspects of biodefense research, to prevent a race for offensive capabilities under cover of defense. We call on all governments to adopt this Undertaking and to make it binding upon their biodefense programs.
References:
http://www.sunshine-project.org/
http://www.humanrights.blogsport.de
http://www.taz.de/1/politik/europa/artikel/1/hat-die-tuerkei-c-waffen-eingesetzt/
http://www.taz.de/1/politik/europa/artikel/1/internationale-untersuchung-gefordert/
http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1281517283814.shtml
http://www.theintelligence.de/index.php/politik/international-int/1278-setzt-die-tuerkei-chemische-waffen-gegen-kurden-ein.html
http://www.rtl.de/medien/information/rtlaktuell/d8c4-0-51ca-94/hat-die-tuerkei-c-waffen-eingesetzt.html
http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2010-08/giftgas-tuerkei-kurden
http://www.welt.de/die-welt/politik/article8978555/Setzte-die-tuerkische-Armee-Giftgas-gegen-PKK-Kaempfer-ein.html
http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article8967127/Tuerkei-soll-Giftgas-gegen-PKK-eingesetzt-haben.html
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,711506,00.html
http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1281517283814.shtml
http://www.taz.de/1/politik/europa/artikel/1/pkk-will-waffen-niederlegen/
http://www.schweizmagazin.ch/topnews/3550-Trkei-Giftgas-gegen-Kurden.html
http://bazonline.ch/ausland/europa/Setzt-die-Tuerkei-Chemiewaffen-gegen-Kurden-ein/story/19124704
http://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/177796.giftgas-verdacht-gegen-tuerkei-erhaertet-sich.html
It had once again emerged that the Turkish army, which both has the advantage in numbers and technical capacity against Kurdish guerrillas, has been using chemical weapons. It is obvious that this is not new information and situation for the Kurdish people and the public.
Kurdish politicians, human rights activists and families of the guerrillas who lost their lives in clashes, brought up the use of chemical weapons during the war on many occasions. But, their cries have not been heard from neither the Turkish public opinion nor the world public opinion.
Another dimension of the war carried out against Kurdish people is the state monopoly on the media. In consequence, all claims, observations and opinion related to the use of chemical weapons have been ignored by the Turkish press.
Legal spectators have remained silent and government officials rejected the use of chemical weapons both inside and outside the country. They covered up the crimes that they carried out against Kurdish people and the humanity. Today, the documents, regarding the use of banned chemical weapons by Turkish state, have been clearly revealed by the analysis and opinions of the experts.
The Kurdish people want peace and with the recent decision of a unilateral cease-fire; the Kurdish people have expressed this once again. One of the ways that results with peace is to reveal the severe human rights violations and war crimes that people have suffered and to face up to the past and today.
To investigate the use of the chemical weapons, which is banned by International Conventions, against Kurdish guerrillas; to research all the incidents more closely with technical facilities will reveal the issue in every aspect. This will also put the international community in a deterrent position against Turkish state‟s use of chemical weapons.
We demand you not to remain silent against these crimes against humanity carried out against the Kurdish people. We demand you to show your reaction against this issue and to mobilize (OPCW) and any other related individuals and institutions.
As an active attempt, we ask you for an urgent demand to organize an international observer delegation, which consists of experts on the issue, to go to the areas where the incidents took place in Turkey and to investigate the incidents, which are recorded by human rights organizations and lawyers in Turkey.
Der Spiegel: Turkish army used chemical weapons against Kurdish guerrillas, Shocking Images of Dead Kurdish FightersTurkey Accused of Using Chemical Weapons against PKK.
Put a Stop to the Turkish Army’s Crimes Against Humanity
- Murat Karayilan: Chemical weapons in use for 16 years
- Announcement of HPG
- The Sunshine Project. A Survey of Biological and Biochemical Weapons Related Research Activities in Turkey
- Der Spiegel: Turkish army used chemical weapons against Kurdish guerrillas
Shocking images of dead Kurdish fighters” whose bodies have been “burned, maimed and scorched” by the Turkish Army “are scarcely recognizable as human beings” reported German Der Spiegel.
German press reported that Turkish army used chemical weapons against the Kurdish guerrillas of HPG in the ongoing clashes in Kurdistan. While German human rights defenders and politicians called for an international investigation, Hamburg University documented the chemicals used by the Turkish Army.
German newspapers and magazines like “Der Spiegel”, “Die Welt” and “Die Tageszeitung“ (TAZ) while have been covering the clashes getting harder sine 1 June also drew attention on the chemical weapons used against Kurdish guerrillas and the brutality over their dead bodies chopped by the Turkish soldiers.
German Der Spiegel also reported that pictures of dead bodies of Kurdish guerrillas given to a human rights delegations in March during their visit to Kurdistan are showing that chemicals are used against the Kurdish fighters. Hans Baumann, a German expert on photo forgeries has confirmed the authenticity of the photos, and a forensics report released by the Hamburg University Hospital has backed the initial suspicion, saying that "it is highly probable that the eight Kurds died due to the use of chemical substances", wrote Der Spiegel.
While German politicians and human rights experts are demanding an thorough investigation regarding the incidents Claudia Roth, the co-chair of Germany’s Green Party said "there have been repeated, mysterious incidents of this type and Turkey needs to make an explanation regarding pictures and issue an official statement." “It is impossible to understand why an autopsy of the PKK fighters was ordered but the results kept under seal.” added Roth.
Ruprecht Polenz, a German MP of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee also said an “international investigation would be the best approach”.
Gisela Penteker, an expert on Turkey with the international medical organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) said because the bodies were released so late it was hardly possible to carry out a thorough autopsy. She also pointed out the lack of diplomatic pressure on Turkey.
Der Spiegel further reported that the investigation demanded by national human rights organisations have been constantly ignored and manipulated by the Turkish officials.
“The government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been stubbornly silent or tried to portray the accusations of war crimes as "PKK propaganda‟, added the magazine. Speaking to TAZ Uta Zapf of SPD said it is a clear violation of the international law.
The Junge Welt newspaper also reported that the bodies belonged to six Kurdish guerrillas including two females who were found dead in a cave in Cukurca district of Hakkari in September 2009.
Shocking Images of Dead Kurdish Fighters.
Turkey Accused of Using Chemical Weapons against PKK. Spiegel Online International, 12. 08. 2010, By Daniel Steinvorth and Yassin Musharbash
German experts have confirmed the authenticity of photographs that purport to show PKK fighters killed by chemical weapons. The evidence puts increasing pressure on the Turkish government, which has long been suspected of using such weapons against Kurdish rebels. German politicians are demanding an investigation.
It would be difficult to exceed the horror shown in the photos, which feature burned, maimed and scorched body parts. The victims are scarcely even recognizable as human beings. Turkish-Kurdish human rights activists believe the people in the photos are eight members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) underground movement, who are thought to have been killed in September 2009.
In March, the activists gave the photos to a German human rights delegation comprised of Turkey experts, journalists and politicians from the far-left Left Party, as SPIEGEL reported at the end of July. Now Hans Baumann, a German expert on photo forgeries has confirmed the authenticity of the photos, and a forensics report released by the Hamburg University Hospital has backed the initial suspicion, saying that it is highly probable that the eight Kurds died “due to the use of chemical substances.” Did the Turkish army in fact use chemical weapons and, by doing so, violate the Chemical Weapons Convention it had ratified?
Repeated ‘Mysterious Incidents’
German politicians and human rights experts are now demanding an investigation into the incident. “The latest findings are so spectacular that the Turkish side urgently needs to explain things,” said Claudia Roth, the co-chair of Germany’s Green Party. “It is impossible to understand why an autopsy of the PKK fighters was ordered but the results kept under seal.”
The politician said there had been repeated “mysterious incidents of this type that are crying out for an independent investigation.” Roth demanded that Turkey issue an official statement on the possible use of chemical weapons “in order to nullify further allegations.” Ruprecht Polenz, a member of the German parliament with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union and the chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Relations Committee, sees it the same way. “Turkey needs to urgently look into these accusations,” he told SPIEGEL ONLINE, adding that an international investigation would be the best approach.
Turkey has been suspected of using chemical weapons for years, points out Gisela Penteker, a Turkey expert with the international medical organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. “Local people have said that again and again,” she explained. Finding proof is difficult, however, she said, because bodies were often released so late that it was hardly possible to carry out a thorough autopsy.
‘PKK Propaganda’
In Turkey, human rights advocates have long demanded an investigation. The army, however, has refused to comment on the issue. Similarly, the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been stubbornly silent or tried to portray the accusations of war crimes as “PKK propaganda.”
“The prime minister is not interested in human rights violations,” says Akin Birdal, a member of the Turkish parliament whose pro-Kurdish BDP opposition party has repeatedly questioned in parliament if Erdogan’s war in the southeast of the country is really being conducted legally.
In Birdal’s view, the only thing that matters to Erdogan is that the army eradicates the PKK problem once and for all “by any means necessary.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has rejected the accusations, according to the Berlin daily newspaper Die Tageszeitung, which reported on the case Thursday. Turkey is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and its armed forces do not possess any biological or chemical weapons, the ministry reportedly said.
The newspaper also reports that it has obtained additional, shocking pictures in the meantime, supposedly autopsy photographs of six other killed Kurds. These images, too, have now been submitted to the Hamburg-based experts.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,711536,00.html
Put a Stop to the Turkish Army’s Crimes Against Humanity - Remzi Kartal / Kongra Gel Chairmanship
The news concerning the Turkish army‟s use of chemical weapons against Kurdistan Freedom Struggle guerrillas has been reported in the German media. In response, the SPD, Greens, Left Party and the CDU officials stated that this situation is unacceptable and they called for investigation into the incident.
German Federal Parliament Disarmament Commission chairman and the SPD Foreign Relations spokesman, deputy Uta Zapf, put the issue on the parliamentary agenda by her proposal for an investigation into the allegations and asked the foreign minister to refer the issue to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the investigation into this incident and uncovering of the truth.
Turkish foreign ministry officials announced that they did not accept the claims and they said that they were carrying out a fight against the PKK on many levels. This amounts to an admission by the Turkish foreign ministry that as a state they are carrying out a full-scale war.
Although, in the past many state officials have said that there is a low-intensity war in Kurdistan, the Turkish state officially claimed that it is a struggle against terrorism, not a war. Unfortunately, this policy of the Turkish state, which denies the fact, was taken as a principal claim in international relations and has been supported.
Yet the reality of what is taking place in Kurdistan is an armed conflict which is not between states according to the Geneva Convention, which determines the international law of war, and how combatants should conduct themselves. In other words, if the parties do not comply with international law, the relevant international mechanisms need to take action.
Because the international community have closed their eyes to what is happening in Kurdistan and are compliant with the Turkish state policies, the Turkish state has carried out a dirty and an unlawful war in Kurdistan that has got completely out of control.
Relying on this compliance and support and believing that there will be no international public inspection and pressure, the Turkish state carried out systematic atrocities in Kurdistan and this has been an ongoing reality for decades.
Unfortunately, the voice of the Kurdish people was not heard on this issue. These atrocities, which are being committed by the Turkish state in Kurdistan, are a crime against humanity. It is an eradication of all human values, which have been gained through the thousands years of struggle of humanity.
In condoning the violence for years, the international community has inflicted irreparable damage at the heart of people in Kurdistan. The lack of humanitarian solidarity has deepened the sense of rebellion and anger among Kurdish people.
Through this reality, the investigation of the allegations of the “use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish guerrillas “, which was reported in the German press and was brought before the Federal Parliament, is very important for the revealing the truth. We believe that by taking this issue to the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the German foreign ministry will perform a great humanitarian task.
The revealing of the truth will help put an end to the violence which is ongoing in Kurdistan. It will also bring the reality of war, which was kept close, to the attention of public opinion. These developments will serve the cause of peace and democracy in Turkey and Kurdistan.
We, as the chairmanship of Kongra Gel, would like to state that we are ready to support any attempt and action regarding both the work of the OPCW and the work of any delegations, which will be sent from Germany to investigate the incident.
Murat Karayilan: Chemical weapons in use for 16 years
Kurdish Info 19.08.2010, On 18th of August, 2010, the Chairman of the Executive Council of the KCK, Murat Karayilan, answered questions from the ANF news agency regarding the reports in the German media on the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state.
Karayilan said that the Turkish state army had been using chemical weapons for 16 years now. And, this has again brought to agenda before by a labororatuary in Munich/Germany. He said that Turkey regularly uses chemical weapons in some areas against the guerrillas.
This is not something new. The Turkish state army has been using chemical weapons against our guerrilla forces wherever they have got into difficulty against the guerrillas during the clashes since 1994. Even in the spring of 1999, I think it was in May, 20 of our guerrillas under the command of friend Hamza, have been martyred near the village of Bilika/Cudi/Sirnak as a result of the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state army. After the clashes, our friends found a tube of the chemical that had been used against the guerrillas on the scene where the clashes occurred.
This tube was sent to Europe, where I was at that time. So, I personally followed closely on this issue to be analysed in the laboratories. And, we sent it to a lab in Munich, Germany to analyse the contents of the tube. After that, the result of the analysis was that there was a chemical element to effect a certain small area. So, Germany knows that chemical weapons have been used against the guerrilla forces since that time. What I do not know is why they put this report on the agenda now. And, according to the reports in the press, they even took the case to the German parliament.
So, for the last sixteen years there is use of chemical weapons against our guerrillas. Despite the result of the container with the chemical element, no one, including the international forces, either said or did anything about it.
Somehow, we could not carry this to the international agenda at the time. Yet, now this has been put onto the agenda in Germany. It has to be followed to see how serious they can be to stay on this case. However, it is a reality that Turkey uses chemical weapons, not everywhere, but wherever they see it is as suitable to use.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF HPG, MARCH 26, 2006
On March 24, 2006, Turkish military forces carried out a comprehensive land and air operation against our HPG guerrillas in the south of Mus, which was among Mus Center, Kulp, Genc and Solhan.
On March 24 starting at 6:00am back of Sere Spi, Berbihiv, 15 August and Geliye Pirijman areas have been taken by airborne of ten Sikorsky type helicopters. The same day at 10.00am, the Turkish armed forces directed to the camp that our guerrilla forces were in. The clashes started as a result of this and continued until the evening. The army reinforced its forces after the clashes continued overnight and the army forces surrounded the camp with these reinforcements, and the clashes continued until the morning. As the clashes continued the next day until noon, the Turkish military forces used chemical gas and heavy weapons.
As a result of intense clashes, which lasted until the evening on March 25, and use of chemical gas, our 14 HPG guerrillas, resisting heroically lost their lives. The names of our guerrillas, who died as martyrs as a result of the chemical weapons used in the operation are: Eris Amed, Rojhat, Berxwedan Garzan, Merxas Haki, Mervan Garisa, Mazlum Siser, Zafer, Xemgin Amed, Kawa Nemrut, Rebin Ronahi, Hamza Kubani, Karker Ciwanro, Cekdar Diyar, Aso Rojhilat
HPG-BIM / DECEMBER 12, 2008
Turkish State‟s army is using chemical weapons when they cannot break the resistances of the guerrillas. On December 4, 2008, an operation was carried out by the Turkish army against our guerrillas in Gire Resti, Kani Botke, Geliye Tirsike and Kaplani areas of Besta. The second day of the operation, which was December 5, at 11a.m., intensive clashes took place between the Turkish army and our guerrilla forces. Clashes lasted until 15.30pm.
The Turkish army, which could not break the resistance of our guerilla forces with every kind of technics, tried to counteract our guerrillas using chemical weapons. As a result of the chemical weapons, our friend Servan ( Sasan Mehdizade) lost his life.
HPG BIM / SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
The Turkish army having not being able to defeat our guerilla forces, has resorted to the use of chemical weapons.
On September 8, 2009 at 3am Hesete, Gise and Zavite areas of Cukurca town of Hakkari district and Duguh, Merga Semzin, Geliye Zavite, Deriye Rebene, Ciyaye Samura, Kani Kile, Coxe, Helvesis Hill, Geliye Tiyare, Guza Res areas were targeted by the bombardment of the Cobra type helicopters and by more than ten Sikorsky type helicopters of Turkish army. Despite of the great sensitivity of our guerrillas, the same day at about 12.00pm, they were forced to engage in clashes.
After the clashes, on September 9, our forces, who were forced to engage in clashes, with great resisitance did not let Turkish army to take the control of the area. The evening of September 14, 2009 at about 18.00pm, under the same operation the third clash took place between Turkish army and our guerrilla forces. The Turkish army, which could not defeat our guerrillas in all those three clashes, resorted to use chemical weapons.
As a result of those clashes, 12 Turkish army soldiers were killed by our guerrillas and the net numbers of the injured soldiers could not be clarified. While two Sikorsky type helicopters were damaged during those clashes by our forces, our 8 guerillas (Kemal-Aziz Ozer, Dilges – Ramazan Yildiz, Cudi-Rizgar Askan, Abbas- Kahraman Sex Ali, Cekdar-Salih Gulec, Mazlum-Yahya Musazade, Sila-Aliye Timur, Hedar- Hanife Ali) lost their lives by the chemical weapons that Turkish army used. This operation was terminated on September 15, 2009.
THE SUNSHINE PROJECT
A Survey of Biological and Biochemical Weapons Related Research Activities in Turkey. December 2004 / Research and writing of this report was supported by a grant from the German Greenpeace Environmental Foundation
Summary
1. Information on Turkey´s biodefense activities is very difficult to obtain. In its annual declarations to the United Nations under the Biological Weapons Convention, Turkey has declared that it has no biodefense program at all. Information obtained through open sources indicates that this is not true.
In fact, Turkey´s major military hospital, the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) has a special department for defense research and development activities, including biological defense. The exact nature and extent of the biodefense work at GATA is unclear. In addition, projects related to biodefense – e.g. the development of sterilization techniques for anthrax bacteria – are conducted at civilian institutions, including the Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute and probably also the Refik Saydam Hygiene Center.
Turkey´s declarations that deny the existence of its biodefense program constitute violations of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). We did not obtain any indication that the Turkish Armed Forces are engaged in any illicit activities related to an offensive biological warfare program, but the Turkish government violated its obligation to annually submit to the United Nations comprehensive information about its biodefense program in order to enhance transparency and build confidence among the States Parties to the BWC.
Due to the opacity of the Turkish government, we were unable to determine exact figures for the Turkish military‟s biodefense budget. The Turkish government and the relevant institutions did not respond to written questions about their biodefense research.
In summary, a radical change of the Turkish government towards transparency and improved confidence building measures is urgently needed to counter suspicions about the nature, extent and objective of its activities related to biowarfare agents. The Turkish government must uphold its obligation under the BWC and publish annually comprehensive information about its biodefense activities in order to increase confidence between countries.
One important question that needs to be resolved concerns the status of an alleged secret directive of the Turkish Army permitting the use of chemical and biological measures in counter-terrorist activities.
Absent a clarification from the Turkish government it remains an open question if this document is a forgery or authentic and, if so, if remains in force. If this directive is genuine, the current Turkish government should initiate an independent investigation of this matter and must ensure that no offensive biological weapons activities are conducted, prepared or permitted in Turkey.
The Turkish Armed Forces used and likely still use so called "non-lethal‟ chemical weapons such as tear gas in military combat. In at least one incident tear gas grenades were used in a military operation against armed Kurds that left twenty dead. This violates the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits explicitly “to use riot control agents as a method of warfare”.
2.Biodefense and related activities in Turkey
According to official Turkish government documents, Turkey does not have a research or development program to defend against biological weapons. Turkey, as a State Party to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), is obliged to submit annually a declaration to the United Nations on certain biological activities. These declarations are called Confidence Building Measure (CBM).
The CBMs submitted by Turkey consistently claim that no defensive biological research and development programme exists in the country. Biodefense activities would include, according to the CBM format, “prophylaxis, studies on pathogenicity and virulence, diagnostic techniques, aerobiology, detection, treatment, toxinology, physical protection, decontamination and other related research”.
Based on open sources we conclude that this official declaration of the Turkish government is not true and that biodefense work in Turkey is performed in a variety of different institutions.
The key institution appears to be the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in Ankara, which has an NBC department. We were, however, unable to determine the size, objectives and exact nature of the biodefense work at GATA, nor was it possible to determine the overall biodefense structure and budget in Turkey.
The official website of the Turkish Ministry of Defense features a chart outlining the organisational structure of its Research and Development Unit, which includes an NBC-department
2. The physical location of this department is not clear, it may or may not be identical to the NBC unit at GATA.
In addition to research and development activities at GATA and elsewhere, the Turkish Armed Forces have an NBC school in Kücükyali, Istanbul, that is equipped with a chemical testing laboratory.
3 In this chapter, all information on biodefense related activities in Turkey indicated by open sources is summarised. It is possible that other Turkish institutions are involved in biodefense activities, and it is likely that the facilities listed below are engaged in additional activities that we are unable to document.
2.1 Gulhane Military Medical Academy – GATA
The Gulhane Military Medical Academy (Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi – GATA) is one of the biggest military medical institutions in Turkey. While its main location is in Ankara, it also maintains a hospital and research center in Istanbul. GATA is engaged in a broad range of standard medical research, most of which is unrelated to biowarfare issues. Several laboratories at GATA are working in the field of microbiology, including the Department of Infectious Diseases at GATA-Istanbul and the Departments for Clinical Microbiology and for Virology in Ankara.
A search in the PubMed database using a combined query for Gulhane and microbiology retrieved 58 publications, all of them but one unrelated to typical biowarfare agents. The one exception was a review of 32 cases of naturally occurring anthrax in Turkey published by the GATA hospital in Istanbul. But in addition to the standard medical research, GATA is also engaged in military NBC defense research and development.
In 1983, an NBC department was founded at GATA in Ankara. It is part of the Military Health Services Department. The department “conducts research on the medical effects, diagnosis and treatment of nuclear, biological and chemical substances that can be used for military and terrorist purposes and gives NBC training to the Turkish Armed Forces and civilians.”
The NBC department has its own laboratories covering one floor of the Research & Development Department building at GATA in Ankara. According to its website, it cooperates with universities in some projects. It has a staff of four (three medical doctors and one biologist) and is headed by pharmacist professor, Colonel Turan Karayilanoglu. Several scientific publications from the NBC Department at GATA indicate that its major research focus has probably been on chemical weapons.
In addition to NBC defense research and development, GATA is obviously also tasked with training and education. A GATA NBC Medical Rescue Team was established to prepare and practice for potential NBC attacks. According to one publication, a practical exercise simulating a chemical attack was conducted at GATA. GATA was also involved in a NBC defense workshop organised by Refik Saydam Hygiene Center. Absent any official statement or declaration on this subject, it is not possible to assess whether biological defense – as compared to nuclear or chemical defense – plays an important role at GATA.
2.2 Refik Saydam Hygiene Center – RSHM
The Refik Saydam Hygiene Center (Refik Saydam Hıfzıssıhha Merkezi Başkanlığı – RSHM) is a key biomedical research institution in Turkey that is tasked with control of medical products and the production of vaccines. According to the Turkish CBM 2003, it is fully financed by the Turkish Ministryof Health.
It appears that RSHM is also involved, to an extent, in chemical and biological defense work. RSHM is a focal point to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OPCW and analyses chemical warfare agents and snake venoms.
On its Turkish – but not its English – website, RSHM names explicitly the Turkish Ministry of Defense as one cooperator. The nature and extent of this cooperation remain unclear. In May 2004, RSHM organised a one week training on NBC defense for Turkish doctors. The program included introductory classes to chemical and biological weapons, decontamination techniques and training with gas masks and protective suits. In addition to RHSM personnel, GATA and the Turkish Civil Defence Organisation were involved in organising this workshop.
RSHM maintains a collection of bacterial and fungal cultures including the typical biowarfare agents Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Yersinia pestis (plague), Francisella tularensis (tularaemia) and Burkholderia mallei (glanders).
All of these are or were naturally occurring in Turkey, hence this strain collection is not necessarily specifically linked to biodefense activities.
2.3 Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute
The Food Irradiation and Sterilization Department of the Etlik Institute works predominantly on radiation technologies to sterilize disposable medical material. One of its ongoing research projects (“Elimination of Bacillus anthracis 34F2 Spores by using Radioactivity”) appears to be related to biodefense. According to the project leader, the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) has oversight over this project.
2.4 Tubitak
In November 2002, the Turkish Ministry of Defense ordered 300,000 NBC protection suits from TUBITAK, the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Organisation. TUBITAK is doing contract research and development work for the Turkish Armed Forces. One example is a powder – called the T-1 Cleaning Powder – shielding against chemical weapons that has recently been developed by TUBITAK´s Chemical Technologies Research Institute in its Marmara Research Center (MAM-MKTAE).
3. A secret directive permitting use of chemical, biological agents?
On 23 July 1989, the Turkish newspaper Ikibine Dogru published an article on chemical weapons in which it reproduced parts of an alleged secret security directive (reproduced on the following page) of the Turkish Armed Forces permitting the use of chemical and biological weapons in the war against Kurdish fighters. The same parts of the directive were also reproduced in a book on chemical and biological weapons published in 1992 by the Kurdish author Celadet Celiker.
According to excerpts reproduced in Ikibine Dogru, the directive was issued on 25 February 1986 and was signed by Necdet Öztorun, at that time commander of the Turkish Army. In paragraph 5 it describes permitted methods to destroy tunnels, including:
(d) Can be filled with poison gas.
(e) Can be rendered unusable by breeding specially bred poisonous insects.”In another section, the same document reads”
c. Gas bombs and …
d. NBC Weapons: fog, fire making substances, tear and emetic gases are being used when necessary by friendly forces.”
It is an open question whether or not the directive that was reproduced in Ikibine Dogru is indeed issued by the Turkish Armed Forces or whether it is a forgery. We located the alleged author of the directive, Necdet Öztorun, who is now working at Isik University.
Öztorun did not respond to requests for further information. Considering that the Turkish government never explicitly denied the existence of this directive, it appears to be likely that the directive was indeed issued by the Turkish Armed Forces. Whether or not it is still in force remains unclear.
From a biological arms control point of view, the reference to insects in paragraph 5.e. is alarming. This would constitute a hostile use of biological agents and would thus be an outright violation of the Biological Weapons Convention (which Turkey ratified on 5 November 1974). It is also unlikely that the Turkish Armed Forces would permit the use of "specially bred poisonous insects" if plans or ongoing activities to actually produce these insects were not underway.
If this directive is authentic or even still in force, a thorough investigation of the directive and its implementation is warranted. Were insects ever used for hostile purposes by Turkish forces? To what extent were such insects produced, plans for production made or research and development efforts undertaken in that direction?
If the directive is authentic, the current Turkish government should initiate an investigation into this issue and report all results to the States Parties of the BWC, for example through the annual Confidence Building Measures which include the means to declare past offensive activities. The possible use of chemical agents.
4. A short overview on Turkey’s biological capabilities
Microbiology and the production of biological agents are technology areas with a pronounced dual-use character. Nearly all knowledge and nearly every item that is needed to produce large volumes of biological agents for BW purposes is also relevant for civilian – e.g. medical – purposes. Thus, many countries in the world have the technological basis to engage in an offensive biowarfare program, because they maintain research, development and/or production activities for legitimate purposes. Hence the capability of a country to produce biological agents does not indicate any malign intent, but the absence of any such capability is an indication that a given country may be less likely to engage in illicit activities or may be confronted with major technological difficulties if it starts a BW program.
In the following, we give a short overview on Turkey‟s capabilities in the biological area. This overview is based on a standardized methodology used in all Sunshine Project Country Reports. It allows for a comparative assessment (or ranking) of the capabilities of different countries in the area of research, development and production.
In order to compare countries, we used parameters where global data is available. This is particularly difficult in the area of biotechnology. As no universal and agreed definition of the term "biotechnology‟ exists, hardly any global assessments or rankings on biotechnological capabilities are available. The parameters that are used in the following were selected for the simple reason that comparative data was available. They have limitations, but in combination they give an indication of a country‟s biological capabilities. For the areas of production and development, only quantitative data was available, while the PubMed database allows also for a qualitative assessment of research capabilities.
4.1 Production
The capability to produce biological agents may be assessed on the basis of two parameters: the number of biotechnology companies and vaccine production capacity. No data is available on the number of biotechnology companies in Turkey. The Ernst & Young Global Biotechnology Report that was used in other Sunshine Project Country Reports does not provide data on Turkey.
With regard to vaccine production, a good information source providing global data is WHO, which maintains a database of most producers of human vaccines worldwide. While some of information – particularly the production quantities – is confidential and not disclosed, the list of the manufacturers and the types of vaccines they produce is available from WHO. The number of different vaccine types produced in a country may be taken as an indication of biological production capability.
Refik Saydam Hygiene Center: According to the WHO data, Turkey has one human vaccine manufacturer, the Refik Saydam Hygiene Center (RSHM), which produces a combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. In addition, RSHM is also producing BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine.
The RSHM-website indicates that a new production process for tetanus vaccine using fermenters was introduced in the mid 1990s. RSHM is also responsible for quality control of a broad range of other human vaccines that are obviously imported from other manufacturers. Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute: This institute is located in Ankara and produces a variety of animal vaccines. This includes anthrax vaccine (Sterne strain) for animal use. According to the Turkish CBMs 1997-1999 and a BWC Review Conference document, Yersinia pestis (plague) vaccine is also produced at Etlik, which would raise some questions at this particular institute as plague is not a typical animal disease. It appears to be likely that this entry in the CBMs is a translation error and that Rinderpest vaccine, and not plague vaccine, is produced. A website of the institute indicates that it has a viral vaccine production capacity is 20 million doses annually and that Rinderpest virus vaccine is produced there.
Research
The relative strength of Turkish research in areas relevant to BW is indicated by the number of scientific publications on issues pertinent to BW agents. For the purpose of this study, anti-personnel agents that have been stockpiled or otherwise weaponized by state armed forces since 1946,45 according to their possessor states, were used as examples of typical BW agents.
A search in the PubMed database was conducted, using the term "Turkey‟ in the affiliation of the corresponding author, combined with the scientific names of the agents (bacteria and viruses) or the name of the toxin in case of the four toxins. The search was restricted to the five-year period 1999-2003 to get a recent account of research activities.
For each biological agent, the total number of scientific papers was determined and expressed as percent of the global number of papers in this category. As a control, a general microbiology-related query was used to determine the overall share of Turkish papers in the relevant field.
Turkey appears to have an above average research focus on Francisella tularensis, Bacillus anthracis and botulinum toxin. As a specific research focus in one country may be attributable to specific environmental or other regional conditions, a similar analysis was performed on four neighbouring countries. Based on publications, these three agents appear to be a Turkish speciality.
However, as the total number of Turkish research papers on Francisella was only two, both of which dealing with case studies, this is not considered to be significant. All publications from Turkish corresponding authors on botulinum toxin deal with new treatments for a variety of conditions using botulinum toxin A. From the 16 anthrax-related publications, one is a general review article, six are about individual case reports, all from different hospitals all around Turkey.
Another six publications deal with epidemiol ogical overviews on anthrax cases in different parts of Turkey, including one published by the Gulhane Military Medical Academy in Istanbul. Only two publications, both from university hospitals, were experimental and investigated the antibiotic susceptibility of anthrax isolates.
5. Turkish use of ‘non-lethal’ chemical weapons
In the past, Turkish Armed Forces have used tear gas in military combat, and security forces in Turkey are still trained to use chemical agents in combat, for example, if fighting enemies in caves. While most cases of alleged use of tear gas by Turkish forces against Kurdish fighters are difficult to assess, there is at least one incident where some hard evidence for the use of tear gas in a combat exists.
On 11 May 1999, Turkish armed forces used CS gas near Balikaya, southeast of Sirnak, against armed Kurds hiding in a cave. A piece of shrapnel collected in that cave was provided by a Kurdish member of the red crescent to a German TV journalist. An analysis of the shrapnel at the Institute for Forensic Medicine at the University of Munich identified CS gas.
According to the German TV, the CS grenades were of the type RP707.50 They were produced in Germany by Buck and were exported to Turkey with an official export license since 1995. Although the chemical analysis is conclusive, there is no independent proof that the shrapnel provided to the German laboratory was removed from the cave in Sirnak/Balikaya, hence some uncertainty about this incident remains.
A Foreign Minstry spokesperson denied the allegations made by German TV with the argument that Turkey meticulously abides to its obligation not to develop, produce or stockpile chemical weapons and hence cannot use such weapons. The spokesperson did not relate to the fact that the chemical weapon used was CS gas, which is without doubt stockpiled in Turkey, as it was imported at least from the UK56 and Germany under export licenses.
The fight at Balikaya left 20 combatants dead. It is unclear whether they died from high concentrations of tear gas or whether they were shot when leaving the gassed cave. But in any case a use of chemical agents in such a military combat situation constitutes a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention which explicitly prohibits use of ” riot control agents as a method of warfare”.
A video documentary produced by the Turkish radio and TV station TRT shows that Turkish anti-terrorist forces are still trained to use tear gas in military combat. The thirty minute video features several different training situations. In one scenario, the security forces use explosive grenades against enemies in a cave and thereafter use tear gas grenades to disable any persons left alive in the cave. In another scenario, Turkish security forces fight insurgents in a village, blasting a house and finally using tear gas to force an enemy out of hiding in a well. While the use of tear gas in domestic law enforcement situations is not prohibited under international law, it raises concerns if they are used in such situations and in combination with deadly force and an intent to kill.
Several times in the past 15 years the Turkish security forces have been accused by Kurdish groups to have used chemical agents, but in most cases these allegations were not supported by evidence. In turn, Kurdish fighters have been accused of using chemical weapons in Turkey. None of these competing claims has been supported by even the slightest piece of evidence.
The origin of a mysterious poisoning of 2070 Kurdish refugees in a camp at Mardin in Turkey in June 1989 remains unresolved.
The Kurdish Democratic Party stated at that time that Iraqi agents poisoned bread eaten at the camp. British scientists obtained and analysed blood samples from victims and found indirect evidence for organophosphate poisoning.
They ruled out accidental poisoning by commercial organophosphates and strongly suspected deliberate poisoning using a potent nerve agent. Due to limited sample availability, however, they could not identify the nature and source of the agent.
6. Turkish Confidence Building Measures and Transparency
6.1 BWC ratification
Turkey is party to all major biological and chemical arms control agreements. On 5 October 1929, it ratified the Geneva Protocol with no reservations. It ratified the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) on 5 November 1974. Turkey does not have specific legislation implementing the BWC. According to Article 90 of the Turkish Constitution, however, international agreements duly put into effect in Turkey carry the force of law. In addition, violation of BWC provisions may, according to Turkish officials, fall within the jurisdiction of the following acts, although it is not altogether clear how biological weapons are regulated by these laws:
• Law No. 3736 On the Control of Private Industrial Enterprises Producing War Weapons;
• Law No. 6136 on fire arms, knives and other weapons;
• Law No. 3713 to fight terrorism;
• Turkish Criminal Code.
The Chemical Weapons Convention was ratified by Turkey on 12 May 1997.
6.2 Confidence Building Measures – next to non-existent
Many of the questions and uncertainties cited in this report could and should have been addressed in the CBMs submitted by Turkey to the United Nations. According to the final document of the Third Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, Turkey has the obligation to annually submit a comprehensive and complete declaration on its biodefense program. To date, Turkey has not even remotelycomply with this obligation. The Turkish government and the relevant institutions did not reply to written requests for clarification of issues presented and questions raised in this report.
In each year from 1993 through 2001 and in 2003, Turkey submitted a confidence building measure (CBM) under the BWC. None of these CBMs indicated the existence of a biodefense program or identified a biodefense research facility of the Turkish Armed Forces. Turkey did not submit confidence building measures (CBMs) under the BWC in 1992 and 2002.
The CBMs that have been submitted by the Turkish government contain very limited information and thus do not build confidence from an arms control point of view. In one case (2001), Turkey submitted only the cover form, and in other years only one additional page on vaccine producers. The CBMs from 1997 through 1999 were identical, as were the CBMs in 2000 and 2003.
The incomplete Turkish CBMs – especially with regard to the nature, scope and location of the Turkish biodefense program – raise concerns as they contribute to suspicions about the objective of Turkey‟s biowarfare-related activities, especially in connection with the alleged secret security directive permitting the use of insect and chemical weapons in conflicts with Kurdish fighters.
It has been argued that the current CBM format requires declaration only for a facility “which has a substantial proportion of its resources devoted to the national biological defence research and development programme”, and not for all facilities involved in a biodefense program. Considering that the term „facility‟ is not clearly defined, probably every biodefense institution in the world could be excluded from the declaration requirement if the term „facility‟ is creatively interpreted by the declaring country.
Considering that the purpose of CBMs is to create confidence, countries should abstain from dubious manipulations of the term “facility” to justify omitting significant biodefense institutions from their declarations. The more elements of a national biodefense program that are excluded from a CBM submission intended to build confidence, the more paradoxical the CBM‟s effect will be. This is especially true for Turkey, which explicitly denied the existence of a biodefense program in its CBMs. The Turkish government is not making its CBMs available to the general public. Other governments (Australia, USA) have placed their CBMs on the internet.
It is strongly recommended that Turkey follows this example. To show support for the international ban on biological weapons, and if it supports a strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, Turkey should contribute to building confidence by submitting future CBMs that are complete, consistent and unambiguous.
7. Government Undertaking on Biodefense Programs
The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) prohibits the development, production and stockpiling of biological agents intended to harm humans, animals, plants, materials or the environment. The BTWC allows for defensive research; but contains no exemption for law enforcement, riot control or similar purposes. While biodefense programs are necessary for protection against biological warfare, they can also blur the distinction between offensive and defensive activities and an offensive capability may be generated in the course of defensive work.
There is an urgent need to ensure that governments restrict themselves in biodefense programs and guarantee full transparency in all aspects of biodefense research, to prevent a race for offensive capabilities under cover of defense. We call on all governments to adopt this Undertaking and to make it binding upon their biodefense programs.
References:
http://www.sunshine-project.org/
http://www.humanrights.blogsport.de
http://www.taz.de/1/politik/europa/artikel/1/hat-die-tuerkei-c-waffen-eingesetzt/
http://www.taz.de/1/politik/europa/artikel/1/internationale-untersuchung-gefordert/
http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1281517283814.shtml
http://www.theintelligence.de/index.php/politik/international-int/1278-setzt-die-tuerkei-chemische-waffen-gegen-kurden-ein.html
http://www.rtl.de/medien/information/rtlaktuell/d8c4-0-51ca-94/hat-die-tuerkei-c-waffen-eingesetzt.html
http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2010-08/giftgas-tuerkei-kurden
http://www.welt.de/die-welt/politik/article8978555/Setzte-die-tuerkische-Armee-Giftgas-gegen-PKK-Kaempfer-ein.html
http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article8967127/Tuerkei-soll-Giftgas-gegen-PKK-eingesetzt-haben.html
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,711506,00.html
http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1281517283814.shtml
http://www.taz.de/1/politik/europa/artikel/1/pkk-will-waffen-niederlegen/
http://www.schweizmagazin.ch/topnews/3550-Trkei-Giftgas-gegen-Kurden.html
http://bazonline.ch/ausland/europa/Setzt-die-Tuerkei-Chemiewaffen-gegen-Kurden-ein/story/19124704
http://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/177796.giftgas-verdacht-gegen-tuerkei-erhaertet-sich.html
While the US-Turkish democratic example has meetings with Libyan "rebels" and a ongoing genocide on Kurdish "rebels", Syrians are massacred, mutilated
Only bullets found as families' hopes are dashed The families of Abdulkerim Tufan and Atanur Şahin, two Kurdish guerrillas who lost their life in the clashes in Uludere on 14 and 15 May, have gone to Kuro Şino Hill in the Iraqi Kurdistan Federal Region yesterday, hoping they could locate the bodies of their children.
As DIHA News Agency though, the relatives couldn't find the bodies but found instead many bullets. The families are waiting for 14 days the delivery of their sons Tufan and Şahin’s bodies. Yesterday, twenty-five people, including officials and family members, went to Ortaköy (Aroş) and continued by helicopter to Kuro Şino Hill.
Abdullah Tufan, uncle of Abdulkerim Tufan, said that they found bullets but there were no bodies. According to locals, soldiers buried the bodies in an unknown places, stated uncle Tufan.
According to Peace and Democracy Party Chair Abit İke; military secretly buried the bodies since they are afraid of causing a great dissatisfaction wave of Kurdish people, most likely, because of the bodies were terribly abused.
A committee made up of BDP Chairs, members of the Mesopotamia Solidarity Association for Families of the Missing (MEYA-DER) and mayors of Uludere and İdil and families back to Şırnak to file a complaint against local authorities and military forces. MEYADER Executive Member Mehmet Yaşar also claimed military for hiding the bodies.
ANF / SIRNAK
Families couldn't find bodies of their children
As DIHA News Agency though, the relatives couldn't find the bodies but found instead many bullets. The families are waiting for 14 days the delivery of their sons Tufan and Şahin’s bodies. Yesterday, twenty-five people, including officials and family members, went to Ortaköy (Aroş) and continued by helicopter to Kuro Şino Hill.
Abdullah Tufan, uncle of Abdulkerim Tufan, said that they found bullets but there were no bodies. According to locals, soldiers buried the bodies in an unknown places, stated uncle Tufan.
According to Peace and Democracy Party Chair Abit İke; military secretly buried the bodies since they are afraid of causing a great dissatisfaction wave of Kurdish people, most likely, because of the bodies were terribly abused.
A committee made up of BDP Chairs, members of the Mesopotamia Solidarity Association for Families of the Missing (MEYA-DER) and mayors of Uludere and İdil and families back to Şırnak to file a complaint against local authorities and military forces. MEYADER Executive Member Mehmet Yaşar also claimed military for hiding the bodies.
ANF / SIRNAK
Families couldn't find bodies of their children
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