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Kurdish Human Rights Project: This is the legacy website of the Kurdish Human Rights Project, containing reports and news pertaining to human rights issues in the Kurdish Regions for 20 years.

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATIONS VISITS TURKEY FOR THE FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

(1) EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATIONS VISITS TURKEY FOR THE FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.


(2) FOUR NEW CASES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DECLARED ADMISSIBLE BY THE COMMISSION

Press Release: 22 March 1996


A Delegation from the European Commission on Human Rights travelled to South East Turkey from the 13th -17th March to take oral evidence in three cases brought by Kurds against Turkey for violations of their right under the European Convention.

The Delegations heard evidence from some of the applicants and also from villagers, lawyers, doctor, a mayor and a public prosecutor . In all three cases the Turkish Government denied the allegations and provided a different account of events. The three cases involved allegations of torture, killings and the destruction of houses. (see KHRP Press Release 20/10/94)

In case of Akdivar and others v. Turkey (Application No. 21893\93) the applicants allege that their houses were burned down and that they were forced to leave their villages.

In the Aksoy (Application No. 21987\93) case the applicants alleges ill-treatment while in detention on remand.

In the Cagirge ( Application No>21895\93) case the applicants allege that several members of their family were killed and their house destroyed as a result of the use of an explosive devie fired by the Turkish Government.

The individual applicants were helped to take their grievances to Strasbourg by the Human Rights Association of Turkey and the Kurdish Human Rights Project in London.

The taking of evidence will continue at a later date and, subsequently, the Delegates will report to the Commission which will decide its future procedures in the cases.

Four further cases have been declared admissible by the Commission. This brings to 22 the total number of cases now under investigation by the Commission.

Mehmet KAYA v. Turkey ( Application No. 22729/93).

On the 25th March 1993 the brother of the applicant was killed. It is alleged that over 100 bullets were fired into his body by the security forces. Most of the people who came to give their condolenes on the death of A. Menaf Kaya, the brother of the applicant, suffered abuse of various kinds

Salih TEKIN v. Turkey (Application No. 22496/93).

The applicant, a journalist who woked for the newspaper Ozgur Gundem, was held for 4 days (15th - 18th February 1993) in a cell with sub-zero temparatures. During this time he alleges that he was interrogated, stripped naked, hosed with cold water and forced to sign a statement prepared by the police.

Behiye SALMAN v. Turkey (Application No. 21986/93).

The applicant's husband was detained by police in the early hours of the morning of the 28th April 1992. The following day the applicant was informed that her husband had died of a heart attack. It is alleged that photographs of the body reveal injuries and bruising on the lower armpits, the legs and the soles of the feet. On 19th October 1992 the Adana Public Prosecutor in a written decision determined that there were no grounds to proceed against 10 named police officers.

Muharrem ERGI.v. Turkey (Application No. 23818/94)

On 29th September 1993 it is alleged that the State Security forces and village guards surrounded the village of Gisgis in Ergani District. There had been an incident in the village about one week earlier. It is alleged that the soldiers opened fire on the village for about one hour with the indiscriminate bombardment of civilian houses. The applicant's sister died from a bullet wound in the head.

The Commission's decision to investigate the cases represents a significant step towards the promotion of accountability, democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.