Turkey's Human Rights Issue

The Honorable Richard Lugar
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1401

April 30, 2006

Dear Mr. Chairman,

I deeply respect the role that the United States has assumed in the Middle East to rid the region of one of its most brutal dictators and to stay the course of the battle to engage in the arduous task of nation-building. I believe that democratization is nowhere more urgently needed than in the Middle East.

I am writing to call your attention to dangerous developments that have recently been taking place in Turkey a country that is both a NATO-ally and a neighbour to Iraq. The Kurds of Turkey, a population of at least 18 million people, have long been denied the opportunity to exercise their fundamental human rights. I believe the only long lasting solution to the Kurdish problem in Turkey, one that is in line with the conditions for joining the European Union, is a negotiated, political solution that recognizes the cultural, social and political rights of the Kurdish minority.

The Kurds have always supported all democratic principles for all ethnicities within Kurdish regions and has adhered to the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations (U.N.) Organization, the U.N. sponsored International Human Rights Covenants and Protocols, and the European Convention on Human Rights. Yet countries such as Turkey have for several decades and continue to commit crimes against humanity. (As it is considered by these protocols and are constantly documented by Amnesty International).

The neglect from the international community has been outrageous, and has lost focus of the true intentions of uniting as a global community; to fight against such violence and injustices that occur to mankind. The lack of attention form the global media has been ongoing, and it seems that even more bloodshed has not had made an impact, or resulted changes within Kurdish regions. In 1994 four deputies of the Turkish parliament were sentenced 15 years of imprisonment because they expressed Kurdish political identity ( these allegations were based on the color of their clothe Amnesty USA). Turkeys AKP controlled government has denied, and continues to deny the race of over 18 million people within the region; mostly in part of their conservative Attaturk ideologies. The Kurdish situation in the Southeastern region of Turkey, where deadly riots have occurred, are due to the ethnic conflicts that have only gotten worse, due to the ongoing human rights abuses. Change is imperative more than ever, and the Kurdish people; are in dire need of your help.

The Turkish state, rather than taking steps to initiate dialogue, has recently reaffirmed that it views the Kurdish problem solely within the narrow prism of security. Tensions in the region began to escalate with the bombing of a bookstore on November 9, 2005 in the eastern city of Semdinli by men covertly linked to the Turkish Special Forces. The investigation of the incident was covered up, and Mr. Ferhat Sarikaya, the Prosecutor who initiated an indictment against the military for fomenting unrest in the Kurdish region, has been removed from office (Reuters, April 21, 2006). Not long after the bombing in Semdinli, the Turkish military demonstrated its complete lack of restraint in dealing with its Kurdish population during the street protests in Diyarbakir and Batman. A total of 16 people, including a 3-year-old boy, were killed when security forces opened fire and used tear gas to disperse the crowds. Currently, 80 children (aged 12 to 18) face between 10 and 15 years in jail for participating in the civil unrest (Reuters, April 25, 2006). Human rights workers are also being targeted to prevent any reporting on the deterioration in civil liberties. In April, Human Rights Watch researcher Jonathan Sugden was deported from Turkey (Human Rights Watch, April 12, 2006).

With already as many as 250, 000 Turkish troops in the predominantly Kurdish southeastern region of the country, Turkey has recently deployed a further 40, 000 troops for the purposes of initiating a new military campaign against the Kurds (ISN Security Watch, April 25, 2006).

The Turkish states steps towards militarization of the problem rather than democratization greatly concern me. I hope that the United States and particularly the Foreign Relations Committee shares in our disappointment and will take a firm stand by way of a statement in support of a political settlement to address the deep-seated problems of the Kurdish minority in Turkey.