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KHRP11 Guilford Street London
WC1N 1DH UK
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Reform and Regression: Freedom of the Media in Turkey
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In July 2007, the Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) carried out a joint fact-finding mission to Turkey to investigate the current situation for freedom of the media. The mission was co-organised with Article 19, Index on Censorship, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) and the Centre for European Studies, Limerick, Ireland in response to reports of rapidly increasing violations of the right to freedom of expression.
The mission found that today’s retrogressive legislation, rising harassment on the ground and the increased powers that have been conferred to the police, have led many to regard the situation for freedom of the media to have become reminiscent of the ‘dark years’. The report thus provides a background to the 1980s and 1990s and the backdrop against which media freedom has substantially deteriorated since the reforms of 2003 to 2004. It looks at Turkey’s legal obligations with respect to the international human rights instruments to which it is State Party; outlines recent amendments to its domestic legislation; and highlights the frequent accounts of violations of the right to freedom of expression experienced increasingly by the opposition, mainly pro-Kurdish media.
ISBN: 9781905592142
Available by free download at this site. Hard copies are £10.00 + P&P and available from our online shop.
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Refusing Refuge: Investigating the Treatment of Refugees in Turkey
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Refusing Refuge: Investigating the Treatment of Refugees in Turkey
In July 2006, Kurdish Human Rights Project carried out a fact-finding mission to Van and Ankara in Turkey. It discovered worrying trends concerning the situation of refugees and asylum seekers. KHRP is concerned about the welfare of these marginalised and vulnerable people. Of particular concern are twelve hundred Iranian citizens of Kurdish origin currently stranded in Turkey with no access to social provisions or the option of resettlement in a third country.
The mission established serious shortcomings in the legal framework in place to address the problems faced by refugees. If Turkey is to institute the necessary mechanisms to remedy the situation of refugees, the mission recommends a series of reforms which conform to international standards.
Publication available for 10 GBP from khrp@khrp.org or +44 (0) 207 405 3835 or by downloading below. -
State Accountability? The Şemdinli Trial Re-Hearing
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On 11 July 2007 KHRP sent a mission to observe the opening of the Şemdinli bombing trial re-hearing at Van 3rd Heavy Penal Court.
The November 2005 bombing of the Kurdish-owned Umut bookstore in the town of Şemdinli in south-east Turkey killed one man and injured two others. The incident sent shock waves throughout Turkey and internationally because the three individuals accused of planting the explosives were apprehended by a crowd of civilians at the scene. Two of the men were non-commissioned army officers, raising the spectre of ‘deep state’ involvement in the attacks. The trial of the two officers, Ali Kaya and Özcan İldeniz, began in May 2006 and was observed reported by KHRP in 2006’s Promoting Conflict – The Şemdinli Bombing. On 19 June 2006 both men were sentenced to 39 years imprisonment each for “forming a criminal organisation, killing people, attempting to kill people and causing injury”. However, on 16 May 2007 the Court of Appeal overturned the verdict, ordering the case to be re-heard.
In State Accountability?The Şemdinli Trial Re-Hearing, the mission who observed the re-hearing on 11 July 2007 upholds the concerns of the 2006 mission. Indeed, in light of the events surrounding the ruling of the Court of Appeal and the subsequent handing over of military jurisdiction, concerns regarding State impunity the independence of the judiciary have been greatly amplified.
ISBN 978-1-905592-13-5
Available by free download at this site. Hard copies are £10.00 + P&P and available from our online shop.
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Taking Cases to the European Court of Human Rights: A Manual (Turkish language)
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AVRUPA INSAN HAKLARI MAHKEMESINE DAVA GÖTÜRME KILAVUZU
Intended to inform practitioners and interested individuals on the practical usage of the Strasbourg mechanisms, KHRP has published an update to its manual, Taking Cases to the European Court of Human Rights. Written by Kerim Yildiz, Executive Director, and Lucy Claridge, Legal Officer, the manual provides commentaries on the practice and procedure of the European Court, in addition to key texts such as the European Convention, the Court's application form and details of the legal aid available from the Court. It also now includes updated sections on admissibility rules, just satisfaction claims and enforcing judgments, together with information regarding the changes to be introduced by Protocol 14.
The manual has been distributed to human rights lawyers and individuals at KHRP's training sessions in Turkey and the Caucasus in order to aid them in utilising the European Court of Human Rights to improve respect for human rights on the ground. Updates in Turkish and Russian languages will be available shortly.
Publication available for 10 GBP from khrp@khrp.org or +44 (0) 207 405 3835, or by downloading here. -
Taking Human Rights Complaints to UN Mechanisms: A Manual (Russian language 2nd edition)
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Aiming to provide a guide to taking human rights complaints to UN mechanisms for Russian-speaking human rights defenders, this manual provides an update to KHRP's 2003 edition of Taking Human Rights Complaints to UN Mechanisms. The UN aims to achieve the promotion and encouragement of respect for human rights through three categories of human rights bodies: the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, those established by the UN Charter (Charter-based bodies) and those established by provisions in specific legal instruments (treaty-based bodies). Written by Kerim Yildiz, Executive Director, and Lucy Claridge, Legal Officer, the manual provides an overview of the different mechanisms and guides to their use. In addition, the manual also includes updated versions of key texts, such as texts of the reservations and declarations entered into by member states in the Kurdish regions, model complaint forms and guidelines for the submission of complaints.
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Taking Human Rights Complaints to UN Mechanisms: A Manual (Turkish language)
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Aiming to provide a guide to taking human rights complaints to UN mechanisms, this manual provides an update to KHRP's 2003 edition of Taking Human Rights Complaints to UN Mechanisms. The UN aims to achieve the promotion and encouragement of respect for human rights through three categories of human rights bodies: the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, those established by the UN Charter (Charter-based bodies) and those established by provisions in specific legal instruments (treaty-based bodies). Written by Kerim Yildiz, Executive Director, and Lucy Claridge, Legal Officer, the manual provides an overview of the different mechanisms and guides to their use. In addition, the manual also includes updated versions of key texts, such as texts of the reservations and declarations entered into by member states in the Kurdish regions, model complaint forms and guidelines for the submission of complaints.
Publication available for 10 GBP from khrp@khrp.org or +44 (0) 207 405 3835, or by downloading here. -
The Internally Displaced Kurds of Turkey: Ongoing issues of Responsibility, Redress and Resettlement
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The Internally Displaced Kurds of Turkey: Ongoing issues of Responsibility, Redress and Resettlement
by Mark Muller and Sharon Linzey
Since early in the 20th century, the position of the Kurds in Turkey has been precarious. This was particularly so during the 1980s and 1990s when state security forces forcibly evacuated some 3,500 towns and villages in the Kurdish regions of Turkey. Between 3 and 4 million people became internally displaced during this period.
Since becoming a candidate for accession to the European Union (EU) in 1999, Turkey has received a greater level of attention from the international community, particularly in relation to its progress towards meeting the standards required for EU membership, including various human rights standards. However, comparatively little attention has been given to the specific issue of the vast number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Turkey. The Turkish Government has purported to resolve the situation of internally displaced people in Turkey through monetary compensation arrangements and limited programmes for return. These measures have been plagued with legal and practical deficiencies, yet there has been no intergovernmental financial or other support structure designated to assist Turkey in better addressing this massive humanitarian catastrophe.
This report provides an overview and critique of the Turkish Government’s programmes for return, resettlement and redress. It also addresses the issue of responsibility, both in the context of the EU and the international community more generally. It further provides a survey of the current and continuing difficulties facing IDPs in Turkey. The issue of internal displacement remains a critical one for the Kurds in south-east Turkey, the Turkish state, the European Union and the region overall. This report and its recommendations will be essential to all those working for significant change to the benefit of IDPs.
ISBN 978-1-905592-12-8
Available by free download at this site. Hard copies are £10.00 + P&P and available from our online shop.
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Third International Conference on the EU, Turkey and the Kurds
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This report covers the key proceedings of the Third Annual EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) Conference, which was held on 16-17 October 2006 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Themed Time for Justice, Dialogue and Solution, the event was hosted by the founders of the EUTCC, namely the Bar Human Rights Committee (UK); the Kurdish Human Rights Project (UK); medico international (Germany); and the Rafto Foundation (Norway), and was supported by members of the European Parliament. The 2006 Conference focused on implementing a solution to the Kurdish Problem—the most difficult issue for Turkey in its bid to develop democracy. The Conference also focused on the need for fundamental changes to the judiciary; on the situation of internally displaced people; on continued violations of human rights; and on suggestions for compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria, specifically the obligation to respect and promote the rights of minority groups. The Conference concluded with the adoption of new resolutions.
This publication attempts to shed light on particular areas of concern for a successful accession process by bringing together the leading speeches and papers of the 2006 Conference, including its Final Resolutions.
The EUTCC was established in November 2004 as the outcome of the first international Conference on ‘The EU, Turkey and the Kurds’ held in the European Parliament in Brussels on 22-23 November 2004. The EUTCC aims to both promote and provide suggestions for Turkey’s bid for EU accession, and to help guarantee respect for human and minority rights and a peaceful, democratic and long-term solution to the Kurdish situation. The EUTCC monitors and conducts regular audits of Turkey’s compliance with the accession criteria, as defined in the accession agreements. It also makes recommendations, acts as a point of contact, and exchanges information, with the institutions of the EU and other governmental and non-governmental organizations.
ISBN: 9781905592159
