Press Release

October 10, 1995

202.483.6444

Turkey Surrounds Etrus Camp in Iraqi-Kurdistan; UN Fails to Aid Against Food Embargo

For the past year, Turkish soldiers and their Kurdish collaborators, the forces of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), have harassed Kurdish refugees who had fled from state oppression in Turkey. Numbering some 16,000 people, these Kurds have had their livestock confiscated, their food intake reduced, and some of these people have been apprehended. Especially in the last month, the KDP have attacked the refugees, resulting in the deaths of 6 people and the wounding of 9 others.

According to eyewitnesses, the situation is now getting worse. In the last two weeks, Turkish secret service forces and their local collaborators, the KDP, have surrounded the camp, cutting it off from the outside world. Because of a food embargo against the camp, the refugees have been left to starve.

The refugees living in Etrus camp had fled from Turkish state terror, but the Turkish government refuses to leave them in peace. As the local harassment continues, Turkey is also making moves at the international level. During a recent visit to New York, Erdal Inonu, Turkey's foreign minister, complained to the United Nations that this camp ought to be closed and its residents repatriated to Turkey.

The Etrus refugee camp stands a testimony to the Turkish government's policy of genocide against the Kurds. Aware of this fact, the Turkish authorities want to put an end to this embarrassment. They, together with their local KDP collaborators, have claimed that the camp is full of guns and acts as a safe area for PKK guerrillas. These are baseless accusations.

The United Nations is supposed to protect the people in Etrus camp and provide humanitarian assistance. But according to information reaching our office, the UN is allowing these Turkish/KDP atrocities to take place with impunity.

We view this policy as undermining the impartiality of the United Nations, making a travesty of basic human rights. We strongly urge the UN to intervene and rectify the situation.

In addition, we urge the Red Cross, NGOs, and human rights organizations to send representatives to the camp and observe the situation first hand. We also urge the democratic public to form a delegation of its own to assess the matter.