The Constitutional Court’s decision last falls to ban the pro-Kurdish party DTP led to massive demonstrations and riots in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan. These actions were followed by a wave of arrests of children, which took place mainly in the Kurdish cities as Diyarbakir, Mardin, Batman, Sirnak, Van, Hakkari and Urfa.
The crimes that these children were considered to commit, was making victory signs with their fingers and to take part in various demonstrations , which in fact was approved by the state itself. Also shouting slogans, participate in funeral ceremonies with their faces covered was considered as crimes. However, the reason why these children had covered their faces in the first place was to avoid being arrested because of their views. According to the sources of CHAK, hundreds of Kurdish children and adolescents are in various prisons of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan today.
Since 2006 in Northern Kurdistan, approximately 5000-6000 young people have been charged with crimes against the country’s anti-terrorist laws. Many children between the age group 12-18 were the first target group for the police force, to get arrested with violence. These children were held in prisons during days, without any access to lawyers or relatives.
According to the international agreement that protects the children’s rights; children in this age group has to be interrogated by a prosecutor who is qualified to present cases against children in this very specific age group. However, in this case, the prosecutors which were charging these children were in fact prosecutors who were usually carrying cases with heavy penalties for adults. Both the prosecutor and the Supreme Court approved people between ages fifteen and eighteen to be sentenced under the country’s anti-terror law sections, such as sections 7 / 2, and 220 / 6, 7, 8 and 314 / 3, which sentenced to imprisonment up to several years. This proofs the single fact that waving a flag that is banned, showing victory sign during a demonstration or shout slogans, and the police’s single suspicion might be enough to imprison a child in Turkey.
According to the sources of CHAK, the prison cells are dirty and despite the serious illnesses that many of these children carry, the doctor visits occurs very rarely.
As result of the torture and inhuman treatment, a while ago, the children of the Diyarbakir prison began to rebel. Last week, these children were deported to prisons in various cities of Turkey. Since the parents’ ability to visit their children was prevented significantly the parents are today protesting in front the Diyarbakir’s prison against these deportations. As a result of the Terrorism Act, which limits the possibility to benefit from a defence lawyer and any support from the relatives, these Kurdish children are prosecuted, tortured, punished, imprisoned and deported.
The UN convention on children’s human rights and European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights protects children against unfair acts and are against hate speech. Turkey is a member of the UN and wants to join the EU and has signed under international agreements. Despite all these facts, today there are ongoing torture, discrimination and inhumane treatments against Kurdish children.
Turkey want to change the terror law
Because of pressure from the public, Turkey has been forced to work with the bill. The proposal was formulated and submitted to parliament for approval of 5/10- 09. This proposal was pushed forward in a systematic way, where it once again has been postponed until the autumn of 2010. The proposal is not well deliberated and does not follow the International Covenants. Obviously, the proposal does not solve the problem where the child is prosecuted as a member of illegal organization and propaganda organizations. It does not prevent the children arrest.
International and national campaign for Kurdish children’s freedom
Human rights organization Kurdocide Watch- CHAK has started a campaign for the freedom for the Kurdish children.
CHAKs suggestions:
The 220 / 6.7, 8 and 314 / 3, 7 / 2, CMK 100 / 3 –laws must be stopped or not be used against children. These laws are against international conventions that protect children against injustices. Therefore, children who are victims of these laws must be released from prison and all proceedings be closed.
Police officers, prosecutors, judges, court and prison staffs who work with children’s proceedings needs to be educated and trained in agreement with international standards. The child-prisons must follow international rules.
Our expectations of the UN, EU, human rights organizations and public opinion are to support the Kurdish children who are victims of the Turkish terror laws.
The UN and EU must take this issue seriously. In order to accomplish this, they need to put pressure on Turkey to change the law. Also by sending missions to Turkey and Northern Kurdistan to visit children in prisons and by meeting these children’s relatives, human rights- and social organizations and by meeting authorities to improve the situation of children.
We want you to take part of our campaign and sign your name, occupation and domicile that will be sent to the Turkish government, the UN and the EU institutions. Our email address is: campaign@kurdocidewatch.net .
You can also write to the Turkish Government on the matter. Their e-mail address is:
Abdullah Gul, President, Republic of Turkey: cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr Recep Tayip Erdoğan, Prime Minister, Republic of Turkey: bimer@basbakanlik.gov.tr and
ozelkalem@basbakanlik.gov.tr
Sadullah Ergin,try of Justice, Republic of Turkey: info@adalet.gov.tr
Best regards
Kurdocide Watch CHAK
Central Board