ERNK Statement Concerning Amnesty I

[ats at etext.org]

From: Arm The Spirit <ats at etext.org>
Subject: ERNK Statement Concerning Amnesty International

ERNK Statement Concerning Amnesty International

     On Wednesday, January 8, 1994, Amnesty International
published a report concerning human rights abuses in Turkey and
Kurdistan. The National Liberation Front of Kurdistan (ERNK) has
a positive opinion of this report, but the report was not
sufficient nor was it complete. The situation in our country is
one of total war wherein the Turkish Republic is carrying out
unlimited state terror.
     The fact that Amnesty International equates the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) - which is struggling for the national and
democratic rights of the Kurdish people - with the Turkish
government has more to do with Amnesty International's political
worries rather than objectivity. In order to lessen the reactions
from the Turkish side, which are not justified, Amnesty follows
this line.
     There can be no talk whatsoever of actions by the PKK aimed
at civilians. In this sense, the report names a few teachers and
villagers without seeking a closer explanation. We would like to
emphasize the following: Turkey pays certain teachers to gather
intelligence material to be passed on to the secret service and
the army. Despite this fact, the PKK came and issued several
warnings. But some of these people were members of the MIT
(Turkish intelligence agency) who were involved in murder attacks
against out people. The number of these people killed is very
limited. Also, the "village guards", who are armed and paid by
the state to carry out tasks for the army, should be considered
as legitimate targets. To refer to these people as civilians
means to mislead the international public opinion. Village
guards, who use their homes as the front lines, are responsible
for the burning of villages and the deaths of hundreds of
villagers and guerrillas. The Turkish state is responsible for
all of this by making the villages targets in military actions.
     In January 1995, the PKK sent a communique to the Swiss
government and to the International Red Cross stating the party's
willingness to adhere to international accords such as the Geneva
Convention of August 12, 1949 and the First Protocol of 1977.
Turkey, in addition to its violations against the Convention, is
not even a signatory to the First Protocol of 1977.
     According to preparations which have been made, it looks as
though the war will become even worse in 1995. Our party would
like to state once again its desire to end this dirty war and to
search for a democratic and political solution to this question.

Ali Sapan, ERNK European Spokesperson
February 8, 1995