Human rights watch: turkis-kurdish conflict assignment

Once Ataturk rejected land to the Kurds, the Kurds formed a semi-independent state called Kurdistan which now exists only in the minds of the Kurds. The Turks did not favor this and made laws against the Kurds. For example one of the laws included was not being able to speak the native Kurdish language in public places. The Turkish government made it difficult for the Kurdish people to express the culture. These conflicts between Turkey and the Kurds also have great relevance to geography. The Kurds have historical claims to the territory that they originally originated from (southeastern part of Turkey).

They have lived in the area for over 2000 years. Once the world started becoming modern and countries started to be formed the Kurds desired their own just like every other group of people. Some were successful, the Kurds were not. The Kurds are ethnically and culturally different from both the Turks and the Arabs. They speak a different language, and while all three groups are Muslim, they all practice different forms. Since Turkey and the Arab nations have their own land to practice their own language and form of religion the Kurds also wanted and still want the same.

Evenn if they were to go to the hospital they were interrogated by the police before they are given any medical attention. “ You can’t go out at night. You can’t sleep on the roof in the summer time, which is our tradition. You can’t go to work late at night??? you’ll be detained by the police. The next day at 3: 00 p. m. they were all released without charges,” (page 10) one human rights activist in Adana, Turkey (south-eastern tip of Turkey) told Helsinki Watch. Civilians even feared the police during this time. People in that region of Turkey depend mainly on their live stock (which includes cows, goats, and sheep) for food and wealth.

People often complained about their animals not being able to roam freely in the plains and feed themselves because of the land mines the military puts out. These mines not only detonate when animals step on them but also when civilians walk on them because they are scatter randomly and are impossible to spot. The Kurds report that sometimes the military doesn’t even know where they set the mines. This is the cause of some deaths of Kurdish people as well as the military as Helsinki Watch reports that the PKK also set mines in paths of the Turkish military.

His autopsy revealed his death was caused by bleeding of the brain. Diyarbakir officials said it was due to blood pressure but Mr. Yilmaz’s wife reported that her husband did not have any health problems. Some of the people that suspiciously died while in police custody did have gunshots to the head. Officials said these people committed suicide with a gun they found. During this investigation Helsinki Watch interviewed a 20-year old Kurdish male in Istanbul, Turkey. He reports in this interview that he was legally selling magazines at a festival and was detained by police later that day.

Since the time he was detained to the time he was released he was tortured continuously. He was given electric shock to his genitals, beat with sticks and weapons, and had been burned with cigarette. He was then taken to a doctor with marks all over his body but no torture marks were reported. He was later forced to sign a statement where he spent about 4 months in prison and was charged with separatism and slogans. Looking forward Helsinki Watch ends the report by contacting government officials about what steps that have or will be taken to improve the Turkish-Kurdish conflict in Turkey as well as the killings and tortures.