Violations Increase with Clashes in Southeast

According to Selahattin Demirtas, the Diyarbakir head of the Human Rights Association (IHD), the increasing number of clashes and operations in the region since June has led to an increase in the cases of human rights violations. Demirtas said that a total of 123 people have died and 118 have been injured in the last three months in clashes.

The IHD has released its report on human rights violations in the Southeastern Anatolian region in the last three months.

Demirtas expressed that the state's interventions in the freedom to assemble, freedom of expression and freedom to organize increase with the increasing number of clashes and operations. "Similarly, we are witnessing an increase in number the torture cases," said Demirtas. "The clashes have halted the people's return to villages, as well as having a negative effect on the economy of the region."

According to Demirtas, the clashes stem from the fact that a peaceful dialogue has still not been established for the solution of the Kurdish Problem. He said the investigation against Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir should be withdrawn at once.

According to the report, there have been 959 rights violations in the last three months. Other statistics from the report are:

* A total of 145 people have died and 159 people have been injured in clashes, unsolved murders and extrajudicial killings in the region.

* A total of 165 people have been detained in the region in the last three months.

* Nine women have been subjected to violence.

* There have been two honor killings.

* Police officers have intervened in three incidents, one person has died as a result of interventions, 13 people have been injured and nine people have been detained.

* One non-governmental organization has been shut down.

According to IHD, a total of 276 people have applied to its Diyarbakir branch in the last three months. It stated that the data in the report compiles applications to the eastern and southeastern branches and the cases covered by the media.

Attention to ethnic clashes

According to Demirtas; the latest developments in the recent months in western and eastern Turkey are turning into an ethnic clash. "Everyone, but especially the government, should be careful to use a language of peace and brotherhood," said Demirtas.

Demirtas said that only democratic environments can lead to developments in human rights and freedoms. He added:

"Such environments, where nationalism is incited and the fascist attacks are adding up to social lynching, may only lead to illegality and chaos. If Turkey doesn't urgently do what's necessary for the establishment of social peace and democracy, there is a risk that we will enter a period of chaos."

TMY would undermine all democratic steps

Demirtas said that most of the democratization laws passed in the EU membership process are yet to be implemented. He added that the Anti-Terrorism Law (TMY) could eliminate most of these rights anyway.

"Recently, with the latest violence, the state is creating an new wave of pressure on opposition circles saying that freedoms are being exploited," said Demirtas. "In a country where there is no exact definition of terror and terrorism, and where almost half of the population are deemed terrorists, they aim to expand the anti-terrorism laws and implement this law on the whole population." (KO/EA/YE)