IHD establishes commission to monitor the withdrawal process

Human Rights Association (IHD) headquarters has established a commission to monitor the process of withdrawal by Kurdish guerrillas as of 8 May.

The commission is planned to monitor the withdrawal of guerrillas from Turkish borders, possible armed clashes-and to decide on the side at fault-, activities of temporary and permanent village guard groups, as well as those of temporary commands, battalions and brigades and special operation teams hired for the armed conflict process in Kurdistan, activities in newly built border military posts, mined lands and villages evacuated in 90’s in the eastern andsoutheastern regions of Turkey.
IHD headquarters held a press conference on the results of the recent IHD workshop “the role of the human rights movement for the recognition of peoples’ rights in the process for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question”

Speaking here, IHD President Öztürk Türkdo?an said that the workshop had handled the subjects of constitutional, legal and administrative solutions, justice seek and truth, conflict resolutions, the role of NGOs, the tools for building a peace culture and social peace with respect to the recognition of peoples’ rights.

Türkdo?an pointed out that it was ?HD’s decison to create an independent commission to offer a contribution to the process of withdrawal without any accidents. “KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) Executive Council Presidency also had called for the establishment of independent commissions to monitor the withdrawal as of 8 May. As an institution with an experience of works on the violations of rights in the Kurdish region, and familar with the attitude of Turkish and Kurdish sides, our association considers it useful to monitor the process of withdrawal in the most effective way possible. Human rights defenders will be intervening in the situation in the event of a negative development”, he said.

Türkdo?an stated that the commission consisted of 25 members including members of ?HD central executive board and executives of local branches.

?HD President remarked that the commission will also invite representatives of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch Committee to Turkey to enable the monitoring of the process in the international area as well. He added that the commission will also pay often visits to rural areas to follow the process more closely and that it expected the government to display understanding in this respect.

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