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KurdistanObserver.com
Turkish Turkey
Displays Subhuman Standards of Conduct
Turkish security forces deport Iraqi Kurds naked
By Kawa Jam
The Kurdish Globe
Turkish security seems intent on humiliating Kurds before deporting them.
According to firsthand accounts, Kurds facing deportation from Turkey are abused
by Turkish security forces.
Deportees say Turkish security forces stripped them naked and shaved their heads
before deporting them to the Iraqi Kurdish side of the Ibrahim Khalil border
crossing.
Hawre A., a resident of the Rahimawa neighborhood in the city of Kirkuk, was
sent back to the Kurdistan Region unclothed after being beaten. Hawre went to
Turkey in 2006 and was only recently deported.
"When I was arrested by Turkish security, they beat me for about two weeks. One
day, when I opened my eyes after a long period of unconsciousness, I found
myself in a hospital in Turkey," Hawre told the Kurdish newspaper Hawler.
A source from Ibrahim Khalil Security confirmed the allegations and said they
have ample proof that Kurds are facing abuse before being deported.
"We have seen several times that Turkish security forces force the deportees to
take off their clothes; they shave their hair and send them back to us this
way," said a source on condition of anonymity. "And usually torture marks can be
seen on their bodies."
He added that deportees have talked about their plights, and they believe the
main reason behind their abuse is because they are from Kurdistan.
The source added that some Kurds enter Turkey formally, with Iraqi passports and
Turkish visas, but later, when they are deported, the Turks keep their
passports.
Immigration is a major issue in Kurdish society. According to statistics
collected by the Ibrahim Khalil Border Point Security Office, on last Wednesday
alone around 78 Kurds were deported.
According to a 2007 survey by the Youth Empowerment Organization, in just one
year more than 11,000 Kurds have been deported. This is in addition to those who
succeeded in reaching European countries. According to the report, the majority
of those emigrating reside in the border areas of the region.
IIbrahim Khalil Security Office investigations show that the main reasons behind
the large number of youths emigrating are economic and social factors.
Rebwar J., 19, from Sulaimani, tried to emigrate with the hope of finding
happiness and to enjoy a better standard of living. He criticizes the Kurdish
government by stating that it has failed to employ youths and solve unemployment
issues.
"There are more job opportunities in Europe, and I have nothing in Kurdistan; I
thought of immigration only to search for a job," Rebwar said.
Statistics from the Ibrahim Khalil border point show that even Arabs try to
emigrate from this point of the Kurdish-Turkish border. Figures of the
deportees, since January 2008, show that a total of 1,390 people have been
deported, the majority being from Sulaimani.
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