Children’s Rights Mission to Turkish Kurdistan : The vicious circle of violence– forced migration - poverty - violence…

Poverty as the result of violence and discrimination against Kurdish people

The situation of Kurdish children in Turkey is distressful. There aren’t much talks about this but it is a known fact and it is written down in thousands of pages and reported by professionals and people who can say that they are ‘competent’ to talk about this subject. For example, In January 2010 a 160-pages-long report has been published by the Kurdish Human Rights Project ( KHRP) about the situation of Kurdish children in Turkey.

Although both the Turkish government as well as the various international organisations who are settled in Turkey do not make a distinction between the different cultural, linguistic and religious groups, the report shows that the situation of the Kurdish children is worse than that of  ethnic Turkish children .The economic gap between the West and the ( Kurdish) East of the country is  gigantic. The incomes in the West reach European standards, while the incomes in the East are equal to those of the poorest countries in the world. 60 % of the Turkish Kurds live beneath the poverty line.

This poverty is among other things the result of the massive forced migration in the 90’s, when the Turkish militaries destroyed around 3500 villages in the South-east during their war against the PKK. Consequently,  accommodation constitutes a major obstacle in the development and the well-being of the Kurdish children. Kurdish families , their number is being estimated to 3.5 million , moved and are still moving in massive numbers to the cities where there isn’t enough supply on the housing market and where almost half of all the houses are in need of serious renovation. As a result a lot of slums have developed : a great amount of children live in areas with muddy streets, problems with transport and communication and  with lack of green zones , playgrounds and stores.

Research shows that the number of IDP’s (Internally Displaced Persons) in a region is linked to child labour and children living on the streets. Yet, the link between forced migration and these problems is still a taboo in Turkey. According to the KHRP, this allows  prevention and rehabilitation projects for children to be often inefficient or even to project the families and the children as criminals. There also is an acute shortage of means for projects like these.

Concerning education, it is also clear that Kurdish children are being prejudiced because of their origin. In comparison with other schools, those in the South-east score  badly on national tests because the children  are not being schooled in their native language. Education in Kurdish is still prohibited.

Anti-terror legislation merciless for Kurdish children

Although the last couple of years Turkey has began to work out a children’s rights system under pressure of the European Union, in the meantime other developments are taking place that signify a great step backwards. The anti-terror law and the law on police forces are the most well-known examples of these ‘bad’ developments. The report of the KHRP devotes a lot of attention to the cases of  children put in prison because  of their participation in protests. This year, also Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch already published reports about this. Since 2006 thousands of children ,some of them only 12 years old, have been persecuted under the anti-terror legislation because of their supposed participation in pro-Kurdish demonstrations. After their arrest , the children got locked up in the detention centers for adults without having the ability to contact their lawyers or family. Once they were indicted , a lot of children were placed in custody for several months or even up to a year or longer. During their detention period,  the children have no  access to education, health facilities or leisure activities. The children go through maltreatment and torture. Furthermore, in this manner the Turkish state offends the freedom of speech, which also counts for children. Participation is one of the three basic principles of the UN’s  International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In July 2010 the Turkish government changed the law to prevent the persecution of minor demonstrators under the anti-terror legislation. Hereby persecutions of children according to the anti-terror legislation should be nullified. The children who  were persecuted as part of other laws , should now be court-martialed in juvenile courts and no longer in Special Courts for Felonies . Despite this positive evolvement , a lot of children still were not released because the transfer of the files to the juvenile courts is leaping behind. Certain provinces are still short in juvenile courts.

These children are often the same children who after forced migration, resulting in trauma within families, found themselves in the poverty of the big cities like Diyarbakir. And this makes the vicious circle go round and round: violence –  fleeing - poverty- violence.

Interparliamentary working group on the Kurds and the BDP send children’s rights delegate to Turkey

We know all these facts from reports of respected international human and children’s  rights organisations. The interparliamentary working group on the Kurds (Brussels) in collaboration with the BDP ( Freedom and Democracy Party) is now sending a representative to the South-east of Turkey to see how all these recommendations can be put into practice. This will  require much more than just goodwill . European, national and local authorities will have to deliver serious political work.

The recommendations from the report of the KHRP will be kept in the back of the mind. First of all , the share of the conflict in the children’s situation must be recognized so that the problems  can be addressed  in a sufficient manner.


Whatever rights of these children are violated ( economic , legal , …), the answer always lays in a peaceful solution of the conflict. At the same time, a permanent solution of the conflict will have to go, inevitably , hand in hand with protecting the rights of children so that they can evolve into women and men who can dedicate themselves to the peace process.

For this , we must be aim at enforcing non-gouvernemental organisations that specialize in children’s rights so that they can fill the  gap between legislation and practice , in cooperation with the local and national governments.

The European Union has  to constantly monitor and financially support the children rights from nearby. The funds of the ‘European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights’  and the ‘Instrument for Pre-Accesion Assistance’ can be used for this. These good intentions were already mentioned in several important policy documents of the EU.

The children’s rights delegate will frequently report about the situation on the spot and will also get in contact with  European policy makers and NGO’s, in cooperation with the BDP and the IWK.The delegate will advise and support children’s rights activists  with policy work and fundraising.

Want to know more about children’s rights in Turkish Kurdistan?

THE SITUATION OF KURDISH CHILDREN IN TURKEY, Fact finding mission and research report, Kurdish Human Rights Project, januari 2010, http://www.nrc.ch/8025708F004CE90B/%28httpDocuments%29/4A0EEC99415FD7F8C12577270046C020/$file/The+Situation+of+Kurdish+Children+ONLINE1.pdf

• http://zaroken.blogspot.com/ : Children’s rights delegates blogspot

• FIELD VISIT REPORT ON CHILDREN DEEMED TO BE TERRORIST OFFENDERS FOR PARTICIPATING IN DEMONSTRATIONS, Unicef, 2009

• CHILDREN ARE NOT TERRORISTS! Ngo report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on Juvenile justice and armed conflict in Turkey, Justice fort Children Initiative in Turkey, april 2009

• ALL CHILDREN HAVE RIGHTS, End unfair prosecutions of children under anti terrorism legislation in Turkey, Amnesty International, 2010

Unicef Turkey and Belgian Federal government host conference on Prevention of Violence towards Children

13-14 December 2010: Prevention of Violence against Children - Working Towards Developing a National Action Plan

13 December 2010, Ankara -The Social Services and Child Protection Agency, together with the technical support of UNICEF and the financial support of the Belgian Federal Government, who currently has the rotating Presidency of the European Union, organized an international meeting on the Prevention of Violence against Children on 13-14 December 2010 in Ankara.

During the opening session, UNICEF Turkey Representative Dr. Ayman ABULABAN, SHCEK General Director Dr. İsmail BARIŞ, Ambassador of Belgium to Turkey Pol De Witte, Head of Institution Building and Civil Society Section from the EU Delegation Erwan Marteil, Turkish Grand National Assembly Child Rights Monitoring Committee Member Halide İNCEKARA, Turkish Grand National Assembly Child Rights Monitoring Committee Head Prof. Dr. Cevdet ERDÖL and State Minister responsible from Women and Family Selma Aliye KAVAF delivered opening speeches.

State Minister responsible from Women and Family Selma Aliye KAVAF stated that, “various studies concluded that it is crucial to launch awareness raising campaigns to create sensitivity in the general public to protect children and fulfıll their rights. However, targeting only parents, teachers, and children is not sufficient as studies and projects for targeting different groups and areas is necessary.”

UNICEF Turkey Representative Dr. Ayman ABULABAN, in his speech said: “Violence and abuse have serious consequences for children. Violence  disables children from enjoying their rights. It puts the emotional and physical health of children at great risk, provokes low self-esteem, causes trauma and depression which might lead to risk-taking and agressive behaviour which might result in self-inflicted harm. As UNICEF we are inviting every single member of the society not to leave these children alone, break the cycle of feudal silence and mentality, and prevent secondary traumatization by social exclusion.”

In his opening remarks, Belgium Ankara Ambassador Pol De Witte stated: “The EU is a long standing supporter and promoter of the rights of the child. The EU fully agrees that violence against children is never justifiable and defending human dignity and physical and mental integrity of children is a top priority for us.  Children are among the most vulnerable groups. We should continue to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of the child, this is an absolute must. It is responsibility of all of us, and children can count on our support!”

In addition, representatives from institutions working for children were present at the meeting including government institutions, NGOs, international experts and professionals from the field to provide information related to different provinces and regions.

During the work group sessions participants will analyze risk and possible prevention measures that may be developed in environments providing services to children, including; family environment, half-time services (children spending some hours of a day in that environment), full-time services (children living in that environment), work environment and the media.

KINDERRECHTENMISSIE NAAR TURKS KOERDISTAN: DE VICIEUZE CIRKEL VAN GEWELD – GEWONGEN MIGRATIE- ARMOEDE EN GEWELD…

Armoede als gevolg van geweld en discriminatie tegen Koerden

De situatie van Koerdische kinderen in Turkije is benard. Daar wordt niet vaak over gesproken maar het is geweten en het is neergeschreven in vele duizenden pagina’s verslagen door professionals en ‘mensen die het kunnen weten’. Zo werd er in januari 2010 nog een honderdzestig pagina’s tellend rapport uitgegeven door het Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) over de situatie van Koerdische kinderen in Turkije.

Hoewel zowel de Turkse overheid als de verschillende internationale organisaties die gevestigd zijn in Turkije in hun statistieken geen onderscheid maken tussen de verschillende culturele, linguistieke en religieuze groepen, toont het rapport aan dat de situatie van Koerdische kinderen een pak slechter is dan die van etnisch Turkse kinderen. De economische kloof tussen het westen en het (Koerdische) oosten van het land is dan ook gigantisch. Inkomens in het westen halen Europese niveaus, inkomens in het oosten zijn gelijk met die van de armste landen ter wereld. 60% van de Turkse Koerden leeft onder de armoedegrens.

Die armoede is ondermeer het gevolg van de massale gedwongen verplaatsingen in de jaren ’90, toen de Turkse militairen ongeveer 3500 dorpen in het zuidoosten vernietigden in hun strijd tegen de PKK. Huisvesting is daardoor een groot obstakel in de ontwikkeling en het welzijn van Koerdische kinderen. Koerdische gezinnen, hun aantal wordt geschat op 3,5 miljoen, trokken en trekken nog steeds massaal naar de steden waar er te weinig aanbod is op de huizenmarkt en ongeveer de helft van de woningen aan renovatie toe is. Als resultaat zijn veel sloppenwijken ontstaan: een groot aantal kinderen leeft in wijken met modderige straten, problemen met transport en communicatie, niet genoeg groene ruimtes, speeltuinen en winkels.

Onderzoek wijst uit dat het aantal IDP’s (Internally Displaced Persons) in een bepaalde regio samenhangt met kinderarbeid en straatkinderen. De link tussen gedwongen migratie en deze problemen is echter nog  steeds taboe in Turkije. Dit zorgt er volgens KHRP voor dat preventie- en rehabilitatieprojecten voor kinderen vaak niet efficiënt zijn of zelfs de families en de kinderen culpabiliseren en criminaliseren. Er is ook een nijpend gebrek aan middelen voor zulke projecten.

Ook wat onderwijs betreft is duidelijk dat Koerdische kinderen benadeeld worden omwille van hun afkomst. In vergelijking met andere scholen scoren de scholen in het zuidoosten zeer slecht bij nationale testen omdat de kinderen niet onderwezen worden in hun moedertaal. Onderwijs in het Koerdisch is nog steeds verboden.

Antiterreurwetgeving genadeloos voor Koerdische kinderen

Hoewel Turkije de laatste jaren onder druk van de Europese Unie begonnen is met het uitwerken van een kinderrechtenapparaat vinden er tegelijkertijd ontwikkelingen plaats die een grote stap achteruit betekenen. De Anti Terreur Wet en de Wet op de Politiemachten zijn de meest bekende voorbeelden. Het rapport van KHRP besteed veel aandacht aan de gevallen waar kinderen in de gevangenis worden gezet naar aanleiding van hun deelname aan protesten maar ook Amnesty International en Human Rights Watch brachten hierover dit jaar rapporten uit. Sinds 2006 werden duizenden kinderen, sommigen nauwelijks 12 jaar oud, vervolgd onder de anti-terrorismewetgeving wegens hun vermeende deelname aan pro-Koerdische betogingen. Na hun arrestatie werden de kinderen in detentiecentra voor volwassenen opgesloten zonder dat ze contact konden maken met hun advocaten of hun familie. Eens zij in staat van beschuldiging werden gesteld, werden vele kinderen verschillende maanden tot zelfs langer dan een jaar in voorhechtenis geplaatst. Tijdens de detentieperiode hebben de kinderen geen toegang tot onderwijs, gezondheidsfaciliteiten of ontspanning. De kinderen getuigen van mishandeling en foltering. Bovendien schendt de Turkse staat op deze manier de vrijheid van meningsuiting, die ook voor kinderen geldt. Participatie is één van de drie kernprincipes van het Kinderrechtenverdrag.

In juli 2010 wijzigde de Turkse regering de wet om de vervolging van minderjarige betogers onder de anti-terrorismewetgeving te voorkomen. De veroordelingen van kinderen volgens de anti-terrorismewetgeving zouden dan ook nietig verklaard moeten worden. De kinderen die in het kader van andere wetten werden vervolgd, moeten nu in jeugdrechtbanken berecht worden en niet meer in de Speciale Rechtbanken voor Zware misdaden. Ondanks deze positieve stap, werden vele kinderen nog niet vrijgelaten omdat de overdracht van de dossiers naar de jeugdrechtbanken zeer traag loopt. In bepaalde provincies is er ook een tekort aan jeugdrechtbanken.

Deze kinderen zijn vaak diezelfde kinderen die na een gedwongen migratie, die gepaard gaan met trauma’s voor de families, terechtkwamen in de armoede van grote steden zoals Diyarbakir. En zo is de vicieuze cirkel rond: geweld – vluchten –armoede – geweld…

Interparlementaire Werkgroep voor de Koerden en BDP sturen kinderrechtengezant naar Turkije

Al deze dingen weten we uit verslagen van gerespecteerde internationale mensenrechten – en kinderrechtenorganisaties. De Interparlementaire Werkgroep voor de Koerden stuurt nu in samenwerking met de BDP (Vrijheid en Democratie Partij) een afgevaardigde naar het zuidoosten van Turkije om na te gaan hoe al die aanbevelingen zoveel mogelijk omgezet kunnen worden naar de praktijk. Omdat voor elkaar te krijgen is immers meer nodig dan goede bedoelingen. Europese, nationale en lokale overheden zullen stevig politiek werk moeten leveren.

De aanbevelingen van het rapport van KHRP worden daarbij in het achterhoofd gehouden. In de eerste plaats moet de plaats van het Koerdisch conflict in de benarde situatie van de kinderen erkend worden om de problemen bij de wortel aan te pakken. Welke de levensdomeinen ook zijn waarop de rechten van de kinderen geschonden worden, economisch, juridisch, enz, de oplossing ligt steeds in een vreedzame oplossing van het conflict. Tegelijkertijd zal een duurzame oplossing van het conflict sowieso hand in hand moeten gaan met het beschermen van de rechten van kinderen, waardoor die kunnen uitgroeien tot evenwichtige vrouwen en mannen die zich inzetten voor het vredesproces.

Daarvoor moet er gewerkt worden aan het versterken van niet gouvernementele organisaties die zich specialiseren in kinderrechten. Die moeten er  voor zorgen dat de grote kloof tussen wetgeving en praktijk gedicht wordt in samenwerking met de lokale en nationale overheden.

De Europese Unie heeft hierbij de taak om kinderrechten van dichtbij en continu te monitoren en financieel te ondersteunen. De fondsen van het ‘European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights’ en de ‘Instrument for Pre-Accesion Assistance’ kunnen daarvoor aangewend worden. Deze goede voornemens werden al in verschillende beleidsdocumenten van de Unie vermeld.

De kinderrechtengezant zal regelmatig rapporteren over de situatie ter plaatse en in samenwerking met de BDP en de IWK in contact treden met de bevoegde Europese beleidsmakers en NGO’s. Ter plaatse zal de gezant kinderrechtenactoren adviseren en ondersteunen bij beleidswerk en fondsenwerving.

Meer te weten komen over kinderrechten in Turks Koerdistan?

• THE SITUATION OF KURDISH CHILDREN IN TURKEY, Fact finding mission and research report, Kurdish Human Rights Project, januari 2010, http://www.nrc.ch/8025708F004CE90B/%28httpDocuments%29/4A0EEC99415FD7F8C12577270046C020/$file/The+Situation+of+Kurdish+Children+ONLINE1.pdf

• http://zaroken.blogspot.com/ : Blog van de kinderrechtengezant

• FIELD VISIT REPORT ON CHILDREN DEEMED TO BE TERRORIST OFFENDERS FOR PARTICIPATING IN DEMONSTRATIONS, Unicef, 2009

• CHILDREN ARE NOT TERRORISTS! Ngo report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on Juvenile justice and armed conflict in Turkey, Justice fort Children Initiative in Turkey, april 2009

• ALL CHILDREN HAVE RIGHTS, End unfair prosecutions of children under anti terrorism legislation in Turkey, Amnesty International, 2010

Documentaire 'Kinderen van het Seizoen' toont kinderarbeid in Turks Koerdistan

In de documentaire ‘Kinderen van het seizoen’ zien we de 9-jarige Zara Yamuktu, die met haar ouders en vijf broers en zussen gedurende de wintermaanden in Urfa woont, in het oosten van Turkije. Vanaf maart trekt het gezin al werkend door het land, soms duizend kilometer verderop, om onder meer hazelnoten te oogsten. Het plukken gebeurt tussen zeven uur ’s ochtends en zeven uur in de avond, met slechts een uur pauze. Ook kinderen moeten zich aan deze werktijden houden.
Klik hier om de film te bekijken
Jaarlijkse oogst
De meeste hazelnoten die op de Europese markt terechtkomen zijn afkomstig uit Turkije. Deze noten worden verwerkt in een groot aantal producten, waaronder chocolade, ijs, hazelnootpasta, koekjes en notenmixen, die verkocht worden in Nederland en andere Europese landen. Vele honderdduizenden gezinnen, inclusief kinderen, zijn betrokken bij de jaarlijkse oogst van hazelnoten.
Uit onderzoek van de Turkse onderwijsbond Eğitim Sen (lid van de internationale onderwijskoepel Education International) blijkt dat kinderen door de seizoenspluk met hun ouders jaarlijks drie tot zes maanden onderwijs missen. Turkije kent een achtjarige leerplicht maar een groot aantal kinderen wordt het recht op voltijds onderwijs ontzegd. De plukkers leven in armoede. Tijdens het oogstseizoen wonen ouders en kinderen in tenten en kamperen wild, veelal zonder sanitair of stromend water.

Good News for Children Trowing Stones

UNICEF welcomes the proposed amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act, also known as the draft law on “children throwing stones,” which would allow all children under age 18 to be tried in juvenile courts. The proposed law is a great development as the country approaches 23rd of April and the law is hoped to put an end to the desperate situation of children involved in demonstrations. If the law passes, it might mean that all children in conflict with the law will be treated in child courts, their best interests will be protected and measures restricting liberty are to be used as the ‘last resort’. 

The draft law is to be discussed in the Justice Commission of the Grand National Assembly this week and then debated in the parliament before the end of March. This law is hoped to put an end to the strife of children who have been treated by heavy penal courts under the Anti-Terror Act. 

UNICEF’s beliefs are enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child; a convention signed by the overwhelming majority of governments in the world, including the Turkish Government. The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as a person less than 18 years of age. UNICEF respects the right of sovereign governments to arrest children alleged to be breaking the law, but under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 2005 Child Protection Law, it is the right of those under 18 to be tried as children, and their best interests should always be the primary consideration. This does not mean that children cannot be arrested. However, they should be treated in conformity with international standards of juvenile justice.

The international juvenile justice safeguards include: using deprivation of liberty as a last resort; the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment; that a child be allowed legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his or her defense; that all matters be determined by a competent, independent and impartial authority, and that children are not compelled to give testimony or a confession of guilt. If any child is considered to have infringed the law, this decision and any measures imposed should be reviewed by a higher, competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body. Again, these guiding principles are all covered in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

UNICEF is concerned that the 2005 Turkish Child Protection Law has been, in part, contravened by the amendments to the articles 9 and 13 of the Anti-Terror Act in 2006, which allow children above 15 to be tried and dealt with in ‘heavy penal courts’. 

UNICEF believes that putting children behind bars for many years and depriving them from their basic rights and liberty, not only damages the future of the child but also the future of the society as a whole. How can one expect a child, who happens to have been caught in a conflict with no fault of her or his own, and who has lost her or his chances of education to come out of years of imprisonment and yet become a productive and peace loving member of the society. Children are the future of a country and they need to be taken care of and their best interest should always be protected. 

UNICEF continues to provide technical support to Government institutions and interested bodies to prevent and address abuse and exploitation of children, particularly those outside of parental care and in contact with the law.