The Mezopotamian Development Society (MESOP) (Germany) and Peace in Kurdistan Campaign (London)

INTERNATIONAL APPEAL

TURKEY WAGES WAR
ON KURDISH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Europe has a responsibility
to help find a just and peaceful solution

4 April, 2006

Turkish tanks and water cannons are hunting down Kurdish demonstrators. Shootings, teargas, broken windows, burning houses, screaming, dead bodies: for days, there has been turmoil in the Kurdish cities of south-eastern Turkey, in Diyarbakir, Batman, Hakkari, Siirt, Mardin, Kiziltepe and Nusaybin. Diyarbakir, the largest city in the region, is like a city at war. The death toll so far is 15, including children and young people, while hundreds have been injured.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan claims that the demonstrations are "the work of terrorists". He said, "For those who keep their children in the streets or allow them to be used by them, their tears tomorrow will be in vain." He has insisted that "Our security forces will do what is necessary against those who have become the pawns of terrorists, whoever they are, even if they are women or children".

The Kurds had celebrated the New Year festival, Newroz (21 March), peacefully. But their hopes for peace were dashed once more. The government in Ankara had already launched large-scale and provocative military operations in the east of the country, using lethal chemicals banned under international law, in which 14 freedom fighters were killed. At the funerals in Diyarbakir of four of the dead, the fury of the people erupted because of their disappointment at the continuing repression, the lack of justice and any hope for the future.

The mayor of Diyarbakir, who was trying to mediate, was threatened with violence and physically attacked by the military. Doctors and nurses were forbidden to treat the injured, and the state hospital was surrounded by soldiers. Thousands of people taking part in funeral processions and seeking to bury their dead and mourn them were prevented from doing so by repeated tear gas attacks and shooting.

Millions of Kurdish people had hoped that Turkey would implement various reforms required by the EU as part of its accession process, including improving its human rights record and treatment of the Kurds. But the Kurdish people are now discovering the brutal reality that they were just paper reforms.

In view of the ongoing military deployment against the civilian Kurdish population, we are making the following appeal to the public worldwide; the institutions of the EU including the Council of Europe; the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, who is responsible for Turkey's accession negotiations; and to Austria, which currently holds the European presidency:

a.. Immediate and effective pressure must be brought to bear on the Turkish government to stop the current fierce wave of persecution of Kurdish people;
b.. European courts must investigate these terrible incidents and bring those responsible to justice; c.. Europe and its national governments, media, and the public must work to end the continuing abductions, arrests and murders of Kurdish people in southeastern Turkey;
d.. Europe must use the opportunities it has to achieve a lasting and peaceful solution to the long-standing violence in the region, a solution recognised by Kurdish people that will guarantee their rights that have been constantly denied them.


We, the undersigned, support this appeal

Lavinia Brown, Office Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Cape Town, SA
Erling Folkvord, Member of City Council of Norway, Oslo
Professor Dr. Bertram Schefold, Frankfurt
Cankurd, KDP-S und Member Kurdish PEN
Vereinigung kurdischer Ärzte in Deutschland e.V.
Rechtsanwalt Rainer B. Ahues, Hannover
Noam Chomsky Linguist, USA
Mokthar Karimy, Vereinigung KOMAL e.V.
Dr. Dr. Taufik Hamdosch, President KDP- Syria
Susanne Roden,. Berlin, amnesty international
Sherko Abbas, Washington D.C.
Annabel Bermejo, amnesty Germany
Professor Dr. Wolf Dieter Narr, Komitee für Grundrechte und Demokratie
Kambiz Behbahani, Berlin
Wolfgang Jungheim, Pater / Priest, Germany
Dr. Zaradachet Hajo, Kurdish PEN
Memo Sahin, Dialogkreis, Germany
Sherko Muhamad, Lawyer, USA
Dr. Günther Rusch, ECOSOC, Vereinte Nationen
Sybille Kernstner, Lektorin, Matthes & Seitz, Germany
Peter Bierl, Fastenopfer, Zürich, Switzerland
Al Imfeld, Publizist, Zürich, Switzerland
Anita Friedetzky, Hamburg, GEW, Germany
Professor Andreas Buro, Friedensforscher, Germany
Jean Ziegler, UN Rapporteur, Genf, Switzerland
Professeur Jean-Louis Cravan, Unversité Sorbonne, France
Mme. Danielle Mitterand, Paris
Uta Behrens, Dipl. Psychologin, Germany
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Barati Novbari, Berlin, Germany
Christoph Reuter, Journalist, Germany
Conni Fredriksson, Sozialistische Internationale
Dan Wyman, University of California (UCLA), Director Political Science
Dr. Albert, Caritas, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Gerhard Wiesinger, Amerikahaus, Frankfurt, Germany
Eva Quistorp, Founding Member of Green Party, Germany
Dr. Jorgo Chatzimakakis, EU Parlament, Athen, Greece
Estella Oliveira Felsberg, Lawyer, Sau Paulo, Brazil
Francis Boyle, Lawyer, California (USA)
Gabriele Yonan, Assyrische Vereinigung, Arbil/Berlin
Heide Rohner, Zurich, Switzerland
Memo Arikan, Ausländerbeirat München, Germany
Giovanni del Re, Journalist, ADKRONOS, Greece
Gwynne Roberts, Filmproducer, UK/Germany
Hans Wollschläger, Autor, Bamberg, Germany
Foundation Gabriel Peri, Paris, France
Dari Fo & Franca Rame, Mailand, Italy
Mocauk, Social Critical Archive of the Middle East, Netherlands
Hark Bohm, Autor, Lüneburg/Hamburg, Germany
Hossein Dabaghian, Iran / Paris
Bookstore L'imaginare, Bruxelles, Belgium
Altkatholische Gemeinde, Frankfurt, Germany
Iraqi Jurists (IJA), London, UK
Ville Punto, Jurist, Finnland
Joost R. Hiltermann, George Soros Stiftung (Amman)
Professor Courtney West, INFIMES Foundation, Prague
Katrin Venema, Lawyer, Den Haag, Netherlands,
Urs Kienberger, Waldhaus-Hotel, Schweiz
Kirkuk Center Kirkuk, South Kurdistan/Irak
Ronni van de Velde, Artist, Belgium
John Wronoski, Lame Duck Books, NY
Professor Manfred Liebel, Universität Berlin
Martin van Bruinessen, Kurdologe, Universität Amsterdam
Ludivine Sagnier, Actor, Théatre de Paris
Professor Michael Cahn, Cambridge University, UK
Naji Wadhai, Dubai, Salesman, Emirates
Gianna Nannini, Sängerin, Verona, Italien
Peter Völker, verd.i. / Journalistenunion, Germany
Professor Dr. Sulaiman Muhamed, Brandeis University, Cal., USA
Jeremy Brinks, UNESCO, Paris
Rafik Schami, Autor, Darmstadt, Germany
Uri Avnery, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ricardo de Lima, Assaf, Lawyer, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Professor Gerhard Zähringer, Bern, Erklärung von Bern, Switzerland
Sabine Meyer, Green Party EU Koordination, Bruxelles
Samuel Laster, "Die Jüdische Zeitung", Wien, Austria
Imre Kertèsz, Nobelpreisträger, Berlin, Germany/Hungary
Andrea Sawatzky, TATORT-Schauspielerin, Germany
Professor Dr. Klaus Landfried, Würzburg, Germany
Dr. Beate von Moisy, München, Bayrische Landesbibliothek, Germany
Hans-Jürgen Breuste, Künstler, Hannover, Germany
Claudio Pozzoli, Instituto Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, Italy
Jürgen Brodwolf, Künstler, Markgräflerland, Baden, Germany
Stefan Michel, Biologe, NABU, Germany
Karl-Josef Schwarzschild, UNDP, Washington
Friad Aziz, Verein für Migration und Integration der Kurden in Deutschland, München
Alfred Hrdlicka, Bildhauer, Wien, Austria
Neville Alexander, Bürgerrechtler, Cape Town, Republic South Africa
Gerhard Zwerenz, Schriftsteller, Glashütten (Taunus), Germany
Jan van der Donk, Artist, New York/ Perugia, Italy / Netherlands
Ilka Jakoola, NGO-Representative, Finnland
Evin Cicek, Germany
Petra Karin Kelly Foundation, Munich, Germany
Christian Kaiser, Photograph, Germany
Willi van Ooyen, Peace activist, Frankfurt, Germany
Tarqi Ali, Publisher, London, UK
Art Spiegelmann, Cartoonist, New York, USA
Waltraud Weber, Freundschaftskreis Schweiz - Kurdistan
Ruggiero Cavallo, Dirigent, Locarno, Italy
Privatdozent Dr. Ümit Yazicioglu, Germany
Maria Virginia Gonzalez Romero, Berlin, Germany
Yavuz Fersoglu, Jurist, Bundessprecher AG Migration und Flucht, Linkspartei, Germany
Karel Precicka, Theater an der Moldau, Prag, Tschechien
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, MdEP, Bruxelles, Belgium
Martin Dolzer, Soziologe, Hamburg, Germany
Anna Mazzoleni, Italy
Professor Ronald Moench, Amman, Haschemite Kingdom of Jordan
Ari Heikinnen, Green Party, Finnland
Anne Gray, London, UK
Furio Cerutti, Istituto Lelio Basso, Milano, Italy
Masud Akko, Autor, Syrisch-Kurdistan
Misha'l Altamo, Autor, Kurdischer Schriftsteller, Kurdistan / Syria
Dr. David Stang, Ars Libri, USA
Ibrahim Dogus, (Halkevi), Kurdish and Turkish Community Centre, London
Istvan Sandor, University of Budapest, Psychologist, Hungary
Ted Howell, Sinn Féin, Andersonstown, Belfast, Nothern Ireland
André Brie, Member of EU Parlament, Bruxelles, Belgium
Ute Sautmann, amnesty international, Germany
Roni Alasor, Journalist, Hamar, Norway
Dr. Ali Kilic, Centre de la Recherche Scientifique du Kurdistan, Paris
Dr. Dr. med. Rassoul Faki, Präsidium der Vereinigung kurdischer Ärzte in
Germany
Dr. Siobhan O'Reilly, Parlamentarian, Ireland
Mohamad Mohamad, Azadi Party, Bochum, Germany
Heike Geisweid, Lawyer, Bochum, Germany
Evin Cicek, Journalist / Autrice, Marly, Suisse
Ricardo Gustavo Espeja, S.Nicolas, Cordoba. Argentinia
Haval Suleiman, London, UK
WADI e.V., Vienna, Austria
Kurdish Book Bank, SARA, London, UK
Kemal Oksay, UNHCR Office, Paris, France

THE INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES (London):
1) Professor Dr. Moraru
2) Professor Dr. Spatarur
3) Professor Dr. Ass. Miro

Torstein Dahle, Electorial Alliance, City Council Bergen, Norway
Nick Hannes, Journalist, Antwerpen, Belgium
Margaret Owen, WIDOWS FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY, London
Seamus Clancey, Publisher, Dublin, Ireland
Ensemble of Artists, Theater an der Wien, Austria
Jan Ceuleers, Antiquarian, Antwerpen, Belgium
Internationale Fraueninitiative, Bremen, Germany
Center for Human Rights, Copenhagen, Denmark
Thomas Schmidinger, Publizist, Wien, Austria
Mary Kreutzer, Publizistin, Wien, Austria
Peter Grosells, Copenhagen, Denmark
The Kurdish Center of International PEN
Elisabeth Siller, Hensau, Switzerland
Ibrahim Dogus, Chair, Halkevi Kurdish Comunity Centre, UK
Deepak Gupta, Campaign against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), UK
Latif Serihildan Takak, Kurdisan Solidarity, Ireland
Professor Dr. Slavomir Mrozek, Warszawa, Poland
Institut für Sprache und Kultur der Kirmanci (Zaza), IKK, Berlin, Germany
Dr. Rolf Gössner, Präsident der Internationalen Liga für Menschenrechte, Berlin, Germany
Florcence Hatier, Traité de l'Union Ouvriere, Paris, France
Constanze Stadler, München, Germany
Michel L'Homme, Liége, Artist, Belgium
Tony Benn, former MP, UK
Lord Rea of Eskdale, House of Lords, UK
Lord Avebury, House of Lords, UK
Ahmed Dag, Journalist, Berlin, Germany
Baroness Frances D'Souza, House of Lords, UK
Alyn Smith, MEP, UK
Rosie Kane, MSP Member of the Scottish Parliament
Frances Curran, MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament
Frances Webber, Lawyer, UK
Jonathan Bloch, Councillor and writer, UK
Richard McKane, Poet and writer, UK
Angie Zelter, Trident Plough Shares Peace Campaign, UK
Colin Chalmers, Community Base Director, UK
David Morgan, Journalist, UK
Sarah Parker, Translator, UK
Rachel Bird, Human Rights activist, UK
Etti Brink, Teacher, UK
Dr. G. Siddiqui, Leader of the Muslim Parliament, UK
Synagogue Saarland, Germany
Evrim Helim Baba, Member of City Parliament, Berlin

We, the undersigned Barristers, support this appeal:

Garden Court Chambers
57-60 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3LS

Frances Webber
Ronan Toal
Keir Monteith
Terry Munyard
David Jones
Pete Weatherby
Maya Sikand
Anya Lewis
David Watkinson
Helen Curtis
Stephanie Carroll
Michael Paget
Alison Grief
Anne Kariithi
Jo Delahunty
Brenda Campbell
Mark Symes
John Beckley
Tanya
Adam Straw
Martin Glasenapp, medico international, Frankfurt

Hans Branscheidt, EUTCC / MESOP


For more information contact:
Hans Branscheidt: e-mail: MESOP@online de / Phone 0049 6171 74135