Control Commission set up in Van

ANF – Van 09.05.2013 – Fifteen non-governmental organizations in Van have created a commission to observe the withdrawal of Kurdish guerrillas accross the border as of 8 May.

The commission consists of representatives of Human Rights Association (IHD), Mazlum-Der, KESK, TTB, TMMOB, TUYAD-DER, Göç-Der, Peace Council, People’s Democratic Congress (HDK), DISK, Association of Help and Solidarity with Families of Missing Persons (MEYA-DER), Peace Mothers Initiative, İnsan-Der, Kurdi-Der ve VADAY-DER.

In a press conference on behalf of representatives of 15 NGOs, IHD Van branch chairperson Ömer Işık said they followed with great interest and pleasure the withdrawal process which -he said- was a historic development of great importance for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question and the ending of the 30-year-old conflict environment in the country. Işık remarked that they regarded it as a social and historic responsibility to follow today’s withdrawal process in consideration of the previous withdrawal in 1999 which -he underlined- had witnessed quite unfavorable and worrisome developments. Işık called on government and public officials to display goodwill and responsibility to make sure that the current withdrawal process could be accomplished without giving harm to any single person.

Işık stated that the commission would also watch probable armed clashes and put forward criticism against the side harming the negotiaion process. He added that, “The Commission will also watch the activities of temporary and permanent village guard groups and give an effort to prevent them from displaying a provocative attitude. It will also be watcing the activities of battalions and brigades and special operation teams hired for the armed conflict process, activities in newly built border military posts, the situation of mined lands and villages evacuated in 90’s in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey”.