by TOM COBURG    These images above are not from World War 2. They show Kurdish-populated cities in Turkey, destroyed by NATO’s second biggest army. A military that Britain continues to arm. And now, a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the Turkish state for its devastating assault on hundreds of thousands of Kurds.

Thousands killed

The report begins by detailing a long list of crimes. Over an 18 month period, until December 2016, the conflict killed an estimated 1,200 local residents in Kurdish communities:

However, the UN report admits this figure is based on limited information, due to restricted access to affected places (see section 7, p3). Hence, the figures are just a sample.

Women Women hold a banner reading “Stop Killing Women” and pictures of women killed during a protest to denounce violence against women in Turkey on May 11, 2013 in Ankara. Femicide in Turkey 346 women murdered in 2015  Femicide in Turkey 346 women murdered in 2015 

Kurdish cities become moonscapes

The report graphically describes the destruction of Kurdish cities and towns (section 33, p10):

The most intensive period of destruction started… when the authorities reportedly… brought in machinery to raze entire city quarters to the ground, including lightly damaged buildings and cultural heritage. The centres of towns and cities across South-East Turkey have been described as empty moonscapes and vast parking lots.Funerals during Genocide in Cizre

It cites the example of Cizre, where there was (section 79, p24):

reportedly deliberate destruction of evidence through the rushed and complete demolition of areas and buildings in which alleged serious violations of the right to life took place

And in the city of Nusaybin, it says (section 34, p10):

satellite imagery identified 1,786 damaged buildings, 398 of which were completely destroyed, 383 severely damaged, and 1,005 moderately damaged.

Heavy weapons, air-dropped munitions and heavy machinery were all used to destroy these cities.

Thousands of Kurds made internal refugees

The estimated number of displaced people as a result of the conflict ranges from 355,000 to 500,000 (section 47, p14) – “mainly citizens of Kurdish origin”.

Displaced people whose property state forces destroyed, meanwhile, have to sign a document saying that it was ‘terrorists’ who were responsible for the destruction, or they receive no financial compensation (section 39, p12).photos from Cizre seige

Post-coup attempt ‘purges’ continue indefinitely

The report also examines conditions since the start of the post-coup purge in 2016. For example, the removal from office of democratically elected officials (section 81, p24):

Other significant concerns include the use of counter-terrorism legislation to remove from office democratically elected officials of Kurdish origin; the severe curtailment and harassment of independent journalists; the closure of independent and Kurdish language media and citizens’ associations; and the massive dismissals of civil servants, including teachers, on unclear grounds and without due process.

Recommendations

The report makes a number of recommendations, such as how the open-ended, 24-hour curfews should end immediately (section 86, p24). And how the Turkish authorities should (section 94, p25):

Carry out an independent review of the effects and extent of the counter-terrorism legislation… which result in severe limitations upon the work of journalists and academics; the closure of Kurdish language media; citizens’ associations and universities.

Most significantly, the report recommends (section 95, p25):

The big question now is, will NATO and the EU also condemn Turkey for the repression of its Kurdish communities? Or will they simply continue to turn a blind eye and allow this repression to escalate even further?

Get involved!

– See more on Turkey at The Canary Global.

– Donate to the Rojava Plan (to support the system of self-government in place in northern Syria).

– Join at least 400,000 Brits who have cancelled holidays in Turkey, and support the boycott campaign here.

Featured image via Kurdish Question/Twitter

Artist given 2 years’ jail for painting destruction in Kurdish town of Nusaybin

another disgraceful example among tens of thousands of arbitrary jailings.

 original photos of the Turkish terror pogrom in Nusaybin clearly show Turkish flags hung by the army on the destroyed homes.

By  TM    Zehra Doğan, a Turkish painter and reporter for the now-closed Dicle news agency, has been given a prison sentence of two years, nine months, 22 days for painting the destruction caused by operations carried out in the Nusaybin district of Mardin province by Turkish security forces against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

see also.. Genocide in Europe: Nusaybin surrenders after 74 days ..in total ruins and  deafening silence

“I was given two years and 10 months [jail time] only because I painted Turkish flags on destroyed buildings. However, they [Turkish government] caused this. I only painted it,” Doğan said in a tweet she posted on Monday. According to the Cumhuriyet daily, the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court handed down the sentence to Cemal on the grounds that she drew Turkish flags on buildings destroyed by Turkish forces. However, Doğan said in her defense that she made the paintings and posted them on social media without any political comments…

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