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Recommendations

To the Turkish government:

Government Agency for Internally Displaced Persons

  • Promptly establish the proposed government agency for IDPs. This body should:

  • publish a clear statement of government policy vis-à-vis IDPs;

  • prepare a timetable for the return process;

  • clarify government commitments to provide infrastructure to returnee communities, including electricity, water, sanitation, telephone connection, road access and access to health care and education;

  • ensure that adequate resources are available to ensure that all returning families have sufficient building materials to establish warm, and dry accommodation; and,

  • publish detailed budget provisions to cover payments under the Compensation Law, infrastructure reconstruction, income support for returning villagers, and support for the integration of IDPs who choose to remain in the cities.

Return to Village and Rehabilitation Project

  • Begin immediate reform of the Return to Village and Rehabilitation Project. This reform need not await the findings of the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, but may benefit from the data emerging during the course of the study.

Village Guard Corps

  • Develop a comprehensive plan and timetable for disarming and demobilizing the village guards corps.

UNDP project

  • Approve the UNDP project for the support of IDPs, and ensure its swift implementation.

Compensation Law

  • Enhance the independence of Compensation Law assessment commissions, and ensure their work is timely, fair, and consistent.

  • In order to ensure that those who have relevant information are willing to come forward, Commissions should undertake not to disclose the identity of witnesses or the content of their evidence to other government agencies where witnesses have asked for these details to be withheld, and should make arrangements to safeguard anonymity in commission hearings where witnesses request this. Commissions should also undertake to investigate thoroughly any reports of intimidation of, or reprisals against, witnesses or proposed witnesses, and refer evidence of any abuses to the judicial authorities.

  • Create an independent appeals body to review decisions by Compensation Law assessment commissions.

  • Ensure that sufficient funds are provided to meet payments under the Compensation Law.

  • Conduct a review of the operation of the law in mid-2005 after provincial assessment commissions have processed an initial group of applications.

Persons who remain displaced

  • Ensure that those villagers who cannot return due to the continuing risks posed by the armed activities of Kongra Gel, or other illegal armed organizations, receive support, access to medical care and compensation, in accordance with the U.N. Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

To the European Union and its Member States:

  • Task the European Commission Delegation to Ankara withmonitoring the new government agency for IDPs, to ensure that its work is in conformity with the recommendations of the The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for Internally Displaced Persons (SRSG) on internally displaced persons and the U.N. Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The delegation should provide an evaluation of reform to the Return to Village and Rehabilitation Project in mid-2005 for inclusion in the next regular report on Turkey.

  • Task the European Commission Delegation to Ankara with monitoring the operation and working methods of Compensation Law assessment commissions. The delegation should provide an evaluation on the work of the assessment commissions in mid-2005 for inclusion in the next regular report on Turkey.

  • Ensure that the revised Accession Partnership planned for mid-2005 continues E.U. scrutiny and support for the return and integration of IDPs.

  • Urge the Turkish government to ensure that the work of the Compensation Law assessment commissions is timely, fair, and consistent.

  • Consider funding directly projects for return of IDPs and support of the integration of IDPs in cities.

To the United Nations Country Team in Turkey:

  • Monitor the new government agency for IDPs to ensure that its work is in conformity with the recommendations of the SRSG on internally displaced persons and the UN Guiding Principles, and provide an evaluation in mid-2005 on reform of the Return to Village and Rehabilitation Project to donor governments and the Turkish authorities.


<<previous  |  index  |  next>>March 2005