Turkey deports refugees

Turkey deports refugees

The Turkish government has been deporting refugees from Iran and Iraq back to those countries in recent weeks, according to the Council of Iranian Refugees and Migrants, in Sydney. In addition, says the council, Iranian agents have murdered three refugees in Turkey, without serious efforts by the Turkish government to apprehend the killers.

The most recent killing was on January 4, when Taha Kermanji, an Iranian refugee, was assassinated outside his house in the Turkish city of Groum.

The council said that the UN High Commission for Refugees in Turkey "has played a considerable part in creating the present situation by not accepting claims of refugee status, not transferring refugees quickly and by not exercising strong, official, frank reaction to ... Turkish government policy".

Supporters of human rights are asked to send faxes to Turkish and Iranian diplomatic offices, and to UNHCR branches in Ankara and Canberra, calling for an end to deportation of Iranian and Iraqi refugees by the Turkish government; demanding that Turkey respect all international conventions on refugees; condemning the Iranian government's assassinations in Turkey; and calling on the UNHCR to protect refugees.

From GLW issue 130