CIAO DATE: 01/2013
December 2012
Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre
Turkey is firmly committed to the protection of civilians in conflict-affected areas and is a signatory to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. The Turkish government has co-operated with humanitarian organisations to provide protection and assistance to people in conflict-affected areas and demonstrated its commitment by taking an active role in international peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions in some of the most conflict-prone regions of the world. It provides safe havens to refugees from conflicted-affected countries, such as Syria and Libya, and hosts UN-sponsored international conferences on nation-building in the Arab Spring countries. Turkey’s domestic track record on the protection of civilians, however, offers a stark contrast to its commitments outside its borders. Although the country recognises the international agreements that protect the rights of civilians during armed conflicts, there are serious shortcomings in their implementation within its borders. Various organisations have reported frequent cases of international humanitarian law violations in Turkey to date. The majority occurred during the 30 years of fighting between the military and Kurdish separatists in the south-eastern provinces of Turkey. In light of the new information surfacing about these occurrences and the increased freedom to investigate the persecution of civilians, the Turkish government must take this opportunity to address its failures to protect its own citizens.
Resource link: Turkey's position on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts [PDF]