Soldier terror in Dersim

Ten villagers have been detained during operations by Turkish military forces in the districts
and villages of Dersim (Tunceli). One of those detained has not yet been heard from. There
has also been increased physical and psychological pressure reported against the families of
guerrillas in the Dersim region.

Ozgar Politika
(Ozgur Politica is a pro PKK punblication)

PERI KIZILTOPRAK

While ten villagers have been detained in operations begun by Turkish military forces in the
rural area in the Pertek district of Dersim, there has been no word of the fate of one villager.

According to information obtained from local sources, raids were carried out on some
villages following the desertion of Ferman Altun (from the Kurecik town of Malatya) from
the People's Defense Forces in the Mazgirt district of Dersim. Raids were carried out on
the basis of statements made by Altun, who surrendered to the Turkish military ten days ago.
Turkish army soldiers raided villages on July 2 based on Altun's statements and detained
Zeynel Aslaner, who is muhtar of the Asagi Gulbahce village in the Pertek district of
Dersim, Asiye Aslaner and Ferhat Durmus, muhtar of the Balidut village Haydar Tas, Seyit
Ali Karyemez, Ali Aktepe, M. Ali Demir and his son, Govdeli muhtar Kazim Aktepe and
Baris Kas from the Gecitkaya village on the grounds that they had aided and abetted the
PKK. The persons in question were interrogated at the Pertek District Gendarmerie
Command, while Turan Baysal, also detained from the Gecitkaya village, has not been
heard of since.

The same sources assert that Ferman Altun had been captured sound in Bingol and tried to
connect the murder of 21 guerrillas in Yedisu to Altun's statements. It was also reported that
Ferman Altun spoke with his family by telephone from the Dersim central security station
but that when Altun's family traveled to Dersim to meet with him, they were told that he was
out on an operation with the military and were not allowed to see him.

Pressure on guerrillas' families

On the other hand, it has been reported that various plots are being used by soldiers to
increase the pressure against villagers in Dersim and its districts. It has been reported that
someone is telephoning families and telling them, "Your son was killed three years ago and
buried in such-and-such a place. Come and get the body," and that the family members are
thus being called down to security headquarters and put under detention. Some villagers are
being called down to the regiment, being told that a certain guerrilla captured live had
testified against them and are being detained as well. A number of families, especially in the
districts of Ovacik, Pertek, Nazmiye, Hozat, and Mazgirt and their villages, are being
psychologically pressured by phone calls from an unidentified person claiming that their
daughters were killed in the party.

HADEP: Detentions are arbitrary

Meanwhile, the Dersim HADEP headquarters released a statement concerning the increasing
pressures in the districts and villages of Dersim and said that the detentions and pressure
have been arbitrary. The statement also said that opposition press was not being allowed into
Dersim and that they were being pressured to not give out information concerning those who
had been detained.
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