Being displaced! - Sivil Toplum Geliştirme Merkezi …panel.stgm.org.tr/vera/app/var/files/s/i/sivilizjune2008.pdfBeing displaced! Refugee rights activist İbrahim Vurgun Kavlak:

Being displaced!

Refugee rights activistİbrahim Vurgun Kavlak:

“While supporting another person’sstruggle for survival you realize thatyou are also struggling for your ownlife…”

Campaign to Stop Violenceagainst Children is going on

Supported by the STGM, thecampaign seeks to create a publicpressure for Turkey’s preparation ofa report on violence against children.

There must be stronger NGOparticipation to city councils

The 5th Advisory Board Meeting ofthe STGM worked on stronger andfairer NGO participation to citycouncils.

Only STGM is responsible for the content of this publication which does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Bulletin of Supporting Civil Society Development and Dialogue in Turkey project implemented by STGM and supported by the European Commission. Published every two months.

June 2008 • Issue 13

ISSN 1306-5297

Would you complacently open your door to somebody you don’t know atall? Have you even welcomed some stranger in without any questioning?It seems it is quite difficult to give affirmative answers to such question.The reason is our ever diminishing feelings of trust and security.

On the one side, we are enchanted by globalization and disappearance ofborders while, on the other side, we make those borders even moreimpermeable on the ground of ‘security’ and further consolidate thoseinvisible walls separating south from north and eastfrom west. And the majority of people who stumblearound these walls are those who are forced to leavetheir homes to find shelter in other places or countriessince their lives are under threat.

Each year thousands of people are displaced as a resultof hunger, armed conflict, natural disasters or political regime andinstability. Besides their homes, these people are also deprived of the rightto protection which is one of their most fundamental citizenship and humanrights. When the issue of rights involve the weak rather than the strong, thejustice may work differently. In cases, international conventions are violatedand human rights are breached. Countries’ doors, which are opened hesitantlyand unwillingly when knocked on, are immediately shut with the excuse of‘security’ if the question “who’s there” gets an ‘unsatisfactory’ answer.

So what makes these people “untrustworthy”? That they have sufferedincessant conflicts stemming from fight for power? That they are deprivedof their fundamental rights as a result of their gender identity or personalconviction? That their colours, languages, dresses and dishes are unlike ours?

According to statistics provided by the United Nations High Commissionerfor Refugees (UNHCR) there are in total 12,086 refugees in Turkey as of

the end of 2007. As a result of reservation placed by Turkey while signingthe Geneva Convention in 1951, persons other than those from Europeancountries are not entitled to refugee status. In other words, Turkey is just atransit zone in this respect. In this situation, refugees as persons deprivedof their right to citizenship, the most fundamental right of any human being,wait until they are accorded refugee status by the UNHCR and placed inanother country. During this period of waiting which may take months oreven years, they cannot work since they have no permission, their childrenremain deprived of or only barely benefit from their right to education sincethey cannot speak the language of the country they are presently in and theirbasic needs such as health and hospital expenses cannot be covered.

No matter how we may place ourselves out of this picture, we are actuallya part of it. In a world in which the probability of being a refugee one dayawaits all of us, we are a part of both the problem and its solution.

Stop Violence Against Children! Local movement is needed for participatorydemocracy

A new grant programme titled “Strengthening Civil Society in Turkey: Local

Movement for Participatory Democracy” has been announced. The grant

programme was designed to extend support to small-scale projects developed

by local NGOs. Under the grant programme, short-term projects of NGOs active

in such fields as gender, nature and environmental protection, child rights,

rights of the disabled, youth, human rights, cultural rights and local culture

will be awarded grants of financial assistance up to 10,000 Euro at most.

Deadline for applications is 4 July 2008.

Interested parties may reach the application guide and other relevant

documents at the websites of STGM (www.stgm.org.tr), Central Finance

and Contracts Unit (www.cfcu.gov.tr) and the European Commission

Delegation to Turkey (www.avrupa.info.tr).

“Cooperation is essential for strengtheninglocal networks”

During the 5th advisory Board Meeting of the STGM, participants discussed,

on specific examples, critical points related to well functioning local networks.

In the session on “Success

Stories from Civil Society”,

successful examples and

practices in civil society and

participatory democracy were

shared. Gürcan Banger from

the ESYO (Eskişehir Civil Local Platform) informed participants about

the composition, functioning and activities of the ESYO. Then, Hale Evrim

Akman, Coordinator for Strategic Management and Planning in Çanakkale

Municipality shared the experience of participatory budgeting, which was

practiced by the Municipality on the example of the Porto Allegre Initiative.

Stressing the need for partnership and cooperation of all parties concerned

for an effective participation, Akman said “cooperation is a must to

strengthen local networks.” At the end of the first session, Ümit Kutbay

from the managing body of ASTO (Aydın Civil Society Platform), presently

active in Aydın Province with the participation some 75 NGOs, informed

participants about the activities and working principles of his organization.

In the second session, participants divided into two groups to discuss “things

that must be done and not done in processes of establishing healthy and

functional platforms” and “governance for local government and NGOs”.

The STGM meeting drafted a text comprising suggestions for having civil

society participate in city councils in a stronger and fair way. With signatures

of supporting NGOs, the text will be submitted to the General Directorate

of Local Administrations, Ministry of Interior, in June. Those who want to

support the text can reach it on the main page of STGM website and convey

their pledge of support to the address [email protected].

Our Communication Officer Gamze Göker andAssistant Coordinator Ayça Bulut put on theirwedding gowns in May and June, respectively,and we applauded....

The campaign “Stop Violence Against Children!” launched by AnkaraChild Rights Platform is continuing. We forwarded questions to the membersof the platform about the campaign and their activities which are alsosupported by the STGM:

What is the target of your campaign “Stop Violence Against Children”?It targets preventing and eliminatingviolence against children. The Global Studyon Violence Against Children which wasconducted jointly by the UN HighCommissioner for Human Rights, UNICEFand the World Heath Organization andpublished in October 2006, reveals theappalling dimensions of violence againstchildren and makes a series of suggestionsto prevent and eliminate it. One of thesuggestions was to make wide spreadpromotion of the issue at national level andto monitor the implementation of suggestionsmade in the report within the frameworkof the Convention on the Rights of the Childand other human rights instruments. In thiscontext, the role of NGOs is quite important.

As an NGO alliance, the Ankara Child Rights Platform decided to launcha campaign to prevent and eliminate violence against children in Turkey.

What have you done so far under the campaign?In order to build public awareness on the need to end violence against children,we have firstly organized meetings with relevant NGOs for preparation andinformation sharing. We launched a website giving information about thecampaign and promoting the work of the platform. Lastly, we arranged anadvocacy meeting at the Grand National Assembly targeting MPs and themedia representatives. Also we, with the support of the STGM, developed ourstrategic plans for the campaign and had our campaign brochure printed.

What are the difficulties of running a campaign?Difficulties involved in developing and implementing a campaign can be overcomewith the harmonious work of the leading team. Apart from this it is essentialto keep the issue addressed fresh in agenda. Indeed, throughout all activitiesthere is need to associate the campaign with the current agenda and launchcreative and effective activities that can draw the attention of target population.

For how long the campaign will last?The campaign is planned to run until 2010. In 2010, Turkey is expectedto submit her country report on the prevention of violence against childrento the UN. The campaign will therefore try to build a public pressure toensure that the issue is taken up and the report is actually prepared.

([email protected] , www.ankaracocukhaklari.org)

STGM Adana LSC as matchmakerEU Delegation representative was in Adana

The EC Delegation’s Democratization and Civil Society Sector Manager

Petar Kovachev visited STGM’s local support centre (LSC) in Adana on

April 24th.

Kovachev was in Adana for an information meeting to give information

about the 2008 Grant Programme-Turkey under the European Instrument

for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). Kovachev visited STGM’s

local support centre and received information about centre’s activities.

During his visit, Kovachev also found the opportunity to meet with local

NGO representatives.

Eastern Mediterranean Civil Society Platformis launched

With its matchmaking activities the STGM Adana LSC is helping NGOs

to find partners for joint projects. Considering intensive applications to the

centre for finding partners following successive announcements of EU grant

programmes, the local support centre organized a matchmaking meeting

to facilitate NGO partnerships.

There were about 40 activists from Adana, Mersin and Hatay coming

together in the LSC office in İŞGEM and finding opportunity to get

acquainted with each other. During the meeting, participating NGOs gave

information about their activities and projects they developed.

The LSC staff expressed their hope for smoothly working and sustained

partnerships, while informing participants about the grant programme

“Strengthening Civil Society in Turkey: Holistic Approach to Civil Society

and Participatory Local Projects” and other grand schemes that were still

open. Participants were also informed about how to make use of STGM’s

new matchmaking service (http://www.stgm.org.tr/partnership/), methods

of finding national and international partners and existing plan of activities.

İlknur Üstün, the STGM consultant in gender issues was present at the

meeting as observer.

STGM’s press breakfast

Staff from STGM Adana LSC and members of the Board of Eastern

Mediterranean Civil Society Platform (DASP) jointly organized a press

breakfast on March 26th and met with the members of the press in Adana.

12 journalists and correspondents from Doğan News Agency, Akdeniz TV,

Çukurova TV, Channel B and from daily papers Ekpres, 5 Ocak, Bölge

and Zirve attented to the event organized in Fotoğrafya Café.

Headings raised during the breakfast included the objectives of the local

support centre in Adana; STGM’s training activities for NGOs including

capacity building and project cycle management; support and grant schemes.

It was stressed that the LSC is open to all NGOs without an office and

technical equipment.

The civil platform comprising NGOs in Adana and neighbouring provinces

held a general meeting on May 2nd and coined the platform as “Eastern

Mediterranean Civil Society Platform” (DASP). During the meeting

participated by representatives from 40 NGOs, 14 volunteering

representatives formed the

executive board of the

platform for the new term.

Following the initial phases,

the Eastern Mediterranean

Civil Society had held its third

strategic plan workshop to set its

mission and underlying principles.

20 NGO representatives were present at

the workshop facilitated by Levent Korkut,

Chairman of the STGM Administrative

Board. Member NGOs came together once

more on 24-25 May to discuss how they

would capitalize on opportunities pointed

out by SWOT analysis and what measures

could be adopted against threats.

HIV and Life

NGOs in Denizli discussed amendments to be made in the Regulation on

City Councils. During the DESGEP information sharing meeting held at

the local support centre.

The meeting was facilitated by DESGEP Coordinator Diler Aslan, Architect

Hüsamettin Ataman and Dr. Hüseyin Özgür from Pamukkale University the

opening speech was delivered by Diler Aslan. During her opening speech Diler

Aslan stressed that city councils are mechanisms of governance that bring the

central government, local government and civil society together in an

understanding of partnership within the framework of citizenship. Aslan added

that city councils are democratic structures through which development priorities,

problems and vision of a given locality are discussed and identified on the basis

of principles relating to sustainability together with pertinent solutions.

In his speech, architect Hüsamettin Ataman related his opinions and

comments on amendments to be made in the Regulation on City Councils.

Hüseyin Özgür from Pamukkale University informed the participants about

the background, development and present working of Local Agenda 21

and the City Council. Reminding that there is some ambiguity whether City

Councils are for advising or implementing, Özgür added that there is yet

no objective criteria governing the representative capacity of City Councils.

Taking the floor, Tarık Pilevne, Director of DOÇEV Foundation, said NGOs

close to the Municipal Administration are designated for membership in

the City Council while a distance is kept to others which are considered

“opponents”. Berrin Şengün, President of Denizli Women’s Union said

the City Council should enhance its work and activities in gender issues.

Hasan Tanbeli from the Turkish Youth Council conveyed information and

experience concerning the latest state and activities of Local Agenda 21

in Denizli supported by background information on the formation of LA21

and the City Council. Participants stressed the importance of the impartiality

of city councils in terms of representation and functioning.

Discussing the regulation on City Councils

The second round of the “Vocational High Schools Career Days” took

place in two different vocational high schools in Denizli on 7-9 May.

During the event, some 20 organizations including the Koç Foundation,

Association for the Fight Against AIDS, Pamukkale Search, Rescue and

Nature Sports Association, STGM Denizli and DOÇEV and private sector

firms met with students in their stands and found opportunities to share

their respective experience and information with them.

Private sector and vocational high schoolsmeet in career days

On 26 – 27 May Feray Salman, member of the STGM Administration Board

and the coordinator of Human Rights Joint Platform, led a meeting at the

Denizli LSC on “Discrimination from the Perspective of Human Rights.”

With some 20 NGO representatives from the DESGEP, the meeting

brainstormed over “perpetrators of discrimination” and “victims of

discrimination” and participants were informed about discrimination from

the perspective of human rights. Headings covered in the meeting included

the definition of discrimination, its historical grounds, forms and place in

international human rights law. Participants conveyed their experiences as

actors having perpetrated or fallen victim to discriminatory acts.

We challenged discrimination on the basis ofhuman rights

Upon the invitation of Prof. Hüseyin Turgut from the Denizli Branch of

the Association for the Fight Against AIDS (AMD), a two full day meeting

was held in Denizli on 11-12 April with the participation of Nejat Ünlü

and Mehmet Omay from the Positive Life Association (PYD) and staff

from the Denizli Branch of the Association for the Fight Against AIDS.

The first day of the meeting was at STGM, DESGEP Denizli local support

centre. In the meeting both associations made presentations about their

activities and projects. Representatives from Denizli Soroptimist Club,

GİİKAD, Turkish MİSC (Medical Students Club), Denizli Women’s

Platform and the private sector participated in the meeting.

On the second day of the meeting, staff from the AMD and PYD discussed

possible areas of cooperation and pledged to join forces in common

projects to further their cooperation.

NGOs in Diyarbakır engaged in needs analysis

On April 11th, the STGM Diyarbakır LSC conducted an NGO Needs

Analysis Meeting facilitated by Feray Salman from the STGM

Administrative Board. In the meeting participated by 27 NGO activists,

the importance of experience sharing was stressed. Other headings covered

in the meeting included the need for strengthening of local networks,

improved coordination, being more active in accessing information, more

focus on voluntary participation and youth issues and further weight to

support in capacity building.

The “Training in Website Design and Management” organized by STGM

with the support of Microsoft took place from March 31st to April 5th

with the participation of representatives from 8 NGOs active in Diyarbakır.

Participating NGOs showed deep interest in this training designed to enable

them to display their activities in the Internet environment and to support

their ongoing campaigns with websites. The training was considered

successful given that at least some participants acquired skills to design

their own websites after this training of 6 days.

NGOs establish their websites

Youth voices out for Hasankeyf

In our journey starting from the walls surrounding Diyarbakır, we addressed

Zeugma, Allanoi, Cappadocia, and walls of İstanbul and many other assets

of cultural heritage while in Hasankeyf...

During the event “Hasankeyf Cultural Heritage TOG ATAK” participated

by 80 students from 40 universities, university students discussed the

issue of cultural heritage in various workshops they organized. Following

presentations and discussions on the Ilısu Dam, Hasankeyf and cultural

heritage, the next activity was the “Cultural Heritage Fair.” Participating

youth groups shared their experience and information with actors in local

dynamics. Activists stayed in tents during the work which lasted for two

days and three nights.

Young steps marching for democracy...

Under the project “Young Steps Marching for Democracy” supported by the

State Planning Organizations (DPT) and Center for EU Education and Youth

Programmes and implemented jointly by Diyarbakır Local Agenda 21 Youth

Council and Yenişehir Municipality, the activity “Youth and Democracy

Days” took place on 5-6 April 2008. Partners from France, Solidaritê et

Libertê and Infos A Gogo were also present as participants to the event. On April 5th, there was an NGO fair in Diyarbakır where local NGOs active

in youth issues had their stands at the Exhibition Hall of Diyarbakır Greater

Municipality. Following the fair participated by 15 NGOs with their stands,

the panel discussion “Youth and Democracy” attracted many listeners. On

April 6th and again under the project “Young Steps Marching for Democracy”

another panel discussion, “Women and Violence”, was organized in partnership

with the LA21 Women’s Council at the Theatre Hall of Greater Municipality.

Following the panel discussion participants attended the “Culture Night” in

Dengbej House with their French partners.

The General Assembly meeting of the ESYO (Eskişehir Local Civil

Platform) was held at the ESYO Conference Hall on May 3rd. During

the meeting in which 70 NGOs participated, ESYO strategic plan and

action plan were shared. Stating that the strategic plan was about to be

completed after a year-long work, Gürcan Banger, member of the ESYO

Board of Facilitators stressed that the road map for the coming 5 years

was now clearly drawn.

ESYO General Assembly convenes

Improving dialogue between NGOs andbusiness world

On May 28th a meeting was organized in Eskişehir to improve

opportunities of dialogue and cooperation between the business world

and non-governmental organizations. Participated by Business World

and Sustainable Development Association, STGM, ESYO and SİADS

(associations of industrialists and businessmen) active in Eskişehir,

the meeting had the objective of eliminating mutual prejudice between

NGOs and industrial firms.

“Yell louder to stop male violence!”

Upon increasing incidence of violence, harassment and assault against

women in Turkey in general and in Eskişehir, the Eskişehir Democratic

Women’s Platform (EDKP) launched the “Purple Needle” campaign.

The campaign will last for 3 weeks and conclude on 30-31 May with the

ESYO NGO festival. The platform made a press statement regarding its

campaign.

Reminding that Pippa Bacca from Italy touring the world as an ambassador

for peace was raped and murdered while in Turkey, the EDKP speaker

said the “purple needle” campaign first launched in İstanbul back in

1987 was now in Eskişehir.

After stating that the campaign

has reached about 400 women Ekin

continued: “We presented women

our purple needles and invited

them to joint struggle against

harassment. We will have our stand

too in the NGO festival on 30-31

May and continue handing out our

needles. Our target is to reach

1,000 women and draw the

attention of authorities to cases of

harassment. We want to live here

safely without any worries.”

Active in sharing its accumulated information and experience with other

NGOs in different provinces of Turkey, the ESYO came together with NGOs

in Bozüyük. During the meeting held at the Adult Education Centre in

Bozüyük on April 25th, participating local NGOs were encouraged to come

together and start a platform or to benefit from ESYO.

Participants were also informed about the structure,

aim and objectives, and decision making

mechanisms of the ESYO as well as about

services offered by STGM Eskişehir Local

Support Centre.

ESYO in Bozüyük

STGM programme for training of trainersis completed…

Civil society is thriving day by day in Turkey. There are more campaigns,

more organizations conduct their activities through strategic planning and

again there are more and more organizations developing their projects.

Parallel to this vibrancy there is also a significant rise in the needs of

organizations for trainers and consultants.

As a response, STGM launched a programme for training of trainers which

lasted in total for 8 days in two rounds from 3 to 6 April and from 24 to

27 April. There were 16 activists from such fields of activity as youth,

human rights, gender, environment, the disabled and child rights who

received training. These activists are now ready to move ahead with the

STGM to extend voluntary support to civil organizations in their trainings.

We’ve started our institutional coachingprogramme…

The one-to-one and face-to-face support programme which we coin as

“institutional coaching programme” started with our visit to the Human

Rights in Mental Health Initiative (RUSİHAK) in its office in İstanbul

shared by six different organizations as well. Together with volunteers

from the initiative we identified the needs of their respective organizations

and started to develop an overall idea how we could support them in their

activities. In the short-term, STGM will support the organization in its

efforts to establish an effective and sustainable network of volunteers. We

wish RUSİHAK will run its advocacy works more effectively with its new

network of volunteers.

You can find information about our institutional support programme and

application procedures on our website. Our support may cover diverse areas

from strategic planning for an NGO to development of volunteer management

system, from production of printed materials to campaign planning. We

must remind that we are not offering in cash or in-kind assistance in this

context. Our objective is to share information and experience and support

organizations by working together with them.

Our needs-based trainings continue…

We continue with needs-based trainings designed to effectively respond

to differing training needs of civil organizations. This line of training

has a characteristic that distinguishes it from training in institutional

capacity building which we organize on a regular programme base. In

needs-based training we decide together with NGOs concerned on the

content and timing of training and we also deliver this training mostly

at the premises of requesting organizations. This facilitates closer

acquaintance of the parties.

For further information on needs-based training and in situ institutional

support visit our website at http://www.stgm.org/egitim/.

A refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular socialgroup, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protectionof that country. June 20th is each celebrated each year as World Refugee Day since 2000. So for our June issue we decided to interview a refugee rightsactivist working in this field for years. İbrahim Vurgun Kavlak voluntarily worked for four years in the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekersand Migrants (SGDD) before undertaking the coordination of a psycho-social support project and is still engaged in various activities as a volunteer.Language courses in Turkish and English and a refugee choir comprising adolescents in the age group 15-20 are among these activities. Kavlak himselfplays bağlama (a folkloric musical instrument) in and prepares the repertoire of the SGDD Refugee Orchestra which sings in Turkish and Somali language.He points out to the importance of this group: “We organized popular concerts in Kadıköy/İstanbul as a part of the World Refugee Day celebrations. Thiswas first of its kind in Turkey. Since 2000, there are activities such as meetings, conferences, concerts, exhibitions, etc. on the occasion of this Day, butuntil this year other people were doing things for refugees. For the first time this year refugees themselves performed; they became actors in its real sense.”

The phrase that epitomizes best the reservation of people in Turkey to helping refugees is this: “Why should we help an alien negro while we have our poorto feed?” İbrahim Kavlak says that now, as a result of Association’s activities, prejudices and attributions such as “HIV infected”, “drug dealer” or“criminal” targeting black people who have lost their family members in tribal wars back home are being seriously challenged.

Last year, the SGDD organized a “women’s gathering” activity with the Cappadocia Women’s Solidarity Association where they brought together about500 women, 400 of them being refugees. Another activity was the photo exhibition “Citizens of Hope” that collected photographs taken by refugee childrenwho had earlier been given cameras by the Association. The next activity is a football match with a team of celebrities…

İbrahim Vurgun Kavlak(Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants)

“Why should we help an alien negro while we have our poor to feed?”

STGMD Executive BoardChair: Levent KorkutDeputy Chair: Serpil SancarSecretary General: Ayhan BilgenAccountant: Feray SalmanMembers: Şeyhmus Diken, Uygar Özesmi, Öyküm Bağcı

Owned by on Behalf ofCivil Society Development Center Association: Levent KorkutResponsible Editor in-Chief: Gamze GökerIllustrations: Ferit Avcı

ISSN 1306-5297

Civil Society Development Center (STGM)89.sok. 14/9, 06550 YıldızÇankaya, Ankara / TurkeyTel: +90 (312) 442 42 62 (pbx)Fax: +90 (312) 442 57 55e-mail: [email protected]: www.stgm.org.tr

STGM Adana Local Support CenterAdana İş Geliştirme Merkezi Kocavezir MahallesiKocavezir İş Merkezi Kat: 2 No: 17 Adana / TurkeyTel: +90 (322) 365 04 04Fax: +90 (322) 365 04 11e-mail: [email protected]: http://adana.stgm.org.tr

STGM Eskişehir Local Support CenterDeliklitaş Mah. Gürman Sok. No: 1626090 Eskişehir / TurkeyTel: +90 (222) 220 40 36Fax: +90 (222) 220 40 76e-mail: [email protected]: http://eskisehir.stgm.org.tr

STGM Diyarbakır Local Support CenterKurtismailpaşa 8. Sok. Memuzin Apt.No: 3 Ofis, Diyarbakır / TurkeyTel: +90 (412) 223 05 86Fax: +90 (412) 223 05 88e-mail: [email protected]: http://diyarbakir.stgm.org.tr

STGM Denizli Local Support CenterSaltak Mah. 1521 Sok.No: 16 D: 1, 20100 Denizli / TurkeyTel: +90 (258) 241 60 11Fax: +90 (258) 241 50 11e-mail: [email protected]: http://denizli.stgm.org.tr

Human beings develop interest in and concentrate on some specific areas for variousreasons. Why did you choose refugee rights as your area of activism?

I can say that it all started when I was an intern in the United Nations High Commissionerfor Refugees (UNHCR) during my post-graduate study in Hacettepe University. Asylumseeking in such an area that once you are involved deeper in, you can’t just abandon it. Youcome across people who have suffered incredibly heavy distress and pain. In fact all problemsand issues in the field of human rights come before you in different forms in the case ofrefugees. Each day you discover a new heading of debate and learn about it.

Different from other areas, we can’t see refugees themselves in Turkey as activists indefending their rights, why?

In general, as a result of their past fears and sufferings, refugees want to have a new life andstay away from activism in their destination points in order to avoid any new trouble. Thiscan be explained by various factors. Turkey has yet no comprehensive legislation in this area,but still working on it intensively in her process of accession to the EU. In 1951 Turkey

acceded to the Geneva Convention onthe Legal Status of Refugees with ageographical reservation. In otherwords, persons coming in from non-European countries cannot stay inTurkey as refugees; they are providedtemporary protection only. Consideringthat their stay in Turkey is onlytemporary, refugees avoid gettingactively involved in related efforts. Butstill the leading obstacle to activismis concerns about security. These arepeople who were at odds with

authorities in their home countries and now staying in a country to be placed in a third onewhile they consider their lives under threat. So, despite having been activists back home, theyare hesitant to be a part of social life in the country they are staying at present.

As a country where are we standing now in terms of the rights of refugees and migrants?

While having no legislative arrangement in this area, Turkey maintains it geographicalreservation. Related affairs are governed through instructions and circulars which preventany systematic structure and functioning. For example, if a person cannot afford the fee fora simple health check up, his or her use of the available system depends on the subjective

initiative of some persons or institutions. What is needed is arrangements that saves servicedelivery from the realm of random and subjective interventions. It is true that access toeducation and health services covers refugees too within the framework of arrangementsrelated to foreigners, but absence of a specific legislation on refugees and migrants leadspeople into trouble and search for temporary solutions. The Government is working underits National Action Plan on a legislation that is in accordance with the EU, but still, inpractice, we come across serious problems in the exercise of some rights.

How is the day of an activist in refugee rights?

As a result of our activities related to asylum seekers and refugees we came into contactwith these people in Turkey. At present we are busy responding to telephone calls and lettersfrom too many refugees and we have face-to-face contact with many of them. Given thatturmoil in the countries of origin which gives rise to the problem of refugees is continuing,no matter how you improve conditions in the country they are staying now you will stillremain preoccupied with a range of psychological problems. You start to collect the painsof these people, and when you feel that you can’t bring a solution, then you start questioningyour work and your raison d’être. At that point you realize that you are actually strugglingfor your own life by supporting the struggle of another person.

Are there enough people working in this area in Turkey?

The NGO assistance to both students and academics in their entry to the field and provisionof opportunities in research, study, internship, etc. have recently pushed the issue to the foreand increased the number of people interested in this field. However, given that Turkeyrepresents a territory where population movements and mobility is high, it is not possibleto say that the number of institutions, organizations and persons working in it is sufficient.

Were there times you said “I wish I wouldn’t be in this issue”?

No, I didn’t say that, but there have been times I asked myself “how would it be if you wereworking on some other issue?” We must have the motivation to hold on even at thosemoments that force you to think “I wish I weren’t”. If you are not trying to find solutions,then you will see no problem and experience no trouble. The point is that you must be ableto show what is possible beyond what is. This way of thinking keeps us active all the time.

Sığınmacılar ve Göçmenlerle Dayanışma DerneğiAddress: Cinnah Cad. 27/7 Çankaya AnkaraTel: 0312 427 55 83 Fax: 0312 487 55 83 E-mail: [email protected]: www.sgdd.org.tr