Hutcheon: In the Kurdish dominated south-east, with war just over the mountains, the village celebrates a wedding. For Turkeys 15 million Kurds, tribal Muslims whove inhabited this land for centuries, times are rarely as joyous. Not far from here is Iraq, and a war that may lead to a new future for their brothers and sisters, the Iraqi Kurds. But in Turkey, they have their own problems to deal with.
Many of these Kurds have only just returned after years of absence. In the nineties, Turkish troops evacuated thousands of villages to snuff out support for the rebel PKK guerrillas.
Aydin: The forced evacuations reached a peak between 1992 and 1996. Officially 380,000 Kurds were expelled from their villages, but unofficially the figure is between one and a half to two million people.
Hutcheon: Kurdish human rights lawyer, Cihan Aydin (pron: gee-han eye-din) represents villagers in their struggle to return to their land. This man says the military burned his house down the Turkish state isnt interested, it hasnt paid a penny of compensation to any of those affected. All over south-eastern Turkey you come across abandoned villages like this one. In the 1990s, when the conflict between Turks and Kurds was at its peak, the Turkish military gave Kurdish villagers an impossible choice: evacuate or stay and become armed village guards, paid for by the Turkish state to fight their own people. The village guards became a law unto themselves, snatching land and property, wreaking widespread destruction while the Turkish state turned a blind eye. More than three thousand villages were evacuated the military said in the name of security Kurds believe its punishment for failing to turn against the rebels.
Aydin: Forcible evacuations are the worst tragedy suffered by this region. In the process, up to two million people were expelled. Many of their homes were burned. In the countryside, they relied on farming and had no qualifications or talents they could use in the city. They arent capable of making money and now survive in miserable conditions.
Hutcheon: Those who fled were forced to migrate to the cities in search of a livelihood. Hundreds of displaced Kurds live in this Istanbul neighbourhood its one of the poorest parts of the city. The Cicek family live in two rooms; they were expelled from their village nine years ago. Their old house has been partly demolished but they couldnt afford to return anyway. With eight mouths to feed and only one working, its hard to make ends meet. The women prepare spiced mussels to sell on the streets. Father Abdul explains how the family came to be here.
Abdul: They killed three of my brothers. Theyve tortured us, set fire to our belongings and forced the whole village to evacuate. We used to have fields, vineyards and cattle. Now the village is empty.
Hutcheon: In the Ciceks village, all refused the states money and weapons to fight the PKK rebels. All remained loyal to the Kurdish cause. Now, as a result, they suffer.
Abdul: Its extremely difficult for me. We didnt agree to become village guards, so we had to leave. I was born in my village, thats my land, my soil. Its been a very bitter experience for me.
Hutcheon: In the south-easts capital, Diyarbakir, we found Behida Tekin. Behidas husband Ikram went to reclaim the family home last September. He was shot dead by village guards, who had once been their neighbours. Fourteen year old Gokhan Tekin witnessed it.
Gokhan: It was early evening and we were just going to set up the tents. The village guards suddenly appeared and started firing at everyone. My father told me to get down, so I did. But my father and uncle were shot.
Hutcheon: Though the armed conflict between Turk and Kurd has simmered down, with the war the border is closed and the region is again a tense military zone. Turkey fears a Kurdish state in northern Iraq would lead to demands for south-eastern Turkey which the Kurds call Northern Kurdistan. Cihan Aydin believes theres a peaceful alternative.
Aydin: If Turkey made significant progress in improving the human rights and democracy situation here, I dont believe Kurds would flee to an independent Kurdish state. But it depends on what happens here and whether Turkey can show enough sensitivity.
Hutcheon: In Istanbul Aydin Cecik sells the spicy mussels prepared by his family to earn income for them, still longing for home. Even here, theres no security. The street Mafia whispers a quiet word and yet again hes not welcome.
Many of these Kurds have only just returned after years of absence. In the nineties, Turkish troops evacuated thousands of villages to snuff out support for the rebel PKK guerrillas.
Aydin: The forced evacuations reached a peak between 1992 and 1996. Officially 380,000 Kurds were expelled from their villages, but unofficially the figure is between one and a half to two million people.
Hutcheon: Kurdish human rights lawyer, Cihan Aydin (pron: gee-han eye-din) represents villagers in their struggle to return to their land. This man says the military burned his house down the Turkish state isnt interested, it hasnt paid a penny of compensation to any of those affected. All over south-eastern Turkey you come across abandoned villages like this one. In the 1990s, when the conflict between Turks and Kurds was at its peak, the Turkish military gave Kurdish villagers an impossible choice: evacuate or stay and become armed village guards, paid for by the Turkish state to fight their own people. The village guards became a law unto themselves, snatching land and property, wreaking widespread destruction while the Turkish state turned a blind eye. More than three thousand villages were evacuated the military said in the name of security Kurds believe its punishment for failing to turn against the rebels.
Aydin: Forcible evacuations are the worst tragedy suffered by this region. In the process, up to two million people were expelled. Many of their homes were burned. In the countryside, they relied on farming and had no qualifications or talents they could use in the city. They arent capable of making money and now survive in miserable conditions.
Hutcheon: Those who fled were forced to migrate to the cities in search of a livelihood. Hundreds of displaced Kurds live in this Istanbul neighbourhood its one of the poorest parts of the city. The Cicek family live in two rooms; they were expelled from their village nine years ago. Their old house has been partly demolished but they couldnt afford to return anyway. With eight mouths to feed and only one working, its hard to make ends meet. The women prepare spiced mussels to sell on the streets. Father Abdul explains how the family came to be here.
Abdul: They killed three of my brothers. Theyve tortured us, set fire to our belongings and forced the whole village to evacuate. We used to have fields, vineyards and cattle. Now the village is empty.
Hutcheon: In the Ciceks village, all refused the states money and weapons to fight the PKK rebels. All remained loyal to the Kurdish cause. Now, as a result, they suffer.
Abdul: Its extremely difficult for me. We didnt agree to become village guards, so we had to leave. I was born in my village, thats my land, my soil. Its been a very bitter experience for me.
Hutcheon: In the south-easts capital, Diyarbakir, we found Behida Tekin. Behidas husband Ikram went to reclaim the family home last September. He was shot dead by village guards, who had once been their neighbours. Fourteen year old Gokhan Tekin witnessed it.
Gokhan: It was early evening and we were just going to set up the tents. The village guards suddenly appeared and started firing at everyone. My father told me to get down, so I did. But my father and uncle were shot.
Hutcheon: Though the armed conflict between Turk and Kurd has simmered down, with the war the border is closed and the region is again a tense military zone. Turkey fears a Kurdish state in northern Iraq would lead to demands for south-eastern Turkey which the Kurds call Northern Kurdistan. Cihan Aydin believes theres a peaceful alternative.
Aydin: If Turkey made significant progress in improving the human rights and democracy situation here, I dont believe Kurds would flee to an independent Kurdish state. But it depends on what happens here and whether Turkey can show enough sensitivity.
Hutcheon: In Istanbul Aydin Cecik sells the spicy mussels prepared by his family to earn income for them, still longing for home. Even here, theres no security. The street Mafia whispers a quiet word and yet again hes not welcome.