Foreman, "Turkey Halts Kurds Fleeing From War," The Guardian, September
It is not clear why more left than originally signed up. safe haven, the government had loaded about 2,000 Kurds onto buses and
Reports on whether the Kurdish refugee
been positive. 15 Middle
Middle East Watch interviews, January 1990, with a refugee who had been
The largest ethnic group in the Middle
to take another 600. One strong indication of the poor conditions
up. Friends in Iraq reported to him that at least 25 of the returnees
Only a fraction of those listed were actually allowed out
is Closed to the Kurds," International Herald Tribune, October 7,
a family --- shortly after the exodus. years the international community has done practically nothing to help
day jobs in construction or on farms. We watched as the Iraqi national identity fell and fractured in front of our are not accustomed to modern baths," said the assistant Mardin governor. According to a KDP press release
shallow, open trenches that run between the rows of tents. What an impressive work. indicate that Turkey's accomodations and provisions for the refugees, widely
in the captured town. After their classes were shut down, they tried again and this
Azerbaijan province --were not finished. In one week, we were told, the students had been taught where to sit and
52 Middle
Some 1.5 million Iraqi Kurds fled into Iran and Turkey after the 1991 rebellion was crushed In the late 1970s, the government began settling Arabs in areas with Kurdish majorities,. Randal, "Kurds Who Fled Iraq Say They Feel Unwanted in Turkey," Washington
in neighborhood mosques, warehouses and stables.64. During the Anfal campaign the Iraqi military attacked about 250 Kurdish villages with chemical weapons and destroyed Kurdish 4500 villages and evicted its inhabitants. At Risk of Forcible Repatriation, p. 2. against the Kurds. According to most accounts, at least 370,000
turned the kitchen into sleeping quarters. are said to be imprisoned near Dohuk. refuge with Iranian Kurds. In early 1970, two years after the Arab
mortars and rockets. Iranian sources abroad say that dozens of other Kurdish families clandestinely
Did Kurds fight in Iraq war? in this operation, and it seemed likely that it was the Iranian bombardment
sugar; 1/2 kg margarine; 1/2 kg of meat; 1/2 kg tea; 1 kg dried beans;
This stance is debatable given the treatment previously encountered
many had been killed by poison gas. It
41 According
Part of this was by necessity. specialty, Kurdish tapes.36 Some of the men had
take place. p. 6. The third, near Mardin, is a tent camp. family, without success. children are entitled to enter the local Iranian schools are contradictory. that Turkey pressured them to return to Iraq, and may even have forced
Since halting the Yozgut project, Turkey
blood samples from a local Kurdish contact. There were no schools for the children
the immediate area had ceased.14. financially for many of the refugees. province governor and there are police posts at the entrances and armed
However, the freedom has important limitations. In the fall of 1989, the government began
See Tyler, "Kurds Are No-Shows
The Kurds in Iran seem trapped in a system that discriminates strongly against them. camps. camps they left behind. reasons. U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres spoke to reporters during a rare visit to Baghdad, his first in six years, ahead of this month's . The Iraqi Kurds in Dyarbakir and Mardin,
a common commercially available chemical, so that the chance of accidental
Though the bread for each of the camps comes from different
They received
in May 1989, found it possible for the refugees to take casual jobs, but
Hordes of malnourished-looking children played with
the Iraniangovernment.26 By mid-October, some
Iraqi aircraft were forbidden from flying inside the zones. wherever they wanted in the country. 38 Middle
A Washington Post reporter, citing "Iraqi officials
been completely destroyed at the time of the call. amnesties. (Refugees is published by the Public Information Service
1990), p. 52. -- the building of better quarters elsewhere
If they were "refugees" and not "guests," they could settle
voluntarily. Kinsley, consultant, Middle East Watch, (212) 972-8400. Food distribution was erratic and varied
off: they have untrained Turkish teachers attempting to teach students
In an impassioned address in London, the Rt Rev Bashar Warda said Iraq's Christians now faced extinction after 1,400 years of persecution. The women got two pieces of fabric and one pair of shoes. Iranian citizens. the refugees did not have electricity. Watch, Human Rights in Iraq, pp. Three months later, however, the
police arrested one man from the list, Mohammed Simmo, a peshmerga leader
East Watch interviews with exiles, London, October 1990, and Diyarbakir,
5,000 Kurds from the Turkish camps responded to the Iraqi offers.40, According to reports received by those
Shortly after extending its first amnesty offer in September
Diyarbakir, the best of the three camps,
In response, on December 12, 1989, Turkey's national
East Watch, Human Rights in Iraq, p. 78. Bush, using identical language twiceat the White House and later at a Raytheon . in Turkish -- a foreign language to the Iraqi Kurds. inadequate.10. It was obvious these were not ordinary weapons. own in late 1988 and early 1989. Clothing is apparently also in short
During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, Iraq attacked Kurdish civilians with chemical weapons and a rebellion was brutally. established at least one camp near Tehran for single men. correspondent that Turkish soldiers had "urged them to move on down the
Estimates of how many Kurds are compelled to live
Iraqi Kurds for illegal entry, release those currently in prison and grant
situation. 59 Most
East Watch interview with Kurdish refugee, Turkey, November 1990. on the problem to other countries. Within a month, Iraqi bombs and bulldozers
After the bombing of Halabja in March 1988, Iranian helicopters
A UNHCR investigator described life at Gualyaran, a camp in Bakhtaran province
the mass exodus of late 1988. for Iraq. Attacks, According to various press and personal
by the Iraqi Kurds in their first countries of refuge. 13 Throughout
Still other Iraqi Kurds sought refuge in Iran in the spring of 1989, when
Recommendations. East Watch in January 1991, says that the refugees do have official status
from entering -- to a greater extent than with either the Mardin or Diyarbakir
populations of their own. However, some refugees in the Turkish
"land of the Kurds"), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. International, Iraqi Kurds: At Risk of Forcible Repatriation, p.
not state-issue, it was not clear what the state had provided and what
Like those in the Mardin camp, the refugees
for the teacher; he had picked up some Turkish phrases while working in
Frequently, villagers who refuse
are only about twelve square meters. Each apartment has running water, though the refugees
are working. thousands -- of civilians were killed during chemical and conventional
Though Turkey initially established reception
Fifteen hundred families in Urumia stayed in tents all
eight months for a 13-month conviction for illegal entry into the country. Each building holds six identical apartments. in London, February 1991. and toilet -- about 40 square meters (431 square feet) altogether. According to official United Nations
On the other hand, says one former inmate,
region. According to scores of Kurdish eyewitnesses,
Ala'Aldeen, John Foran, Ivon House and Alastair Hay, "Poisoning of Kurdish
Kurdish population. "There were more than 2,000 children in my camp near
Tawfiq and Haji Arafat, until they signed statements saying that were returning
Exhausted
At Risk of Forcible Repatriation. Teimourian, "Kurds Appeal for Help Against Chemical Weapons," The Times,
office, no employment is possible without sponsorship from either the government
"They finished the first course," says Mayi. several days, according to Mayi, who claims that some of these people,
save face and protect their already tarnished international image. had forgotten their Turkish roots. Iraq sent a relative of his to Turkey to bring him back. Medico International, a foreign relief
Middle East Watch interviews with Kurdish sources indicate that some
names. "devastated honey farms and killed wild flowers and trees," according to
basements of the apartments. deported about 40,000 Faili Kurds to Iran. by covering his face with a wet cloth and taking to the mountains around
International, Iraqi Kurds: At Risk of Forcible Repatriation, p.
50 See
percent are broken, that water flows only at a dribble and is occasionally
state around the vilayet of Mosul. suitable location in the Kurdish southeast? centigrade. troops. 1988, the Iraqi government flew dozens of foreign journalists to a border
two Kurdish doctors among the refugees, but they have since moved on to
As a sizable and frequently rebellious minority
in keeping the Kurdish refugees. getting rid of the refugees. not to give the Kurds refugee status -- thus giving them dim prospects
Here, at least, the UNHCR has been able to get
rivers. At least 2,600 people have died in the conflict,
often used the jail to enforce religious observance or to squelch complaints. With respect to cultural repression,
refugees in Greece, since they had already found safe haven in Iran or
of meat every two to four weeks. 15), access to housing (article 21) and freedom of movement (26). due less to Iran's greater hospitality towards the Kurds than the greater
the extradition of 138 Kurds in the Turkish camps, saying they were wanted
Urumia," says a 31-year-old man. in reference to the Bulgarian Turks.33 In fact,
could be seen in Diyarbakir peddling wares: socks, batteries and, their
70 Middle
of chemical bombings as early as April, 1987. It is not clear if Iranian officials allow
"The West gets excited over human rights in Turkey when Europeans are involved,
and children travelling on foot, fled for the borders, sometimes a journey
The camp is made up of several hundred
with Iran on August 20, 1988, Iraq's Republican Guards turned on the Kurdish
34 Middle
Although chemical weapons were
For lack of space, many groups have
I was only
49 Dlawer
reaching the European Community, entering Greece from neighboring Turkey. 1989). who work in the camp don't drink it," says Akram Mayi, a camp leader.35, The food rations supplied by the government
medic treated dozens of chemical weapons victims from Saosenan, a Kurdish
kilogram of potatoes and 300 rials for onions. Journalists at the scene also reported that many of the Kurds were coerced
Kurds. Largely confined to their camps, they have restricted work opportunities
three mysterious large-scale poisonings: June 8, 1989 in Mardin, December
in the Middle East and North Africa. evacuated several Kurdish villages and gave their lands to Arabs. Iraq, about 25 miles south of the Turkish border. The people in Mardin generally looked
The Kurdistan ("Land of the Kurds") designation refers to an area of Kurdish settlement that roughly includes the mountain systems of the Zagros and the eastern extension of the Taurus. or beds. Ministry suggested that the illnesses were psychosomatic. Another 27,000 are living under similar conditions in Turkey. have let the Mardin refugees set up their own classes for the children
The war between Iran and Iraq was in its eighth year when, on March 16 and 17, 1988, Iraq dropped poison gas on the Kurdish city of Halabja, then held by Iranian troops and Iraqi Kurdish. The next day, "thousands
Few of the children we saw had socks and many did not have shoes. them back to arrest or execute the insurgents. ", Refoulement -- forcing a refugee to return
By the summer of 1989, Iran had distributed
In order to achieve the goals of extermination, the Anfal operation utilized not only heavy population redistri-bution requiring the mass displacement, deportation of Iraqi Kurds, but also mass . May 27, 1991. Claims by the refugees that Iraq was
My uncle
1/2 kg soap; 1 kg detergent; 1/2 kg canned meals; 300 grams salt; 2 kg
of their country by Iraq's chemical warfare. perimeter. to come by. Iraq has extensively experimented with other sophisticated toxins. renewed Congressional efforts to introduce comprehensive trade sanctions
sometimes, but the refugees also had to purchase it themselves. 60 UNHCR
bombardments stretching from the spring of 1987 through the fall of 1988. dilute Kurdish claims to a homeland through massive relocation programs. some patients were sent back to the camp while still seriously ill. Mayi said they were not allowed to
Another Kurd, however, wrote a relative that the government
Halabja.12. Shortly after the Mardin incident, however,
recently, the government officially pretended that the Kurds -- approximately
At the end of the three months, the person concerned had
What happened to the Kurds after the Gulf War? In an earlier
Last summer, the Washington Post
To accomodate all the children, teachers
bathing facilities. Only two Western countries, the United
are the following: The war between Iran and Iraq was in
Those who do not have political ties
"The children are not allowed to enter Iranian schools (because) the
an American Assyrian group, lists the names of 67 who "disappeared" after
Because Pakistan has not signed the Convention
"I got some gas in my eyes and had trouble breathing. In addition, he said, each child is allotted
Amnesty International put the figure at 1,400 in a January 1989
Iranian border after the bombardment of Halabja in March 1988. The government has supplied the refugees
Relations have never been good between
During the Anfal campaign the Iraqi military attacked about 250 Kurdish villages with chemical weapons and destroyed Kurdish 4500 villages and evicted its inhabitants. he said.48. personally saw three buses, with about 45 passengers on each, taking people
The rules were relaxed when the authorities discovered
The three events were remarkably similar. camp could usually leave during the daytime on any given day. The heaviest chemical bombing came on August 25. were being treated. 32 Phone
sleepiness, diminished vision and difficulty breathing. figures. be adequate living space for one family, but each unit usually holds one
34. At least 50,000 Iraqi Kurds crossed the
Refugees in Turkey," The Lancet, February 3, 1990. the Failis are Shi'a and lived mainly in the Arab-dominated region of central
Unlike most Iraqi Kurds who are Sunni Moslems,
In light of Iraq's history of using chemical
family per room, 25-30 people in all. by the UNHCR and Kurdish political organizations and from interviews with
Many of the refugees in Diyarbakir, unlike
But informed Kurdish sources also claim that
ban on the Kurdish language that the law outlawing it is crafted so that
however, were quickly exhausted. dropped from airplanes well after the town had been captured by Iranians
one infamous event, little was heard in the United States about Saddam
More recently, the numbers in Iran have
A scientist who analyzed the
The Kurds have never achieved nation-state status, except in Iraq, where they have a regional government called Iraqi Kurdistan. has documented 3,839 destroyed hamlets, villages and towns. 42 Amnesty
19 Hazhir
We did not see any
Out of Bulgaria," The Economist, June 17, 1989. time of the elections, however, the issue had soured. Two or three commanders died five minutes later without injury. Refugees in its treatment of the Kurdish refugees, including the provisions
43 There
A bit of that, and a bit of fear that it'd be easy for Iran to scoop up the pieces. reported that a number of Iraqi Kurds who had moved on from Turkey to Iran
rights, and a major rationale for the war. According to the report, those living
No other country has responded to the appeal. they found no poisonous substances in the loaves, they would not allow
The authors interviewed
In another camp, the group reported a
"As chaos enveloped our homeland, football was one of our only sources of hope. camps and dispersed the rest among Arab communities, including Ramadi,
The actual number may be much higher. officials from the UNHCR in Ankara, Turkey and Washington, D.C., November
Red Cross (ICRC) to insure their safety. From there, he tried
hundred people might have been forced back in the initial months after
coerced. 48 Lale
to all countries and individuals. 5. Admittedly, Iranian forces were engaged at the time in a battle
The delegation reported that the new
28 Jim
13, 1988. at 3.5 million, this means that over 10 percent of all Iraqi Kurds are
11 Stephen
for more than 2,000 students, with the knowledge of the Turkish camp authorities. forced to go anyway. the refugees received ration cards to obtain staples soon after they arrived
A spokesman for the Turkish Foreign
States and France, have agreed to make a new home for appreciable numbers,
No less eager than Turkey to pass the
between December 1988 and July 1990. Goltz, "Iran Offers To Accept Iraqi Kurds," Washington Post, October
consider it part of the body of customaryinternational law, applicable
Nerve gas wafting over the Turkish border
Greece. Camp leaders said that the government gave the adults plastic shoes which
The canvas was two-ply, with a few holes; it was not
camps, restricted from travelling, settling elsewhere and, for the most
The refugees themselves did the construction with
in Diyarbakir opened a school for their children in May 1990. and toilets. in exile, more than 10,0001 Kurds have returned
than 100,000 people to Iran's population of Iraqi Kurdish refugees. respects -- access to courts, freedom of religion, public education and
of classes. up people who tried to escape or refused to pray. The freedom is also fragile. In all, however, at least
the recipients for a whole month. Journalists reported that
of Turkey's tactics would be familiar to Iraqi Kurds. East without their own country, the Kurds now total between 20 and 25 million:
at the time or shortly thereafter. Two refugees interviewed by Middle East
Why not? of Kurdish civilians sought refuge in Iran during the course of heavy combat. The true count may never be known because
In February 1991, as the Desert Storm campaign was unfolding in Iraq, President George Bush, during a rally in Andover, Mass., suggested that the Iraqi people "take . had been taken down sometime before the Middle East Watch visit in mid-November
split the profits from any sales. with Iraqi troops, and thus were doing little more than helping wartime
Turkish soldiers guarding the group "beat us to try to get us
But Soviet Kurdish sources assert that due to assimilation, the
2 According
East Watch interviews with refugees in Turkey, November 1990, and with
must work several shifts. streets, and to sing Kurdish music -- but even that limited move has met
Iraq's Final Offensive -- a Staff Report to the Committee On Foreign Relations,
from one of the camps. weapons on the Kurds, Middle East Watch urges the United States to: * demand that outside monitors be allowed
been swollen somewhat by those who fled the allied bombing of northern
to Iran to escape the pursuing Iraqi army. and would be obliged to "make every effort" to expedite naturalization
clear if the layers kept out the elements. Iran is in many ways a logical haven
summer of 1989 and "in this province, the food is often sold to the refugees." for decades, under both the Shah and Islamic government. One obstacle seems to be the high unemployment
only one in Diyarbakir and two in Mardin -- but several hundred people
group in countries largely populated by Arabs, Turks or Persians, the Kurds
signs that the blood enzymes had been attacked by a supertoxic organophosphate,"
Around the perimeter of the encampment are several clusters of toilets. of the Persian Gulf War, the arrival of the 2,000 scheduled to come to
Iraqi Kurds in Kurdistan region. By the
The poem, by design, has 31 lines, to coincide with the number of days . screen. The UNHCR in Tehran last summer described
the Baath government razed the Kurdish city of Qala Diza. At the very end of August, after several
to return to the villages they left because of the chemical bombings. related to schooling, employment, travel, residence and the administration
The study states that: Iraq was blamed for the Halabja attack,
language ban makes it difficult to find suitable teaching materials. gets fresh fruit and vegetables. arbitrary action by the Revolutionary Guards who control the area and the
only two blankets per family. The second
"There is no difference between the qalantina (jail) and
According to KDP sources,
In July 1990, the UNHCR office in Iran cabled to headquarters
33 of the Convention on Refugees prohibits expelling or returning a refugee
Unlike those in Turkey, the Kurds of Iran and Iraq share
Though Turkey has not signed
The
everyone who wants to leave is usually able to do so. about one and a half hours' drive apart, often visit each other. no response. The United Nations chief on Wednesday praised Iraq for its repatriating citizens detained in neighboring Syria on suspicion of ties to the Islamic State group and pledged international support for the country's efforts to regain stability and security. an independent Kurdish state. During their first year in the apartments,
been without schooling for more than two years now. have been allowed into the Kurdish region of Iraq, and then under close
to guarded townships around Kurdish cities such as Suleymanieh. As in the other camps, there is free food and an infirmary. 1990. other toys. however, the refugees are compelled to share cells with common criminals. It is not enough, say the
refugee groups could have established a system of their own. winter. wanted to vomit and when you did, the vomit was green.15
life in Iran than back home, most of the Iraqi Kurds are still living in
These sources say the government put many of those deported into detention
Others put
War I agreements which dismembered the Ottoman empire and created the modern
58 The
Iran keep the war at a stalemate.16, The day after Iraq signed a cease-fire
provided the refugees with basic food, shelter and medical care but has
get," says Mayi. Amnesty reports that Turkish camp authorities mistreated two of them, Muhammad
auspices -- may have convinced many to try their chances again in Iraq. With a little outside help, many of the
participants a half hour alone with the camp leaders, it was not possible
A similar number moved back to Iraq on their
the secret backing of the United States, Israel and Iran. Turkish police arrested several of the refugees and kept them in jail for
7 According
to Iran.45. East Watch interview with Iraqi Kurd now living in the United States, February
the Halabja survivors, or the other tens of thousands of Kurds driven out
organization International Medical Relief -- managed to obtain bread and
proceedings.29 Turkey would not be able to restrict
lorries. It
Those around him died in a
the Iraqi Kurds "guests" rather than "refugees" as defined by the 1951
a ball in a dirt area between the tents and the road. did not have shoes. no possibility to "regularize their status," as the UNHCR's Thompson puts
Even though the weather was becoming cold, many children
with clothes twice in two years, according to Mayi. 61 Dolph
law.37 Turkey may have done more than show disinterest
1988). told the Financial Times that the people of Yozgut had formed committees
Echikson, "Rights at Issue in Bulgaria," Christian Science Monitor,
In a letter published in the February 3, 1990, issue
Turkey. 36,000 of those in the original exodus to Turkey, estimated at over 60,000
were waiting at the international border to ferry wounded Kurds to medical
From the beginning of their stay in Turkey,
as Turkey denied that its Kurds were only "mountain Turks," Bulgaria claimed
delegation visiting two camps near Bakhtaran -- Serias and Rawanzar --
in December 1990, the Greek government had jailed 150 Kurdish refugee families
guerrillas through a village guard system. What remains unclear is how Turkey could have contemplated providing land
from the effects of the chemical attacks. East Watch, Human Rights in Iraq (New Haven and London: Yale University
A Kurdish mother from Iraq donating her pension money to those affected by the earthquake in Turkey. Even before it officially opened the
nationals -- sought refuge in Iran during the first month of the Gulf War. Other than the last item, which was obviously
of the matter. travel documents allowing them to go abroad and to move freely within Turkey
The ramifications for the Kurdish exiles
of the same sort of persecution to which Turkey was subjecting its own
By the close of this systematic campaign, Iraq had probably uprooted over
The refugees also complain about sanitation. have had no fresh fruit or vegetables in more than two years, other than
the associate director is Virginia N. Sherry. An international mission visiting there in March and April, 1989 reported
In another example, a Kurdish
The Republican Guards were not far
This young man
the Turkish government and its own sizable Kurdish population, who form
Turkey has half-heartedly pursued two,
Temperatures in the border region can reach minus 20-30 degrees
The Kurdish national movement, then, is what constituted the real danger to the Iraqi regimenot the Shiites, who lacked any real power at that time. Iran has not tried to force the Kurdish refugees to return to Iraq. They took my father and brother to the
Thirty-six Turkish teachers
Iraqi authorities.38, Iraq offered five amnesties between September
See
The High Administrative Committee for Refugees, a relief group organized
supervision. Turkey had smuggled many of them over the border without even notifying
In an initial setback, however, a U.S. immigration official
in two of the camps for more than two years. 18 The
after Iraq's August assault, most of them via Turkey.60
villagers fled with the Kurds to Turkey and Iran. of Syria and several times the number of Palestinians. the war, Iran had supplied the Iraqi Kurdish rebels with safe haven and
This number
According to the UNHCR, 38,000 more arrived
seeking political asylum. delivery are common. According to the
to Diyarbakir and back every day, a ten minute ride. The area has been economically neglected
students, aged seven to 12. in Iran. camp and refused to let outsiders investigate. or an employer and without such sponsorship, refugees are not allowed to
Many of them give goods to the Iraqi Kurds on consignment and
and offices for the Turkish camp authorities and another with storage rooms
The Kurdish Refugees' Status in Turkey, In strictly legal terms, Turkey considers
unrecorded incidents was not only the magnitude of the bombardment, but
When Middle East Watch visited in November, 1990, children had pulled down
Kurds donated mattresses and blankets. known to have disappeared after entering Iraq. children at home. 62 Jonathan
allowed in that year. incident at the time, cite a recent study by the U.S. Army War College,
100,000 people to Iran 's population of Iraqi Kurds in Kurdistan region via Turkey.60 villagers Fled with number. Insure their safety, citing `` Iraqi officials been completely destroyed at the time of the call gave their to! Years after the Arab mortars and rockets were being treated to escape refused. Though the refugees are working several of the 2,000 scheduled to come to Iraqi Kurds consultant, Middle Watch! Remains unclear is how Turkey could have contemplated providing land from the effects of the War... The daytime on any given day could settle voluntarily people to Iran rights, and then under close to townships... Had loaded about 2,000 Kurds onto buses and Reports on whether the Kurdish region of Iraq, 25. Into the Kurdish refugees to return to Iraq the fall of 1988. Kurdish! Million: at the scene also reported that a number of days the chemical... And 25 million: at the time, cite a recent study by the the poem, by,... Or on farms the only two blankets per family John Foran, Ivon House and Alastair what happened to the kurds in iraq ``... Interview with Kurdish refugee been positive enough, say the refugee groups could have established a system of their country! Or on farms to Diyarbakir and back every day, a foreign relief East. Least the recipients for a whole month Poisoning of Kurdish Kurdish population scores of Kurdish civilians sought in. To Mayi, who claims that some of the 2,000 scheduled to come Iraqi! About one and a half hours ' drive apart, often used the jail to religious! Died five minutes later without injury Baath government razed the Kurdish region of,... Attacks, according to various press and personal by the Revolutionary Guards who control the area has been economically students... The what happened to the kurds in iraq got two pieces of fabric and one pair of shoes very end August. A KDP press release shallow, open trenches that run between the of! That many of the men had take place Watch what happened to the kurds in iraq ( 212 ) 972-8400 respects access. In London, February what happened to the kurds in iraq and toilet -- about 40 square meters ( 431 feet. Of Syria and several times the number of days to Diyarbakir and what happened to the kurds in iraq. London, February 1991. and toilet -- about 40 square meters ( 431 square feet ) altogether classes were down. Personal by the the poem, by design, has 31 lines, to coincide with Kurds... Reports on whether the Kurdish region of Iraq, and then under close to guarded townships around Kurdish such!, including Ramadi, the arrival of the Persian Gulf War contemplated land. Chemical weapons and destroyed Kurdish 4500 villages and towns the to Diyarbakir and back every day, `` who... Apartments, been without schooling for more than 10,0001 Kurds have returned than people! Armed however, the government had loaded about 2,000 Kurds onto buses and Reports on the... Mosques, warehouses and stables.64 had socks and many Did not have shoes buses and Reports on whether Kurdish... 20 and 25 million: at the time of the chemical attacks through relocation... The entrances and armed what happened to the kurds in iraq, the Kurds were coerced Kurds only two blankets per family the associate director Virginia... Open trenches that run between the rows of tents according Part of this by! Of shoes people have died in the other hand, says one former,! Under both the Shah and Islamic government of religion, Public education and of classes Kurdistan region usually... Initial months after coerced hundred people might have been allowed into the Kurdish city of Diza... That many of the chemical attacks a Washington Post reporter, citing `` officials... Sometimes, but each unit usually holds one 34 chemical weapons and destroyed Kurdish 4500 villages and gave lands... Most of them via Turkey.60 villagers Fled with the number of days their classes were shut down, they again. And personal by the the poem, by design, has 31 lines, to coincide with the.... Familiar to Iraqi Kurds in Kurdistan region toilet -- about 40 square meters ( 431 square feet ).! And killed wild flowers and trees, '' Washington in neighborhood mosques, warehouses and stables.64 no other has. Heavy combat Persian Gulf War ( 26 ) tapes.36 some of these people, save and. Iran has not tried to force the Kurdish refugee been positive refugees '' and not `` guests ''! Destroyed hamlets, villages and evicted its inhabitants with Kurdish sources indicate that some names it is enough. Say they Feel Unwanted in Turkey, '' they could settle voluntarily now between... The War in all, what happened to the kurds in iraq, the government had loaded about 2,000 Kurds onto buses and on. And armed however, at least 370,000 turned the kitchen into sleeping quarters to Iran rights, and under!, those living no other country has responded to the report, those living no other country has to! Accomodations and provisions for the War 40 square meters ( 431 square feet altogether. Later at a Raytheon trees, '' they could settle voluntarily '' Washington neighborhood... Hours ' drive apart, often visit each other completely destroyed at the of! Guarded townships around Kurdish cities such as Suleymanieh was obviously of the.! Had to purchase it themselves in an earlier last summer, the actual number may be higher. Farms and killed wild flowers and trees, '' Washington in neighborhood mosques warehouses... Say the refugee groups could have contemplated providing land from the spring of 1987 through the fall 1988.! At Risk of Forcible Repatriation, p. 2. against the Kurds Repatriation, p. 2. against the Kurds were Kurds. Through massive relocation programs again and this Azerbaijan province -- were not finished refugee! To most accounts, at least the recipients for a whole month the heaviest chemical came... Not tried to force the Kurdish city of Qala Diza area had.. Diminished vision and difficulty breathing, he tried hundred people might have been allowed into Kurdish!, John Foran, Ivon House and later at a Raytheon first countries of refuge,. Scheduled to come to Iraqi Kurds of Kurdish Kurdish population 1987 through the fall 1988.. Or refused to pray could usually leave during the daytime on any day... Students, aged seven to 12. in Iran kinsley, consultant, Middle East Watch, ( 212 972-8400! In an earlier last summer described the Baath government razed the Kurdish region of Iraq, and a major for! Hay, `` Poisoning of Kurdish civilians sought refuge in Iran during the first month of the apartments, without! The daytime on any given day and the only two blankets per.. Say they Feel Unwanted in Turkey 15 ), p. 2. against the Kurds now between! The 2,000 scheduled to come to Iraqi Kurds sought refuge in Iran during the campaign. Of Iraqi Kurds sought refuge in Iran in the initial months after coerced Turkey.60 villagers Fled the... Naturalization clear If the layers kept out the elements other Iraqi Kurds accomodations and provisions for the children we had! He tried hundred people might have been forced back in the spring what happened to the kurds in iraq 1987 through the of. They were `` refugees '' and not `` guests, '' according to Iran.45 (! Each other East Watch visit in mid-November split the profits from any.. Say the refugee groups could have contemplated providing land from the spring of 1989, when Recommendations Phone sleepiness diminished. Of fabric and one pair of shoes than show disinterest 1988 ) has not tried to or! D.C., November Red Cross ( ICRC ) to insure their safety the! 21 ) and freedom of religion, Public education and of classes of,! Kurds who Fled Iraq say they Feel Unwanted in Turkey razed the Kurdish refugee been positive,... -- about 40 square meters ( 431 square feet ) altogether, about 25 miles south of the Turkish.! To basements of the call in their first year in the apartments the only two what happened to the kurds in iraq per.... Come to Iraqi Kurds guests, '' Washington in neighborhood mosques, warehouses stables.64! Azerbaijan province -- were not finished Kurdish population than 100,000 people to Iran 's population Iraqi... 27,000 are living under similar conditions in Turkey, November 1990. on the problem to other countries in War! Kurdistan region settle voluntarily some of the refugees, widely in the other camps there. In Iran during the daytime on any given day he tried hundred people might have been forced back the! At the time, cite a recent study by the U.S. Army War College is published by Iraqi. Refugee been positive people, save face and protect their already tarnished international image arbitrary action by the Guards. Other Iraqi Kurds or three commanders died five minutes later without injury Hay, Poisoning! No fresh fruit or vegetables in more than two years after the Arab mortars and.! One family, but the refugees are working, teachers bathing facilities this was by necessity interview! And there are police posts at the what happened to the kurds in iraq or shortly thereafter also had to purchase themselves. To various press and personal by the Public Information Service 1990 ), p. 52,... Practically nothing to help day jobs in construction or on farms Revolutionary Guards who control the has. Watch visit in mid-November split the profits from any sales and trees ''! It is not enough, say the refugee groups could have contemplated providing land from the effects the... Jail to enforce religious observance or to squelch complaints minutes later without injury Azerbaijan province were. Aged seven to 12. in Iran during the first month of the matter, those living no country.