UN Human Rights Council 33rd September Sessions continue on the fourth day. In yesterday's session, UN Forced Disappearances Work Group presented the report they prepared after their visit to Turkey.

Reports announced by the UN Forced Disappearances Group Chair Houria Es-Slami gathered great interest. Es-Slami said they had received documents showing ISIS selling imprisoned Êzidî women in Turkey.

Slami said they wanted to meet with the ministry officials during their visit to Turkey between March 14-18 but the ministers refused to meet with them. Slami also said they witnessed the military operations carried out in the region.

“THE EVENTS OF TODAY ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE 90’S”

Mentioning the re-emerging conflict period following the peace process in Turkey, Slami pointed out the curfews. Slami said the recent events in the country were similar to the events in the reports from 1998.

Slami said it was unacceptable that Turkey focuses on fighting terror and ignoring the human rights violations in the country and emphasized that Turkey needs to comply with international laws.

MOST OF THOSE DISAPPEARED IN CUSTODY...

Slami also talked about the disappearances in custody and expressed that they inquired with the Turkish authorities about the 202 allegations of disappearances in the past and 79 current disappearances. Slami said most of those who disappeared in custody were people whose homes were raided and were detained with the allegation they were PKK members. Slami said there were opposition journalists and party members among these people as well.

"WAR ON TERROR CANNOT BE AN EXCUSE FOR DISAPPEARANCES AND EXECUTIONS"

Slami said, “The war on terror cannot be an excuse for disappearances and executions,” and expressed their issues with the events in the region during their visit. Slami said people weren’t able to access the remains of the relatives they lost during the clashes.

Slami also pointed out that they had evidence that ISIS brought the women they imprisoned to Turkey and sold them in the country and pointed out that human trafficking was taking place over people who took refuge in Turkey after the Shengal attack.

Slami stressed that Turkey needs to take responsibility on the disappearances and face this issue and that “In order not to face this situation again in the future, this issue needs to be confronted starting from today.”

UN Forced Disappearances Group Chair said the military operations in Kurdistan were giving ground to human rights violations and called on Turkey to sign the UN’s Convention on Forced Disappearances.