News

Turkish Tunes in Phoenix

04/25/2012

Phoenix's Musical Instrument Museum has an expanded Turkish music collection. Read about this extensive single-country exhibit that showcases mehter (Ottoman ceremonial) music, various traditions of the Turkish countryside, the music and movement of the Mevlevi Sufis, and the vibrant music of Turkey's urban centers that TPF is proud to support. Read more.

Social Entrepreneurship in Turkey: Mustafa Sari Saves Van

04/17/2012

Booming is the adjective most often used to describe Turkey these days. Ranked the 16^th largest economy (and growing) in the world, the country saddled between Europe and the Middle East is looked as a sound investment and economic model for others, especially in the region. Yet, it is important to note that this Turkish economic miracle is regional, contained to Turkey’s west. What happens in Istanbul stays in Istanbul. Read more.

Landmines are not an issue of security but rather an issue of human rights

Monday, April 25, 2011

By Ozlem Ozturk

Toplumsal Duyarlilik Dernegi (Association for Social Awareness)

Children don't play soccer or tag in southeastern Turkey. They wish they did. But the several thousands of landmines that are scattered across over 3,000 villages won't allow them. According to the Turkish-based Human Rights Association, and Association for Social Awareness (ASA), the regions of Mardin, Sirnak, Hakkari, Siirt, Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Batman, Van and Bingol are especially overrun with landmines.

Landmines were planted as a result of an intense conflict in Turkey's southeast over the past several decades. Both Turkish government forces and opposition rebels are guilty of planting the deadly weapons. Landmine Monitor estimates that over 930,00 mines were planted between 1957 and 1998.

Though the number of landmines in Turkey is grossly high, there is little information about them. There are no studies, research or evaluation about the risks of unexploded mines. Moreover, there are no laws on behalf of mine victims.

Since June 2008,  ASA has been fighting to eliminate landmines and raise awareness to protect the public. The Association is committed to making landmine awareness a human rights issue that the Turkish government needs to tackle. Toward that end, in 2006, we conducted a survey in Hakkari, collecting data about unexploded mines and information about those injured by mines. From 2006 to 2007 we rolled out a "Therapy and Prosthetics Project" that provided prosthetics to 65 landmine victims. It culminated in the publication of a book entitled Geride Kalanlar.

These efforts have shed much needed light on the plight of those living in the southeast of Turkey, often under harsh conditions of poverty, gender inequality and poor education. Organizations such as Turkish Philanthropy Funds are critical in helping move our efforts forward.

One of those efforts has been the "Mine and Conflict Waste Education for Children" program. Piloted in Hakkari, this program aims to reduce the risk of harm that unexploded landmines can have on children. The project is currently run in public elementary schools where children between 7 and 15 learn about the dangers of landmines and other explosives. It's touched 20,000 in Hakkari. Since the program started there have been no landmine accidents.