Village guard system
Encyclopedia
Village guards are paramilitaries
. Originally they were set up and funded by the Turkish
state in the mid-1980s under the direction of Turgut Özal
. Their stated purpose was to act as a local militia
in towns and villages, protecting against attacks and reprisals from the insurgents
, terrorists and guerrillas
of the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK). The rationale behind set up of the system was that it would be helpful to the Turkish Army
to have an additional force of people who knew the region, and the language
in order to assist in military operations against the PKK.
They have been implicated in attacks on Kurdish internally displaced persons
returning to their villages after forced evacuation. Around 50,000 to 90,000 village guards are still present in southeastern Turkey, also referred to as Turkish Kurdistan
.
The village guards are frequently targeted by PKK guerrilla members as they are seen as traitors. During the ongoing Turkey-PKK conflict
, 30 village guards have been killed. Accepting to become a village guard is a largely voluntary process, although there are exceptions (see below). A village guard can expect to be paid up to $200 (~130€
) per month.
, sometimes dressing themselves up as PKK guerrillas
in false flag
attacks.
During the conflict Turkish government used village guard system to distinguish “loyal” and “disloyal” citizens and backed the system with material benefits and coercion.
A report by the Turkish Parliament in 1995 confirmed that village guards have been involved in not just these but a wide range of illegal activities, including killing, extortion
, drug smuggling. Human Rights Watch
has stated that for years that have received reports of "violations by village guards—murders, rapes, robberies, house destruction, and illegal property occupation, among others". They add however that not all of these reports have been confirmed first hand.
People who refused to join the village guards have had their homes burned, or have been forced to leave and their homes and property seized. They have endured sexual assault
and humiliation by the Turkish security forces. There have been some attempts by the Turkish authorities to compensate people who have lost property in this way. A member of the Turkish Parliament, Ünal Erkan and former governor of some areas of south-eastern Turkey states that, "village guards often operated outside the control of the gendarmerie, and that many villagers faced pressure to enter the system".
The Turkish Interior Ministry estimated that 296 murders were committed by village guards between 1985 and 1996.
In a subsequent report in 2006, the Ministry indicated that some 5,000 village guards were involved in criminal activities.
The journalist Gottfried Stein relates former lieutenant in the Turkish Army Yener Soylu as describing the process of persuading some villagers to join the village guards:
A 2004 indicated that the village guard militia had become a long-term feature of the region
In 2009 the Turkish Government indicated that it was planning to phase out the village guard system.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
. Originally they were set up and funded by the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
state in the mid-1980s under the direction of Turgut Özal
Turgut Özal
Halil Turgut Özal was Prime Minister of Turkey and President of Turkey . As Prime Minister, he transformed the economy of Turkey by paving the way for the privatization of many state enterprises.-Early life and career:...
. Their stated purpose was to act as a local militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
in towns and villages, protecting against attacks and reprisals from the insurgents
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
, terrorists and guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
of the Kurdistan Workers Party
Kurdistan Workers Party
The Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...
(PKK). The rationale behind set up of the system was that it would be helpful to the Turkish Army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
to have an additional force of people who knew the region, and the language
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
in order to assist in military operations against the PKK.
They have been implicated in attacks on Kurdish internally displaced persons
Human rights of Kurdish people in Turkey
Human rights of Kurdish people in Turkey looks at the human rights of Kurds in Turkey.- Education :In Turkey, the only language of instruction in the education system is Turkish....
returning to their villages after forced evacuation. Around 50,000 to 90,000 village guards are still present in southeastern Turkey, also referred to as Turkish Kurdistan
Turkish Kurdistan
Turkish Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the southeastern part of Turkey, which is inhabited predominantly by ethnic Kurds. The area covers between 190,000 to 230,000 km² , or nearly a third of Turkey...
.
The village guards are frequently targeted by PKK guerrilla members as they are seen as traitors. During the ongoing Turkey-PKK conflict
Turkey-PKK conflict
The Turkey – Kurdistan Workers' Party conflict, also referred to as the Kurdish Conflict in Turkey, the Kurdish Conflict, the Kurdish insurgency, the Kurdish rebellion or PKK-terrorism and has also been described as the latest Kurdish uprising or as a civil war, is an armed conflict between the...
, 30 village guards have been killed. Accepting to become a village guard is a largely voluntary process, although there are exceptions (see below). A village guard can expect to be paid up to $200 (~130€
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
) per month.
Human rights
Whilst by no means officially endorsed by the Turkish Government, some village guards are reported to have been involved in "disappearances", extrajudicial executions and tortureTorture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, sometimes dressing themselves up as PKK guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
in false flag
False flag
False flag operations are covert operations designed to deceive the public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by other entities. The name is derived from the military concept of flying false colors; that is flying the flag of a country other than one's own...
attacks.
During the conflict Turkish government used village guard system to distinguish “loyal” and “disloyal” citizens and backed the system with material benefits and coercion.
A report by the Turkish Parliament in 1995 confirmed that village guards have been involved in not just these but a wide range of illegal activities, including killing, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, drug smuggling. Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
has stated that for years that have received reports of "violations by village guards—murders, rapes, robberies, house destruction, and illegal property occupation, among others". They add however that not all of these reports have been confirmed first hand.
People who refused to join the village guards have had their homes burned, or have been forced to leave and their homes and property seized. They have endured sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
and humiliation by the Turkish security forces. There have been some attempts by the Turkish authorities to compensate people who have lost property in this way. A member of the Turkish Parliament, Ünal Erkan and former governor of some areas of south-eastern Turkey states that, "village guards often operated outside the control of the gendarmerie, and that many villagers faced pressure to enter the system".
The Turkish Interior Ministry estimated that 296 murders were committed by village guards between 1985 and 1996.
In a subsequent report in 2006, the Ministry indicated that some 5,000 village guards were involved in criminal activities.
The journalist Gottfried Stein relates former lieutenant in the Turkish Army Yener Soylu as describing the process of persuading some villagers to join the village guards:
We posed the people with a choice, either they acted as village guards, or they would be resettled in other provinces. In the evening, we staged what appeared to be a skirmish with the guerrillas, we shot at windows and also directed heavy weapons against the village. As the people depended on their harvest and animals, we destroyed their fields and slaughtered the animals. If this did not help, we surrounded the village and sent in the counter-guerrillas.
A 2004 indicated that the village guard militia had become a long-term feature of the region
In 2009 the Turkish Government indicated that it was planning to phase out the village guard system.