In the Turkish-Kurdish conflict more than 5000 civilians has been killed by PKK militants since 1984 <ref>http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/mfa-t-pkk.htm</ref>, while the PKK, citing the article by the former French Ambassador to Turkey Eric Rouleau in the November/December 2000 edition of 'Foreign Affairs', reports that more than 18,500 civilians have been killed by Turkish military and paramilitary organisations <ref>http://www.kongra-gel.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=270&Itemid=</ref>. <!-- In its March 1994 Third National Conference, PKK clearly declared that civilians were among their targets. a source is required for including this --> Human Rights Watch has stated that:

"Consequently, all economic, political, military, social and cultural organizations, institutions, formations -- and those who serve in them -- have become targets. The entire country has become a battlefield."

"The PKK also promised to "liquidate" or "eliminate" political parties, "imperialist" cultural and educational institutions, legislative and representative bodies, and "all local collaborators and agents working for the Republic of Turkey in Kurdistan."<ref>http://www.hrw.org/press98/nov/italy-ltr.htm</ref>

It also notes that "Turkish government forces have, in the course of the conflict with the PKK, also committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and indiscriminate fire" <ref>http://www.hrw.org/press98/nov/italy-ltr.htm</ref>, and remarks that, "Many who died were unarmed civilians, caught in the middle between the pkk and security forces, targeted for attacks by both sides." <ref>http://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/WR93/Hsw-08.htm</ref>

During that conflict (and still), the Turkish army tortured, killed and “disappeared” civilians, and burned hundreds of thousands of peasants out of their homes and blamed to PKK or other organizations. <ref>http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2002/11/17kurdistan.html</ref>

Notes

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References

Turkish Ministery of Education

Turkish Ministery of Education

[66]

Turkish Ministery of Education

Amnesty International

Federation of American Scientists

Turkey Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996,U.S. Department of State,

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor,January 30, 1997

Human Rights Watch