Residents of the Martyr Rustem Cudi Refugee Camp (Maxmur), who are recognized as political refugees by the United Nations, have been targeted by the Turkish state for over 30 years. In recent years, the KDP (the ruling party in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq) and the Baghdad government have increased their pressure on the camp. The residents, who have been deprived of all their legitimate rights as refugees, staged a demonstration on Sunday to demand their rights.
The demonstrators marched from the Association of Martyrs’ Families to the United Nations building, chanting slogans and carrying banners that expressed their demands.
Following a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs, Sîpan Yaman, Co-Spokesperson of the Youth Assembly, read the press statement in front of the UN building and said the following:
“We became refugees in 1994 due to the Turkish state’s policies of arrest, killing, forced displacement, denial, and annihilation against the Kurdish people, and we have been living as refugees since. We are the most vivid and concrete example of these destructive policies. Having moved between several camps within the borders of the Kurdistan Region for five years, we have been living in the Maxmur Camp, which is part of Mosul, for 27 years.
There are over 1,000 chronically ill people in the camp, including seriously ill patients, people with disabilities, and the elderly. These individuals face obstacles not only in terms of their circumstances but also in traveling to and from hospitals. The population’s annual fuel needs are not met by the government or relevant institutions. In addition to all these obstacles, all entries to and exits from the camp have been treated as a security issue by the government, resulting in daily entries and exits being subject to permission.
This approach violates international law regarding the rights of refugees. Every refugee has the right to live freely and to benefit from education, health, and life services. These universal rights cannot be obstructed in any way.
As the camp community, we live in peace and harmony with the local people. At the same time, we have never been a burden on the Iraqi state. During the most difficult times for the Iraqi people and the state, we also saw ourselves as responsible, and fulfilled our duties and responsibilities just like all Iraqi citizens.
As the most concrete example, we fought ISIS shoulder to shoulder with the Iraqi people and forces at the cost of many casualties. Despite this reality, we were not treated by the Iraqi Government as we expected and hoped for. The approach we are subject to is particularly worrying in a process marked by calls for peace and a democratic society.
As is well known, significant efforts are underway between Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) and the Turkish state to resolve the century-old Kurdish issue in Turkey peacefully. These efforts also hold historical significance for Iraq. We expect Iraq to support this process. With this action, we call on the Iraqi Government, the Kurdistan Region, and the United Nations to work with relevant institutions to develop practical solutions to existing problems as soon as possible and to remove existing obstacles. If our demands and legitimate rights are not met, we will continue our democratic actions.
Our demands are as follows:
1. Identity documents should be renewed promptly.
2. Opportunities for education should be provided, and the university’s doors should be opened to students.
3. Winter fuel should be provided for us like every refugee in Iraq.
4. Barriers at camp entrances and exits should be removed.
5. A delegation from the camp should be permitted to meet with the Ministry of the Interior.
The march concluded with the slogans “Long live Leader Öcalan,” “No Leader, No Life,” and “Long live the resistance of Maxmur.”