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| Kurdish smugglers struggle to feel Turkey peace dividend | Kurdish smugglers struggle to feel Turkey peace dividend |
| (3 months later) | |
| Peace often comes at a price. For the Kurds of south-eastern Turkey, that price has been a crackdown on a decades-long economic practice: smuggling. | Peace often comes at a price. For the Kurds of south-eastern Turkey, that price has been a crackdown on a decades-long economic practice: smuggling. |
| Since the settlement talks with the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) got under way secretly in October, Turkish security forces have increased their presence. In the Şemdinli district, for example, 14 new military fortifications and checkpoints have been set up. | Since the settlement talks with the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) got under way secretly in October, Turkish security forces have increased their presence. In the Şemdinli district, for example, 14 new military fortifications and checkpoints have been set up. |
| People in one of Turkey's poorest areas feel harassed by the new security measures aimed at closing down the smuggling routes that have sustained the region through the conflict. | People in one of Turkey's poorest areas feel harassed by the new security measures aimed at closing down the smuggling routes that have sustained the region through the conflict. |
| Several checkpoints have been torched by Kurdish protesters and residents have organised day-long roadblocks between the military outposts. | Several checkpoints have been torched by Kurdish protesters and residents have organised day-long roadblocks between the military outposts. |
| The conflict reached a new high last Friday, when Turkish security forces opened fire on civilians protesting against the construction of a checkpoint in Lice in Diyarbakır. One person died while nine were reported wounded. | The conflict reached a new high last Friday, when Turkish security forces opened fire on civilians protesting against the construction of a checkpoint in Lice in Diyarbakır. One person died while nine were reported wounded. |
| All over Turkey, thousands took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the killing of 18-yearold Medeni Yıldırım. | All over Turkey, thousands took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the killing of 18-yearold Medeni Yıldırım. |
| "People here feel like they are under siege," said Nazif Ataman, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP) from Yüksekova. "The military controls are reminiscent of war. We lack everything here: schools, hospitals, factories. Peace has come but the government only invests in security." | "People here feel like they are under siege," said Nazif Ataman, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP) from Yüksekova. "The military controls are reminiscent of war. We lack everything here: schools, hospitals, factories. Peace has come but the government only invests in security." |
| But in a tough speech on Tuesday, the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, blamed last week's killing on drug dealers he claimed were funding Kurdish guerrillas and were causing trouble because they feared their networks would be closed down. | But in a tough speech on Tuesday, the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, blamed last week's killing on drug dealers he claimed were funding Kurdish guerrillas and were causing trouble because they feared their networks would be closed down. |
| Erdoğan pledged to press ahead with the building of the new checkpoints while declining to say what he would offer the Kurds as part of the peace process. Last week he ruled out two of the main Kurdish demands, insisting there would no concessions on Kurdish language education nor would the 10% threshold for entering the Turkish parliament be reduced, a barrier aimed at blocking Kurdish representation in Ankara. | Erdoğan pledged to press ahead with the building of the new checkpoints while declining to say what he would offer the Kurds as part of the peace process. Last week he ruled out two of the main Kurdish demands, insisting there would no concessions on Kurdish language education nor would the 10% threshold for entering the Turkish parliament be reduced, a barrier aimed at blocking Kurdish representation in Ankara. |
| Checkpoints have been set up on all main roads while public transport is routinely stopped, luggage searched, and ID demanded by Turkish officers. | Checkpoints have been set up on all main roads while public transport is routinely stopped, luggage searched, and ID demanded by Turkish officers. |
| "Smuggling is bad for the government, the losses are considerable," said a 30-year-old sergeant. "We can't just look the other way, the problem needs to be dealt with." Drinking tea and smoking at a small checkpoint, he admitted enjoying the contraband. The cigarettes were from Iraq, across the nearby border. "We cannot find [legal] cigarettes here," he laughed. "But the tea is Turkish." | "Smuggling is bad for the government, the losses are considerable," said a 30-year-old sergeant. "We can't just look the other way, the problem needs to be dealt with." Drinking tea and smoking at a small checkpoint, he admitted enjoying the contraband. The cigarettes were from Iraq, across the nearby border. "We cannot find [legal] cigarettes here," he laughed. "But the tea is Turkish." |
| In better times the mountain area straddling the frontiers with Iraq and Iran should be a hub for regional trade. Yet it is one of Turkey's poorest regions, with the Iraqi border closed and international sanctions against Iran shutting down legal commerce. Almost 30 years of conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK have left a legacy of devastation, destroyed traditional livestock farming and forced many Kurds to turn to smuggling. | In better times the mountain area straddling the frontiers with Iraq and Iran should be a hub for regional trade. Yet it is one of Turkey's poorest regions, with the Iraqi border closed and international sanctions against Iran shutting down legal commerce. Almost 30 years of conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK have left a legacy of devastation, destroyed traditional livestock farming and forced many Kurds to turn to smuggling. |
| Mehmet, 13, and Ali, 15, cross into Iraq on horseback almost weekly, smuggling back cigarettes for a bigger seller. It is a two-day trip. They each earn 100 Turkish lira (TL) (£35) for each trip. "Our lives are not worth very much," Ali joked. "But what can we do?" | Mehmet, 13, and Ali, 15, cross into Iraq on horseback almost weekly, smuggling back cigarettes for a bigger seller. It is a two-day trip. They each earn 100 Turkish lira (TL) (£35) for each trip. "Our lives are not worth very much," Ali joked. "But what can we do?" |
| The teenagers are taking big risks. "I cannot sleep until they are back," Mehmet's 38-year-old mother said. "I am so very worried something might happen to them." | The teenagers are taking big risks. "I cannot sleep until they are back," Mehmet's 38-year-old mother said. "I am so very worried something might happen to them." |
| With their father ill, the boys are sole providers for a family of eight. "Have you seen any factories between here and Van?" the father asked. "We have no animals, no land. We need to eat." | With their father ill, the boys are sole providers for a family of eight. "Have you seen any factories between here and Van?" the father asked. "We have no animals, no land. We need to eat." |
| Parts of the border zone are mined. Iranian border guards have been known to shoot trespassers on sight. Turkish surveillance drones patrol the borders. In December 2011, the military killed 35 civilians – fuel smugglers, 17 of them minors – mistaking them for Kurdish guerrillas. | Parts of the border zone are mined. Iranian border guards have been known to shoot trespassers on sight. Turkish surveillance drones patrol the borders. In December 2011, the military killed 35 civilians – fuel smugglers, 17 of them minors – mistaking them for Kurdish guerrillas. |
| "People in these border regions have traded animals with their neighbours and relatives for years. It was turned into smuggling only when these new borders were drawn between them," said Mesut Yeğen, an Istanbul sociologist and expert on the Kurdish issue. | "People in these border regions have traded animals with their neighbours and relatives for years. It was turned into smuggling only when these new borders were drawn between them," said Mesut Yeğen, an Istanbul sociologist and expert on the Kurdish issue. |
| "The local mountain economy has been completely destroyed in almost 30 years of conflict. Villages have been torched and for 15 years people could not access their meadows. The current crackdown on smuggling means local people's only income is drying up." | "The local mountain economy has been completely destroyed in almost 30 years of conflict. Villages have been torched and for 15 years people could not access their meadows. The current crackdown on smuggling means local people's only income is drying up." |
| According to government figures 113m Turkish liras' worth of smuggled fuel was seized last year. Tax losses from contraband cigarettes amount to TL4-5bn a year, according to Turkish trade associations. But the price of diesel in Turkey is 17 times higher than in Iran, guaranteeing big profits for the fuel smugglers. | According to government figures 113m Turkish liras' worth of smuggled fuel was seized last year. Tax losses from contraband cigarettes amount to TL4-5bn a year, according to Turkish trade associations. But the price of diesel in Turkey is 17 times higher than in Iran, guaranteeing big profits for the fuel smugglers. |
| "I have a family of six to feed," said Hüseyin, 31. "Even adding travel costs and bribes I was able to make a decent living. But for weeks now, I have been working at a loss. I have 300 TL of debt at the bakery alone and no idea how to pay them back." | "I have a family of six to feed," said Hüseyin, 31. "Even adding travel costs and bribes I was able to make a decent living. But for weeks now, I have been working at a loss. I have 300 TL of debt at the bakery alone and no idea how to pay them back." |
| "Tension is running high. Call it trading or smuggling, but it is the only work we have here," said Ataman. "People say that if things do not pick up, if the government does not let them work, they will start to leave. Maybe there will be peace, but with nobody left to enjoy it." | "Tension is running high. Call it trading or smuggling, but it is the only work we have here," said Ataman. "People say that if things do not pick up, if the government does not let them work, they will start to leave. Maybe there will be peace, but with nobody left to enjoy it." |
| • Some names have been changed | • Some names have been changed |
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