Item 1 - Translation of Zübeyde Dulaş's statement of 10 October 1995

6pp

Translation of a statement given by Zübeyde Dulaş via an interpreter to the Diyarbakır public prosecutor on 10 October 1995, as submitted by the Turkish Government to the European Court of Human Rights. Quoting the Court, 'According to the statement, thumbprinted by the applicant, the letter from the Ministry of Justice, the appended documents and the application to the European Commission of Human Rights were read out to her through an interpreter and she was asked about them. She acknowledged that the thumbprint on the document was hers and that she did not remember who took the statement. As regarded the events, she could not remember the exact date but about two years before 20 or more army vehicles had come to Çitlibahçe, with soldiers and village guards. They rounded up the villagers and set fire to the houses. After the village burned down, she went to Diyarbakır. The statement recorded that she was shown the application and letter of authority and asked about them. She stated the thumbprints were hers. She said that she thought her application was going to Ankara to claim her rights. She was illiterate and ignorant and did not know anything about European human rights. She made her statement to them as she thought this would get something done about the damage which she had suffered. She wanted the State to vindicate her rights. She did not want to start a case in Europe in the way that [the public prosecutor] had explained and did not agree to foreign lawyers starting such a case. It was for the State to look after her rights. When she made a statement to the HRA, there had been a lot of people with her and they described the events as well. The application which had been read out was accurate though and she had no complaints to make about the person who wrote it down. She had not started any court case in Hazro or Diyarbakır as she was poor and ignorant and did not know what to do.' This statement would subsequently be refuted by Dulaş. (3 copies)

• English