Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlturkey



Turkey <![CDATA[Turkey is contaminated with antipersonnel and antivehicle mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), primarily unexploded ordnance (UXO), as well as IEDs. Mines were laid in 1956–1959 along 510km of the border with Syria, and on some sections of the borders with Armenia, Iran, and Iraq to prevent illegal border crossings, and around security installations.] It has been stated that all the mines laid on the Turkish side of Turkey’s borders with Greece and Bulgaria have been cleared.

Turkey reported in 2008 that a total of 982,777 mines remained emplaced on its territory as of end 2007, of which 818,280 were antipersonnel mines, and 164,497 were antivehicle mines. This represents a small reduction on the figures given the previous year. Turkey did not give the locations of these mines or report any suspected mined areas.

Landmines were also emplaced by government forces during the 1984–1999 conflict with the PKK in the southeast of the country. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “these mines are being cleared since 1998.” New contamination may result from use of mines and IEDs by the PKK in 2007–2008.

Analysis of 2007 media reports collected by the Initiative for a Mine-Free Turkey (IMFT) identified at least 101 new casualties due to mines, ERW, and victim-activated IEDs, including 28 people killed and 73 injured. Of these 54 were military, 36 civilian (27 adults and nine children), 10 “village guards,” and one security guard. One incident caused 17 civilian casualties who were traveling in a wedding convoy. Other adult civilian activities were grazing cattle or picking wild herbs and mushrooms. Child casualties occurred while playing, walking, and collecting firewood. Mines/victim-activated IEDs caused 93 casualties; 35 casualties were reported in incidents where the device was triggered by stepping on it. ERW caused eight casualties: seven children playing and an adult “passer-by.” ]]> <![CDATA[]]>