5.14 With regard to the State party's argument that he contradicted himself in his account of his flight from
Turkey, the author gives some details of this journey, although, according to him, they are not an important
aspect of the persecution he suffered.
5.15 Lastly, on the question of the possibility of his settling in another region, the author points out that, in
order to return to Turkey, he would have to go through border controls. His name alone and the fact that most
members of his family have fled the country will ensure that he is detained while an investigation is carried out
in his home province. During that time, he will be subjected to extreme interrogation methods.
Further observations by the State party
6.1
In a letter dated 25 January 2000, the State party provided its final comments on the above observations
by the author.
6.2
According to information provided to the Swiss embassy in Ankara by a contact who lives in the
author's home village, the author's sister, S.O., and her husband, Y.O., were arrested in 1996 by gendarmes,
but, contrary to the author's assertions, they were not tortured. In addition, it appears that, according to the
same informants, Y. and S.O. spend their holidays every year in Bazlama.
Further comments by the author
7.1
By letter of 17 April 2000, the author submitted his final comments, particularly on the report by the
Swiss embassy in Ankara.
7.2
The author considers that a contact's statements to the Swiss embassy in Ankara to the effect that there
was no incident at the burial of N.O. are false. The State Security Court's decision of 10 September 1996 shows
that the author's brother-in-law was arrested and charged with supporting an illegal organization.
7.3
The author points out that the other Swiss embassy contact in Ankara is the mayor of the village of
Balzama and that he had to be somewhat cautious about imparting information since he was not sure for whom
it was intended.
7.4
The author considers that the State party should on no account base itself on information to the effect
that the author is not wanted, first because of the difficulty of verifying the source and secondly because the
police would not refrain from arresting the author in the event of his return to Turkey for that reason. The
author is convinced that he would be arrested upon his return because he based an application for asylum on
pro-Kurdish activities. When the border guards conducted their inquiry, they certainly consulted the
gendarmerie, who were familiar with the circumstances of his brother's and father's death.
7.5
Lastly, by letter of 11 May 2000, the author transmitted a document according to which information
concerning the registration of wanted persons in not disclosed to anyone prior to their arrest apart from the
police. The Turkish police thus had no reason to inform the Swiss embassy of their wish to arrest the author.
131
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