CAT/C/21/D/97/1997 page 9 6.4 The Committee is aware of the serious human rights situation in Turkey. Reports from reliable sources suggest that persons suspected of having links with the PKK are frequently tortured in the course of interrogations by law enforcement officers and that this practice is not limited to particular areas of the country. 6.5 It is not in dispute that the author comes from a politically active family. Moreover, the Committee considers the explanations regarding his own political activities as credible and consistent with the findings of the medical reports according to which he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome and his scars are in conformity with the alleged causes. Although the author changed his first version of the facts he gave a logical explanation of his reasons for having done so. Hence, the Committee has not found inconsistencies that would challenge the general veracity of his claim. 6.6 In the circumstances the Committee considers that, given the human rights situation in Turkey, the author’s political affiliation and activities with the PKK as well as his history of detention and torture constitute substantial grounds for believing that he would be at risk of being arrested and subjected to torture if returned to Turkey. 7. In the light of the above, the Committee is of the view that the State party has an obligation, in conformity with article 3 of the Convention, to refrain from forcibly returning the author to Turkey or to any other country where he runs a real risk of being expelled or returned to Turkey. [Adopted in English, French, Russian and Spanish, the English text being the original version.] -----