Mazlum Der, the Organization for Human Rights and Solidarity with the Oppressed, was founded as an independent organization with an Islamic-oriented human rights perspective on 28 January 1991 by a collection of 54 individuals, including lawyers, businessmen, authors and publishers (Mazlum Der 1999). The Mazlum Der Website lists 16 offices, including Ankara (Main Office); Adana; Akyazi; Bursa; Istanbul; Izmir; Kayseri; Kocaeli; Konya; Malatya; Orhangazi; Sakarya; Sivas; Sanhurfa; Trabzon; and Van (1999). Membership was estimated at 5000 in a 6 July 1999 press release by the Kurdish Human Rights Project.

Several reports name Yilmaz Ensaroglu as the Chairman (Kurdish Observer 5 Jan. 2000; The Muslim News 24 Sept. 1999; Turkish Daily News 17 Nov. 1997). According to the Diaspora Website, a world-wide network of individuals concerned with issues of Hellenic interest, Yilmaz Ensaroglu became Chairman in 1996 after serving as the organization's Deputy Chairman from 1993 (12 Mar. 1999). I. Sadi Carsancakli is the Istanbul Branch Manager (Mazlum Der 1999; HRW Dec. 1999). The Detroit News identifies Gulden Sonmez as a lawyer and spokesperson for Mazlum Der (28 Aug. 1999). No additional information on officials could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to Country Reports 1999, the Sanliurfa office was "closed indefinitely on the order of the local governor, pending the outcome of a prosecution for a calendar which allegedly contained statements insulting to the organs of state" (Feb. 2000; Mazlum Der 1999). No further information on this incident could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Human Rights Watch reported that I. Sadi Carsancakli, Istanbul Branch manager, was indicted in March 1999 for "incitement" along with "sixteen women and several journalists for organizing and participating in a nationwide nonviolent demonstration" (Dec. 1999). The Mazlum Der branch office in Malatya was closed in May 1999, while other branches were raided (ibid.; Country Reports 1999 Feb. 2000). In June 1999, "police raided the headquarters, branch offices, homes, and offices" of the Mazlum Der leadership (ibid.). Mazlum Der stated that the raids were conducted under an Interior Ministry search warrant alleging that the organization "works against the republican regime" (ibid.; Kurdish Human Rights Project 6 July 1999). In August 1999, the organization's headquarters was searched and bank accounts were frozen allegedly for illegally collecting aid for earthquake victims (Detroit News 28 Aug. 1999; Human Rights Watch Dec. 1999; The Muslim News 24 Sept. 1999). No additional information on activities or treatment by authorities could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

No reports of activities in Soke could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999. February 2000. United States Department of State http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1999_hrp_report/ turkey.html [Accessed 20 July 2000]

The Detroit News. 28 August 1999. Selcan Hacaoglu. "Authorities Freeze Bank Accounts of Islamic Aid Groups." http://www.detnews.com/1999/nation/9908/28/08280053.htm [Accessed 23 July 2000]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). December 1999. "Human Rights Watch World Report 2000." http://www.hrw.org/wr2k/Eca-20.htm [Accessed 23 July 2000]

Kurdish Human Rights Project [London]. 6 July 1999. "KHRP Condemns Recent Raids on Mazlum-Der." http://www.kurdistan/org/News/jl8a-99.html [Accessed 23 July 2000]

Kurdish Observer. 5 January 2000. Mehmet Ozgul and Huseyin Kaya. "Shameful!" http://www.kurdishobserver.com/2000/01/05/hab06.html [Accessed 23 July 2000]

Mazlum Der. 1999. "General Information." www.mazlumder.org/english/geninfo.htm [Accessed 23 July 2000]

The Muslim News [Middlesex, U.K.]. 24 September 1999. Abdul Adil. "Aid Used to Stymie Islamic Revival." http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/125/125-5-2.html [Accessed 23 July 2000]
The Turkish Daily News. 17 November 1997. "Rights Were Curbed More With Each New Constitution." www.diaspora-net.org/Turkey/ MazlumHR.html [Accessed 23 July 2000].

Amnesty International Annual Report 1997-2000

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1998-1999

IRB Databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

REFWORLD

Resource Centre Turkey country file.

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites including:

BBC

Keesing's Worldwide

Minorities at Risk

Oneworld.net

Republic of Turkey

Turkey Update

Search engines including:

Altavista

Dogpile

Google

HotBot

Metacrawler