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4/1/1991 - Let Them Eat Ego! The Reflections of a Kurdish Relief Volunteer by Thomas Goltz

NOT FOR Pus LiC T O WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS Peter Byrd Martin West Wheelock Street Hanover NH April Let Them Eat Ego The Reflections Kurdish Relief Volunteer Dear Peter Somewhere communications about fellowship various stans Central Asia noticed parenthetical reference Kurdistan Well passing through Turkey Tashkent height Great Kurdish Refugee Crisis And Relief Effor April I decided interpret little parenthesis invitation stigate going border I could myself useful doing There initial prohlemso Being somewhat lnown Turkey I foreign correspondents local Oournalists Turkish foreign government agencies involved occassion naturally assumed I scene label I loath emhrace No I NGOs Non Governmental Organizations I region writer rather volunteer There enough jornos around without I maybe covering detail tragic story million Iraqi Kurds uprooted aborted uprising against Saddam Hussein aftermath Gulf War cease But Kurds being pursued Saddam miraculously restored legions television print Oournalists descend disasters flies corpse The I adding chaos confusion oment taking hotel space hogging phone lines driving price transportation displacing workers ights arranged through US No I their numbe I fellowship freed financial constraints there sense obligation somethinglconcrete simply observe record events Thomas Goltz ICWA fellow studing Turkic speaking Republics Central Asia emphasis Soviet Central Asia SinceeInstitute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations I there volunteer participate directly offering myself various NGOs interpreter interfacer fixer And I admitted inner sanctum relief effort nightly NGO round table meetings Turistik Oteli Chaired UNHCR along liaison American Embassy occasional representation Turkish Red Crescent meetings coordinate efforts bring order chaos I attended meetings because I thought could I wrong For after endless sessions listening endless assessments assessments those assessments attitude changed The NGOs clearly responsible disaster seemed managed human tragedy relief circus travesty souring relations between otherwise friendly governments institutions generally conducting themselves individual organizational basis prima donnas mercy bring remedy relief world And although I charge having acted disingenuously words undercover decided violate silende write about dehaucle blowing whistle bloated serving organizations anything multi acronymic relief societies appear transformed philanthropy profession designed gather cocktail party stories actually people I I first discover Ethiopia Sudan Afghanistan Armenia sundry other human disasters visited planet decade NGOs missionary cliche There thank God exceptions The maligned Read chaos inducing Medicines Sans Frontiers might there least field willing principle order further practice On organizational CARE seemed NGOs mainly because Turkish bureaucracy local sensibilities account Their abysmal Isikveren favorite dateline journos first erected first actual dispatching supplies The United Kingdom based Oxfam seemed hands operation interested getting their water pipes place prevent spread sanitation related diseases confronting gavernment petty issues Others sadly business being disaster The Catholic Relief Satiety example three person 9ssess ass4ss assess their major contribution relief effort being suggestiQn UNHCR meetings committees formed should I initially traveling CRS their translator interfacer disgust I could print their situation reports which computer think would taste waste space would 6ranscript distance conversation I inadvertently wherein parties seemed concerned about damage control inter agency protecting getting concrete relief people needed There ethers black especially those priori decision Turkish government enemy perpetrator crisis These groups spurned advice background inforation capable churning passing pernicious imaginable involving Turks purposely allowing refugees because Kurds T definition Kurds Subtler versions essential NGO attitude toward government expressed oblique Turks special luxury small number ethnic Turks included massive refugees closed iyarbakir airport supplies holding delivery demanding right dispatch blankets medicines where NGOs wanted Short shrift given T Irkish Government through Red Crescent Society might master The Red Crescent reluctance dispatch endless stream blankets certain suggest certain mobile hospital utnit X opposed Y where there already three interpreted tmwarranted interference NGOs God given right material manpQwer where pleased sinister Turks targeted The vindictive outfit I encountered World Vision appeared source Turkish propaganda quickly other NGOs twist story One evening NGO eeting chaired UNHCR which seems dithering details rather cracking heads putting NGOs I brought subject drugs needed Ministry Health NGOs bothered contact largest single organization crisis doctors nurses field The response Why demanded named Ric World Vision should NGOs anything thieves The Ministry Health announced absconded thousands doses medicine World Health Organization NGOs should eschew contact Ministry government until accounting missing medicines Later I learned grand standing World Vision decided their contribution Kurdish cause would range They probably spent twice their assessment Meanwhile theme Turks stealing international quickly embraced audit conscious Catholics found perfect excuse follow through their promise Ministry Health supply urgently needed medicines Days before conducted series interviews local authQrities which Jay Murphy Jerusalem based director CRS Middle East division specifically asked CSR could Turks Buy local drugs response trust truck confirm delivery But Murphy moved least until Dutch chapter Medicines Sans Frontiers urging announced would donate drugs their depots The Catholics chagrined embarrassed staged discretely asked MSF supplies Turks explicit understanding source donation known MSF refused saying their business saving refugee lives CRS shopping while CRS about hectic assessing committee formin Last CRS leader giving street interview Kifner New York Times I could barely constrain myself interrupting telling Kifner waste After listening assessment seeing little action I decided disaster order assessment Engaging volunteer services Mehmet Ere friend driver Turkish Kurdish ranslator I first during crush Kurdish refugees frontier Silopi dumpy automobile truck repair center straggling along Silk Road highway running through Tigris basin Iraq Before invasion Kuwait subsequent embargo against Iraq Silopi quite lively place vehicles passing through nearby Hahur border daily But during course embargo become ghost Now arrival Americans Brit forces using Silopi major military staging Iraq level activity reached fever pitch Huey helicopters replacing automobile traff Chinook choppers acting trailer trucks Our specific destination Muslim pilgrimage staging center outside Turkish government converted sprawling refugees On visit encampment housed individuals numbers growing refugees truck loads victims arrived mountains registered medically ministered eventually shipped haven zones being erected allies inside It refugee center certain NGOs foreign journalists suggesting Turkish government luxury called Turconans ethic Turks Northern Iraq exclusion Kurds Situated large enclosure rares tents stood toilet shallow ditches other ambulatory kitchens hospital erected center large parking which served distribution point other material If picnic ground stanbul Hilton compared fresco camps mountains But quick survey checked Silopi Hilton rumor ethnic Turks Kurds served underline NGOs foreign journalists couldn Turk Turcoman Kurd everyone ethnic filled people dressed typical Kurdish arguing Kurdish fought boxes Reeses Peanut Butter Cups Snickers explained their ailments Turkish doctors nurses through local Kurdish interpreters And refugees certainly weren hungry As I strolled through lanes I noticed small young playing bizarre truck filled cucumbers The refugees would laughingly pitch vegetables loaders returned sport The ground strewn crushed pickle vehicle lumbered deliver Before leaving I stopped respects charge hospital dispensary Yetka MSF medical donation arrived It moreover Dr Yetka would accept drugs unless ordered periers iyarhakir Turkish bureaucracy thing drive altruist drink But there solution Asking phone I called Ministry Health office iyarhakir solved potentially embarrassing situation moment T drugs arrived later received dispatched areas Then effort hottam World Vision circuilated rumor Turks thousands doses medicines donated I tactfully broached subject Yetka I embarrassed I bothered Yetka ulterior motive stake looked hooks informed missing WHO received weeks before dispatched mountain camps three Cukurca Hal province Isikveren Sirnak province Curiously typically Turkish noted immediate drugs drect contradiction Ministry 3iyarhakir The MSF donated effect redundant least heingo Mehmet Ere I pushed American British helicopter field staing through Cizre still spilt treet between feudin urdish clans enjoys postal service while other monopoly arhage trucks Ct Mountains Anatalian plateau Mesopatamian flats border between madam states Iraq Turkey The range defined frontier between lowland empires Babylon claimed Saddam inspiration Iraq highland empires Qf Medes allegedly forefathers Kurds It according Muslir traditian Noah Ark finally after great deluge those inclined believe there least kernel truth ancient haaks religiQn Gilgameth Tigris Euphrates flooding lowlands Mesopotamia forcing build heats reasonable notion universal inundation covering Mount Ararat miles north Still sobering comparing Biblical survivors God vengeance against sinful traitorous people Saddam Hussein vision cleansing Babylon unwanted those stayed plains saved wrath Saddam while those places along rugged Turco lraqi contier dying flies And assess situation these camps although there still cover istances greater along winding roads frequent blocks check identities hasten matters checked dozen times along kilometer To uninformed relief worker appear obsession security designed ohstr getting refugees But Turkey recalled still fighting level guerrilla Syria based Maoist inspired Kurdish Wrkers Party PKK responsible deaths since initiating their struggle tense times Within cntext refugees workers helpless Peshmergah Kurds Iraq Turkish military three PFK agitators three Iraqi agents three Islamic fundamentalists refugee The difference perception could could understood European gooders The PKK meanwhile understands And remain indifferent their ideiogy fallen fashion chase dismiss prefaund refarms Turkey urdish pQlicy keenly aware public relations western press apparently suspended attacks installatians soldiers government armed village guards ation refugee crisis Since terrarist changed Turkey regarding zavernment policy toward F The tahaa Kurdish language effectively forbidden Mehmet Ere riskei heating speaking native tongue front soldiers officials Then earlier yearjas culmination Ions liberalization process overning acceptah_le lanzuages Trkey recognized affront human dignity intelligence thrown constitution Overniht Kurdish again became legal tender Turkey countrs million Kurds rejoiced On ground meant thing Mehmet Ere could errily Kurdish without looking shoulder heavily armed soldiers officers manning blockades happened Kurdish themselves It diffic exaggerate importance change attitude within context Turkish politic point constantly consistently overlooked NGOs journalists other instant experts Turkey cliche cruel Turkish soldiel versus noble Kttrdish peasant Finally after several hours arrived small Uludere Grand Stream pinched gorge literally built white water river A dozen minor tributaries slopes shoot gushing living making settlement sound water But location grand Uludere itself small dirty consisting several shops office small nasty hotel single restaurant The largest ucture story security palace which houses police administration offices weapons depots large contigent Special For troops hosed whose brief chase PKK guerrillas through rugged terrain In normal times Uludere state license plate But disaster totally overrun foreigners locals gcawing charging market would scares NGOs journalists their staging Typical trade rather unprepossessing abode night shack owned village guard named Yag Three Dutch journalists taken residence Yagmtr charging Turkish about pleasure laying their sleeping floor It unclear whether nightly eekly mnthly journas unlikely longer refugee crisis thankyou story precisely reason refusing cover Through introd ction ethnic Kurdish semher Special Forces wandering around darkened night vision gaggles Breta machine checked Yagmur Arms stayed The famous liberal refugee laving Etrapeans Yagmur liked delighted interest discussing relative merits weapons Yagmur terrorist arsenal Sometimes helps Montana Ta maunting cancern utchmen sighted cauple loaded government issue Kirikkale revflvers garish tapestry Jesus sheep tacked above their heads emphasizing Yagmur request three pants Oblivious local sensibilities lolling around which Yagmur little uncomfortable trisger happy At hours morning vehicle joined caravan teliefwGrkers assessment teams refugee voyeurs wending their gravel defines Iraqi frontier But rather start climb toward sikveren largest awful visited refugee Kurd proceeded toward Yakmal Andac former designated lower altitude collection refugees latter containing around I0 exiles being areas evacuated egregious sanitary conditions For Mehmet Ere myself rather experience precisely point frontier August watched thousands Peshmergah guerrillas across border Tutrkish military formed human between fleeing refugees Sad closing released cease Iranian W revenge Kurds Then regarded little traitorous vermin allied enemy stabbed Iraqi nation Poor Kurds As group never learn still prone follow their inept leadership disaster That morning Jalal Talahani Patriotic Union Kturdistan meeting Saddam Baghdad negotiate settlement autonomous Kurdistan position total defeat A valley could although morning already through nightly settles rugged border altitude We moment greasy smoke thousand refugee fires fueled green plastic refugees could their hands We nearing point frontier defined idyllic babbling brook cement marking posts instant cities hundreds thousands displaced people After several turns along detritus disaster appeared garbage clothes strips plastic wrapping bottles paper floating isihle miasma unsanitized thousands using river sewer It brook better times thing great heauty ribbon cutting through hills middle Kurdistanrather lesser tributaries Madson Gallatin rvers central Montana It place would different flies local trout barbecue enviranmentalimt packed All bucolic thoughts flushed rounded discovered campers O O group cluttering mauntain stream crest forested denuded Hundreds maybe thousands shift shelter_s clung space purchase material hoard boxes plastic ground clothes Nearest river presumably district which housed leaders shelters sections nylon parachutes dropped U S Army standard white canvas tents supplied theTki Red Crescent other relief organizations thrown measure And flimsy structures stood refugees looking nothing penguins marooned drfting Knots middle psycholagically castrated guerrillas urbanites alike weary looks etched their faces children playing wheel sitting women scrubbing clothes filthy miasma shallows river dreaming making clean squatting shift river stream All caught maelstrom early April Kurds northern Iraq possessed sense believe Americans really destroyed Saddam Hussein Kuwait their guerrill forces could provide grace Baath regime Baghdad They sense believe Americans there argument sense halieve themselyes Enough journalistic palavara written about plitics disaster enough peculiar names quoted about individual persdnal plight I subject reader anymore quotes a11eged profound insights simply concentrate happened I there The place lexicon workers journalists Andac hough where anybody guess Local Kurds refer Kasrek while Turkish military simply refers Bmrder Post Stone In event Andac large concentration refugees along western border where valleys northern Iraq funnel Turkey I southern mountain Turkis soldiers lines tractors other transport marked flight along passable roads after which refugees taken their heels cross escarpment before settling frontier But sight placed people created initial distress effect magnified greeted alone roadside I mountains bread Is hagged noodles crunched underfoot tennis hundreds shirts pants slacks shaes dainty ladies underwear ceiletted inthecitiesandtownsaftheTurkishEast andtrucked forsaken border dumped trashed They celates explained Turkish commissioned officer thought making mounds completely different stery Then verify claim apprehended sound approaching C I O transport aircraf Damn snarled officer Americans moving Yakmal dropping supplies The refugees heard maters transport planes immediately flood laughing children began fording stream followed shortly thereafter adults wearing smiles their faces Distraction there something The planes circled having selected began loading their cargo relief supplies One camouflage green parachutes blend It little opened under plane drifting lazily toward earth Two three alettes however either snapped loose their harnesses parachutes these careening force gravity could muster smashing ground behind ridge littered tents refugees This worrisome because dozen deaths previously resulted similar drops earlier referred ghoulish Turkish press fatal But during three reports reached bundle bombs landed clear refugees managed under their shelters before crushed The relief material perhaps twenty parachutes floated followed growing numbers refugees rushing rotting mountains bread sacks flour noodles toward packages whicker escended field beyond Pork river lesser stream still defining herder gorge current coming directly Turkey As arrived early birds already carting whole hexes US military modern version C rations little girls having nylon cords parachutes created harnesses themselves acting horses dragging boxes young bucks shoulder cords blankets while balancing boxes bottled water other stuffs their heads their across stream their sites Here there ahead could knots refugees pushing shoving swarming scattered locusts several fights already broken younger stronger muscling their through older weaker claim desirable parts When first asked leaders tried distrihute goods through NCO walking explained But after system completely broke every himself again At first soldiers frighten eager after another became apparent soldiers would shoot chaos began Subsequently there death shooting Andac other deaths ether camps worst incident being Uzumlu outside Cukurca eastern frontier There allegedly French journalist started shouting attack attack soldiers Kurdish refugees Then valley shots burst followed suddenly valley echoed sustained automatic Your asked NCO No replied grimly Icy The sheeting increasing seemed getting nearer approached closest parachute Stop sheeting whoever shooting screamed NCO walkie talkie Whoever shooting To avail It appeared there little lance guarding going namely elements local village defence force armed gevernment decided socialize little themselves frightening refugees But rather firing actually refugees approached palettes But cQmmotion there slightly wounded refugee young attempted wounded pointing small jeais above At first refused believe assumed might ripped pants fight goods But insistent demanded pants could better Indeed received peculiar oblique shrapnel wound likely result ricochet bullet fragment thereof You Turks You cried couple young refugees gathered around They drive their everything everything This little because alleged bandits Kurds albeit those Turkish citizenship But primary problem listening aspect plight refugees tanding veritable mountain C rations water bottles stacks blankets hales clothing bundles ponchos other donor debris All around young Qld refugees picking through manna slicing parachutes hotter tents rQlling nylon cords parachute straps future compelled exactly meant everything Everything chorus reply growing number refugee gathering around What I queried temper rising painting stack C Ration hexes three scattered driveway Well ventured refugee interlocutors They Wh demanded They stuff What stuff The question stumped The fabrics cloth someone offered Just I Pat C Ration slice pocket knife sniff Hey demanded The tried I grabbed Why throw I demanded It someone Because another refugee answered Molding I reached picked discarded C package Beef Stroganof label I couldn control mysell longer Arabic having somewhat I reverted Turkish spleen calling Mehmet Ere render clerful Kurdish Its shouted lungs Its goddamn Shouting lungs I reached pulled other discarded packages Chicken King Spaghetti Meat Sauce private dismay Potatoes Au Gratin Ham I decided silent although Ouran explicitly tells believers anything starving alive For those wanted order carte scattered ground thence vacuum packed arackers peanut hurter cakes instant dairy product creamers everything needed grunt alive desert jungle mountain And untouched chocolates cigarettes included drops It incredible Mehmet Ere translating screed speech still shouting voice A cowed gathered faces crowd Ere finally hreath asked I Kurds village guards myself worst enemies I lying hunch traitors oselves ourselves blame catastrophe Give packet reaching Beef Stroganof huhby disdained I least decency feign gratitude As walked arcss strewn landscape I picked fortified peanut hurter kneadhefore using while Ere started collecting individual packets Folgers Instant Coffee could I really dairy creamers Wandering meadow toward rotting mountains bread sacks flour noodles poignancy What ahout reports starving people destroying orchards gardens before forcing themselves roots leaves Perhaps first crush A second refugees become reluctant C rations dropped solid Turkish bread brought local Fussy refugees It crazy And mentioned NGO groups 3iyarhakir There starving refugees uncooperative Turks I angry Ere nearly tears At Red Crescent Society loading trucks refugees their surprisingly hefty belongings transportation centralized Yakmal From there presumably would eventually transported Silopi haven camps Northern Iraq The confusion created unnecessary entire AndacIKasreklBorder Marker Stone being moved Offering transport wounded refugee which declined drive Yakmal picking village guard along They guards taking Americans dropping Mehmet Ere casually remarked clever I Yeah guard tucking Kaleshnikov under I friends They ruined 9arms slaughtered sheep leave stuff rotting ground Woh I found increasingly difficult disagree We dropped guard crossed Zah river proceeded toward eating dozen trucks packed refugees their O00 already present center Yakmal When passed morning But around there activity everywhere American British German helicepters hzzin sending hurricane winds through flimsy tents ringing grass landin strips choppers dropping supplies picking patients vacced hospitals No longer would supplies dropped helter skelter C point delivered birds Yakmal better organized Andac slated another Andac crowd others mountains settled several areas which enjoyed fresh spring water season meaning until Medicines Sans Frontiers Medicines Monde fairly large staffed hospitals place Turks process setting their A physicians German Red Cross arrived during slightly chagrined finding medical already place asked US commander double propeller Chinook choppers their mobile hospital units across mountains where could greater It shades Apocalypse Now medicine being moved PT Quite frankly pretty clear along their Turkish cohorts organization capable bringing order effort appreciated refugees One grunts hanging around edges encampment confided refugees actually apologize their animal behavior during first crush assuring soldiers always beasts ashamed themselves Still there overwhelming sense waste Yakmal Whereas Andac heaps bread noodles caught potatoes hundreds maybe thousands pound lined largely untouched ugees hrought They eating spuds sergeant State New York And fries French Fries If tubers Why The soldier tomatoes predictah scene familiar television footage provided CNN But potatoes still their gunny sacks rotting Indeed problem Yaknal other camps shelter sewage Once again river defined frontier serving source drinking ooking water basin sewer Oxfam Yankee choppers bringing pipes deliver spring water Prom above lower settlements problems people living fresco normal times inhabited manifest And village guard encountered along local population Kurds growing increasingly resentful prospect presence their cousins effect poisoned water supply everybody downstream Of their chance sound local sentiment I fered assist point Paris based IACF International Action Against Famine named Frederick His brief local place person possibility nearby village Yemisli population In event pleasure helping among sundry relief groups encountered seemed volunteer notion Turkish government private citizens provided received cudos thanks importantly group bothered address sense jealousy resentments impoverished locals Populations imported disaster coddled mollified degree massive international assistance being delivered carte blanche target group The difference between these people refugees these people ugees Indeed sooner ensconced local house presented chronically Medical attention evening hours clearly going IACF locals Fred accepted easily naturally seemed devoid enhancement tendencies other NGO groups would lying I sorely tempted YakmalYemisli throw under umbrella Famine group Altruism wonderful there hidden agenda But I survey assessment disaster there still visit Isikveren That Which Gives Light largest single refugee holding circa region attracted media attention concomitant pouring around world Everyone there vying other space pitch ground fighting places helicopters assess disaster If wheel vehicles clogging roads filled medicine there douht death children adults would lower But assessors voyeurs camera crews clogged I nearl ashamed admit I ultimately their number The UNHCR coordination there sundry other NGO groups I iyarhakir Save Children Red Cross World Relief others Once meeting assessing meeting Talk massive raising drive BandAid several relief groups thought bring along their publicity teams order awaken world consciousness magnitude disaster And there I Ric nemesis 4orld Vision spreading rumor Tu rkish gvernment absconding WHO drugs throwing wrench works timely equitable dstrihution blankets Curiously sitting freight water bottles trucked Turkish Red Crescent which deposited among dozen tents despised Turkish Ministry Health infirmary Perhaps lacking Turkish aware irony presence He scowled gruff hello Next another camera swinging Your speaks Kurdish right asked broad Australian accent Tellfa couple typical Kurdish women names What asked To caption pictures replied We launching raiser Australia And could heard hospitals You jerking stories Starvatian depravation thing Well steries names So tragic tales people fussy diets reluctance clothes It perfect mament depart NOs journalists working further distort tragedy travesty interested further financing their careers professional voyeurs actually getting something God Help recognizing disasters people making responsible scrapCing their their So Mehmet Ere drove hours Diyarbakir there I assessment My first Ere CARE organize their drivers My second plane The third violate silence short career unprofessional unteer We grand spleen filled adventure And whether question The MSF professed interest father volunteer myself currently weighing relative meritselaying Central Asia order spend month Kurdistan among refugees Carol Rose versus proceeding directly across eastern frntier Armenia Azerhaijan Tashkent I tentative decision somewhat later informed Best Regards Thomas Galtz Diyarhakir Uledere Turkey Received Hanover