Turkey: Whether the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) and the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) issue membership certificates to members residing within Turkey and/or abroad; whether this is the practice of all HADEP/DEHAP offices; the process used to verify the Party membership of persons residing abroad; description of membership certificates and any other documents issued by HADEP and DEHAP (October 2001-April 2005)
People's Democracy Party (HADEP)
The following information was provided by the former coordinator of the International Relations Department of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) in 19 April 2005 correspondence to the Research Directorate.
Prior to the dissolution of HADEP by the Turkish Constitutional Court, HADEP did indeed issue membership cards to members residing in Turkey, although actual possession of the card was uncommon among voters and supporters of the party. According to the former coordinator, few of the hundreds of thousands of members actually carried a card since this would have made them easily identifiable targets of the state and many preferred to avoid the risk of being caught by a police or military officer while carrying a HADEP membership card.
In order to obtain a HADEP membership card, there were two procedures. One could either apply for a card through the local party office and, after approval, the provincial organization (il orgutu) would issue the card, which was initially printed on regular, plain paper. However, as a result of HADEP's investigations that found that non-HADEP members were forging these cards and claiming to be party affiliates for asylum purposes, the membership procedures and cards were modified.
Under the revised HADEP membership procedures, only the party's Secretariat General in Ankara could issue cards. In addition, one had to apply at the party's district office (ilce orgutu) and submit references from two party members or active supporters known by the party office. The applications were then sent to the provincial organizations, which forwarded them to the General Secretary in Ankara for final approval. Approved members had to sign a form at the provincial office in order to receive their official membership card, which was now "of a higher quality, made out of plastic, with a special cold stamp to prevent forging and duplication."
In order to verify the HADEP membership of persons residing abroad whenever asked to do so by foreign governments, the party headquarters' International Relations Department would contact provincial organizations, which would then provide them with the requested information via facsimile.
In May 2004, the Istanbul-based daily Zaman, the first Turkish newspaper on the Internet and one of the top five national dailies (2004) reported on the sale of potentially fake HADEP cards in Paris, with one asylum seeker indicating that the card, even if it did not contain a serial number, "opened many doors" (Zaman 28 May 2005). Corroboration of these statements could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
Democratic People's Party (DEHAP)
Information on whether the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) issues membership certificates to members residing abroad, whether this is the practice of all DEHAP offices, and the process used to verify the party membership of persons residing abroad could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within time constraints. However, in 29 April 2005 correspondence with the Research Directorate, an immigration counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Ankara cited a contact at DEHAP's Ankara office as stating that the party had not issued any membership cards since April 2004.
A 3 April 2003 article by the Christian Science Monitor indicated that when they closed down HADEP in March 2003, Turkish authorities "started proceedings to close DEHAP, which essentially has the same membership."
Please find attached a colour copy of the identification card and application form for membership in the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP).
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 for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Christian Science Monitor [Boston]. 3 April 2003. Ilene R. Prusher. "War Memories Haunt Turkey's Kurds." (Dialog)
Embassy of Canada, in Ankara. 29 April 2005. Correspondence from an immigration counsellor.
Former Coordinator of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). 19 April 2005.
Additional Sources Consulted
A Researcher on Turkey at Human Rights Watch (HRW), London.
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), BBC, Democratic People's Party (DEHAP), European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Freedom House, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Kurdistan Human Rights Project, Kurdistan Observer, Turkish Daily News, United States Department of State, World News Connection (WNC).
Attachments
Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). 13 September 2004a. "DEHAP: Demokratik Halk Partisi, Uye Kimlik Karti." Supplied by the party's European representative in London, England.
_____. 13 September 2004b. "Demokratik Halk Partisi: Uyelik Basvuru Belgesi." Supplied by the party's European representative in London, England.