FATMA NAVRUZ MUST STAY!
Ms Navruz is a 54 year old woman who is suffering from considerable problems of ill health. She has no less than three different appointments scheduled for this week at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham – one for an endoscopy, another in the department of Thoracic medicine, and another with her psychiatrist. She has further appointments pending because she is suffering severe pain requiring treatment for pain relief and physiotherapy. Ms Navruz’s consultant states that she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression, which they say is in keeping with her accounts of torture, rape and imprisonment in her country. She is also suffering from psychosis. The fact that Ms Navruz has not been able to prove torture and rape at the hands of the Turkish authorities for her political actions in support of working people in Turkey and the Kurds in particular is not a surprise to anyone who has worked with survivors of both torture and rape – two of the most heinous and hidden acts of terror to the individual.
Fatma is due to be deported to Turkey
Details of flight:
Flight on Turkish Airways, Flight Number: TK1982
Departure Date: Tuesday 23rd October 2007 06.55 a.m.
Flying from Heathrow Airport ,Terminal 3
Recommended arrival time at Heathrow: 4.30 a.m. Boarding 45 minutes before flight
Recommended vaccinations for travellers to Turkey : Polio and Typhoid ( neither of which Fatma has been given)
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Please fax the following using the attached letters or in your own words.
Jacqui Smith Fax: 020 7035 3262
Turkish Airlines Fax numbers: Head Office:( UK ) 0207-976 17 38/33
Terminal 3 Turkish Airlines at Heathrow/Fax: ) 0208-759 58 14
UK address of Head Office: 125 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5EA, LONDON
UK office address at Heathrow Airport: Heathrow Airport Office Block Room 226 Hounslow Middlesex TW6 1RW
Turkish Airlines email: info-uk@thy.com LONTZTK E-Mail: info-uk@thy.com
customer concerns and opinions email address: customer@thy.com
Heathrow Airport ( Heathrows own terminal fax number) terminal 3 zone: fax number +44-178-4421726
Please click on Read more for information about Fatma’s case.
Previous info (15th Oct): Fatma Navruz Removal Notice was set for morning of Monday 15th Oct (on a British Airways flight), but we hear she is still in Yarl’s Wood detention centre.
Previous info (10th Oct): Our friend Fatma Navruz has been detained today and is now in Yarl?s Wood (Room B, 227a, tel 01234821000). Please contact her with messages of support. Her Home Office Reference number is N1084095 and you should quote this. Paragon Law is dealing with her case and have asked for letters of support to be faxed to Refugee Action 0115 950 9980 ASAP. Presumably hard-copy letters can be delivered also: Refugee Action, Albion House, 3rd floor, 5-13 Canal St, Nottingham NG1 7EG. tel: 0115 941 8552 fax: 0115 950 9980. Nottingham people: Fatma was a volunteer with the food group earlier this year and I?m sure many of us know her from parties, women?s group etc. Please forward this appeal to anyone you think may know her….
Yarl’s Wood is a notorious privately run ‘immigration removal centre’ in Bedfordshire.
In 2005 Ugandan women went on hunger strike in protest against their incarceration and the conditions there. In 2003 riots destroyed half of the building just weeks after it had opened. These prisons must be closed. In addition, more pressure must be brought on the airlines who are complicit in deporting asylum seekers to face great danger in the countries they have bravely escaped from.
SAMPLE LETTER TO AIRLINE
Fatma Navruz
HO Ref No: N1084095/2
Date of Birth 10 August 1953
Currently Yarlswood IRC
Dear Sir,
I write in respect of the imminent removal of Ms Navruz …
Ms Navruz is a 54 year old woman who is suffering from considerable problems of ill health. She has no less than three different appointments scheduled for this week at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham ? one for an endoscopy, another in the department of Thoracic medicine, and another with her psychiatrist. She has further appointments pending because she is suffering severe pain requiring treatment for pain relief and physiotherapy. Ms Navruz’s consultant states that she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression, which they say is in keeping with her accounts of torture, rape and imprisonment in her country. She is also suffering from psychosis. The fact that Ms Navruz has not been able to prove torture and rape at the hands of the Turkish authorities for her political actions in support of working people in Turkey and the Kurds in particular is not a surprise to anyone who has worked with survivors of both torture and rape ? two of the most heinous and hidden acts of terror to the individual.
We set before you some of the brief details of her case.
Ms Navruz is from Ankara in Turkey. Arrived 31st October 2003. She made an application for asylum on 3rd November 2003. She has been educated only to primary school level. She became a political activist by joining her family members in supporting the TDKP in 1980. The EMEP formed in 1996 as legal branch of TDKP and Fatma became a supporter. She delivered leaflets, attended meetings and demonstrations, was often beaten as the crowd was broken up, but always managed to escape.
In January 2001 Fatma was detained for three days at the Ankara headquarters, was interrogated about TDKP including the use of falaka ( beaten with sticks on the soles of the feet). She was again detained in May 2002 at a demonstration in Kizilay Square and detained for five days by the Antalya Anti-Terrorist branch was bruised all over, received an injury leaving a scar under her right eye and on her bottom lip and an injury to her right hip making walking difficult.
Fatma’s last detention was on 5 October 2003 when, using the new Repentance law requiring people to report political activity against the State, someone informed on her to the police and she was detained by the non-uniformed branch and was taken to the Ankara anti-terrorist branch. They found her brother’s file and records of her previous detentions and accused her of being a member of the TDKP. She was badly tortured including with electric shocks, but as previously Fatma refused to sign their proposed statement, was released after five days with reporting conditions and subject to the inquiry continuing. Unable to face weekly torture while attending the police station, Fatma went to stay with relatives in Istanbul. Her family arranged an agent for her two weeks later and she boarded a lorry on 25 October and arrived in London on 31 October, 2003.
Her life is in danger if she is returned, since she has no documents, being returned will prompt an inquiry which will reveal her records. Her mental health now includes experiencing psychotic episodes which her family find difficult to tolerate. They are unable to care for her or provide ongoing care in her present physical and psychiatric health condition. Ms Navruz has also been the victim of domestic violence throughout her marriage and she strongly believes that she will be killed by her ex husband if she returns. We believe that Ms Navruz may be the victim of so-called “honour killing” if she returns to Turkey. Ms Navruz ex husband is of a different ethnic background to ms Navruz and is from a strongly loyal ethnic group with strong traditional and conservative values. Honour Killings are regular occurances and these have been well documented in Turkey.
Ms Navruz is very unwell and has no family with the resources to care for her in her many physical and psycjological problems. We urge you to show compassion to Ms Navruz and to refuse to fly her to Turkey. We do not see it as the duty of the airlines to fly unwilling passengers to countries where they have a well founded fear, even if there has not been paper evidence to support that fear. Violence against women is an easily concealed crime. We urge you to show compassion to ms Navruz.
Yours sincerely
Name …………………………………………………
Address……………………………………………………