Contaminated by: antipersonnel mines (massive contamination), antivehicle mines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). 

Article 5 Deadline: 1 March 2022
(Not on track to meet deadline)

In 2015, the Republic of Turkey continued to operationalize the newly established Turkish Mine Action Centre (TURMAC), and to implement its March 2015 workplan for mine clearance. However, no land release was conducted in 2015. In June 2016, mine clearance operations, managed by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), commenced for Phase 1 of the European Union (EU) Eastern Border Mine Clearance project.

Turkey’s most recent Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report (for 2015) states that preparation of a national mine action strategy by TURMAC was underway, and that the plan would be submitted to the Council of Ministers by the end of 2016.

Recommendations for action 

• Turkey should move forward, without delay, with the clearance of non-border areas.
• TURMAC should provide additional details of ongoing survey of eastern border areas, and also provide information on how and when it will address the huge contamination in the eastern region that is not specified in its March 2015 workplan.
• TURMAC should re-consider its decision not to begin clearance on the Syrian border, where minefields under Turkish jurisdiction pose a risk to civilians fleeing fighting across the border.
• TURMAC should ensure application of best practice in land release, prioritizing technical survey over full clearance, to accurately determine the actual contaminated area.
• Turkey should report on plans for clearance of mined areas under its control in northern Cyprus, in order to meet all of its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 obligations.
• Turkey and Cyprus should both heed the UN Secretary General’s call to facilitate access to all mined areas inside and outside the buffer zone to achieve a mine-free Cyprus.[1]

Contamination

Turkey has almost 173km² of confirmed mined area across 3,080 areas. A further 701 areas are suspected to be mined, but the area they cover and the number of mines that may lie within them is unknown.[2] The baseline area of mine contamination was unchanged between the end of 2014 and the end of 2015.

Mine contamination as of end 2015[3]

Note: SHAs = suspected hazardous areas; CHAs = confirmed hazardous areas.

Turkey is contaminated with antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, as well as IEDs. The great majority of antipersonnel mines are found along its borders, and were laid in 1955–1959. All along the 911km border with Syria is mined, and the mined area is on average 350 meters wide. The estimated size of the Syrian border minefields is 144.29km². They are estimated to account for two-thirds of the mines and close to 90% of the remaining mined area in the country. There are also mined areas on some sections of the border with Armenia (1.10km²), Iran (21.33km²), Iraq (2.86km²), and Azerbaijan.[4] Its western borders with Bulgaria and Greece, as well as the border with Georgia, are mine-free. A further 873 mined areas covering a total of 3.11km² have been identified in “areas other than borders.”[5] Mines were also laid around military installations.[6] 

Government forces emplaced landmines during the 1984–1999 conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan, PKK) in the southeast of the country. These mines have been progressively cleared since 1998.[7] In addition to mines laid by Turkish security forces, non-state armed groups have also emplaced mines and IEDs, rendering the clearance process more complex.[8]

Eighteen of the 81 provinces in Turkey still contain mined areas. The reported contamination includes 157,251m² of mined area cleared in 2014, but not yet deducted from the total because mine clearance units of the Turkish armed forces had not yet been accredited by the newly established TURMAC.[9]

The number of mined areas along the Iraqi border, as well as part of the Iranian border, is an estimate, as, according to Turkey, precise calculation is hampered by terrorist activities and the presence of suspected mined areas. Furthermore, fewer mines are expected along the Syrian border than indicated because of detonations by smugglers and as a result of wildfires.[10]

Contamination by province as of end 2015[11]

Note: AP = antipersonnel; AV = antivehicle.* Some mined areas also intersect with Turkey’s border with Azerbaijan.[12]

The estimate of the number of antipersonnel mines in CHAs decreased by 1,532 in 2015. Turkey explained that this is due to destruction of antipersonnel mines by “explosions caused by various reasons” and “discoveries” in minefields located along the borders with Armenia, Iran, and Syria.[13]

In its Article 5 deadline extension request, submitted in March 2013, Turkey had estimated that a total of 3,520 confirmed and suspected mined areas covered almost 215km². This estimate was provisional as the size of the (then) 346 suspected mined areas was unknown.[14] In March 2015, Turkey revised the figures to a total of 3,080 mine-contaminated CHAs covering almost 173km² and 701 SHAs.[15] The area of contamination and the number of emplaced mines are not known for the 701 SHAs, therefore the total estimated contaminated area is likely to be significantly larger. The new mine contamination data was a result of corrections to minefield registers, details of which are provided in the 2015 Article 7 report and updated workplan.[16]

Mine contamination in Turkey has both a humanitarian and economic impact. Up to 80% of mined areas along the Syrian border are on arable land, which cannot be used. The risk to livestock is widespread, especially where fencing is damaged. Mined areas have also prevented access for development activities.[17]

The Landmine Monitor identified at least 34 new mine/ERW casualties in 2015. (For further details see the Casualties and Victim Assistance country profile).

Cyprus

The Island of Cyprus is contaminated with antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, mostly in areas currently under Turkish control (for further details see the separate report on Cyprus).

Program Management

In January 2015, Law No. 6586 on the “Establishment of a National Mine Action Centre and Amendment of Some Other Laws” was adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly; the law entered into force on 3 February 2015. It aims to define the modalities and provide the basis regarding functions, jurisdictions, and responsibilities of the National Mine Action Center (NMAC), which will carry out humanitarian clearance of mines and/or unexploded ordnance (UXO).[18] The law entitles the NMAC to elaborate policies for this clearance; plan and steer related activities; monitor their implementation; and carry out the necessary coordination and cooperation with domestic and foreign institutions.[19]

The NMAC was established on 3 February 2015 under the Ministry of National Defense, and called the Turkish Mine Action Center (TURMAC).[20] A director was appointed in August 2015.[21] As of February 2016, core staff had been recruited and the center was in the initial stages of becoming operational.[22] However, the attempted coup in Turkey in July 2016 resulted in the dismissal of TURMAC’s director. In late August 2016, Colonel Aydin Imren was appointed as the new head of TURMAC.[23]

Until TURMAC becomes fully functional, mine action activities remain largely decentralized and divided between various national authorities in Turkey. The Turkish armed forces currently conduct clearance activities in non-border areas and around military installations. Mine clearance along the eastern borders is managed by the UNDP as part of the EU Integrated Border Management Project, in coordination with TURMAC, the Ministry of Interior, and the Turkish land forces.[24]

To address the humanitarian and border management challenges posed by mine contamination, the EU, UNDP, and the Turkish government launched a project in May 2015, entitled “Technical assistance for socioeconomic development through demining and increasing the border surveillance capacity at the Eastern borders of Turkey.”[25] The UNDP provides technical assistance and capacity-building to TURMAC, the Ministry of Interior, and the Turkish General Staff for implementation of the project and for Turkey’s demining program.[26] The UNDP is also responsible for managing the contractors for mine clearance and quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) within the scope of the Eastern Border Mine Clearance Project, and ensuring certification and standards verification.[27]

Strategic planning

Turkey has still to develop a national mine action strategy. In March 2015, Turkey reported that following the official inauguration of TURMAC, a national mine action strategy for 2016–2022 would be prepared in 2015 and submitted to the Council of Ministers.[28] However, the strategy was delayed until after the general elections in Turkey, which took place in November 2015.[29] The attempted coup in July 2016 further delayed the strategy. Turkey’s most recent Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report (for 2015) stated that preparation of a national mine action strategy by TURMAC was underway, and that the plan would be submitted to the Council of Ministers by the end of 2016.[30]

Turkey submitted a workplan in March 2015 in its Article 7 report for 2014.[31] It reported that the workplan would be finalized after TURMAC develops a national mine action plan, and that further revisions were possible due to ongoing investigation and survey of mined areas in the border regions.[32] The following is a summary of Turkey’s plans by region.

Syrian border

Turkey has stated that clearance will not begin along the Syrian border until after the conflict ends.[33] Previously, in its Article 5 deadline extension request, Turkey had accorded priority to clearing the Syrian border. Officials observed it is also the easiest border to clear because the terrain is flat and there has been minimal displacement of mines as a result of factors such as land erosion.[34]

Eastern borders

According to the 2015 workplan, mine clearance along the eastern borders will be carried out as part of the EU Integrated Border Management Project in two phases, under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior in a joint project with the UNDP.[35] Phase 1 of the project, scheduled for 2015–2017, was expected to result in the clearance of 223 mined areas over an area of just under 11.67km² and the destruction of 189,863 antipersonnel mines.[36] Phase 2 of the project is scheduled for 2017–2019, but the number of mined areas and total area to be cleared is yet to be determined, subject to continuing surveys.[37]

In February 2016, Turkey reported that the demining tender had been awarded to DENEL-MECHEM (Mechem), as part of a consortium in which national operators would be sub-contracted by Mechem.[38] Phase 1 of the project was officially announced in April 2016, with clearance operations beginning in June. It was scheduled to be completed by December 2017.[39]

Southeastern/Iraqi border

Clearance along the southeastern/Iraqi border is not scheduled to commence until 2019, after completion of Phases 1 and 2 of the Eastern Border Mine Clearance Project.[40] Clearance of the 969 mined areas, totaling just over 2.86km², is scheduled to take place in 2019–2021, with the destruction of 79,017 antipersonnel mines. This represents all known mine contamination in this region.[41]

Non-border areas

To date, mine clearance in non-border areas has been conducted only on a very limited scale, for instance to clear paths in case of urgent need.[42] At the time of its 2015 updated workplan, Turkey estimated that all mined areas in non-border areas would be cleared in 2015–2021, totaling 3.1km².[43] It was planned that the Turkish armed forces would conduct some clearance, with the remainder to be determined in the mine action plan, once established.[44] In this region, Turkey prioritizes mine clearance activities based on areas used for military operations; areas with low or no terrorist threat; and areas where the local population may benefit from agriculture and livestock.[45]

Legislation and standards

As of October 2016, the UNDP and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) was assisting TURMAC to formulate new national mine action standards based upon International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and the currently existing national standards, the Syrian Border Mine Clearance Standards (SBMCS), and the Eastern Border Mine Clearance Standards (EBMCS).[46]

Quality management

Following an international competitive tender process, a contract for QA/QC services was awarded to RPS-Explosive Engineering Services by the UNDP in March 2016. In April 2016, the UNDP and TURMAC completed the accreditation of RPS-Explosive Engineering Services, and the company then began the accreditation process for the mine clearance contractor, Mechem, under the Eastern Border Mine Clearance Project.[47]

Information management

As of February 2016, TURMAC was assessing its information management needs, with the support of the UNDP and the GICHD.[48] Plans to have an IMSMA database operational by the end of 2016 were delayed following the attempted coup, and as of September 2016, the UNDP is maintaining a project database to record all operational data related to the Eastern Border Mine Clearance Project until the national database can be established by TURMAC.[49] Due to national security concerns, much of the minefield data remains classified, presenting a challenge to mine action information management in Turkey.[50]

Land Release

No land was released by survey or clearance in 2015, but 1,531 antipersonnel mines were destroyed “due to explosions caused by various reasons” in the minefields along the borders with Armenia, Iran, and Syria.[51] The corresponding area of land released/cleared was not reported, and some clearance operations, for example along the Syrian border, were to meet military objectives only and to allow safe movement of troops, but not to release a contaminated area. The lack of any land release in 2015 compares unfavorably to 2014 when 157,251m² of land was cleared by the Turkish armed forces on the Iranian border and in non-border areas.[52]

Progress in 2016

Mechem’s clearance operations began in June 2016. As of September 2016, manual clearance operations were taking place along the Armenian border, in mapped and fenced minefields on flat terrain.[53] Capacity as of September was 120 deminers and 30 mine detection dogs (MDDs), as well as a MineWolf 330. However, the MDDs had not yet been accredited.[54]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the eight-year extension granted by States Parties in 2013), Turkey is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2022. Turkey is not on track to meet this deadline.

Turkey’s original Article 5 deadline was 1 March 2014. In March 2013, Turkey submitted a request for an eight-year extension to its deadline until 2022 to complete clearance of all mined areas. Turkey stated that the envisaged timeframe was subject to revision pending progress with tenders and clearance activities on the ground.[55]

In its 2013 request, Turkey cited a number of circumstances that had impeded it from carrying out mine clearance activities, including: delays in the establishment of a National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) and NMAC, which will supervise clearance activities; adverse weather conditions allowing clearance to be conducted for only five or six months a year; security problems posed by the continuation of the terrorist threat; mined territory contaminated with metal residues resulting from the fight against terrorism; uncertainties about the mine-free status of some areas due to the irregular completion of registration forms; and topographical challenges. According to Turkey, the eastern and southeastern borders and non-border areas are the most complicated to address due to topographical difficulties.[56]

In granting the 2013 Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline Extension Request, the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties recalled the number of efforts to be carried out during 2013–2014, crucial to the success of the implementation of Turkey’s plan, and requested that Turkey report to the Third Review Conference in June 2014 on: the tendering processes for clearance along Turkey’s border with Syria, and the results of any related demining efforts and annual milestones of expected progress; the tendering processes for the clearance of areas along Turkey’s eastern borders; developments in the establishment of NMAA and NMAC; and progress in clearance of mined areas in non-border areas.[57] Turkey did not provide an update on clearance progress at the Third Review Conference, but did subsequently submit a workplan in March 2015.[58] This plan only addresses a small portion (10%) of overall mine contamination, and it is unclear how and when the remaining contamination will be addressed. The preliminary observations of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation, produced for the intersessional meetings in June 2015 noted that “that Turkey’s plan at present suggests that it will not be able to complete implementation of Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 by its deadline in 2022.”[59]

Turkey revealed in its 2013 extension request that since 1998 it had only cleared a total of 1.15km² of mined area, close to three-quarters of which took place in one year (2011), with destruction of 760 antipersonnel mines and 974 antivehicle mines. In addition, military teams had cleared 24,287 mines, but only to allow safe movement of troops, not to release a contaminated area.[60]

Turkey’s total mine clearance to date only amounts to a tiny fraction (less than 1%) of its overall mine contamination, and more than 11 years after becoming a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty, Turkey has only made very marginal progress in addressing mine contamination.

Mine clearance in 2011–2015[61]

The Monitor gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review supported and published by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), which conducted mine action research in 2016 and shared it with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.