asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the conditions of Kurdish refugees in Iraq and Turkey many of whom have suffered from the effects of chemical warfare; and the steps he has taken or representations he has made regarding their situation.
Written Answers. - Kurdish Refugees.
20.
The Government view with grave concern the allegations that chemical weapons were used in the course of the military offensive which gave rise to large flows of Kurdish refugees from Iraq into Turkey in August-September of this year. While the facts with respect to the allegations made in this instance have not been impartially established, our position condemning the use of chemical weapons is clearly on the record.
In mid-September, a mission dispatched by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported positively on the efforts put in place by the Turkish Government to provide for the immediate needs of 50,000 Kurdish refugees. Turkey subsequently appealed to the European Community and to the member states for financial support for the provision of winter shelters for the refugees and for offers to receive refugees. Ireland welcomes the provision of the sum of 500,000 ECU (IR £375,000 approximately) from the Community budget to the refugees through the Turkish Red Crescent Society. Turkey estimates that, by mid-October, some 2,300 Kurdish refugees had returned to Iraq under the terms of an amnesty decreed by the Iraqi authorities.