Compensation for Terror Damages Prolonged

The change on the "Law on Compensation of Damages Caused by Terror and Fight Against Terror" will especially help the internally displaced in eastern Turkey.

On the other hand, the dateline for applications didn't change. The last day to apply to established investigation commissions is January 3rd, 2007.

More time needed

Rights activists were demanding at least a year prolongation.

Hacettepe University's research showed that only 53.4 percent of the internally displaced persons who are moved in the last 20 years due to security reasons are aware of the compensation law.

Only 37 percent told that they've made an application.

Total of 223 thousand applicants

According to Diyarbakır's assistant governor Erol Ozer, 43 thousand 160 people applied to four commissions in the city until now.

The total number of applicants all around the country reached 223 thousand 294 as of September 2006. Most are from Diyarbakır, Hakkari and Tunceli.

Of those, 20 thousand 886 are accepted while 15 thousand 332 are rejected. Many more still wait for finalization and the change in law opens the way for this.

79 million YTL (around 44 million euros) is paid in damages to accepted applicants; mainly involving life losses, injuries and damages to property.(EÜ)