Kurdistan-East Turkey 19901990

In the area between Gürpinar and Hakkari. The villages of the Ertoshi tribes (i.e., exactly the Mehmet Piran tribes) received weapons from the Turkish army for so called self-defense against terrorists (PKK partisans). The people were telling us in a childish way about 'their gifts'. They enthusiastically showed us their Kalashnikovs and were playing with the guns like with toys. They permitted me to take photographs. Men, women and children posed with the weapons trying to imitate well-known film heroes. In Gögümlü and Sariyaprak we were well received and discharged without any problems, again with applause and shots into air. In Gülecler; however, we were in an unfriendly way arrested by villagers. We spent the night in guarded house of the local muhtar and next morning transferred by the Jandarma into Hosap. They accused us of spying. After many hours under arrest at local police post, intensive interrogation and a long, violent discussion with the Commander Ali Oez we were finally dismissed and without any negative consequences for us. I could retain my photographs. And after a short excursion to Göründü we landed again in Van.