The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg visited one of the unoffical Chechen refugee camp in Istanbul yesterday.

The aim of the Hammarberg’s visit is to gain first hand information on the human rights’ situation of asylum-seekers and minorities and to discuss other major human rights issues with the Turkish authorities, continuing and enhancing the constant dialogue. On this aim, Thomas Hammarberg has started to his six days visit on June 28,2009 in Turkey. Mr.Hammarberg was in Fenerbahce Chechen refugee camp which is one of the unoffical Chechen refugee camp in Istanbul on July 1,2009. The delegation with Hammarberg have listened to problems of Chechen refugees and took notes, also they have taken a lot of photos during the visit. Hammarberg said that the life conditions of Chechen refugees are very bad and they are in shock that Chechen refugees don’t have any right.

The report which has the theme: “The Ethnic Minorities and Asylum Seekers in Turkey”, will publish later in this year.

There are over than 2000 Chechen refugees mostly in Istanbul city of Turkey. There are three unofficial Chechen refugee camps in Fenerbahce, Beykoz and Umraniye district of Istanbul. Turkish government doesn’t accept to Chechen refugees as nor refugee or asylum seeker and calling them as “guest”. So Chechen refugees doesn’t have any basic rights on education, health or working in Turkey.