The duties and the responsibilities of the Turkish National Mine Action Center (TURMAC) are prescribed in Article 342 of the Presidential Decree on the Organization of the Presidency number 1 published in the Official Gazette, issue 30474, dated 10/07/2018. Within this context;

(1) To conduct studies, with the aim of eliminating the threats stemming from mines/unexploded ordnances, directed at determining national mine action plan comprising national policy, strategy, priorities and work plans by cooperating with the relevant ministries, institutions and organizations, and submitting them to the approval of the Minister,

(2) To enforce mine action plan, to monitor and control the continuing activities, and to take due measures,

(3) To prepare, update and publish national demining standards,

(4) To implement mine and/or unexploded ordnance activities in accordance with the national regulations and international demining standards,

(5) To report the developments on the demining and/or unexploded ordnance clearance action to the Minister,

(6) In relation to the victims of mines and/or unexploded ordnances, to supervise the procedures conducted within the context of legislative regulations and to launch corrective initiatives in need,

(7) To create and operate an Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) capable of producing statistical data by managing and processing the collected data on the areas that are known to be mined and/or unexploded ordnances, or on suspected areas, on the reports and information pertaining to the zones cleaned, on the demining and unexploded ordnance accidents and occurrences that happened, on the detailed information and statistical information on people who were affected by the occurrences, and on the planned and completed procedures; moreover, to inquire into the survey activities conducted in this respect, into the effects of those areas to the region, to locals, and to our national interests, and to inquire into the advantages and disadvantages the demining of the those areas would bring,

(8) To initiate founding an information collection and analysis system capable of rendering detailed evaluation of the mine and/or unexploded ordnance issue and its differing affects society,

(9) To set up the necessary internal systems and procedures for the effective management of the actions undertaken by the Center,

(10) To accredit those who would engage in mine and/or unexploded ordnance actions and to invalidate the accreditations in case of non-compliance in actions conducted,

(11) To realize certification procedures through quality assurance and quality control activities,

(12) To plan and conduct humanitarian demining and/or unexploded ordnance clearance actions to be held within the country, and to supervise their realization in accordance with the stated principles,

(13) To task, supervise and control all the institutions and organizations, firms, commands/units to engage in humanitarian demining actions,

(14) To determine policies aiming at preventing the occurrence of demining/unexploded ordnance accidents, and at mine risk training, to plan those actions, to supervise their realization in accordance with the stated principles, and to implement them with the relevant institutions and organizations, and

(15) Is tasked with facilitating the coordination and cooperation with the domestic and international institutions and organizations.

*Activities conducted within the context of the Law 4536, “Law on the Principles to be Applied to Explosives and Suspected Objects in Seas and on Land,” are beyond the scope of duties of Turkish National Mine Action Center.

Majority of the activities directed at demining and unexploded ordnance clearance are conducted by the elements affiliated to the Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Internal Affairs. Aside from these activities, within the context of “Socio-economic Development through Demining and Increasing the Border Surveillance Capacity at the Eastern Borders of Türkiye” [EBMCP] funded by the budget received from the European Union Instrument for pre-Accession Assistance (EU-IPA) and supported by contributions taken from the National Budget, demining actions and non-technical Survey action are being conducted. In order to be able to accomplish secure and effective mine actions in Türkiye, National Mine Action Standards [MMFS] and National Mine Action Standard Operational Procedures [MMFSUT] have been produced along the lines of International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).

Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), founded within the organization of Turkish National Mine Action Center, records all the phases of mine actions and owing to the data flow obtained the activities carried out in the field are managed. An institutional capacity is reached within the organization of the Turkish National Mine Action Center, which has displayed a rapid progress since its foundation. Contributions are made to the continuing mine actions in the friendly and brotherly countries.

In the researches aimed at pursuing mine actions through domestic and national means, and to meet the requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces, a contribution was made to the development of Mechanical Mine Clearance Equipment [MEMATT] in cooperation with the ASFAT S.A. Having passed the performance, survival, and field acceptance tests conducted by the Turkish National Mine Action Center, and accredited by the same institution, it has become a defense product arousing interest in the international market. Consequently, the Mechanical Mine Clearance Equipment [MEMATT] was exported to Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, and Togo, struggling with demining and clearing of unexploded ordnance operations, and efforts are being spent to export it to other friendly countries. Moreover, numerous domestic firms are manufacturing equipment and detectors used in mine actions.

Although efforts are being made on the issue of demining and clearing unexploded ordnance through national means, accreditation of our domestic firms and their continuing their mine actions in the international arena is sought.

As a consequence of emerging needs for security after the Cold War Era, Türkiye, approaching the national and international public opinion against the use of anti-personnel mines positively, aiming at resolving the question of mines issued a declaration banning the use of anti-personnel mines on 17 January 1996.

Following Türkiye’s declaration of its explicit intent against the use of anti-personnel mines in 1996, Turkish Armed Forces upon an order it issued on 26 January 1998 completely banned the use of anti-personnel mines.

Türkiye ratifying the “Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects” (known informally as Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons – CCCW) on 26 March 1982, accepted its 1st, and the Amended 2nd and 4th Protocols on 21 October 2004.

The same year, Türkiye signing “The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction” (Ottawa Convention) became a party to the Convention, and by enacting the Law 6586 and founding of the Turkish National Mine Action Center [TURMAC] in 2015 put its determination on the issue.

Türkiye, in line with the Ottawa Convention, which she became a party to on 01 March 2004, committed herself to clearance of the mine-contaminated areas within her boundaries by 01 March 2014. Within the context of the Law 5903, “Law on Mine Clearance Activities and Tender Processes along the Land Border between the Republic of Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic,” a demining project was initiated with the inclusion of private firms. However, owing to the political instability in Türkiye’s neighboring geography, the project was cancelled on 17 June 2013. This being the case, Türkiye was given a period of extension until 01 March 2022 to fulfill her obligation stipulated in Article 5 of the Ottawa Convention. At the XIXth Meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention, held on 15-19 November 2021, Türkiye was granted an extension of time for clearance of the mine-contaminated zones until the end of the year 2025.

In line with its determination, Türkiye, in parallel with the objective “Year 2025 Mine-Free World,” aims at clearing all the buried mines and render the country free from all the mines and unexploded ordnances, and it further aspires to render it a country where people would live without running the risk of mines.

It describes the removing of the presence or suspicion of mines/unexploded ordnance from the contaminated areas to be used for various purposes (agriculture, animal husbandry, industry, public investment etc.) prioritizing the lives of the workers and the third persons without the pressure of time and costs, destruction of mine stockpiles, offering mine and unexploded ordnance risk education, giving of assistance to mine victims, and all the anti-mine actions.

By conducting mine actions, keeping of our citizens away from the risks, increasing their awareness on the risks of mines, and clearance of motherland (from metal and chemical etc. materials) are aimed at.

Through conducting humanitarian demining actions in our country our land will be cleaned of primitive means of defense – the mines; and by constructing modular walls in cooperation with our institutions along our borders aiming at stopping the illegal immigrations, and by the introduction of intensely technological and humanitarian Integrated Physical Border Security System – an advanced humanitarian security system based on leading-edge technology backed with armored vehicles and smart watchtowers – Turkish borders will effectively be protected.

Clearance of the unexploded ordnance in contaminated areas will be to the benefit of agriculture, industry, and to that of public investment etc.

Anti-personnel land mines were first planted along the Turkish-Syrian border as of 1956 as a defensive strategy to provide security during the Cold War Era, and to prevent smuggling; and were planted between the years 1993-1997, owing to the ever intensifying terrorist activities, to secure the military installations in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, and to strengthen the security of our borders.

Unexploded ordnance contaminated areas are the lands which the security forces used for training/exercise purposes in the past, now fallen into disuse, and which are deemed to be advantageous for social and economic purposes following unexploded ordnance clearance.

All those areas threaten our citizens and natural habitat, and chemically contaminate our motherland.

The existence of mine and unexploded ordnance contaminated areas in our country, aside from threatening security of life, exposes Türkiye to the pressures of international arena and brings along numerous domestic problems. Within this framework;

(1) Mines, planted for border security and against the threat of terror, threatens the safety of life and property of the local people dealing with farming and animal husbandry,

(2) Mine and unexploded ordnance contaminated areas impede the activities to be held in the regions of our historical treasures and obstructs those areas from becoming parts of our cultural heritage, and prevents the benefits to be obtained from other uses of those areas,

(3) Contaminated areas within the National/Natural Parks threaten the wild life,

(4) Contaminated areas, being surrounded by residential districts in time, impede the urbanization of the region and obstructs its economic development,

(5) Mine contamination in the regions to be subjected to subsurface exploration and seismic researches obstructs the integration of our rich underground sources (oil, natural gas etc.) into our country’s economy, and impedes our endeavors to minimize our dependence on foreign resources,

(6) Mine contamination in the regions suitable for the construction of Power stations (Wind Power Plant, Solar Power Plant etc.), impeding the investments, obstructs the use of national resources in energy production,

(7) Failing in completing the demining and unexploded ordnance clearance actions in the areas falling out of military use obstructs mining activities – ranging from exploration, to operation and to quantity surveys – from contributing to national economy.

Mine problem continues to be a threat for our security forces, citizens, and nature. In the 2010-2021 term 139 of citizens, 135 wounded and 4 dead, became victims of mine accidents.

There is no legislation or a special aid program prescribed by a law for the mine or unexploded ordnance victims; however, within the context of the Law 3294 “Law on Social Assistance and Solidarity” due support (socio-economic, psychological etc.) is given to our citizens.

Mine victims can benefit from the mentioned supports by applying to the relevant ministries in writing, stating their sufferings (including health reports, crime scene investigation reports etc.), via the intermediary of the local authorities they are affiliated to (district governorships and governorates).

Within the context of “Non-Technical Survey Project for the Mined Areas in Türkiye” conducted between the years 2020 and 2022, citizens residing in the villages and hamlets near the mined areas in two provinces (Şanlıurfa and Hakkâri) are given Explosive Ordnance Risk Education [EORE] by the trained personnel of the contracting firm.

Within the context of a cooperation protocol signed with the General Command of Gendarmerie, personnel who had received Explosive Ordnance Risk Education [EORE] are tasked to give EORE education to the citizens living close to the mine contaminated areas (susceptible of mine accidents) in 11 provinces (Kars, Batman, Bingöl, Siirt, Tunceli, Şırnak, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Hakkâri, Van, and Bitlis), EORE education is continuing in a planned manner in those provinces.

Endeavors direct at the mine question date back to 1996, and elimination of the question gained acceleration as of the date we signed “The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction” (Ottawa Convention). In 2021, it was stated that there were approx. 850 thousand mines planted in approx. 3.800 areas on the Eastern and Southern borders, including several places in the inner regions. Most of them are anti-personnel mines. The total area of mine-contaminated regions is approx. 145 million square meters. This number is day-by-day decreasing. Although the total area seems to be enormously large, owing to the factors of safety, the “confirmed hazardous area” is relatively small. “Non-Technical Survey Project for the Mined Areas in Türkiye,” launched in 2021, foresees the visiting of all the mine-contaminated areas to determine the net size of the “confirmed hazardous area.” The clearance of the “confirmed hazardous areas” shall be realized after careful planning of the time, personnel, and cost effectiveness of the project to purge our country from the mine question as soon as possible.

Should you ever come across an object (metal, rusty, having a dark color etc.) suspected of unexploded ordnance, you should not move the suspected object, children and teens should be warned on the dangers of playing with the suspected objects, you should get away from the area and duly inform the nearest security force. Emergency Call Center 112.

Mined zones were set up on the Turkish-Syrian border, between the years 1956 and 1961, as a defensive strategy to provide security during the Cold War Era, and to prevent smuggling. As mines fell into disuse owing to natural occurrences (wild fires, floods, inundations, landslide etc.) since then, and their being primitive means of defense incapable of meeting today’s border security functions/standards, demining of mined zones and founding of Integrated Physical Border Security Systems have been decided. Our country declared its first intention in clearance of the mines fallen into disuse and in eradicating the mine question in 1996; moreover, it bears the responsibility of its intention within the context of “The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction” (Ottawa Convention).

Within the context of the Law 5903, “Law on Mine Clearance Activities and Tender Processes along the Land Border between the Republic of Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic,” issued in 2009, a mine clearance project to be realized by private firms was designed. Nevertheless, the project was cancelled on 17 June 2013 owing to the political instability in Türkiye’s neighboring geography.

Limited to the area along the concrete modular wall construction, as a part of stream improvement projects, agricultural land development projects, and Physical Border Security System Projects, mine clearance actions are being conducted by the Special Mine Search and Destruction Teams [ÖMAT] affiliated to the Ministry of National Defence. All of the minefields set up between the years 1956 and 1961 on the Turkish-Syrian borderline have the status of prohibited military zone and are currently posing an active danger.

As stated above, the mined zones on the Turkish-Syrian border are still being detected. Demined zones are made use of by the relevant ministries. No part of the cleared zones was handed over to any entity that poses a threat to our national interests.

Our country has an important status in terms of work force, equipment pool, as well as in organizational capacity in the Europe, Caucasia, and Middle East region. It is important to put the mined zones and unexploded ordnance contaminated areas of the countries that lived through armed conflicts, internal disturbance, and terror to the use of people, and activate economy. Accreditation of the firms that are working or desiring to work in mine actions and of the NGOs, with their accumulated knowledge and experience, shall render us a service exporter for the countries in our region and thus shall bring further benefits to our economy. The firms realizing this opportunity are accredited by the Turkish National Mine Action Center within the framework of international and national standards. Those firms and NGOs have to apply to the Turkish National Mine Action Center with required documents.

It is “The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction” signed by 164 countries. Countries such as the USA, Russia, and Israel did not sign the convention. For the full-text of the Ottawa Convention, please click.

For the list of states parties, please click.

For the list of states non-party, please click.

It is an explosive, combustible or a chemical war materiel placed in a canister with the aim of destroying or damaging vehicles, vessels, and aircrafts, and to kill or wound personnel to render them hors-de-combat.

It is a “victim-activated” mine designed to detonate in the presence of a person, handles or comes near it, with the aim of incapacitating, wounding, or killing a person or more people.

It is a mine designed to detonate in the presence of a tank or another armored fighting vehicle, touches or comes near it, with the aim of destroying or immobilizing the vehicle.

It is an unexploded ordnance failed to execute its intended aim, although it was processed, fused, set or not set, prepared to be activated or activated.

Refers to the collection and analysis of data, using appropriate technical interventions, about the presence, type, distribution and surrounding environment of mine and unexploded ordnance contamination. In order to define better where mine/ERW contamination is present, and where it is not, and to support land release prioritization and decision making processes through the provision of evidence.

It refers to an area where the presence of a mine or unexploded ordnance contamination has been confirmed on the basis of direct evidence of the presence of a mine or unexploded ordnance.