A non-government information center on Turkey
Un centre d'information non-gouvernemental sur la Turquie
 

28th Year / 28e Année
 

53 rue de Pavie - 1000 Bruxelles
Tél: (32-2) 215 35 76 - Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60
editor@info-turk.be
Chief Editor /Rédacteur en chef: Dogan Özgüden - Responsible editor/Editrice responsable: Inci Tugsavul
 
 

Avril 2004 April

N° 308
 

Le "non" des Grecs 75,83%,
le "oui" des Turcs 64,91%
Chypre restera divisée

Toutes les informations du mois
All informations of the month

 

O Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights O Mentality is Important, not Annulling DGMs"  Association may be Closed before it Opens  Judicial scandal: Imprisoned 1 year due to name similarity AI's campaign: ill-treatment of student demonstrators Anzac Day: 89e anniversaire sous surveillance policière Manifestation d'étudiants à Istanbul: une centaine d'interpellations Importantes mesures de sécurité pour l'Anzac Day en Turquie Remise en liberté de 3 Italiens appréhendés dans une opération "antiterroriste" Reforms in Turkey: "Sword of Damocles" still hangs on freedoms Human Rights Defender Tortured in Turkey La Turquie condamnée à Strasbourg pour des gardes à vue trop longues La Turquie condamnée pour défaut d'enquête après la mort d'un Kurde Deux militants de gauche inculpés à Istanbul TIHV Chairman Onen: EU is Narrowing the Torture Definition Manifestation grecque pour la libération d'un militant turc recherché par Berlin Consensus On "Fighting Against Terrorism" between Turkey and Morocco La Turquie condamnée encore deux fois par la Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme 22 inculpations contre des militants d'organisations illégales en Turquie The Euopean Union added New Names To Its List Of "Terrorist Organizations" Des syndicats grecs demandent la libération d'un militant turc recherché par Berlin Un détenu turc de Guantanamo rentré après deux ans, relâché par la police Plus de 60 arrestations en Europe dans l'opération anti-DHKP/C TIHV's informations on the operations in Istanbul Terror alert by Australia and NZealand for ANZAC anniversary in Turkey Recent human rights violations in brief  O Pression sur les médias / Pressure on the MediaO Acquittal of the Article about Mehmed's Book  Two journalists indicted in Turkey Ultra-nationalist and militarist brainwashing in Turkish education Journalist Convicted, Newspaper Closed for three days A Journalist to Prison for "Ataturk" Article Journalists on Trial in Turkey RTÜK banned two TV broadcastings RTUK Closed Down, Court Opens the Gunes TV Court Hands Fine to Internet Hosting Co., not Writer A book on "sex revolts" confiscated in Istanbul Journalists on Trial in Elazig Turkish Journalists complain about boss pressure Un présentateur de la TV turque condamné pour propos anti-chrétiens IPA and PEN: "Freedom of Expression at stake in Turkey" New draft law envisages censorship on the press ART-TV broadcast banned for "separatist propaganda" Members of a Music Group on Trial in Diyarbakir Publishers and Translators on Trial in Istanbul Journalists on Trial at Izmir SSC O Kurdish Question / Question kurde O Nine Turkish soldiers died in clashes with the Kurdish HPG Abdullah Ocalan's health suffers from solitary confinement Deux soldats turcs blessés lors d'une attaque, dans une région jusque-là épargnée Salary rolls of hitmen belonging to the Turkish state revealed Kurdish Human Rights Projectπs Annual Report released Six injured in clash with Kurdish militants in southeastern Turkey "Profonde déception" de l'UE après la condamnation d'ex-députés kurdes Un député turc saisit la justice après les propos d'un collègue européen! Le Conseil de l'Europe réclame la libération de Leyla Zana Les socialistes français s'élèvent contre le verdict visant Leyla Zana Quatre députés kurdes à nouveau condamnés à 15 ans par la justice turque Four Kurdish deputies sentenced again to 15 years by the Turkish justice Réaction au parlement européen à la condamnation de Leyla Zana La Commission européenne "déplore avec vigueur" la condamnation Un député européen qualifie "honteux" le nouveau verdict AI: "Injustice continues in Turkey despite welcome reforms" The FIDH expresses dismay at the conviction of four former Kurdish deputies Un collectif pour les droits de l'homme demande la libération de Leyla Zana DEHAP executive detained in Diyarbakir La guérilla kurde déclare avoir tué 10 militaires turcs et sept supplétifs kurdes IHD appeals to EU for KONGRA-GEL Leyla Zana's letter to Western leaders on the decision against Kongra-Gel Lawsuit Filed Against Ocalan's Lawyer DEHAP Leader Bakirhan Defends His Party at the Constitutional Court Turkish military operations started against Kurdish guerrilla in Sirnak Much remains to be done to find solutions for displaced Kurds Le KONGRA-GEL proteste contre son inscription sur la liste terroriste de l'UE Affrontements entre les Kurdes et la police en Turquie: 20 blessés et 10 arrestations Quatre députés kurdes restent encore dans la prison en Turquie The FIDH concerned at climate after local elections in the South East O Minorités / MinoritiesO Crise ecclésiale entre Athènes et Constantinople Des milliers d'Arméniens commémorent le génocide de 1915 Reconnaissance du génocide arménien: Ankara convoque l'ambassadeur du Canada Le Canada a reconnu le génocide arménien An Armenian Genocide Monument Erected In Poland L'article d'Yves Ternon: Ankara et le génocide arménien La Turquie n'envisage pas de rouvrir sa frontière avec l'Arménie (Gul) L'évaluation arménienne de la résolution du PE sur la Turquie O Affaires religieuses / Religious AffairsO Turquie: prêche consacré à Jésus après la sortie de "La Passion du Christ" Les "démocrates du monde islamique" refusent l'imposition d'un modèle importé Quatre nouvelles inculpations dans l'attentat contre une loge maçonnique O Socio-économique / Socio-economicO Not "Honor" but "Disobedience" Crimes Preparations to remove six zeros from Turkish currency "Crime d'honneur" à Istanbul: une jeune fille violée est tuée par son père Turkey Ranks The 7th In The League Of The Most Indebted Countries European Social Forum Takes Off in Istanbul European Social Forum Prepares in Istanbul "No News about Honor Crimes or Corruption" Women Protect Telya Zaman's Body in Antalya O Relations turco-européennes / Turkey-Europe RelationsO HRW: Turkey's bans on assembly undermine EU bid Chirac: entrée de la Turquie dans l'UE "souhaitable" mais conditions pas réunies  Bruxelles ne se laissera pas "influencer" dans son jugement sur la Turquie Le "bing bang" du 1er mai et la question de l'adhésion de la Turquie L'APCE reporte une débat sur la Turquie dans l'attente de nouvelles réformes Les Danois favorables à une UE élargie, mais sans la Turquie et l'Albanie Les Pays-Bas: "Nicolaï critique le chantage turc" L'Europe élargie, oui, mais pas à la Turquie, selon un sondage Trois Autrichiens sur quatre hostiles à la Turquie dans l'UE (sondage) Le Parlement européen réclame une amnistie pour tous les "délits d'opinion" Le Parlement européen et les cours de sûreté de l'Etat de Turquie La Turquie dans l'UE: débat en France avant les européennes Les réponses de Michel Barnier sur l'adhésion de la Turquie à l'Union européenne Deux politiciens français eurosceptiques, contre l'entrée de la Turquie dans l'UE L'adhésion de la Turquie objet d'un débat électoraliste en France Turquie dans l'UE: Le dialogue se poursuit mais pas d'entrée "demain" (Barnier) Turquie: "La position de la France reste inchangée" (présidence) Confusion dans les Etats de l'UE sur l'adhésion de la Turquie L'opposition du parti de Chirac à l'adhésion turque: "douche froide" pour Ankara Turquie/France: Désunion à droite; flou chez les socialistes Zaman: French Left Seeks Armenian Condition Le parti de Chirac part en campagne contre l'entrée de la Turquie dans l'UE L'extrême-droite danoise lance sa campagne contre la Turquie dans l'UE Turkey to Prepare an E.U. Compatible Immigration Law Le Parlement européen demande à la Turquie d'élaborer une nouvelle constitution Le Parlement européen exhorte à la vigilance à l'égard de la Turquie Les eurodéputés français de l'UMP hostiles à l'adhésion de la Turquie à l'UE O Turquie-USA-Irak / Turkey-USA-IraqO NYT Columnist Safire Recommends Turkish Troops for Iraq Will the US Army Attack the Kurdish Guerrillas of Turkey in Iraq? Powell Calls Turkey "Islamic Republic" like Pakistan O Relations régionales / Regional RelationsO Différend gazier: l'Iran menace d'un recours devant une cour internationale Ankara condamne "l'assassinat illégal" du leader du Hamas Nagorny Karabakh : Ankara pour une approche "pas à pas" O Chypre et la Grèce / Cyprus and GreeceO Compensations cases by Cypriot Greeks to Cause Head Ache for Turkey La fête européenne des Grecs et l'amertume des Turcs à Chypre Le Conseil de l'Europe rejected the representation Turkish Cypriot MPs No satisfactory response from Russia on Cyprus issue  Colin Powell va rencontrer le Premier ministre chypriote turc Talat: Withdrawal Of Turkish Soldiers From Cyprus Is Not On Agenda L'UE étend et libéralise l'écoulement des produits du nord de Chypre Le plan Annan reste toujours d'actualité pour Athènes et Nicosie Verheugen: Turkish Military to Remain in Cyprus Quarrel of power in Turkish Cypriot Community mounts L'impasse à l'UE: 35.000 soldats turcs resteront-ils à Chypre? National Security Council ordered a new campaign for KKTC Après le référendum, la question de Chypre devenue encore plus compliquée Le "non" des Chypriotes grecs confirme la division de l'île (presse turque) Le "non" des Grecs 75,83%, le "oui" des Turcs 64,91% - Chypre restera divisée Ankara déplore la non-réunification, réclame la fin de l'embargo Référendum aujourd'hui: Chypre divisée sur la réunification Le plan pour la réunification de Chypre promis à l'échec Sort incertain pour un drapeau chypriote-turc géant à flanc de montagne Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Cyprus Erdogan et Caramanlis campent sur leurs positions au sujet de Chypre Provocation: Ecevit qualifie les Chypriotes-grecs d'"extrémistes et de racistes" Echec de la proposition britannique sur Chypre devant le Conseil de Sécurité Unification of Cyprus Divides Turkey Manifestation communiste à Athènes contre le plan Annan pour Chypre Référendum à Chypre: le "non" faiblit au sud, le "oui" progresse au nord Turkish Celebrities who are KKTC Citizen Denktash plaide pour un "non" au plan Annan devant le parlement turc Sezer: MGK Decisions Over Cyprus Were Exceeded La Turquie opposée à un report du référendum à Chypre L'armée turque s'abstient de se prononcer pour ou contre le plan de Annan Les Chypriotes divisés sur le plan de l'Onu pour la réunification Ankara Says North Cyprus Should Be Recognized Le président chypriote-grec appelle à voter "non" lors du référendum Un évêque grec orthodoxe jette l'anathème contre les USA et l'UE Powell téléphone à ses homologues grec et turc; Ankara soutient le référendum Chypre: Erdogan évoque le "risque" d'un rejet des exigences turques par l'UE Les militaires turcs évoquent des carences dans le plan de l'Onu sur Chypre Denktash compare la situation future de Chypre au Kosovo et la Palestine Gul veut une reconnaissance de la KKTC en cas d'un "non" des chypriotes grecs Turkish and Greek poets of Cyprus: "Yes, What a Joyful Word!" Une forte majorité des Chypriotes grecs contre le plan Annan Plus de 5.000 Chypriotes Grecs manifestent contre la plan de l'ONU Denktash répète son opposition au plan de l'Onu et appelle à voter contre Karamanlis: Le plan con tient des "aspects positifs" et des "points difficiles" Greek Cypriot leader Papadopulos signals "no" to Annan plan Chypre: Discordance entre Ankara et Denktash; réactions de la partie grecque O Immigration / MigrationO Les pratiques illégales dans les élections régionales à Bruxelles Une jeune Turque torturée pour avoir refusé de porter le voile Protestation à Bruxelles contre les opérations répressive "La police "anti-terroriste" belge découvre un important arsenal de ...stylos et de claviers!" L'Europe satisfait la demande d'opérations policières d'Ankara contre le DHKP-C

Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights

Mentality is Important, not Annulling DGMs"

The constitutional amendments toward annulling DGMs do not give hope to jurists. CHD head Sensoy said, "everything will stay the same as long as laws stay the same." According to Baskan from the Istanbul Bar, "republic is under threat."

Jurists spoke to bianet about annulling the State Security Courts (DGM) in Turkey, as it appears in the proposed constitutional amendments by the Justice and Development Party government.

The government has sent its proposals to the parliament. The jurists doubt that the current implementation will change in any positive way.

Under the draft prepared by the government, as part of efforts to comply with the Copenhagen criteria, ten articles of the Constitution would be amended. According to these amendments, the DGMs in Turkey would be transformed into "specialty courts".

In addition, provisions about death sentence in four articles would be eliminated, sexual equality would be ensured and military expenses would go under the control of the government accounting bureau. The amendments also end the requirement that a representative from the General Staff is present at the Higher Election Board (YOK).

Article 143 of the Constitution, which regulates the establishment and operation of the State Security Courts, would be annulled under the draft, with the aim of transforming DGMs into "specialty courts," which are second-degree appeals courts, under European norms.

CHD head Sensoy: "Police and practicality of jurisdiction is the important thing."

Suleyman Sensoy, head of the Contemporary Jurists Association (CGD), said the Supreme Appeals Court's doctrines, based on DGM decisions, would continue to be present and strong even after the DGMs are annulled.

"We don't believe there will be any change in implementation," said Sensoy.

According to Sensoy, "the decisions taken by courts and appeals courts up to today will play the important role in the future too. The important thing is the implementations of police and jurisdiction."

* "The DGMs should be annulled with a new approach. Transforming such institutions need to take place together with transforming the training and views of judges and prosecutors."

Serap Baskan from the Istanbul Bar: "Freedom of expression cannot be abstract"

Serap Baskan, member of the media tracing table at the Istanbul Bar, said the legal and constitutional amendments to ensure "freedom of expression," may find meaning in "defending the Republic." According to Baskan, amendments that do not comply with this may become "weapons of enmity toward the republic."

Baskan, who said the notion of "freedom of expression," is not an abstract notion like all social values, believes that "freedom of expression, may only take on a real meaning if it is evaluated within the cultural dimensions of the society." (Erol ONDEROGLU, BIA News Center, April 30, 2004)

Association may be Closed before it Opens

Izmir - The Izmir Governorship has demanded that the Human Rights Agenda Association, set up in December 2003, is closed down.

Lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz, who set up the association with seven other friends, wrote a letter to Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and talked about the obstacles the association faced since the day it was established.

"Even if there are certain faults requiring that the association is closed down, asking that it is completely dissolved is like attacking a mosquito with a tank," Cengiz wrote in his letter.

The Human Rights Agenda Association has not even begun operating yet. Changes were required in twenty-two articles of the standing rules of the association in the four months after its establishment.

Even after the changes were made, there was a demand to close down the association because three of the changes were not made within the legal period. The amount of fees was among articles that were required to be changed.

Lawyer Cengiz said they had applied to an Izmir court to have the demand rejected. In his letter to Erdogan, Cengiz also said that the administration was not only interfering in the content but also in the operation of the association. (BIA News Center, April 29, 2004)

Judicial scandal: Imprisoned 1 year due to name similarity

In Van, a citizen named Mehmet Selim Yilmaz was imprisoned for one year on ground of the testimony he was forced to undersign due to name similarity. Yilmaz was kept at Bitlis E Type Closed Prison and released at the end of one year as the real suspect with the same name was found. Van 1st DGM (State Security Court) which sentenced Yilmaz to imprisonment, released him on probation instead of acquittal though he proved innocent. Yilmaz filed an application to ECHR requesting 168.000 € compensation for the wrongful imprisonment ruling.

Mehmet Selim Yilmaz was put under arrest February 8, 2000 while he was working at TEDAS Van Directory. Yilmaz was kept under detention for 9 days at Van Police Office and later sentenced and sent to Bitlis E Type Prison on ground of being a "Hizbullah member" according to the 168th article of Turkish Penal Law (TCK). While he was in prison, it was revealed that the real suspect wasn't him but a person with the same name from Cinar district of Diyarbakir. As the real ID information of the real suspect arrested "in Istanbul was faxed to Van, the wronged party was released on probation and his trial was decided to continue.
Court overlooks the wrongful act

The trials following his release on probation came to an end on August 22, 2002. In the grounded ruling, the court overlooked the ID information fax sent by Police Office, included Yilmaz's case within the scope of 169th article of TCK and rule his being trialed according to the 4616 numbered law of probational release.Following is the August 22, 2002 dated grounded ruling of Van 1st DGM:

"However a public prosecution was filed against him on ground of being a member of Hizbullah terrorist organization in 1999-2000, no acts indicating his membership were proved and therefore the final judgement was decided to be postponed according to the 4th paragraph of 1st article of 4616 number law".

Yilmaz claimed that he was tortured and forced to sign the testimony while he was detained at Van Police Office. Pointing to the fact that he served a wrongful imprisonment sentence of one year, Yilmaz filed a compensation lawsuit of 168.000 € against Turkey at ECHR, via his lawyers Dincel Aslan and Zeki Yuksel.

Interpreting Yilmaz's case a scandal, his lawyer Yuksel pointed that the court overlooked the ID information revealing the real suspect faxed to themselves by Istanbul Police Office and went on with the judging.

On the other hand, the other lawyer Zeki Yuksel said, "My client was judged according to the 168th article. Later he was proved innocent but his lawsuit was converted to the 169th article instead of acquittal, based on just assumptions. And the Court of Appeal verified the ruling which is a chain of scandals".(DozaMe-DIHA, April 29, 2004)

AI's campaign: ill-treatment of student demonstrators

On 12 April 2004 a group of students gathered in Ankara in order to protest against NATO and against YÖK - the institution that controls higher education in Turkey.  Although the demonstration did not have permission, the behaviour of the students, mostly from the local universities of Gazi, ODTÜ and Hacettepe, was reportedly peaceful.  However, riot police officers reportedly dispersed the protestors - some of whom were under the age of 18 - with disproportionate force, including by punching and kicking them, and detained 71 students.

The detained students were taken to Ankara Police Headquarters where their ill-treatment reportedly continued. While in detention they were reportedly punched, kicked, threatened and sworn at and were not given water or access to the toilet.

The next day the students were taken to a courthouse in Ankara and brought before a prosecutor and charged.  The students were reportedly subjected to ill-treatment while waiting at the courthouse by riot police. The students were again reportedly beaten - including with a walkie-talkie - insulted and threatened throughout the day in front of many witnesses including their parents and family members. Photographers outside the court were able to document the injuries that some of the students had sustained during the beatings such as severe bruising and skin lacerations.

Students' and their lawyers' complaints about the ill-treatment to the judge presiding over their case in the Ankara Court of First Instance No. 2 were reportedly ignored on the request of the prosecutor. International standards state that, if there is any sign of torture or ill-treatment, the judge should enquire into it without delay, even if the prisoner has not volunteered any statement.  If the enquiry, or the prisoner's own statement, gives reason to believe that torture or ill-treatment was committed, the judge has an obligation to initiate an investigation and take effective steps to protect the prisoner against any further ill-treatment.

Instead, 51 of the students were charged with violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations and were released. A few days later 24 of the students lodged complaints about the ill-treatment and the prosecutor has opened an investigation into their complaints.

In late 2003 and early 2004 protests by university students against YÖK took place in several cities in Turkey and violent scenes broke out between demonstrators and police.  Lawyers of the victims in the incident above allege that members of the riot police had ill-treated the students in revenge for this.

Background:

Recent reforms in Turkey have resulted in far fewer reports of the use of torture methods such as electric shocks, falaka (beatings on the soles of the feet) and suspension by the arms.  However, regular reports continue of detainees being beaten, stripped naked, sexually harassed and denied adequate sleep, food, drink and use of the toilet.

Law enforcement officials in Turkey rarely demonstrate the skills required to deal with the policing of demonstrations and public meetings, many of which are unlawful but peaceful. Furthermore, police regularly use disproportionate force against demonstrators, severely beating them, singling them out and chasing them and continuing to kick and beat them even as they lie on the ground or after apprehension. Law enforcement officers are very rarely investigated for ill-treatment of demonstrators.

The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials state:  "Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law", and "Exceptional circumstances such as internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked to justify any departure from these basic principles." (AI Index: EUR 44/016/2004)

Anzac Day: 89e anniversaire sous surveillance policière

Les commémorations marquant le 89e anniversaire de la sanglante bataille des Dardanelles, en Turquie, se sont déroulées dimanche matin dans le calme et la ferveur, sous très haute surveillance policière, a rapporté l'agence Anatolie.

Quelque 3.000 Australiens et Néo-zélandais, contre plus de 10.000 les années précédentes, ont assisté cette année aux cérémonies marquant le débarquement des troupes australiennes et néo-zélandaises (ANZAC) à Gallipoli pendant la première guerre mondiale, selon l'agence.

Les autorités australiennes et néo-zélandaises avaient recommandé à leurs citoyens de ne pas se rendre en Turquie après les attentats à la bombe de novembre dernier à Istanbul contre des intérêts britanniques et israéliens ayant fait une soixantaine de morts, dont une Australienne d'origine turque.

Le moment fort des commémorations était la "prière de l'aube", à 05h30 locales (02h30 GMT), l'heure du débarquement allié, le 25 avril 1915.

Un sermon a été lu par un prêtre à la mémoire des soldats tombés lors de violents combats.

"Tous les soldats qui sont morts ici se sont sacrifiés pour les libertés si précieuses dont nous jouissons depuis des générations", a notamment dit le ministre australien de la Défense Robert Murray Hill qui a participé aux cérémonies.

La ministre néo-zélandaise de la Culture, des Arts et du Patrimoine Judith Tizard a pour sa part fait l'éloge de la "sagesse de la guerre" qui a noué une amitié entre les gouvernements et les peuples qui ont pris part aux combats, selon Anatolie.

Des fouilles très strictes ont été organisées par la police avant le commencement des cérémonies officielles et les personnes qui ne disposaient pas d'accréditations se sont vu refuser l'entrée dans le site situé sur une péninsule dans le nord-ouest de la Turquie.

De nombreux policiers et des gendarmes ont été à pied d'oeuvre.

Quelque 35.000 soldats britanniques, australiens, néo-zélandais, indiens et français ont été tués pendant les huit mois qu'a duré la bataille de Gallipoli qui s'est soldée par un échec des forces alliées. L'empire ottoman a perdu près de 87.000 hommes dans la bataille. (AFP, 25 avril 2004)

Manifestation d'étudiants à Istanbul: une centaine d'interpellations

Une centaine de manifestants, pour la plupart des étudiants, ont été interpellés par la police lorsqu'ils voulaient manifester à Istanbul samedi contre le Conseil de l'enseignement supérieur (YOK), institution controversée qui soumet les universités à un contrôle strict, selon les médias.

Les manifestants rassemblés sur la place Taksim, en plein centre de la partie européenne de la métropole, ont voulu défiler sur la rue piétonne d'Istiklal avant d'en être violemment empêchés par la police anti-émeutes qui a fait usage de matraques et de gaz lacrymogènes, selon des images diffusées par la chaîne d'information NTV.

L'ensemble des manifestants ont été interpellés après une brève altercation avec les forces de l'ordre pour être interrogés dans un commissariat proche, précise l'agence Anatolie.

Avant la création du YOK après le coup d'Etat militaire de 1980, les universités avaient un statut autonome. Elles furent souvent le théâtre d'affrontements sanglants entre étudiants de gauche et de droite, l'une des raisons invoquées par l'armée pour justifier son putsch.

Cette institution est sous le feu du gouvernement du Parti de la Justice et du Développement au pouvoir (AKP, aux origines islamistes) qui veut réduire les prérogatives du YOK et l'encadrement académique, qui redoute une attaque contre le système laïque. (AFP, 24 avril 2004)

Importantes mesures de sécurité pour l'Anzac Day en Turquie

Des mesures de sécurités draconiennes ont été prises à l'occasion des commémorations qui doivent marquer dimanche le 89e anniversaire de la sanglante bataille des Dardanelles (nord-ouest de la Turquie), rapporte samedi l'agence Anatolie, citant les autorités locales.

Des fouilles très strictes seront organisées par la police avant le commencement des cérémonies officielles et les personnes qui n'auront pas d'accréditations ne pourront entrer dans le site situé sur une péninsule, précise l'agence.

De nombreux policiers et des gendarmes sont à pied d'oeuvre pour le bon déroulement des commémorations, souligne l'agence.

Les autorités australiennes et néo-zélandaises avaient recommandé à leurs citoyens de ne pas se rendre en Turquie après les attentats à la bombe de novembre dernier à Istanbul contre des intérêts britanniques et israéliens ayant fait une soixantaine de morts, dont une Australienne d'origine turque.

Plusieurs milliers d'Australiens et de Néo-zélandais participent massivement chaque année aux commémorations marquant le débarquement des troupes australiennes et néo-zélandaises (ANZAC) à Gallipoli pendant la première guerre mondiale.

Une "prière de l'aube" traditionelle doit se dérouler à 05h30 locales (02h30 GMT) sur les hauteurs enserrant "Anzac bay", à l'heure du débarquement allié le 25 avril 1915.

Le ministre australien de la Défense Robert Murray Hill et la ministre néo-zélandaise de la Culture, des Arts et du Patrimoine Judith Tizard doivent prendre part aux commémorations à Gallipoli.

Quelque 35.000 soldats britanniques, australiens, néo-zélandais, indiens et français ont été tués pendant les huit mois qu'a duré la bataille de Gallipoli qui s'est soldée par un échec des forces alliées. L'empire ottoman a perdu près de 87.000 hommes dans la bataille. (AFP, 24 avril 2004)

Remise en liberté de 3 Italiens appréhendés dans une opération "antiterroriste"

Trois militants d'extrême gauche italiens appréhendés il y a trois semaines dans le cadre d'un coup de filet international contre l'organisation révolutionnaire turque DHKP-C ont obtenu leur remise en liberté samedi par un tribunal de Pérouse (centre), a-t-on appris de source judiciaire.

Poursuivis pour terrorisme international, Maria Grazia Ardizzone, Alessia Monteverdi et Moreno Pasquinelli, devaient quitter samedi dans la journée la prison romaine de Rebibbia, où ils étaient incarcérés depuis le 1er avril, ont précisé leurs avocats.

Les motifs de leur remise en liberté seront rendues publics dans cinq jours, conformément à la législation.

Moreno Pasquinelli est le leader d'un groupe d'extrême gauche italien connu le sous nom de Camp des anti-impéralistes, qui s'est signalé notamment par son son "appui concret apporté à la résistance irakienne", selon leurs propres termes.

"C'est une action politique de représaille pour le soutien apporté par le Camp à la résistance irakienne. Nous ne nous ferons pas intimider, nous lutterons à fond pour la libération de nos compagnons et nous poursuivrons le travail sur l'Irak et le soutien au Front de libération national irakien en cours de création", avait affirmé des militants lors une conférence de presse au lendemain des arrestations.

Le recours déposé par les défenseurs de deux ressortissants turcs, arrêtés au même moment a en revanche été rejeté par le tribunal de réexamen de Pérouse.

Er Avni, 33 ans, considéré comme le chef de l'organisation turque du Parti-Front de libération du peuple révolutionnaire (DHKP-C) et sa compagne Kilic Zeynep, restent en détention. (AFP, 24 avril 2004)

Reforms in Turkey: "Sword of Damocles" still hangs on freedoms

In April 2004, at the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, International PEN, the world association of writers, welcomed legislative and constitutional changes in Turkey that have led to the easing of the constraints against writers who focus on controversial themes, specifically criticism of state bodies and officials, and on Kurdish issues.

The organization is pleased to report that today, a year later, there are no writers in prison in Turkey specifically for what they have written. However there remains the persistent problem of continuing trials faced by publishers of books that fall foul of laws that continue to be applied against publications, leading to the confiscation of books and banning.

The main laws used to prosecute publishers are Articles 159, 312 and 426 of the Turkish Penal Code (TPC) as well as the Articles 7 and 8 of the Anti-Terror Law (the latter article was repealed in 2003). These are applied specifically to books that are considered to have contained elements of "obscenity" (Article 426), "incitement of people to enmity and hatred" (Article 312), "insulting or ridiculing Turkish national identity, the Republic, the Parliament, the Government, State Ministers, the military or security forces of the State, or the Judiciary" (Article 159). (See Appendix I for the full text of these articles, including the most recent amendments)

International PEN, alongside the International Publisher's Association, is monitoring the trials against more than 40 such books and publications that have been brought to the courts during the past year. The usual outcome of these trials is fines, which are in some cases heavy. If the fines are not paid, the publishers can be prosecuted further and can eventually be imprisoned. In a considerable number of cases, the trials end with acquittal. However, PEN believes that whatever the outcome of these trials, the very fact that the publishers have been subjected to a series of long, time-consuming and expensive court hearings is in itself a form of harassment and punishment for daring to produce works which touch on sensitive issues. The financial, time and emotional cost of the hearings to the defendants is such as to act as a deterrent against future publications.

"Harmonisation Law Packages"

Turkish Government has enacted seven "Harmonisation Law Packages" since 2002 (Three in February, March and August 2002 and four more in January, February, July and August 2003) aimed at bringing its legislative system to a compliant level with the European Union norms. The introduction of these reform laws led to a number of amendments in various areas of law, including the Turkish Penal Code and other punitive laws that hade been posing a serious threat to freedom of expression and publication.

The significant amendments in the aforementioned laws are as follows:

Article 159 of the Turkish Penal Code:

Following the introduction of the First Harmonisation Law (Law No 4744), which came into force on 06 February 2002, the minimum prison sentence for the violation of Article 159 of the TPC was reduced from "one to six years of heavy imprisonment" to "one to three years of imprisonment".

The Third Harmonisation Law (Law No 4771), which came into force on 03 March 2002, amended Article 159 again and the expression of thoughts was not considered as punishable actions as long as "the sole intention is criticism." The Seventh Harmonisation Law (Law No 4963), which came into force on 07 August 2003, made further amendments and the minimum prison sentence for the violation of Article 159 was reduced from "one to three years of imprisonment" to "six months of imprisonment."

Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code:

The First Harmonisation Law abolished the imposition of heavy fines, stating that the actions which were considered to have amounted to the violation of the Article 312 in its earlier version would be considered so only if the offence of "incitement" was committed "in a way that would pose a danger against the public order."

Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code:

The only amendment to this article was made following the Seventh Harmonisation Law. A new clause of exemption was added to the definition of the offence of "issuing obscene publications", making exempt from this definition "works of scientific, artistic and literary nature""

Articles 7 and 8 of the Anti-Terror Law:

The First Harmonisation Law amended the earlier version of the Article 7 of the Anti-Terror Law so that, in order to punish the person(s) who were considered to have committed the offence of "making propaganda for the terrorist organization", the person(s) should have "advocated the use of methods of terror."

The heavy fines were also increased tenfold, from "50 million to 100 million liras" to "500 million to 1 billion liras." The Seventh Harmonisation Law further amended this article, by adding the word "violence" into the definition of the breach of Article 7: if person(s) "advocated the use of violence and other methods of terror."

The First Harmonisation Law initially reduced the length of the ban of broadcast media under Article 8 from "1 to 15 days" to "1 to 7 days." Article 8 was subsequently completely repealed by the Sixth Harmonisation Law (Law No 4928), which came into force on 15 July 2003.

Freedom of Expression after the Harmonisation Laws

Despite the introduction of the Harmonisation Laws in the past two years, neither the banning of books and periodicals or the prosecution of journalists, writers and publishers had been halted.

The Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD) recorded the number of banned and confiscated publications as 104 throughout 2002 and 102 in 2003. PEN has on its records over 60 writers, publishers, broadcasters and journalists whose works were banned and who were put on trial from January 2003 onwards.

At least four of them have received heavy fines, including publishers Omer Faruk of Ayrinti Publishers (4.2 billion liras), Bedri Baykam of Piramit Publishers (8.5 billion liras), and Nihat Tuna of Iletisim Publishers (3.3 billion liras).1A least 33 books have been banned and copies of the vast majority of them were already confiscated before the commencement of the court proceedings. Publishers who receive enormous fines and who cannot cope face several threatening situations if they do not or cannot pay the fines: risk of bankruptcy, risk of seizure of their assets by bailiffs, and risk of further prosecution for the failure to pay, with the threat of imprisonment.

PEN continues to observe that writers and publishers in Turkey are still not able to enjoy the exercise of their right to freedom of expression under the legislative changes. Although an additional clause in Article 426 of the TPC states that "the works of scientific, artistic and literary nature are exempt" from being defined as "obscene publications", publisher Omer Faruk of Ayrinti Publishers and translator Funda Uncu Irkli are still on trial for the Turkish translation of Chuck Plachniuk's book Choke. Similarly, publisher Semih Sokmen of Metis Publishers and Filiz Bingolce , author of an academic dictionary entitled Dictionary of Women's Slang, have been on trial under Article 426.

Although the current legislation allows the free movement of books, which are not subject to a ban, law enforcement authorities and civil servants in Turkey still use unauthorised powers to put pressure on publishers and printing houses. Senfoni Publishers reports that The Right for Kurdish Language in Turkey and Kurdish Migration, two books by co-authors Koray Duzgoren and Kerim Yildiz, were threatened officials who visited the printing house and tried to intimidate the printers so as to stop the printing of the book.

The exportation of the Turkish translation of Masoud Barzani's book, Barzani and the Kurdish National Freedom Movement, was not allowed by a Turkish customs officer on 7 March 2003 on the grounds of "being harmful", although the book was being sold without any restriction in Turkey. Because of this incident, translator Vahdettin Ince, publisher Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu of Doz Publishers and the manager of the Can printing house Bedri Vatansever were subsequently put on trial under Article 312 of the TPC and it took eight months for them to secure acquittal.

Following the repeal of Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law; Ismail Besikci, author of numerous books on Kurdish issues, and his publisher Unsal Ozturk of Yurt Publishers, applied to the State Security Court in Ankara on 30 July 2003 for a formal appeal for annulment of the court decision on the confiscation of 20 book titles which had been confiscated under Article 8. However, the State Security Courts No.1 & No.2 in Ankara rejected two separate applications in December 2003 and January 2004 almost entirely, lifting the confiscation order only for 5 of the titles (two of them in 2 volumes each) on the grounds that "contents of the confiscated books still carry the elements of crimes defined in Article 312/2 TPC and Article 7 Anti-Terror Law" as well as that "confiscations had already taken place and there was no need for further legal procedure".

Legislative reforms: conflict between the theory and the practice?

Article 144 of the Turkish Constitution states that the "Supervision of judges and public prosecutors with regard to the performance of their duties in accordance with laws, regulations, by-laws and circulars (administrative circulars, in the case of judges), investigation into whether they have committed offences in connection with, or in the course of their duties, whether their behaviour and attitude are in conformity with their status and duties and if necessary, inquiry and investigations concerning them shall be made by judiciary inspectors with the permission of the Ministry of Justice. The Minister of Justice may request the investigation or inquiry to be conducted by a judge or public prosecutor who is senior to the judge or public prosecutor to be investigated."

PEN notes that there are discrepancies between the theory of the legislative changes and their application by the judiciary bodies in Turkey. A recent example of this is the Freedom of Expression (FoX) case.

Since 1996, a campaign challenging the numerous laws that penalise free expression has been running in Turkey, headed by the musician and composer, Sanar Yurdatapan. The campaign centres around the publication of a series of booklets, entitled "Freedom of Thought" containing articles written by intellectuals, human rights and labour activists, lawyers, writers, artists, etc, to which sometimes over 1,000 other activists sign their names as joint publishers (for further information, see Appendix I).

Although a hearing on 29 September 2003 resulted with acquittal, on 27 January 2004 the Üsküdar Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul, started to hear the retrial of Sanar Yurdatapan, Cengiz Bektas, Erdal Öz and owner of the printing house Sadik Dasdögen in connection with the book Freedom of Thought 2000. The hearing was adjourned to 8 April 2004.

PEN considers that further training and supervision of judges and public prosecutors will play a significant role in achieving full compliance with the changes in the legislative system, leading to a situation where writers and publishers would not face prosecution for solely exercising their freedom of expression as safeguarded by the Harmonisation Law packages. This will also help to challenge the impunity that may arise from non-compliant practices.

There is still scepticism in Turkish public opinion about whether there is a genuine commitment towards the implementation of the reforms through legislative changes. Many believe that, although it is a pleasing development to see the legislative changes, the law enforcement authorities, particularly the judiciary, appear not to be willing or are unable to take then on board. As a recent Economist article states:

"Indeed, the panoply of repressive laws is so far-reaching and complex that even the best-informed politicians and lawyers find it hard to identify which laws and articles have been swept away and which could still be invoked. Moreover, much still depends on the regulatory bodies -the broadcasting watchdog, for instance- and the judges and prosecutors who oversee and interpret the supposed rules.

Again and again, liberal-minded Turks inveigh against the enduring "mentality of the state" and the reluctance of the old guard -bureaucratic, judicial and military- to respect individual rights, whatever the law may say. "The culture of impunity [for state organs] and the culture of denial [of past wrongs] is still so strong," sighs a wary western diplomat. Many ordinary Turks think it doesn't matter much what the law-book says: if the generals and judges are determined, they can still always get round it. "It's not the rule of law, it's still the law of the ruler," says another sceptical foreign observer."

(http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1957449)

Turkey has ratified both the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, both of which carry clauses that protect the right to freedom of expression. Through the remaining legislation that penalises those whose only act is to write or publish on controversial issues, and the continuing presence in Turkish courts of writers and publishers, the Turkish government has not yet shown a complete commitment to the principles to which it claims to uphold.

International PEN therefore repeats it call on the Turkish authorities to once again review all legislation that allows for the penalisation of those who write on or publish issues that are not in accord with the views of those in authority. It also calls for the removal from Turkish law all remaining impediments to the practice of the right to freedom of expression.

Appendix - I

Turkey - Facts and Figures in 2003

A - banned/confiscated books:

1. Title: Parti ve Devrim Sehitleri Albumu (Photo-book of the Martyrs of the Party and the Revolution)
Publisher: Umut Publishers
Author: Yildiz Goksu (f) & Tuncay Deniz
Charges/related legislation: "Making propaganda for the TIKKO [Workers' & Peasants' Liberation Army of Turkey]"
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated in January 2003.

2. Title: 100 Sayida Vatan Dizisi - 2 (Vatan in 100 Issues - Vol.2)
Publisher: Anadolu Publishers
Author: Ali O. Kose (editor)
Charges/related legislation: "Making terrorist propaganda in the articles about the hunger strikes [in prisons]". The book was a collection of testimonies and articles on "fasting-to-death" actions in Turkish prisons.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated in January 2003.

3. Title : Kasirga Taburu (The Hurricane Battalion)
Publisher: Aram Publishers
Author: Mehmet Sebatli
Charges/related legislation: "Abetting an illegal organisation by the way of making propaganda"
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

4. Title: Yatak Odasinda Felsefe (Philosophy in the Bedroom)
Publisher: Ayrinti Publishers
Author: Marquis de Sade
Charges/related legislation: Obscenity (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code). It was the first ever translation of this book into Turkish, 207 years after its first publication. Both Omer Faruk (publisher) and Kerim Sadi (translator) were put on trial.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Omer Faruk was considered to be the "actual perpetrator" as Kerim Sadi could not be summonsed and his whereabouts could not be established. Therefore Omer Faruk received a fine of 4 billion 285 million and 744 thousand liras. The Court also ordered for the confiscation and destruction of all copies. Destruction usually takes place either by sending the copies of the book to pulp factories or by incineration.

5. Title: Kina ve Ayna (Henna and Mirror)
Publisher: Si Publishers
Author: Muslum Yucel
Charges/related legislation: The book was confiscated on 28.03.2003 on the grounds of "making propaganda for the terrorist organisation PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party]" in the chapters entitled "PKK'de Olum Kultu" (The Death Cult in the PKK) and "Kendini Vurmak" (Shooting Oneself).
Penalty applied (if case concluded):

6. Title: Kurtlerde Olum ve Intihar (Death and Suicide among Kurds)
Publisher: Si Publishers
Author: Muslum Yucel
Charges/related legislation: "Making propaganda for the terrorist organisation PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party]"
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

7. Title: Ikinci Caddenin Cilgin Yesili (The Crazy Green of the 2nd Street),
Publisher: Piramit Publishers
Author: Erje Ayden
Charges/related legislation: Publisher Bedri Baykam was charged with "publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code) for the book.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): On 11.06.2003 Bedri Baykam received a total fine of 8 billion 571 million and 490 thousand liras (including the fine for another book. See the entry below). The Court also ordered the confiscation and destruction of the book.

8. Title: Hauptbahnhof'tan Bir Trene Bindim (I Took a Train at Hauptbahnhof ["Underground Station" in German])
Publisher: Piramit Publishers
Author: Erje Ayden
Charges/related legislation: Publisher Bedri Baykam was charged with "publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code) for the book.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): On 11.06.2003 Bedri Baykam received a total fine of 8 billion 571 million and 490 thousand liras (including the fine for another book. See the entry above). The Court also ordered for the confiscation and destruction of the book.

9. Title: Tikanma (Choke)
Publisher:
Author: Chuck Palahniuk. Translated by Funda Uncu Irkli (f)
Charges/related legislation: Publisher Omer Faruk and translator Funda Uncu Irkli were charged with "publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code). Trial to commence in April 2004. Copies of the book already confiscated in July 2003.
Penalty applied (if case concluded):

10. Title: Ozgur Insan Savunmasi (Defence of the Free Man)
Publisher: Cetin Publishers
Author: Abdullah Ocalan
Charges/related legislation: "Making propaganda against the indivisibility of the State" (Article 8 of the Law No 3713 on Fighting the Terror).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

11. Title: Iskencede Direnme Savasi (The War of Resistance under Torture)
Publisher: Yediveren Publishers
Author: Remzi Basalak (editor; deceased)
Charges/related legislation: The book was a collection of testimonies by Remzi Basalak about his experience under torture at the police headquarters of the city of Adana. Basalak was allegedly tortured to death there.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

12. Title: Yarinlara Yol Almak (Heading Towards the Future)
Publisher: Aram Publishers
Author: A collective anthology of memoirs
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

13. Title: Bir Tarih Boyle Yapildi - Ates Altinda (A History was Constructed in This Way - Under Fire)
Publisher: Varyos Publishers
Author: Collection of articles
Charges/related legislation: "Making propaganda to incite people towards using violence and terror."
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

14. Title: Tufanda 33 Gun (33 Days Under Deluge)
Publisher: Aram Publishers
Author : Kayhan Adnut
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

15. Title: Komsomol (Komsomol ["Communist Union of Youth" during USSR era])
Publisher: Umut Publishers
Author: Collection of articles
Charges/related legislation: "Making propaganda for the TIKKO [Workers' & Peasants' Liberation Army of Turkey]"
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

16. Title: Cezaevi Direnisleri - 3 : Ulucanlar (Resistance in Prisons - Vol.3 : Ulucanlar [name of a Turkish prison])
Publisher: Haziran Publishers
Author: Collection of articles
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

17. Title: Juliette
Publisher: Civi Yazilari Publishers
Author: Marquis de Sade
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

18. Title: Seriat Istiyoruz (We Want Shariah)
Publisher: Bumerang Publishers
Author: Azize Celik
Charges/related legislation: "Inciting people to enmity and hatred by pointing to class, racial, religious, confessional, or regional differences" (Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

19. Title: 21. Yuzyil Kadin Manifestosu (The Women's Manifesto in 21st Century)
Publisher: Hevi Publishers
Author: Collection of articles
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

20. Title: Kadinin Toplumsal Sozlesmesi (Women's Social Convention)
Publisher: Hevi Publishers
Author: Collection of articles
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

21. Title: Kawa'nin Ezgisi (The Tune of Kawa [Kawa is an ancient folk hero of Kurds])
Publisher: Hevi Publishers
Author: Berjin Hakli
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

22. Title: Hayat Bir Kere Yasanir (You Live [only] Once)
Publisher: Deng Publishers
Author: Nurettin Basut
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

23. Title: Gecmisten Bugune Kurtler (Kurds - From Past to Present Day)
Publisher: Deng Publishers
Author: Kemal Burkay
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

24. Title: Carin (Quatrains)
Publisher: Deng Publishers
Author: Kemal Burkay
Charges/related legislation: The book was a collection of poems in Kurdish.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

25. Title: Divan 3 : Kine Em (Anthology Vol.3 : Who am I?)
Publisher: Deng Publishers
Author: Cigerxwin
Charges/related legislation: The book was published in Kurdish original. Cigerxwin has been considered the most famous classical poet in Kurdish literary history.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

26. Title: Divan 4 : Ronat (Anthology Vol.4 : Enlightenment)
Publisher: Deng Publishers
Author: Cigerxwin
Charges/related legislation: The book was published in Kurdish original. Cigerxwin has been considered the most famous classical poet in Kurdish literary history.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

27. Title: Ararat'taki Esir General (The Captive General in [mount] Ararat)
Publisher: Doz Publishers
Author: Mustafa Balbal
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

28. Title: Porno (Porn)
Publisher: Studyo Imge Publishers
Author: Irvine Welsh
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

29. Title: Olaganustu Uc Kimyasal Ask (Three Tales of Chemical Romance)
Publisher: Studyo Imge Publishers
Author: Irvine Welsh
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

30. Title: Kizgin Sarisin (Angry Blonde)
Publisher: Studyo Imge Publishers
Author: Eminem; translated by Fuat Sesen
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

31. Title: Show (Show)
Pu blisher: Studyo Imge Publishers
Author: Collection of articles by 20 Turkish writers on American rap singer Eminem
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

32. Title: Travesti Pinokyo (Transvestite Pinnocchio)
Publisher: Studyo Imge Publishers
Author : Sibel Torunoglu (f)
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.

33. Title: Eminem: Gercek Slim Shady Hakkinda Kucuk bir Hikaye ve Tum Sarki Sozleri (Eminem: A Short Story on the Real Slim Shady and a Complete List of Lyrics)
Publisher: Studyo Imge Publishers
Author: Sabri Kalic
Charges/related legislation: "Publishing obscene books" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): The book was confiscated.
 

B- Trials and investigations:

34. Title: Goc - Rumlarin Anadolu'dan Mecburi Ayrilisi, 1919-1923 (Migration - The Forced Departure of the Anatolian Greeks from Anatolia, 1919-1923)
Publisher: Iletisim Publishers
Author: Herkul Milas, editor
Charges/related legislation: "Insulting Ataturk [founder of Republic of Turkey]"
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Publisher Nihat Tuna and book's editor Herkul Milas received a fine of 3 billion and 300 million liras each. Both fines suspended.

35. Title: Saklanmaya Calisilan Bir Mesale: Ibrahim Kaypakkaya (Ibrahim Kaypakkaya: A Torch Attempted to be Put Away)
Publisher: Umut Publishers
Author: A collection of articles/memoirs by leading Turkish writers on the life and struggle of Ibrahim Kaypakkaya, leader of a clandestine political organisation in 1970's. Kaypakkaya was tortured to death in 1971.
Charges/related legislation: The contributors of the book as well as the publishers and the printing house staff were summonsed to the DGM [State Security Court] to give evidence to let the court determine whether the offence of "terrorist propaganda" occurred so that they would be formally indicted.
Penalty applied (if case concluded):

36. Title: Barzani ve Kurt Ulusal Ozgurluk Hareketi (Barzani and the Kurdish National Freedom Movement)
Publisher: Doz Publishers
Author: Masud Barzani [leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, currently a member of the Iraqi Governing Council]. Translated by Vahdettin Ince.
Charges/related legislation: The book was the biography of Mustafa Barzani, founder of the KDP in Northern Iraq and it was written by his son Masud Barzani. First its exportation abroad was not allowed on 07.03.2003 by a Turkish Customs officer on the grounds of "being harmful". Translator Vahdettin Ince, publisher Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu and the manager of the Can printing house Bedri Vatansever were put on trial, charged with "inciting people to enmity and hatred by pointing to class, racial, religious, confessional, or regional differences" (Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Istanbul State Security Court acquitted all defendants on 10.11.2003.

37. Title: 12 Eylul Rejimi Yargilaniyor (12th September Regime on Trial)
Publisher: Belge Publishers
Author: Dr Gazi Caglar, editor.
Charges/related legislation: "Inciting people to enmity and hatred by pointing to class, racial, religious, confessional, or regional differences" (Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code). Dr Gazi Caglar (editor of the book) and Ragip Zarakolu (publisher) were both put on trial.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Both of the defendants were acquitted on 03.12.2003. However, the Chief Public Prosecutor filed a formal objection against the acquittal and therefore the Prosecution obtained the right to appeal this decision before the Supreme Court of Appeal any time 6months from the date of acquittal.

38. Title: Kadin Argosu Sozlugu (Dictionary of Women's Slang)
Publisher: Metis Publishers
Author: Filiz Bingolce (f)
Charges/related legislation: "Obscenity" (Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code). Filiz Bingolce and publisher Semih Sokmen were both put on trial.
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Trial continues. Next hearing due on 16.06.2004

39. Title: Ozgurlesmeye Pedagojik Bakis (A Pedagogical Approach to Liberation)
Publisher: Tohum Publishers
Author: A. Dursun Yildiz
Charges/related legislation: In August 2003, publisher Mehmet Ali Varis was charged with "inciting people to enmity and hatred by pointing to class, racial, religious, confessional, or regional differences" (Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded):

40. Title: Turkiye'de Kurtce Hakki (The Right for Kurdish Language in Turkey)
Publisher: Senfoni Publishers
Author: Koray Duzgoren & Kerim Yildiz
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Senfoni Publishers stated that the Turkish authorities tried to put pressure on the printing house not to print this book and expressed their intention to secure the confiscate if it was printed. Senfoni Publishers also stated that the pressure by the authorities came to a halt following the intervention by the lawyers representing the publishers.

41. Title: Kurt Gocu (Kurdish Migration)
Publisher: Senfoni Publishers
Author: Koray Duzgoren & Kerim Yildiz
Charges/related legislation:
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Senfoni Publishers stated that the Turkish authorities tried to put pressure on the printing house not to print this book and expressed their intention to secure the confiscate if it was printed. Senfoni Publishers also stated that the pressure by the authorities came to a halt following the intervention by the lawyers representing the publishers.

42. Title: Delal'a Mektuplar (Letters to Delal)
Publisher: Gun Publishers
Author: Huseyin Elci
Charges/related legislation: Publisher Yasin Teiskin was charged with "inciting people to enmity and hatred by pointing to class, racial, religious, confessional, or regional differences" (Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code).
Penalty applied (if case concluded): Trial commenced in November 2003.

C - Retrials:

The Freedom of Expression (FoX) Case:

Although a hearing on 29 September 2003 resulted with acquittal, on 27 January 2004 the Üsküdar Criminal Court of First Instance, in Istanbul, started to hear the retrial of Mehmet Sanar Yurdatapan, Cengiz Bektas, Erdal Öz and owner of the printing house Sadik Dasdögen in connection with the book "Freedom of Thought 2000. The hearing was adjourned to 8 April 2004.

Background information on The Freedom of Expression (FoX) Case

Since 1996, a campaign challenging the numerous laws that penalise free expression has been running in Turkey, headed by the musician and composer, Sanar Yurdatapan. The campaign centres around the publication of a series of booklets, entitled "Freedom of Expression" containing articles written by intellectuals, human rights and labour activists, lawyers, writers, artists, etc, to which sometimes over 1,000 other activists sign their names as joint publishers.

Turkish legislation demands that such acts be brought to the courts. The complex Turkish legal system means that each booklet - published each year - entails lengthy trial processes. In most cases individual FoX activists brought to the courts are served with short prison terms, fines or acquittal.

Occasionally some have entered prison, most notably the FoX leader, Sanar Yurdatapan. The following is a summary of the present status of the campaign, naming some of those involved, and restricted to those who fall within PEN's mandate of writers and journalists.

In November 2002, Yurdatapan was honoured by Human Rights Watch for his contribution to the promotion of freedom of expression in Turkey. For further information, contact the WiPC office.

FoX 2000: book containing 60 articles in breach of Articles 7 and 8 of the Anti-Terror Law and article 312 of the Penal Code. These are being heard by the State Security Courts. Others are in breach of article 159 of the Penal Code and are being handled by the Heavy Criminal Court. Still others relate to Article 155 only dealt with by the Military Court, and finally others relating to "insulting Ataturk or religions" must be dealt with by the Asliye Ceza criminal courts dealing lesser offences than those handled by the Heavy Criminal Courts. (1) State Security Court hearings under Article 162 of the Turkish Penal Code were held in February 2001, and resulted in acquittals. However, on 18 June 2001, the acquittals of all but one of the 16 accused were reversed. Trial restarted on 19 October 2001. The hearing on 29 September 2003 resulted with acquittal. (2) Uskudar Asliye Ceza court hearings started in February 2001 to hear charges under Article 159 of "insulting the quality of being a Turk, the Republic, Parliament, Government, Ministries, Jurisdiction or the forces of he government related to the military" opened in May 2001. Subsequently acquitted, although the trial was re-opened. Again acquitted on 28 July 2002. (3) Penal Court hearings opened in February 2001 to hear charges of insult to religions which carry up to 6 years in prison. The hearing on 29 September 2003 resulted with acquittal also in this case.

Key figures in the Fox 2000 case:
Yavuz ÖNEN: President of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey
Cengiz BEKTAS: writer, and chair of the Turkish Writers' Union
Mehmet Atilla MARAS: writer, chair of the Turkish Writers' Association
Erdal ÖZ: writer
Etyen MAHÇUPYAN : writer
Sanar YURDATAPAN : composer, leader of FoX

FoX: For All: Booklet published in October 2000, of which 550 copies were presented to members of parliament. Contains statements by dissidents, political activists, human rights activists. Includes one by writer Esber Yagmurdereli. 77,663 people allegedly signed onto the pamphlet as co-publisher. Sixty-five MPs, activists, writers, artists, etc are being prosecuted as publishers of the book. Those relevant to PEN are:

Abdurrahman DILIPAK: journalist and writer
Ayse ÖNAL (f): journalist
Emine SENLIKOGLU (f): writer and journalist (also see below)
Meryem CANAN CEYLAN (f): writer and journalist
Mustafa ISLAMOGLU: writer and journalist
Sabiha ÜNLÜ (f): writer and journalist
Turgut BALABAN: journalist and cartoonist
Sanar YURDATAPAN: composer, leader of FoX

The trial hearings were still in process in 2003. However, the hearing on 29 September 2003 resulted with acquittal.

Freedom of Expression 2001: another pamphlet of "illegal" writings published on 23 January 2002 as a challenge to the judicial system that penalises freedom of expression. Articles by 11 people including Noam Chomsky but only two persons charged: Sanar Yurdatapan and Yilmaz Camlibel . Charges: 1) Article 162 of the Penal Code - distributing materials that count as an offence 2) Article 16/4 of the Press Law - where publishers, translators and writers of "offensive" articles are prosecuted. Two of the 11 are to be prosecuted: Sanar Yurdatapan and Yilmaz Çamlibel. First hearing held 7 October 2002 and still in progress. The hearing on 29 September 2003 resulted with acquittal.

D- Rejected applications

The case of Yurt Publishers:

Following the repeal of Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law; Ismail Besikci, author of numerous books on Kurdish issues, and his publisher Unsal Ozturk of Yurt Publishers, applied to the State Security Court in Ankara on 30 July 2003 and filed a formal appeal for annulment of the court decision on the confiscation of 20 book titles which had been confiscated under Article 8.

However, the State Security Courts No.1 & No.2 in Ankara have rejected two separate applications in December 2003 and January 2004 almost entirely, lifting the confiscation order only for 5 of the titles (two of them in 2 volumes each) on the grounds that "contents of the confiscated books still carry the elements of crimes defined in Article 312/2 TPC and Article 7 Anti-Terror Law" as well as that "confiscations had already taken place and there was no need for further legal procedure". Subsequently, confiscation order was lifted on the following books:

Bilimsel Yöntem, Üniversite Özerkligòi ve Demokratik Toplum Ilkeleri Açisindan Ismail Besikçi Davasi IV- Yargitay'a Basvuru (Besikçi Trial from the Point of View of Scientific Method, Autonomy of the University and the Principles of Democratic Society IV- Appeal to the Court of Cassation), Kürt Toplumu Üzerine (On Kurdish Society, Türk Tarih Tezi, Günes Dil Teorisi ve Kürt Sorunu (Turkish Historical Thesis, Sun-Language Theory and Kurdish Question), Dogòu Anadolu'nun Düzeni-Sosyo-Ekonomik ve Etnik Temeller: 1-2 (The Order of the Eastern Anatolia- Socio-economic and Ethnic Foundations: Vols. 1 & 2), Kürt Toplumu Üzerine, Cumhuriyet Halk Firkasi'nin Tüzügòü (1927) ve Kürt Sorunu (On Kurdish Society, Republican Party Statute (1927) and the Kurdish Question), Bilimsel Yöntem, Üniversite Özerkligòi ve Demokratik Toplum Ilkeleri Açisindan Besikçi Davasi I- Danistay Davalari, Iddianame Esas Hakkindaki Mütalaa (Scientific Method, Autonomy of the University and Trial of Besikci from the Point of View of the Principles of Democratic Society, Vol. I - The Supreme Court Cases, the Indictment and Summing up the Case ), and Bilimsel Yöntem, Üniversite Özerkligòi ve Demokratik Toplum Ilkeleri Açisindan Besikçi Davasi II- Savunma (Scientific Method, Autonomy of the University and Trial of Besikci from the Point of View of the Principles of Democratic Society, Vol. II- Defense).

Application for the annulment of the confiscation order was rejected on the following books, on the grounds that "Contents of the confiscated books still carry the elements of crimes defined in Article 312/2 TPC and Article 7 of the Anti-Terror Law" :

Bilincin Yükselisi (Rise of Consciousness), Bir Aydin Bir Örgüt ve Kürt Sorunu (An Intellectual, An Organization and the Kurdish Question), 12 Eylül Fasizmi ve PKK Direnisi (The September 12th Fascism and PKK Uprising). However, Süreyya Gönül, a member of the board of judges at the Ankara SSC, submitted his dissenting opinion against this court decision and stated that confiscation decisions should be annulled.

Application for the annulment of the confiscation order was rejected on the following books, on the grounds that "confiscations had already taken place and there was no need for further legal procedure":

Bilim Yöntemi (Method of Science), Koca Çinar - Kürt Bilgesi Musa Anter (The Great Plane Tree - Kurdish Wise Man Musa Anter; this book was written by Yasar Kaya, a Kurdish publisher in exile), Kürtlerin Mecburi Iskani (Forced Settlement of Kurds), Ortadogu'da Devlet Terörü (State Terror in the Middle East), Kürt Aydini Üzerine Düsünceler (Reflections on Kurdish Intellectuals), Zihnimizdeki Karakollarin Yikilmasi - Yargilama Süreçleri ve Özgürlesme (Destruction of Police Stations in Our Minds - Trial Processes and Liberation), Bilim-Resmi Ideoloji, Devlet-Demokrasi ve Kürt Sorunu (Science-Official Ideology, State- Democracy and Kurdish Question), Devletlerarasi Sömürge Kürdistan (Kurdistan: An International Colony), UNESCO'ya Mektup (Letter to UNESCO), Baskaldirinin Kosullari (Circumstances of Uprising), Tunceli Kanunu (1935) ve Dersim Jenosidi (Tunceli Law (1935) and Dersim Genocide), and Kürdistan Üzerine Emperyalist Bölüsüm Mücadelesi 1915-1925: I (Imperialist Struggle of Sharing Kurdistan, 1915-1925, Vol.I).

E - Ban on electronic media:

Ankara Penal Court of Peace No. 4 decided to ban access to and filter the "ozgurpolitika.org", the internet site of the newspaper Özgür Politika, and "ekmekveadalet.com", the internet site of the journal Ekmek ve Adalet, on the grounds of "insulting the army", in accordance with the Article 155 of Criminal Procedure Code (CMUK/TCPC).

However, the Article 155 of TCPC doesn't have any provision regarding the closure of a publication or prevention of an access to an internet site. Security directorates reportedly started to implement similar decisions issued by the courts in Ankara and Istanbul.

This list has been compiled from the 2003 reports by PEN International - Writers in Prison Committee (PEN-WIPC), The Publishers Association of Turkey (Turkiye Yayincilar Birligi), Human Rights Association of Turkey (Turkiye Insan Haklari Dernegi - IHD), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (Turkiye Insan Haklari Vakfi - TIHV), and from the database of Mediterranean Resources Network (Mernet).

Appendix - II

Laws in the Turkish legal system relevant to this report:

(The original versions before the amendments made through the harmonisation laws)

Law No 3713 on Fighting the Terror (aka "Anti-Terror Law")

Article 8 - Propaganda against the indivisibility of the State - (Amended: 1995\4126.1)

Written or oral propaganda, along with meetings, demonstrations, and marches that have the goal of destroying the indivisible unity of the state with its territory and nation of the Republic of Turkey cannot be conducted. Those who conduct such activities shall be punished with imprisonment of between one and three years and a heavy fine. If this crime is conducted habitually, imprisonment cannot be converted into a monetary fine.

If the crime of propaganda as determined in the first paragraph is committed by means of periodicals as determined in the third article of the Press Law No. 5860, the owner will also be given a monetary fine of an amount of up to ninety percent of the past month's average sales even if the frequency of the periodical is less than a month. The responsible editor of the periodicals will be subject to one-half of the monetary fine given to the owner as well as imprisonment of between six months and two years.

If the crime of propaganda as determined in the first paragraph is committed by press works or other mass communication instruments outside of the written periodicals in the second paragraph, the responsible editor as well as the owners of the means of mass communication will face imprisonment of between six months and two years and a heavy fine. In addition, if the act is committed by means of radio or television, a broadcast prohibition of from one to fifteen days can be given to the said radio and television stations.

If carried out by means explained in the second paragraph or by methods of mass communication outlined in the third paragraph, the punishment determined in paragraph one will increase from one-third to one-half.

Article 159 of the Turkish Penal Code (Amended: 1961/235):

Those who publicly insult or ridicule Turkish national identity, the Republic, the Parliament, the Government, State Ministers, the military or security forces of the state, or the Judiciary will be punished with a penalty of no less than one year and no more than six years of maximum security imprisonment....

If insulting Turkish national identity is carried out in a foreign country by a Turk the punishment given will be increased from one-third to one-half.

Article 426 of the Turkish Penal Code:

Whoever exhibits obscene books, newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, documents, articles, advertisements, pictures, illustrations, photographs, movie films or other items; or who puts on stage or show these things in theatres, cinemas or other public places, or who knowingly distributes or sells or suffers them, or the photograph records of the same nature, to be distributed or sold, or who in order to make profit or to distribute or exhibit such items, draws, illustrates, carves, manufactures, prints, or reproduces such items, or records them on photograph records, or imports, exports or transports them form one locality to another in Turkey, or suffers the foregoing activities to be performed, or who performs any transaction respecting any of the foregoing objects, or performs any transaction to facilitate the trade thereof, or who, in any manner, makes publicly known the ways of procuring, directly or indirectly, these documents or items, shall be imprisoned for one month to two years and shall be sentenced to pay a heavy fine.

Article 427 of the Turkish Penal Code:

The provisions of foregoing article are applicable also to the writes of obscene books, articles, documents or advertisements and to those who have assumed administrative responsibility for newspapers or magazines containing such writings or pictures.
The documents and objects mentioned in the foregoing and in this article shall be confiscated and destroyed.

Article 428 of the Turkish Penal Code:

Whoever openly sings obscene songs, plays such pornographic records, or sells newspapers, pamphlets and other documents by way of pronouncing words which are against public decency or injurious to a person's or a group of persons' honour and dignity, shall be imprisoned for one to six months and shall be sentenced to pay a fine.

Article 312 Penal Code (Amended: 1981/2370):

One who openly praises an action considered criminal under the law or speaks positively about it or incites people to disobey the law shall be sentenced from six months to two years of imprisonment and to a heavy fine.

One who openly incites people to enmity and hatred by pointing to class, racial, religious, confessional, or regional differences will be punished by imprisonment of between one to three years and a heavy fine. If the incitement is done in such as way that could possibly be dangerous for public security, the punishment given to the perpetrator is increased from one-third to one-half. Penalties given to those who carry out crimes in the paragraphs written above by means outlined in the second paragraph of Article 311 will be increased accordingly.

Amendments made in the above articles following the 7th Harmonisation Law:

(From the EU enlargement progress report on Turkey: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/report_2003/pdf/rr_tk_final.pdf)

Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law ("propaganda against the indivisible unity of the state") was repealed as part of the sixth reform package.

As part of the seventh reform package, the minimum sentence under Article 159 of the Penal Code ("insulting the state and state institutions and threats to the indivisible unity of the Turkish Republic") has been reduced from one year to six months. The amendment confirms the August 2002 revision to the Article, which exempted from punishment the expression of opinions intended only to criticise, and not intended to "insult" and "deride" these institutions.

The seventh package also narrowed the scope of Article 169 of the Penal Code ("aiding and abetting terrorist organisations") by removing the provision sanctioning "actions which facilitated the operation of terrorist organisations in any manner whatsoever". Furthermore, the seventh package strengthens last year's amendments to Article 7 of the Anti-Terror Law which introduced the notion of "propaganda in connection with the (terrorist) organisation in a way that encourages the use of terrorist methods", by replacing "terrorist methods" with "resorting to violence or other terrorist means".

Fines have been increased ten-fold, and the length of prison sentences - which were increased last year - remains at one to five years.

(From the Directorate General of Press, Publication and Information of the Turkish Prime Ministry: http://www.byegm.gov.tr/on-sayfa/uyum/AB-7paket-analiz.htm)

The amendment to Article 159 of the Turkish Penal Code reduces the minimum penalty for those who "openly insult and deride Turkishness, the Republic, the Grand National Assembly, the moral personality of the Government, the Ministries, the military or security forces of the State or the moral personality of the judiciary" from "one year" to "six months". The second amendment to the same article ensures that expressions of thought undertaken solely for the purpose criticism do not incur any penalties.

The amendments to Articles 426 and Article 427 of the Turkish Penal Code excludes scientific and artistic works and works of literary value from the scope of criminal offences related to published or unpublished work that are offensive to morality or by being of a nature that provokes and exploits sexual desires. The term "destroy" is deleted from the text of the article, ensuring that the destruction of these works is no longer to be undertaken as part of the sanctions imposed on offences of this kind.

In order to meet the criteria sought by the European Court of Human Rights in this area, the expression "(incitement to) violence" has been incorporated into the text of Article 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which deals with aiding and abetting terrorist organizations. As such, propaganda that incites to terrorism and other forms of violence continues to be a criminal offence. (Bianet, April 203, 2004)
 

(*) This report was written by Umit Ozturk and Sara Whyatt and launched on 7th April 2004 during the roundtables entitled "Civil and Political rights in Turkey: A general overview with a particular emphasis on Freedom of Expression, the Reform Packages and Implementation Problems" .

The roundtables were co-organised by the International Publishers Association (IPA) and International PEN on the occasion of the 60th Session on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.

Umit Ozturk is the Chief Executive Officer of the regional think-tank Mediterranean Resources Network (http://www.mernet.org).

Sara Whyatt is the Programme Director of the Writers in Prison Committee of the International PEN (http://www.internatpen.org).
1 €1= 1,600,000 Turkish Lira/$1 = 1,300,000 Turkish Lira

Human Rights Defender Tortured in Turkey

Aliyah Elisabeth Brunner, who Works for the Turkish Section of International League of People's Struggle (ILPS), announced that she was abducted and tortured by the persons whom she guessed were police officers.

Brunner stated the followings during the press conference she organized on 20 April in HRA Istanbul branch: "On 18 April I set out to go to the panel organized in Tuzla branch of the trade union Deri-Is. The held my arms while I was getting in a bus. They were the person whom I saw before in the bus. They said: 'Where are you going? We know about the panel you are going to participate'. I said 'I don't have nothing to talk with you' and tried to get in to the bus. They told that I had to go with them and forced me by holding my arms. I was shouting the slogans 'Insanlûk onuru iskenceyi yenecek, baskilar bizi yildirmaz' (Human honor will erode torture, pressures cannot daunt us) to make the people around notice me. They closed my mouth, put me in a white car by force and blindfolded me. I was subjected to sexual harassment in the car. They led me out of the car after going ahead for a long time. The made me kneeled down and insulted me. They said 'You are a terrorist, you are the head of the recently developed movement, you are an international terrorist', and asked the person responsible of me. I didn't answer any of their questions. They said, 'Do you think it is a game? This is our last warning' and threatened me to death. They extinguished 10 cigarettes on my arm. I fainted when they hit my neck with a hard matter. I regained my consciousness in a forest area".

Brunner also stated that she recognized one of the persons from his voice, who was the police officer on charge at the Department Fight to Terrorism and detained her before. (Özgür Gündem-TIHV, April 21, 2004)

La Turquie condamnée à Strasbourg pour des gardes à vue trop longues

La Cour européenne des droits de l'homme a condamné mardi la Turquie pour les gardes à vue de trois hommes, interpellés en 1995 pour des faits de terrorisme, ayant duré 11 et 12 jours suivant les cas.

"A supposer même que les activités reprochées aux requérants aient présenté un lien avec une menace terroriste, la Cour ne saurait admettre qu'il ait été nécessaire de les détenir 11 ou 12 jours sans intervention judiciaire", souligne dans son arrêt la Cour qui relève en outre l'absence de recours légal contre un placement en garde à vue.

Les magistrats européens ont conclu à l'unanimité à la violation de l'article 5 alinéas 3 et 4 (droit à la liberté et à la sûreté) et alloué aux requérants un total de 11.700 euros pour dommage moral.

Nevzat Kalayci et Necdet Dinçel furent arrêtés le 14 avril 1995 dans le cadre d'une opération de police menée contre l'organisation d'extrême gauche DHKP-C (Front-Parti de libération du peuple révolutionnaire).

Des bombes artisanales et du matériel pouvant servir à la préparation d'explosifs furent saisis à leur domicile, rappelle la Cour dans son arrêt.

Soupçonné d'aider cette organisation, le troisième requérant, Yavuz Mamaç, fut arrêté le lendemain. Tous trois furent condamnés en octobre 1997 par la cour de sûreté de l'Etat d'Izmir à des peines allant de 3 ans et neuf mois à 30 ans de prison.

La Turquie a également été condamnée mardi par la Cour européenne, dans une autre affaire, pour violation de l'article 6 alinéa 1 (droit à un procès équitable) en raison de la présence d'un juge militaire parmi les magistrats lors du procès d'une femme, Ayse Tezcan Uzunhasanoglu.

Accusée d'aide et d'assistance à une association illégale, Devrimci-Sol (Gauche révolutionnaire), elle fut condamnée en 1995 à trois ans et neuf mois d'emprisonnement par une cour de sûreté de l'Etat. (AFP, 20 avril 2004)

La Turquie condamnée pour défaut d'enquête après la mort d'un Kurde

La Turquie a été condamnée mardi par la Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme pour n'avoir pas conduit d'enquête effective sur la mort d'un Turc d'origine kurde abattu dans des circonstances inexpliquées.

En juin 1994 à Istanbul, Savas Buldan et deux de ses amis avaient été enlevés par des hommes armés et leurs corps avaient été retrouvés quelques heures plus tard à 270 km de là. Les trois hommes avaient été abattus à bout portant.

Un suspect de ces meurtres avait ensuite été acquitté faute de preuves.

Le requérant Nejdet Buldan, frère d'une des victimes, a affirmé devant la Cour européenne que les trois hommes avaient été enlevés par des agents de l'Etat en civil.

Les juges européens ont estimé que "les preuves disponibles ne permettent pas de conclure au-delà de tout doute raisonnable que le frère du requérant a été tué par des agents de l'Etat". En revanche, ils ont jugé que les autorités turques n'avaient "pas réellement cherché à enquêter au sujet d'une possible implication d'agents de l'Etat dans le meurtre".

La Cour européenne a ainsi condamné la Turquie pour défaut de réalisation d'une "enquête effective et adéquate" (article 2 de la Convention européenne des droits de l'Homme) et pour absence de recours effectif (article 13).

La Turquie a également été condamnée à verser 6.000 euros au requérant pour dommage moral et 10.000 euros aux enfants de la victime Savas Buldan. (AFP, 20 avril 2004)

Deux militants de gauche inculpés à Istanbul

Un tribunal d'Istanbul a inculpé jeudi deux militants de gauche turcs, arrêtés dans le cadre d'une rafle visant leur organisation en Turquie et dans quatre pays européens, selon l'agence Anatolie.

L'agence n'a donné aucune précision sur les motifs de leur inculpation.

Lundi soir, vingt-trois personnes avaient comparu devant une Cour de sûreté de l'Etat (DGM) d'Istanbul et vingt-deux d'entre elles avaient été inculpées et immédiatement écrouées, selon l'agence, pour "appartenance à une organisation illégale". La 23ème avait été relâchée.

Toutes ces personnes avaient été interpellées la semaine dernière lors d'une vaste opération contre des cellules de leur organisation en Turquie mais également en Belgique, en Allemagne, en Italie et aux Pays-Bas. (AFP, 8 avril 2004)

TIHV Chairman Onen: EU is Narrowing the Torture Definition

Yavuz Onen, head of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), said the concept of "torture" had been narrowed in human rights reports prepared by European Union (EU) circles since the year 2001.

He said the expression "bad treatment" was being used instead of the word "torture," in the reports.

Onen, who spoke at a foundation meeting on April 4, said he had met with a number of representatives from the EU Commission last year and also spoke about allegations that TIHV uses the word 'torture' to define a very wide variety of treatments.

Onen said the change in the usage of the word "torture" was partly caused by Turkey's EU membership process, and partly because the definition of "torture" in the whole world is being narrowed down since 2001.

Narrowing down UN's definition of torture

Onen said, in addition to the representatives of EU Commission, the Council of Euope's Commission for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) had also began using the expression "bad treatment" instead of "torture" since the year 2000, in its reports it wrote after visiting Turkey.

Onen said:

* CPT describes as "violent methods of physical bad treatment," the acts of hanging from the arms, electrifying genitalia and ears, depriving one of sleep for days, keeping one standing up for a long time, threats against a detainee or his/her family, beating, cold water baths, beating the soles of the feet and squeezing testicles.

* We are witnessing a similar approach from the EU. However, our foundation interprets U.N.'s definition of torture as a whole and accepts as "torture" any violent act described as "bad treatment."

EU membership, Afghanistan, Guantanamo

Yavuz Onen answered our question on why the EU's approach had changed:

* This approach was shaped after the Maastricht agreement about EU expansion was accepted in 1992 and after Turkey was made an EU candidate in 1999. We can see that the word "torture" began to vanish from CPT reports after 2000. Besides CPT, the EU circles also began replacing "torture" with "bad treatment" after 2001.

* This is partly a result of the understanding that "Turkey as a candidate country, will overcome the problem of torture under its own conditions." And it can also be seen as partly the effort of the EU to be on the record that "torture is out of question in a candidate country."

* And the developments in the world are that way too. There is an inclination to tell the world that the acts in Afghanistan and Guantanamo do not count as torture.

Onen also referred to the questioning methods used in terrorism cases. "For example, a jurist at Harvard University in the U.S. said electrifying or other methods that cause pain may be used," he said. (BIA News Center, April 7, 2004)

Manifestation grecque pour la libération d'un militant turc recherché par Berlin

Près de 300 militants de gauche et des syndicats grecs se sont rassemblés mercredi soir dans le centre-ville pour réclamer la libération d'un ressortissant allemand d'origine turque membre présumé du groupe clandestin turc d'extrême gauche, arrêté en Grèce.

"Libération de Sinan Bozkurt", "Non à la loi euro-terroriste", "Non à son extradition", "Bozkurt n'est pas un terroriste", mentionnaient les banderoles des manifestants, selon une journaliste de l'AFP sur place.

Sinan Bozkurt, 30 ans, membre présumé du DHKP-C (Parti-Front de libération du peuple révolutionnaire), avait été arrêté jeudi dernier au cours d'un contrôle d'identité au nord-est de la Grèce par des garde-frontières.

Il fait l'objet d'un mandat international lancé par le parquet général allemand. Le parquet de la ville de Komotini (nord) doit se prononcer dans les prochains jours sur son extradition.

L'homme, qui résidait depuis sept ans à Athènes, s'était rendu en Thrace (nord-est) en voiture pour prendre trois clandestins de nationalité turque qui avaient traversé illégalement le fleuve Evros qui sépare la Grèce de la Turquie.

L'arrestation de Sinan Bozkurt avait coïncidé avec une opération policière conjointe menée jeudi dernier dans cinq pays européens visant les milieux clandestins de l'extrême gauche turque. Toutefois, la police grecque avait assuré que qu'il s'agissait d'une affaire "d'immigration clandestine" et son arrestation n'était pas liée à cette opération. (AFP, 7 avril 2004)

Consensus On "Fighting Against Terrorism" between Turkey and Morocco

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey and Morocco had consensus on formation of a joint platform for fight against international terrorism.

Erdogan and Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou held a joint press conference following their tete-a-tete meeting and meeting between Turkish and Moroccan delegations.

When reminded that both Turkey and Morocco suffered from terrorism and asked how the two countries would fight against terrorism, Erdogan said, ''there is a consensus on formation of a joint platform for fight against international terrorism between the two countries.''

Moroccan Prime Minister Jettou said that Morocco would do what was necessary to reach cooperation at desired level in economy, tourism and other fields between the two countries.

Stating that agreements which were signed between Turkey and Morocco on Wednesday formed main lines and working program of cooperation between the two countries, Jettou said that those agreements would remove difficulties of the business circles.

Jettou said that there were many projects especially on infrastructure field, ports, airports and tourism facilities in Morocco and noted that Turkish companies of contracting services could get big share from these projects in cooperation with Moroccan companies.

Underlining that Turkey and Morocco had consensus on the Middle East issue, Israel-Palestine conflict, fight against terrorism and similar issues, Jettou said that the two countries had special relations.

Stating that there should be more high-level visits between the two countries, Jettou invited Prime Minister Erdogan to Morocco.

Replying to a question, Jettou said that free trade agreement which was signed between Turkey and Morocco was a very important agreement. Jettou noted that Morocco would be a production center with this agreement and said that trade volume between the two countries would further improve. (Anadolu Agency, April, 7, 2004)

La Turquie condamnée encore deux fois par la Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme

La Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme (CEDH) a condamné mardi la Turquie à verser 7.500 euros de dommages et intérêts à Mehdi Zana, ancien maire de Diyarbakir et époux de l'ex-députée du parti pro-kurde de la Démocratie (DEP) Leyla Zana, pour "violation de la liberté d'expression".

Dans un autre procès, la CEDH a condamné la Turquie pour des "traitements inhumains et dégradants" infligés à des villageois d'origine kurde lors d'une opération armée en 1993 pour rechercher des membres du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK).

M. Zana, 63 ans, avait été condamné par la Cour de sûreté de l'Etat d'Ankara en mai 1994 à 4 ans d'emprisonnement pour "propagande séparatiste" puis à deux ans en appel en 1995, pour des propos tenus lors d'une conférence de presse au Parlement européen en octobre 1992 et devant la sous-commission des droits de l'Homme du Parlement européen en décembre de la même année.

Cette condamnation a été jugée comme une "ingérence dans son droit à la liberté d'expression" par la CEDH qui a également accordé à M. Zana 2.500 euros pour frais et dépens.

Lors de ses interventions au Parlement européen, M. Zana avait relaté sa lutte personnelle pour la reconnaissance des droits des Kurdes en Tur