Droits
de l'Homme / Human Rights
Istanbul
Police Chief approves the lynch attempt
The celebrations of August 30th Victory Day were marked with the
lynching of four students who tried to open a flyer protesting the
possible sending of Turkish troops to Lebanon.
Students were taken into custody by the police after being seriously
beaten by side watchers.
Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah approved the lynching saying
"There is growing reaction to such people and unfortunately there are
university students. Citizens gave the necessary response to them. It
was a nice response..."
No action was taken against the lynchers. It's reported that four
students were taken as "terrorists" while just trying to open a flyer
saying "We won't be Israel's soldiers".
Opposition to government
As the government is preparing to pass a ruling to send troops for the
UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon the discussion continues in the
public.
Opposition parties' leaders as well as the President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
openly objected to a possibly military contribution to the
peace-keeping force.
Youngsters confused
We went on to the street and talked to young people of different
backgrounds about their views on the issue.
19 year-old Ramazan Sarıçiçek, who is bound to join the
army on
December said "I'll go to Lebanon if I have to. All is for the
motherland".
On the other hand, film director Orçun Benli (26) remarks that
under no circumstances he would go to Lebanon on such a mission.
The justificatives of the pro troop senders are that it would be good
for the Turkish foreign policy, Turkey would have a say in Irak by such
an action and we should help our "fellow musulmans" by proctecting them
from Israel.
"We need to be proactive in the region and we can do this by military
contribution" says university student Ayse Kocturk (23).
As military vehicles, tanks and rocket launchers marched through the
main streets of cities to celebrate the victory in 1922 which led to
independence, Arzu Balanlı sums it all:
"We're a society centered around the military. So we look there for the
solution". (BIA News Agency, Kemal OZMEN, August 31, 2006)
442
avocats turcs contre l'isolement carcéral
A l'appel du comité de solidarité contre l'isolement
carcéral (TKDK),
442 avocats et stagiaires ont signé une déclaration
réclamant
l'abolition de l'isolement et du « traitement » des
détenus.
C'est le secrétaire général de l'association des
juristes progressistes
(Çagdas Hukukçular Dernegi, CHD), maître
Selçuk Kozagaçli en personne,
qui a donné le coup d'envoi à cette nouvelle campagne de
dénonciation
du régime d'isolement carcéral et de soutien à
l'avocat Behiç Asçi en
grève de la faim depuis près de 150 jours pour « le
respect du droit à
la vie de ses clients ».
En quelques heures, pas moins de 442 juristes ont ainsi répondu
positivement à cet appel de solidarité avec l'avocat
gréviste de la
faim et avec les centaines de détenus politiques qui subissent
des
conditions de détention sévères dans les cellules
des prisons de
sécurité dite de « type F ».
Cet appel du TKDK précise : "Notre confrère Behiç
Asçi est entré en
grève de la faim au finish le 5 avril dernier, à
l'occasion de la
journée mondiale des avocats, avec pour revendication
l'abolition du
régime « d'isolement » et de « traitement
» des détenus qui constitue
une atteinte grave aux droits humains. Nous appelons le ministre de la
justice ainsi que l'opinion publique à contribuer au
débat en vue d'une
solution aux conditions de détention précitées qui
sont contraires à la
nature humaine et tout simplement inhumaines. Ne laissons pas l'avocat
Behiç Asçi mourir » (Halkinsesi, Traduction:
Bahar Kimyongür, le 31
août 2006)
Des opposants à l'envoi de soldats
turcs au Liban molestés à Istanbul
Quatre à cinq opposants à l'envoi de troupes turques au
Liban ont été violemment battus par une foule en
colère à Istanbul lors d'une parade militaire
commémorant une fête nationale, a constaté un
photographe de l'AFP.
Les jeunes, membres d'une petite formation de gauche, ont
déployé une banderole sur laquelle on pouvait lire "Non
à l'envoi de soldats turcs au Liban" alors que des milliers de
soldats paradaient sur la grande avenue Vatan, sur la rive
européenne de la métropole.
La foule, rassemblée pour la fête qui commémore la
victoire en 1922 des troupes de Mustafa Kemal Atatürk sur
l'armée grecque qui avait envahi l'Asie mineure, s'est
attaquée aux manifestants à coups de pied et de poing,
empêchant dans un premier temps la police d'intervenir.
Des policiers ont finalement réussi à extirper les
opposants, qui ont été conduits, visages
ensanglantés, à un poste de police.
Le gouvernement turc a annoncé lundi sa décision de
participer à la Force intérimaire des Nations unies au
Liban (Finul), sans préciser le nombre de soldats devant
être déployés. (AFP, 30 août 2006)
Top
court rejects suspension of 'secret constitution'
The Council of State yesterday rejected a request for the suspension of
the National Security Policy Document (MGSB), also known as the "secret
constitution," saying that it's an advisory document. The MGSB was
revised by National Security Council on 24 October 2005 and Council of
Ministers confirmed it on 20 March.
The document is adopted by the National Security Council (MGK) and
outlines the major domestic and foreign threats to the country and
policies to be followed to thwart them.
The court rejected the request for the suspension of the document's
implementation, filed by the Human Rights Association (IHD) and the
Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), but will debate a request to
annul a Cabinet decree approving the document.
To rule on the request for the annulment of the Cabinet decree, the
court requested that the Prime Ministry send related paperwork within
30 days.
Following the arrival of the documents the court will hear the request
to strike down the Cabinet decree approving the document. (The New
Anatolian, 30 August 2006)
Appel
pour une solution au conflit dans les prisons
turques
Cela fait 6 ans que dure le calvaire des prisonniers politiques en
Turquie, confinés depuis le 19 décembre 2006 dans les
cellules des
prisons de type F.
Depuis 6 ans, 122 détenus ont perdu la vie, plus de 600 autres
ont
perdu leur santé et des milliers de militants solidaires ainsi
que des
parents de détenus ont perdu leur liberté pour avoir
dénoncé un régime
carcéral inhumain où règne la torture et
l'arbitraire.
Que l'on soit d'accord où pas avec la méthode de la
grève de la faim,
il s'avère que ces militants politiques n'ont d'autre moyen
d'expression et que leur lente agonie continue inexorablement avec
l'espoir d'être, un jour, respectés en tant qu'être
humains.
Ces prisonniers ne demandent pas la lune. Ils ne demandent même
pas la liberté.
Leur seule revendication est l'abolition du régime d'isolement
qui les
détruit physiquement et moralement ainsi que l'arrêt des
sévices et des
privations qu'ils subissent quotidiennement dans leur confinement.
En ce moment même, outre les détenus politiques, un avocat
dénommé
Behiç Asçi est en grève de la faim au finish
depuis 147 jours à son
domicile situé dans le quartier Sisli à Istanbul, afin de
soutenir le
droit à la vie de ses clients et d'autre part, une jeune maman
de 33
ans, mère de deux filles et ex-prisonnière politique, du
nom de Gürcan
Görüroglu, observe un « jeûne de la mort »
depuis près de 110 jours,
par solidarité avec ses ex-codétenus, elle aussi dans son
domicile, à
Seyhan, faubourg de la ville méridionale d'Adana.
En Turquie même, les autorités mais aussi des centaines
d'intellectuels
se sont rendus à l'évidence que ni l'indifférence,
ni le désintérêt
face à ce conflit, ni la répression, ni la censure n'ont
pu, ni ne
pourront entamer la détermination des prisonniers à faire
respecter
leurs droits.
C'est ainsi au nom du droit à la vie et du respect de la
dignité
humaine que pas moins de 281 acteurs politiques, syndicaux, culturels,
artistiques et scientifiques de la société turque ont
signé un appel
enjoignant les autorités à faire un pas vers une solution
du conflit
des prisons.
Cet appel a été publié à la fin du mois de
juin dans six quotidiens
turcs (Cumhuriyet, Evrensel, Vatan, Radikal, Birgün, Yeni Safak)
et
depuis, a été repris dans des dizaines de
périodiques du pays.
C'est aussi au nom du droit à la vie et du respect de la
dignité
humaine que nous faisons appel à toutes et tous les
démocrates de par
le monde en les invitant à intervenir urgemment auprès
des autorités
turques afin de les inciter au dialogue avec les grévistes de la
faim.
Pour ce faire, nous appelons à la constitution de
délégations
humanitaires qui se rendraient en mission en Turuqie afin de rencontrer
toutes les parties en conflit.
Nous vous envoyons ci-dessous la traduction de l'appel des 281
intellectuels turcs.
D'avance, nous vous remercions pour votre solidarité et
espérons vous
voir nombreux aux côtés des forces démocratiques
turques pour qu'enfin
cesse l'hécatombe des prisonniers politiques.
(tayadkomite@hotmail.com,
29 août 2006)
L'appel des 281
personnalités turques : "L'isolement carcéral est une
torture "
Le système d' « isolement » et le « traitement
» infligé aux détenus
depuis le 19 décembre 2000 constitue une violation flagrante et
sévère
des droits humains.
Ce modèle carcéral qui est en vigueur tant dans les
prisons de type F
que dans les prisons de type E réaménagées et qui
se base
essentiellement sur l'isolement individuel ou en petits groupes, limite
sensiblement et va jusqu'à nier des droits imprescriptibles que
sont le
droit de sortie, de visite, de lecture, de se vêtir ainsi que
l'accès
aux soins médicaux. Ces privations qui sont imposées au
nom de «
mesures d'apprivoisement », provoquent parmi les détenus
des dommages
irréversibles tant sur le plan de leur santé physique que
sur celui de
leur intégrité mentale, mais porte également
atteinte à leur identité
culturelle et politique.
C'est malheureusement le but visé par l'application d'un tel
système basé sur l'« isolement » et le
« traitement » du détenu.
Dans la résistance que poursuivent les détenus et les
condamnés depuis
le 20 octobre 2000, mais aussi des suites des actions de soutien aux
prisonniers et des opérations militaires et policières
menées dans les
prisons, 122 personnes ont perdu la vie. Plus de 600 détenus
souffrent
de troubles psychiques et physiques irréversibles.
Le 5 avril dernier, journée mondiale des avocats, maître
Behiç ASCI qui
est membre du bureau du droit du peuple (HHB) et membre du conseil
d'administration de l'Association des juristes progressistes (CHD) a
entamé un « jeûne jusqu'à la mort »
avec pour revendication l'abolition
du régime d'isolement dans les prisons.
Le mouvement de grève de la faim et de jeûne
jusqu'à la mort se poursuit ainsi tant dans les prisons
qu'à l'extérieur.
La vie de tous les protagonistes de cette résistance est en
danger.
Au vu des ravages provoqués par l'isolement carcéral et
de
l'indifférence des pouvoirs politiques à l'égard
de revendications
humaines élémentaires, il est plus que temps pour les
autorités de
tendre de tendre l'oreille aux demandes de maître Behiç
ASCI qui risque
aujourd'hui sa propre vie pour défendre le droit à la vie
de ses
clients.
Nous, organisations et individus, signataires de la présente
déclaration estimons qu'il leur est impératif de faire
des pas concrets
en vue de l'abolition de l'isolement carcéral.
Qu'entendons-nous par « pas concrets »?
- Le ministre de la justice doit accepter que la pratique de
l'isolement carcéral soit discutable et doit rencontrer les
porte-parole de cette initiative d'ouverture
- Durant toute la période de négociations entre d'une
part les
scientifiques, les organisations professionnelles, les détenus
et leurs
proches et d'autre part, les autorités pénitentiaires et
ce, jusqu'à la
fin de ces pourparlers;
- Les conditions carcérales ne doivent être alourdies par
de nouvelles mesures coercitives.
Nous tenons à faire savoir au ministère que dans la
mesure où de tels
pas seraient franchis, nous nous engagerions à entretenir et
respecter
le terrain des négociations et interviendrions auprès des
grévistes de
la faim afin de trouver une solution à leur action.
A l'inverse, si notre appel reste sans suite, le pouvoir politique
actuel devra assumer indéfiniment la responsabilité
juridique et
historique des tortures, des lésions et des décès
dus à l'isolement
carcéral.
Salutations distinguées.
Signataires :
Abdullah AYDIN (Pdt des maisons du peuple), Abdurrahman SAYGILI
(Chercheur universitaire), Abidin SIRMA (Secrétaire de
recrutement à la
centrale des travailleurs de bureau, BES), Adnan EKİNCİ
(Journaliste-Ecrivain), Adnan KESKİN (Journaliste-Ecrivain), Adnan
ÖZYALÇINER (Ecrivain), Afşar TİMUÇİN (Philosophe),
Ahmet GÜNBAŞ
(Poète), Ahmet KESKİN (Politicien), Ahmet SONER
(Réalisateur), Ahmet
ŞIK (Journaliste), Ahmet TELLİ (Poète), Akın BİRDAL
(Ex-président de
l'Association des droits de l'homme, IHD), Ali BALKIZ (Romancier), Ali
BİLGE (Editeur-Journaliste), Ali ÇETİN
(Secrétaire-général de la
Fédération des associations de Tunceli), Ali ERDOGAN
(Ecrivain), Ali
KARADOĞAN (Corps académique), Ali POYRAZOĞLU (Comédien),
Ali Rıza
AKDORA (Membre du CA de la Chambre des comptables et des conseillers
financiers indépendants d'Ankara), Ali ŞAHİN (membre du CA de la
DISK/
Genel-Is), Alican KAYHAN (Pdt du syndicat des ouvriers en
bâtiment
Konut-Is), Arif DAMAR (Poète), Arif KESKİNER
(Yazar-Cinéaste), Arife
KALENDER (Gazeteci-Yazar), Ataol BEHRAMOĞLU (Poète), Atilla
DORSAY
(Critique), Atilla ER (Poète), Ayça ÖZYİĞİT
(Journaliste), Aydemir
GÜLER (Politicien), Ayhan ÇELİK (Ex-président de la
section d'Ankara de
la Chambre des architectes), Ayşe SARIKAYA (Musicienne), Aytaç
ARMAN
(Musicienne), Bahri CINAR (membre du CA du syndicat des travailleurs de
la presse Haber-Sen), Bahri YILDIRIM (Secrétaire
général du syndicat
Yapı Yol-Sen), Bahtiyar ENGİN (Musicien), Bayram GÜNEŞ (Chercheur
à
l'université), Bedri TEKİN (Président du syndicat des
travailleurs de
la voirie Yapı Yol-Sen), Belkıs AKKALE (Musicienne), Beyzade
ÖZKAHRAMAN
(Pdt de la section d'Istanbul du parti populiste
social-démocrate SHP),
Bilgesu ERENUS (Ecrivain-musicienne), Burhan POSHOROĞLU (membre du CA
du syndicat des ouvriers municipaux Tüm Bel-Sen), Bülent
KAYABAŞ
(Musicienne), Can DÜNDAR (Journaliste), Celal ÇİMEN
(Réalisateur), Cem
ERCİYES (Editeur de la revue d'art « Kültür Sanat
»), Cem ÖZDEMİR
(Eurodéputé des Verts allemands), Cengiz Oğuz
GÜMRÜKÇÜ (Photographe
Sanatçısı), Cengiz SEZGİN (Musicien), Cenk YİGİTER (Chercheur),
Cevat
ÖZKAYA (Pdt de l'association des droits humains MAZLUMDER), Cezmi
ERSÖZ
(Romancier), Coşkun ŞİMŞEKLİ (Poète), Çiğdem BİLGİN
(Musicienne), Demir
DEDEOĞLU (Dessinateur), Derya ALABORA (Actrice), Dilek
GÖKÇİN
(Réalisatrice), Dilek TÜRKER (Comédienne),
Dinçer SEZGİN
(Romancier-Poète), Doç. Dr. Cem SOMEL, Doç. Dr.
Fikret BAŞKAYA
(Université autonome), Doç. Dr. Kurtar TANYILMAZ,
Doç. Dr. Ruken
ÖZTÜRK, Doç. Dr. Sami GÜLGÖZ, Doç.
Dr. Tayfun ATAY, Doç. Dr. Yıldıray
OZAN, Dr. Attila ERDEN (Pdt de la Fédération de l'Union
des Alevis),
Dr. Gülseren ADAKLI (Professeur), Dursun YILDIZ (Pdt de la e
section du
syndicat des enseignants Egitim-Sen), Edip AKBAYRAM (Musicien), Efkan
ŞEŞEN (Musicien), Ekin ERMAN (Sculpteur), Emre ALKAN (Musicien), Emre
SALTIK (Musicien), Ender BÜYÜKÇULHA (membre du CA des
Maisons du
peuple), Engin SARI (Chercheur universitaire), Ercan KARAKAŞ (Homme
politique), Erdal GÜNEY (Musicien), Erdal TOSUN (Musicien), Erol
DEMİRÖZ (Musicien), Erol EKİCİ (membre du CA du syndicat des
travailleurs municipaux DISK/Genel-Is), Erol KIZILELMA
(Vice-président
de la Fondation Social-démocratie, SODEV), Ertuğrul
KÜRKÇÜ
(Journaliste), Ertuğrul MAVİOĞLU (Journaliste), Eşber YAĞMURDERELİ
(Avocat), Ezel AKAY (Réalisateur), Fahrettin TECİMER (membre du
CA du
syndicat des travailleurs municipaux DISK/Genel-Is), Fahri Özdilek
ŞİMŞEK (Sociologue, pdt de la féd. des députés
social-démocrate turcs
HDF-NRW), Faik GÜRSES (Musicien), Fatih POLAT (Journaliste),
Feramuz
ACAR (Pdt de la fédération de l'Union des Alevi au
Danemark), Fergun
ÖZELLİ (Poète), Ferhat TUNÇ (Musicien), Fevzi ARGUN
(Journaliste),
Feyyaz YAMAN (Peintre), Fikret DEMİRAĞ (Poète), Filiz
KOÇALİ (Pdt du
parti de la démocratie socialiste SDP), Gökçer
TAHİNCİOĞLU
(Journaliste), Grup ÇIG, Grup YORUM, Gülçin
ÜSTÜN (Journaliste), Gülsüm
DEPELİ (Chercheuse), Gülten KAYA (Editrice de musique), Günay
KOSOVA
(Musicienne), Gürşat ÖZDEMİR (Réalisateur), Hakan
SALINMIŞ (Musicien),
Hakan TUNCEL (Académicien), Halil ALTINDERE (Peintre), Haluk
GERGER
(Ecrivain), Hamiyet KIZILER (membre du CA du parti de la liberté
et de
la solidarité), Hasan KAŞKIR (Pdt de la e section du syndicat
des
retraités), Hasan KIVIRCIK (Architecte), Hasan KURT
(Secrétaire
financier de la centrale du syndicat BES), Hasan ÖZKILIÇ
(Ecrivain),
Hasan SALTIK (Président de la maison de production musicale
KALAN
MÜZİK), Hatice TUNCER (Journaliste), Haydar ARSLAN (membre du CA
du
syndicat de la voirie Yapı Yol Sen), Haydar KAYA (Pdt de la section
d'Ankara du parti du travail EMEP), Hayri K.YETİK (Poète), Hayri
PAKER
(Pdt de la section d'Ankara du parti SDP), Hikmet KARAGÖZ
(Musicien),
Hilmi YARAYICI (Musicien), Hümeyra ERDOĞAN (Réalisatrice),
Hüseyin
GÖLPINAR (Secrétaire général du syndicat
BES), Hüseyin KARABEY
(Réalisateur), Hüseyin KUZU (Scénariste),
Hüseyin Yüksel BİÇEN
(Président de l'association des juristes progressistes, CHD),
Ilkay
AKKAYA (Musicienne), Ilknur SOYDAŞ (Musicienne), Ilyas SALMAN (Acteur,
musicien), Ismail ÖZHAMARAT (Membre du CA de la centrale DISK/
Genel-Is), Kamil KARTAL (Président du syndicat des travailleurs
de la
presse Disk Basın-is), Kani BEKO (Secrétaire
général du syndicat DISK/
Genel-Is), Kazım ÖZ (Réalisateur), Kemal GÖKTAŞ
(Journaliste), Kemal
PEKÖZ (Editeur), Kenan AKBABA (membre du CA du syndicat BES),
Kıvırcık
ALI (Musicien), Kutlu ESENDEMİR (Editeur), Levent INANIR
(Réalisateur),
Mahir GÜNŞİRAY (Réalisateur), Mahmut KONUK (Syndicaliste),
Mahmut SEREN
(Pdt du syndicat DISK/ Genel-Is), Maya ARIKANLI ÖZDEMİR (Corps
académique), Mazlum ÇİMEN (Musicien), Medeni Duran
(Journaliste-Ecrivain), Mehmet ESEN (Corps académique), Mehmet
GÜVEL
(Pdt de l'association des familles de prisonniers TAYAD), Mehmet
ÖZER
(Poète), Mehmet Sadık KIRIMLI (Poète), Mehmet TALAY
(Journaliste-Artiste), Melih YETKİN (Musicien), Melike DEMİRAĞ
(Musicienne), Meltem SAVCI (Musicienne), Memet KILIÇASLAN (Pdt
de la
section d'Istanbul pour le parti EMEP), Menderes SAMANCILAR (Acteur de
cinéma), Merdan YANARDAĞ (Réalisateur), Meryem
ÖZSÖĞÜT (membre du CA du
syndicat des travailleurs de la santé, SES), Metin KAYAOĞLU
(Editeur de
la revue "Teori ve Politika„), Metin UCA (Journaliste), Mihri BELLİ
(Homme politique), Munis DÜŞENKALKAN (Sanatçı), Murat
ÇELİKKAN
(Journaliste), Murat İŞERİ (Secrétare de formation du syndicat
BES),
Mustafa ALABORA (Sanatçı), Mustafa ÇINAR ( BES Genel
Başkanı), Mustafa
ERDOGDU (Pdt du parti social-démocrate SHP au parlement des
jeunes),
Mustafa Kemal COŞKUN (Araştırma Görevlisi), Mustafa TURAN,
(Musicien),
Muzaffer HİÇDURMAZ (Journaliste-Comédien), Muzaffer İlhan
ERDOST
(Editeur-Romancier), Müjdat GEZEN (Comédien), Mümtaz
BAŞAR (Secrétaire
général du syndicat des travailleurs municipaux Tüm-
Bel Sen), Müslim
ÇELİK (Philosophe, romancier, poète), Namık KUYUMCU
(Poète), Nazmi
BELGE (Journaliste), Nebil ÖZGENTÜRK (Comédien),
Nermin TELSİZCİ
(Ingénieur mécanique), Neslihan ACAR (Musicienne), Nevin
KIZILÖZ
(membre du CA du syndicat des retraités Emekli-Sen), Nihat
BAYRAM
(membre du CA du syndicat de la voirie Yapi Yol-Sen), Nihat GENÇ
(Ecrivain), Nilgün KURT (Réalisatrice), Nur BAL
(Musicienne), Nur SÜRER
(Actrice), Nuray URAL (membre du CA de la représentation du
parti EMEP
à Çankaya), Nurettin GÜLEÇ (Musicien), Oktay
ETIMAN (Romancier), Oral
ÇALIŞLAR (Journaliste), Orhan ALKAYA (Poète), Orhan
GÖKDEMİR
(Journaliste-Ecrivain), Oruç ARUOBA (Poète, Philosophe),
Ozan CEYHUN
(Ancien eurodéputé des Verts allemands), Özcan YAMAN
(Photographe),
Özgen SEÇKİN (Poète), Prof. Dr. Ahmet ÇAKMAK,
Prof. Dr. Cem EROĞUL,
Prof. Dr. Cevat ÇAPAN, Prof. Dr. Erdal ÖZMEN, Prof. Dr.
Göksel N.
DEMİRER, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin HATEMİ, Prof. Dr. Hüsnü
DOKAK, Prof. Dr.
İzzettin ÖNDER, Prof. Dr. Jale PARLA, Prof. Dr. Korhan KAYA, Prof.
Dr.
Mehmet BEKAROĞLU, Prof. Dr. Melek GÖREGENLİ, Prof. Dr. Nihal
SABAN,
Prof. Dr. Rıfat OKÇABOL, Prof. Dr. Semir ASLANYÜREK, Prof.
Dr. Taha
PARLA, Prof. Dr. Taner TİMUR, Prof. Dr. Toktamış ATEŞ, Rahmi SALTUK
(Musicien), Raşit ÖZTÜRK (Poète), Recai ATALAY
(Poète), Recep VURMUŞ
(membre du CA du syndicat des transports Nakliyat-Is), Refik DURBAŞ
(Journaliste-Ecrivain), Remzi ÇALIŞKAN (membre du CA du syndicat
DISK/
Genel-Is), Rıdvan BADAK (Pdt du Parti SDP à Istanbul), Rutkay
AZİZ
(Acteur), Sabit Kemal BAYILDIRAN (Poète), Sami EVREN
(ex-président de
la Confédération des syndicats des travailleurs du public
KESK), Sedat
BAKICI (Journaliste), Selçuk YÖNTEM (Musicien), Selda
BAĞCAN
(Musicien), Selma AĞABEYOĞLU (Poète), Selma TARCAN (Musicien),
Sennur
SEZER (Poète), Serkan GENÇ (Musicien), Servet KOCAKAYA
(Musicien),
Sezai KAYA (Secrétaire général du syndicat des
employés du secteur
agricole et forestier Tarım Orkam-Sen), Sezai SARIOĞLU (Poète),
Sırrı
YUMBUL (Pdt du parti ÖDP pour la région d'Aybasti), Sinan
TUTAL (Pdt du
Part ÖDP pour la province d'Istanbul), Soner DEMİRBAŞ
(Poète), Suat
BOZKUŞ (Ecrivain), Suat KIZILTUĞ (Sculpteur), SUAVI (Musicien), Suha
UYGUR (Musicien), Sanar YURDATAPAN (Musicien), Sekibe ARSLAN
(Architecte), Serif GÖREN (Réalisateur), Seyhmus DİKEN
(Ecrivain), T.
Tolga ÖZÇELİK (Architecte), Tarık AKAN (Musicien), Tayfun
GÖRGÜN
(Représentant de la Confédération DISK dans la
région d'Ankara), Temel
DEMİRER (Ecrivain), Tolga SAG (Musicien), Türker KARAPINAR
(Journaliste), Uğur POLAT (Musicien), Ulas AK (Réalisateur),
Umur BUGAY
(Réalisateur), Ümit Yasar ISIKHAN (Poète), Vedat
TÜRKALİ (Ecrivain),
Veysel ÇOLAK (Poète), Yaman TARCAN (Musicien), Yaşar
KEMAL (Ecrivain),
Yavuz TANYELİ (Peintre), Yılmaz DEMİRAL (Musicien), Yılmaz KAPTAN
(Musicien), Yrd (Assistant). Doç. Dr. Ebru VOYVODA, Yrd. (")
Doç. Dr.
Ergun AYDINOĞLU, Yrd. Doç. Dr. Gülriz UYGUN, Yrd.
Doç. Dr. Hüseyin
KILIÇ, Yrd. Doç. Dr. Murat PAKER, Yrd. Doç. Dr.
Nuray BAYRAKTAR, Yrd.
Doç. Dr. Pınar BEDİRHANOGLU, Yrd. Doç. Dr. Sefa Feza
ARSLAN, Yrd. Doç.
Dr. Serap Türüt AŞIK, Yusuf ALATAS (Pdt de l'Association des
droits de
l'homme, IHD), Yusuf ALPER (Poète), Yusuf ÇETİN
(Président de SİNE-SEN,
syndicat des travailleurs du cinéma), Yusuf KOBAL (Journaliste),
Zafer
AKNAR (Rédacteur en chef de la revue satirique « Leman
»), Zafer DİPER
(Musicien), Zeki ÖKTEN (Réalisateur), Zeliha HACIMURATLAR
(Chercheuse),
Zerrin TAŞPINAR (Poète), Zuhal ERGEN (Musicien), Zülfü
LIVANELI
(Musicien-Ecrivain)
Adresse de Maître Behiç Asçi : Sisli Abide-i
Hürriyet Cad. No: 133-135 Pay Apt. Sisli-İstanbul
e-mail: avukatbehic@gmail.com
<mailto:avukatbehic@gmail.com> ;
avukatbehic@mynet.com <mailto:avukatbehic@mynet.com>
Tel: +90 212 343 46 33
Site web du comité turc de solidarité contre l'isolement
carcéral
(TKDK) : www.tecritekarsi.com <http://www.tecritekarsi.com/>
Adresse e-mail du TKDK : tecritehayir@gmail.com
<mailto:tecritehayir@gmail.com>
Adresse de Madame Gürcan Görüroglu :
Sakirpasa Mahallesi 37 Sok. No: 7 Seyhan/ Adana
Tel: 0090 (0) 537 553 48 14 – 00 90 (0) 322 432 60 66
e-mail: gulcangoruroglu@mynet.com
<mailto:gulcangoruroglu@mynet.com> ;
gulcangoruroglu@yahoo.com
<mailto:gulcangoruroglu@yahoo.com>
Ban
on GL Publication is Going to the ECHR
Ankara First Instance Criminal Court held with the decision to ban the
Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Studies and Solidarity Foundation's
publication Kaos GL issue 28.
The court rejected the appeal to release the publication and declared
that the decision is lawful and complies with the procedural
proceedings.
The Foundation decided to carry the case to the European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR).
Ankara Attorney Generalship, Division on Press Offences had called upon
the court on July 24th to publicly ban the issue 28 of Kaos GL.
The court then ruled that the issue is "contradictory with the public
morality" and should be collected from the vendors.
The issue subjected to the ban included a dossier on pornography and
its relation to homosexuality.
Prominent academics, writers and artists such as Ahmet Tulgar, Fatih
Ozguven, Hasan Bulent Kahraman and Bikem Ekberzade were featured in the
issue. (BIA, August 22, 2006)
An
alarming article on the death fast of Lawyer Behic Asci
Green Left Weekly published
at
its August 16, 2006 issue the following article of Simon Cooper &
Ruth Riordan from Istanbulon the death fast of Lawyer Behic Asci:
In a modest flat in the Istanbul suburb of Sisli, a lawyer named Behic
Asci has not eaten for over 120 days. His ongoing hunger strike — or
"death fast" — is an act of defiance against unjust laws, a stand of
solidarity with hundreds of Turkish political prisoners denied their
most basic human rights, and a courageous call for solidarity from
human rights supporters around the world.
Asci began the death fast on International Lawyer's Day, April 5,
because, he says, he could no longer sit back and watch his clients
die.
Born in 1965, Asci has dedicated his legal career to the cause of human
rights and social justice. A prominent member of the Turkish
Association of Progressive Lawyers, Asci has represented more than
10,000 clients, including many of the political prisoners who have been
sentenced for their membership of banned revolutionary socialist
organisations. Political prisoners held in Turkey, including Kurdish
political activists, number in the thousands.
Since 2000, 122 people have lost their lives through death fasts in a
bid to secure basic human rights and end the policy of solitary
confinement in Turkey's jails.
When we arrived at his flat for the interview, Asci was flanked by
two-dozen supporters from the Association of Solidarity with the
Families of Prisoners (TAYAD). Since its formation 20 years ago, TAYAD
has campaigned relentlessly against government repression to bring the
plight of the political prisoners to national and international
attention.
Asci said some of the most horrendous crimes against political
prisoners were committed during the introduction of the F-type
isolation prisons in 2000. Attempts by the prisoners to resist their
transfer to the new jails were met with extreme violence and 28
prisoners were murdered by the prison authorities.
Six of those killed were set alight and burned to death. Prison
authorities simply returned the remaining ashes to the victims'
families. The other 22 prisoners died from gunshot wounds. The
perpetrators remain unpunished to this day.
Asci argued that the Turkish legal system provides no protection for
the political prisoners held in isolation. In one instance when a guard
demanded one of Asci's clients stand up for a prisoner count, she
responded that given she was in an isolation cell there was no need for
her to stand to be counted. Enraged at this small show of defiance, the
guard attacked the prisoner, crushing her skull against the cell wall.
When Asci appealed to the court to protest his client's mistreatment,
his suit was rejected as part of a "terrorist campaign" against F-type
isolation prisons. The court concluded that the prisoner must have
crushed her own skull.
The isolation prisons are designed to terrorise, humiliate and break
the morale of the political prisoners. Many of the prisoners Asci
represented have had their feet taped together and their hands taped
behind their backs. Left alone, immobilised, for hours or days at a
time and unable to avail themselves of toilet facilities, they are
forced to endure the indignity of repeatedly soiling themselves. Many
of Asci's clients, both men and women, had been raped while in custody,
often by prison guards using batons.
Asci related another experience of one client during a court hearing
who had been held in isolation and who had to halt midway through
reading a statement to the court. He had lost his hearing and could no
longer hear his own voice.
Prisoners in the F-type prisons typically suffer from a range of
psychological illnesses including stress, anxiety and depression. The
authorities also routinely deny prisoners medical assistance and access
to legal representation. According to Asci, prisoners are arbitrarily
refused visits from family members that they are legally entitled to.
Their books, newspapers and other reading material are confiscated. The
letters sent to their families are heavily censored — if they ever
arrive at all.
Throughout the interview Asci was calm and eloquent as he explained the
factors that led him to make this drastic protest. But the physical
signs of such a long time without food were also apparent. Normally a
human can survive at most for 60 days without eating. But vitamin
supplements can allow a death faster to survive for as long as 300
days.
Asci said his death fast had already succeeded in modestly breaking
through the defacto media censorship around isolation and the human
rights abuses committed in the F-type jails. He has received support
from progressive organisations, fellow lawyers and other professionals,
artists and numerous human rights supporters. But his death fast will
continue with the single central demand: end isolation.
Ultimate victory in the campaign for human rights in Turkey does not
rest within the borders of Turkey alone, Asci said. Major western
powers like the US and the European Union have refused to criticise
Turkey's isolation prisons and have instead endorsed Turkey as a
partner in the "war on terrorism". Only strong support and solidarity
from human rights campaigners all around the world, combined with
resurgent political and social movements within Turkey itself, can hope
to hope to end the ongoing torture of Turkey's political prisoners,
Asci concluded.
[Email messages of solidarity to Behic Asci at
<avukatbehic@mynet.com> <mailto:avukatbehic@mynet.com> . To
contact TAYAD, email <sydtayadkomite@mynet.com>
<mailto:sydtayadkomite@mynet.com> or visit
<http://www.tayad-committee.com>
<http://www.tayad-committee.com/> ]
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.
<http://www.greenleft.org.au/>
Police send more
Special Forces to east, southeast
After completing a six-month intensive training course, 242 Special
Forces personnel have been appointed to posts in the east and southeast.
Reports say that with the newly appointed personnel, there are now
3,500 members of the Special Forces in Hakkari, Sirnak, Tunceli and
Bingol.
After recent terrorist activities in the east and southeast the number
of specially trained police officers has been boosted, explained a
police official.
Officials also said they are planning to appoint additional personnel
and increase that number to 7,000 countrywide.
Of the 250 police officers who took part in the Special Forces training
program at Golbasi, Ankara 242 of them successfully completed their
training.
Special Forces officials said that between 1993 and 2000 there were
7,000 members of the force in the country but that officers over 35
were transferred to other units, adding that this resulted in a drop of
nearly 4,000 officers.
"As terrorist activities in the region have escalated we have decided
to increase the number of personnel, and training of new personnel will
continue," added an official. (The New Anatolian, 17 August 2006)
Un centre antiterroriste de l'Otan en Turquie
entraînera des Bosniaques
Des militaires bosniaques spécialisés dans la lutte
antiterroriste
seront entraînés pendant un an en 2007 dans un centre de
l'Otan en
Turquie, aux termes d'un accord de coopération militaire
signé lundi
par des responsables turcs et bosniaques.
"Cet accord porte sur la coopération militaire dans les domaines
de
l'entraînement, de la technologie et des sciences et sur
l'échange de
personnels, de matériels, d'équipements et
d'informations", explique le
ministère bosniaque de la Défense dans un
communiqué.
Le document a été signé par le ministre adjoint de
la Défense
bosniaque, Enes Becirbasic, et par l'attaché militaire turc en
Bosnie,
le colonel Osman Aksakal.
M. Aksakal a expliqué que l'accord portait notamment sur des
entraînements gratuits pour les militaires bosniaques dans un
centre de
l'Otan pour la lutte antiterroriste en Turquie.
Les autorités bosniaques ont arrêté en octobre et
novembre 2005 trois
hommes, un Suédois, un Turc et un Bosniaque, inculpés
pour avoir
projeté un attentat contre un pays européen engagé
militairement en
Irak et en Afghanistan.
Ils sont jugés depuis le 20 juillet devant un tribunal de
Sarajevo.
Pendant la guerre de Bosnie (1992-1995), des centaines de combattants
arabes se sont rendus dans le pays pour prendre les armes aux
côtés des
musulmans bosniaques.
Ils ont été priés de quitter le pays après
la fin du conflit, mais
nombre d'entre eux y sont restés et ont obtenu la
nationalité
bosniaque, notamment en épousant des femmes bosniaques. (AFP, 14
août
2006 )
Trade
Union leader arrested for terrorism
Ali Paşa Şanlı, the president of the Education Personnel Union's
(Eğitim-Sen) Eskişehir branch, was arrested late on Tuesday for
membership in the terrorist Turkey Workers' and Peasants' Liberation
Army (TİKKO), one of the principal leftist groups before the Sept. 12,
1980 military coup.
Şanlı, who has been the Eskişehir head of Eğitim-Sen for the past four
years and a prominent figure at their demonstrations, was arrested by
an Eskişehir court. However, the arrest warrant for Şanlı was
originally issued by the Malatya Third Criminal Court and he will
consequently be sent to Malatya for questioning.
Eğitim-Sen Eskişehir branch Financial Secretary Sebahattin Poyraz,
speaking in front of the Eskişehir Court of Justice, told journalists
that the arrest was based on an incident that had occurred in Malatya
20 years ago. "They couldn't find him for 10 years and suddenly today
(Tuesday), they captured and arrested him."
In 1984 Şanlı was accused of being a TİKKO member. The Malatya court
issued the arrest warrant against him in 1997 and now has the right
over his release.
Şanlı said, "It appears that the police were looking for me for nine
years, but they couldn't find me." (Turkish Daily News, August 10, 2006)
Electrochocs en garde
à vue : la Turquie condamnée à Strasbourg
La Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme (CEDH) de Strasbourg a
condamné mardi la Turquie pour violations de la Convention
européenne
des droits de l'Homme dans une affaire de torture lors d'une garde
à
vue.
Hüseyin Esen, 48 ans, condamné à 12 ans et 6 mois de
prison en Turquie
pour appartenance à l'organisation armée illégale
du parti communiste
marxiste léniniste MLKP, avait porté plainte en octobre
1996 contre
sept policiers qu'il accusait de l'avoir torturé lors d'une
garde à vue
en septembre 1996.
Il affirmait notamment avoir été frappé, suspendu
par les bras, arrosé
de jets d'eau, menacé de mort et soumis à des
électrochocs dans les
locaux de la section antiterroriste de la direction de la
sûreté
d'Istanbul.
Corroborées par les observations d'un médecin de
l'Institut de médecine
légale d'Istanbul, ses accusations avaient valu aux policiers
poursuivis des condamnations en 2002 à des peines allant de 11
mois et
20 jours à un an et deux mois, cassées en 2004 par la
Cour de cassation
qui a déclaré l'action pénale éteinte par
prescription.
Estimant que les accusations de torture étaient
avérées et
constituaient une violation de la convention des droits de l'Homme, la
CEDH a également condamné la Turquie pour avoir fait
piétiner la
procédure pendant 7 ans, et pour le maintien excessif du
requérant en
détention provisoire.
Considérant en outre que le recours de M. Esen contre sa
condamnation
était toujours pendant devant la cour d'assises d'Istanbul, plus
de
neuf ans et demi après les faits, la CEDH conclut
également à une durée
excessive de cette procédure. (AFP, 8 août 2006)
Gay
rights group files complaint against Bursa police, officials and soccer
fans
A gay rights group is set to take legal action against the institutions
they hold responsible for preventing their demonstration on Sunday.
Bursa's Gokkusagi Association announced yesterday that they will file a
complaint against Bursa Governor's Office, the provincial police
headquarters and Bursaspor Fans Shop Owners' Association regarding the
cancellation of their demonstration in the province on Sunday for
security reasons.
Despite earlier authorization, gay rights demonstrators in Bursa were
prevented from going ahead with their long-scheduled march due to
threats from the Bursaspor Fans Shop Owners' Association. The soccer
fans attacked the building belonging to the Bursa's Gokkusagi
Association, and that for security reasons the police didn't allow
demonstrators to leave the building for hours. They were finally
escorted out of town by the police before they could hold their march.
Bursaspor Fans Shop Owners' Association head Fevzinur Dundar announced
over the weekend that they would prevent the demonstration, saying that
a demonstration by gays and lesbians in a city which used to be the
capital of the Ottoman Empire is unacceptable. "They can hold the
demonstration if they want to be attacked," said Dundar.
Gokkusagi Association head Oyku Evren said that Dundar threatened the
demonstrators and the police prevented the demonstrators from going
ahead with the march, instead of launching any legal proceedings
against Dundar. (The New Anatolian, 8 August 2006)
Marche
de défense des homosexuels
annulée sous la menace de lynchage
Une marche pour la défense des droits des homosexuels a
été annulée dimanche en Turquie, à Bursa
(nord-est) pour des raisons de sécurité après
qu'une foule en colère est descendue dans les rues, a-t-on
appris auprès des organisateurs de la manifestation. Ces
derniers ont accusé la police de ne pas avoir pris les mesures
adéquates pour assurer la tenue de la marche autorisée.
Avant la manifestation, une association de commerçants a
menacé les organisateurs de lynchage s'ils n'annulaient pas leur
action.
Les forces de police auraient "pu prendre des mesures, mais elles ne
l'ont pas fait. Elles ont même cherché à nous
dissuader d'organiser la manifestation", a affirmé par
téléphone à l'AFP Emir Birant, un militant de
l'association de défense des droits des homosexuels (KAOS-GL).
La marche a été organisée pour dénoncer une
action en justice du gouverneur de Bursa visant à faire
interdire une association locale de défense des homosexuels en
arguant qu'elle ne respectait pas les valeurs morales et familiales.
La police a donné l'ordre aux manifestants de rester dans le
bureau de l'association à Bursa après que des centaines
d'homophobes, dont des supporters d'une équipe de football
locale et des militants d'extrême-droite, sont descendus dans la
rue pour faire annuler la marche, selon Emir Birant.
Certains se sont rassemblés sur le trajet prévu de la
manifestation et d'autres ont lancé des pierres sur l'immeuble
abritant l'association.
"Il n'y a eu absolument aucune aide des autorités, ce qui
démontre clairement la façon dont les homosexuels sont
considérés en Turquie", a regretté M. Birant.
Des groupes de défense des homosexuels ont accusé l'Union
européenne - avec laquelle la Turquie a entamé des
négociations d'adhésion en octobre - de ne pas les
soutenir et ont appelé Bruxelles à se prononcer en leur
faveur dans la lutte pour l'égalité des droits.
(AFP et médias turcs, 6 août 2006)
Le
président Sezer demande l'annulation de
deux articles de la LAT
Le président turc Ahmet Necdet Sezer a demandé à
la cour constitutionnelle d'annuler des restrictions
controversées imposées aux médias par la nouvelle
loi antiterroriste du pays, a rapporté vendredi l'agence de
presse Anatolia.
M. Sezer s'oppose à l'article qui prévoit des peines d'un
à trois ans de prison pour les médias qui publiraient des
communiqués émanant d'organisations terroristes, a
précisé l'agence.
Le président turc souhaite aussi l'annulation de l'article qui
prévoit des peines d'un à cinq ans de prison pour des
actes de propagande en faveur des groupes terroristes - des peines
accrues de moitié si le responsable du délit est un
organe de presse.
M. Sezer est également contre les lourdes amendes prévues
pour les propriétaires ou directeurs de publications ayant
commis ces délits, et contre la possibilité donnée
aux juges et aux procureurs de suspendre ces publications durant 30
jours maximum.
Ces articles ont été critiqués par la presse qui y
voit un retour en arrière par rapport aux réformes
démocratiques engagées depuis plusieurs années
dans le but de faciliter l'accès de la Turquie à l'Union
européenne, avec laquelle Ankara a entamé des
négociations d'adhésion en octobre. (AFP, 4 août
2006)
Un double attentat à la bombe fait 17
blessés
L'explosion vendredi de deux bombes près d'une banque à
Adana, une ville du sud de la Turquie, a fait 17 blessés, ont
affirmé les autorités locales.
La première déflagration a eu lieu devant une succursale
de la banque Oyak Bank, à la hauteur d'un guichet automatique,
et a été suivie six minutes plus tard par une
deuxième explosion à environ 10 mètres de
là, sur un chantier, a déclaré par
téléphone à l'AFP un porte-parole de la police
d'Adana.
Les explosions ont endommagé quatre véhicules de police
et soufflé les vitres des magasins voisins, a rapporté
l'agence de presse Anatolie.
Le gouverneur d'Adana Cahit Kiraç a déclaré que 17
personnes, dont huit policiers et deux stagiaires de l'école de
police locale, avaient été blessées, selon
Anatolie..
M. Kiraç a expliqué que le premier engin explosif
était "une bombe à percussion", expression
utilisée en Turquie pour désigner des dispositifs visant
d'avantage à faire du bruit que des victimes, et que le
deuxième était une bombe à schrapnel.
Le chef de la police Mehmet Cebe a indiqué que personne n'avait
pour l'heure revendiqué les attentats.
Une succursale d'Oyak, qui appartient à un fonds de pension de
l'armée, avait déjà été visée
par un attentat à la "bombe à percussion" fin juillet
à Izmir (ouest). Quatre personnes avaient alors
été blessées.
Une mine pourrait avoir
provoqué le déraillement d'un
train
L'explosion d'une mine pourrait avoir provoqué vendredi le
déraillement - qui n'a pas fait de victimes - de plusieurs
wagons d'un train de marchandises dans le sud-est de la Turquie, ont
affirmé des sources locales de sécurité.
La déflagration s'est produite sur la voie, près du
village de Bakacak, dans la province à majorité kurde de
Diyarbakir, faisant dérailler quatre des 15 wagons du convoi,
ont précisé ces sources, indiquant que l'enquête
privilégiait la piste d'une mine déposée sur les
rails. (AFP, 4
août 2006)
IHD
Blames Police For Istanbul "Provocation"
The Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul branch has claimed that
plainclothes police officers were responsible for provoking incidents
during an anti-Israeli rally in the city on July 31 where police used
excessive force on protestors as well as tear and pepper gas to
disperse the crowds.
Charging the city police force with using arbitrary force and excessive
violence, the Association called for an investigation into the incident
and the Security Directorate to make a formal statement on what
happened. It said the way police resolved to use force on the crowds
was similar to interventions witnessed in the 1990s.
The IHD also noted that it did not approve of a group of protestors
throwing stones at a Flash TV crew while they were being dispersed.
According to the Association, the events started at around 20:30 local
time when a group of about 1,500-2,000 people from various civil
society organizations and political parties came together at the
Beyoglu Tunnel Square to protest Israel's bombing of Qana.
Marching towards Taksim square and shouting "Palestinian People Are Not
Alone, Murderer Israel", the crowd was stopped by a police barricade in
front of Odakule on Istiklal Avenue.
Talks between representatives of the group failed to gain access to
divert the protest to the European Union Information and Documentation
Centre near Taksim Gezi Park after which the demonstrators sat down on
the road in protest.
The sitting protest continued until 21:25 local time with tension
increasing owing to the reinforcement of the police presence with
counter-terrorist forces, public safety and associations desk officers
arriving on the scene in large numbers.
IHD findings show that plainclothes police officers had infiltrated the
group beforehand and were hiding wooden clubs under their t-shirts,
which were produced as they provoked the crowds, sparking off
retaliation from officers surrounding the group. The group was then
attacked with truncheons and gas bombs while scores of officers caught
runaway protestors and started beating them. In one instance more than
10 officers beat a demonstrator and non of the police chiefs present
intervened.
The IHD also established that while the attack and beatings continued,
officers were heard to be shouting "don't hit, don't hit" only when
television cameras were recording the scenes and when the police
cameras were themselves running.
Young plainclothes officers were head to be directing each other as
uniformed forces chased and attacked the group. IHD charged that gas
bombs were 'liberally used' in this residential area where many people,
including those pedestrians who had nothing to do with the incident,
were affected. (BIA News Center, August 2, 2006)
Presion
sur les médias / Pressure on the Media
Turkish Cypriot forces detain television team
The International Federation of Journalists and its European network,
the European Federation of Journalists, today called for the immediate
release of two journalists subject to "intolerable and unacceptable
intimidation" while covering events in the northern part of Cyprus.
Reporter Adonis Pallikarides and cameraman Nikitas Dalitis of the
private SIGMA TV covered an event involving a Turkish Cypriot
politician and former president of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of
Commerce who called for the demolition of a bridge built by the Turkish
army, being the obstacle to opening a new crossing point at a
commercial street of Nicosia, on the demand of both communities.
The two journalists were arrested when they started interviewing
Turkish Cypriot shopkeepers near the bridge. They were accused of
videotaping military installations, detained overnight on Friday and
were held before appearing before a court today.
"These journalists should be freed immediately and all charges against
them lifted," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "It is another
case of intolerable and unacceptable intimidation of colleagues who are
trying to carry out legitimate journalistic work."
The IFJ and European Federation of Journalists have supported protests
of its member organisation, the Union of Cyprus Journalists, which has
accused Turkish occupation forces in the northern part of Cyprus of
three serious cases of such violations over the past two months when
Greek Cypriot journalists have been arrested while covering events in
the northern part of Cyprus, controlled since 1974 by Turkish military
forces.
The president of the Union, Andreas Kannaouros, says in previous cases
the arrested Greek Cypriot journalists were quickly released after
being punished, but this is the first time a further detention had been
ordered. Turkish Cypriot journalists in the north of the country,
represented by the IFJ-affiliated Basin Sen, also condemned the arrests
and demanded the release of the two journalists. (IFJ/IFEX, 30 August
2006)
Ultranationalists launch cyber attacks on
human rights groups
Two human rights groups were subject to Internet attacks by
ultranationalists, reports said yesterday.
According to the reports, a website belonging to the Human Rights
Association's (IHD) Istanbul branch was hacked by ultranationalists,
who posted a text praising the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP).
The IHD condemned the attack, which they described as racist, adding
that they won't remain silent against any such further attacks.
Meanwhile, an online news agency, the Independent Communications
Network (bianet), announced that their email server had been hacked by
ultranationalists as well.
Reports said that hackers sent emails containing racist propaganda,
requests for money and written attacks against the agency to its
subscribers.
In a statement about the attack, bianet said that it had been
perpetrated by people who can't tolerate the agency's understanding of
journalism. The agency expressed determination to fight back against
the attacks though free and independent journalism and solidarity with
their subscribers. The agency also said that it will take legal action
against the hackers. (The New Anatolian, 29 August 2006)
Journalist Ipek Calislar pursued for "insulting
Atatürk"
Bagcilar Attorneyship General opened a case against journalist Ipek
Calislar claiming that she has insulted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in her
last book "Latife Hanim".
Calislar will be tried with 4,5 years of prison sentence based on a
claim that she had insulted Ataturk by quoting a story where he avoids
his opponents by putting on a scarf and fleeing the house by pretending
being a woman.
The claim is based on a law "to protect Ataturk" which came into effect
55 years ago.
Several other journalists and writers were tried with opposing this law
no 5816, among them Ragıp Zarakolu, Oral Calislar and Mehmet Terzi.
First hearing in the court is scheduled to October 5th.
Calislar's book on Ataturk's partner Latife got published this summer
and became very popular.
At one point in the book, Calislar quotes a historically known story
from Vecihe Hanim:
When Topal Osman surrounds Mustafa Kemal's house in Cankaya to murder
him, Latife Hamim takes his place to trick Osman while Ataturk flees
the house.
Latife wears his hat and stands in front of the window, mimicking his
silhouette and Mustafa Kemal dresses in a black scarf and leaves to
house pretending being a woman.
The trial is opened following an individual complaint.
"I'm saddened by this trial. This story is quoted in several sources as
it is. Historians can argue about it but I don't see anything that
bothers the justice system" Calislar commented.
"This trial is an unlucky incident regarding the democratization
process in Turkey", she added.
"Prosecutors are giving way to the rising nationalism in the society by
taking these individual complaints seriously. This is not lawful too"
said lawyer Ercan Kanar, previous head of the Human Rights
Association's Istanbul branch.
He remarked that the law itself is against the Constitution and the
European Convention on Human Rights. (BIA News Center, August 23, 2006)
Heavier
Sentences for Thinking in the Virtual World
Ministry of Justice prepared a draft Law on IT crimes and regulation of
IT networks and services’. The striking point about the draft is that
some offences committed in virtual world will be punished heavier than
the ones committed in the real world. Some of the virtual offences and
punishments are as follows:
* Prison sentence between 6 months and two years for those who enter or
stay in an IT system unlawfully.
* Between one and three years for who acquire data or program through
entering an IT system.
* 3 years for those who monitor data in an IT network, 5 years for who
monitor information in the system without entering the network.
* Betwen 2 and 5 years prison sentence for those who damage, destroy,
change make unaccessible the data in the system or place programs or
damage programs.
For 'Offences against the security of the state and public order” in
the Internet punisments will be raised by half. Some of such offences
are as follows:
* Violating the Law on Hats and Turkish Alphabet, revealing state
secrets.
* Insulting the president, the symbols of the sovereignty of the state,
Turkishness, the republic and the organs of the state, instigating war
against the state, rebelling against the government, making agreement
to commit crimes, encouraging the soldiers to disobedience, crimes
against the national defense.
* Crimes against the secrets of the state and espionage.
* Insulting Atatürk.
* If the crimes of threat, blackmail, insult or slander is committed in
the Internet, the punishments stated by TPC will be increased by half.
(antenna-tr.org, August 11, 2006)
Authorities asked to explain Kurdish
journalist's death during an army operation
Reporters Without Borders has condemned the death of Ayfer
Serçe, a
young Kurdish journalist and militant, during an army operation against
Kurdish rebels on 24 July 2006 in Keleres, in the northeastern province
of Azarbayjan, and called on the Iranian authorities to provide an
explanation.
A Turkish national, Serçe worked for the Firat Haber Ajansi
(Euphrates
News Agency - FHA) using the pseudonym of Silan Aras. She had gone to
Azarbayjan in early July to investigate suicides by women in the
region, which has a sizeable Kurdish population.
"We call on the authorities to establish the facts of this case,"
Reporters Without Borders said. "We do not yet know if her death was
linked to her work as a journalist but this possibility should
definitely not be ignored."
The FHA has accused the Iranian military of killing Serçe. It
also
reported that when her relatives went to the hospital in the nearby
town of Salmas with the aim of collecting and repatriating her body on
24 July, they were told that the Iranian authorities had taken it away.
The family was also stopped and searched when they arrived in the town.
Serçe is said to have been a supporter of the Kurdistan Workers
Party
(PKK), an armed separatist group that is outlawed in Turkey. Iran has
often been accused by Turkey of offering a haven to the PKK and the
Iranian security forces have recently carried out several operations
against the group. (RSF/IFEX, August 11, 2006)
Court
Re-Opens Daily Ozgur Gundem After Closure
The Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court that on August 4 ruled for a
15-day closure of the pro-Kurdish "Ulkede Ozgur Gundem" newspaper on
grounds that it was involved in continuous propaganda for an armed
terror organization, has re-opened the daily after 5 days of suspension
following an appeal made by its lawyers.
The Court evaluated the appeal made by Gundem's lawyers Ozcan Kilic and
Inan Akmese, concluding that the recent 15-day print ban imposed on the
newspaper on request of the Public Prosecutor's Office, as the first
implementation of controversial articles of Turkey's new Anti-Terror
Law (TMY), was in fact a violation of article 28 of the Constitution.
Recalling that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had applied to the
Constitutional Court for the articles cited as reason for the
newspaper's closure to be annulled, the court's decision to allow for
Gundem to continue to print was relayed to the newspaper Tuesday night.
Ulkede Ozur Gundem's News Editor Nurettin Firat regarded the decision
with cautious optimism, noting that the five day episode once again
showed the initial decision taken against the newspaper was unwarranted
and there was an arbitrary justice system in Turkey.
Firat announced that the newspaper would re-appear at the news stands
as of August 10, Thursday. He told bianet, however, that they would
still take legal action due to the five days they were suspended from
print.
Continuing threat
Despite the reversal of court orders in Gundem's case, unless articles
5 and 6 of the TMY are annulled as requested by President Sezer in his
application to the Constitutional Court last week, these restrictive
articles of the law will continue to threaten media freedoms in Turkey.
These articles of the TMY, one of which was used to close down Ulkede
Ozgur Gundem in the recent court order, seriously limit the media's
coverage of terrorism and terror related human rights issues including
alleged or reported violations of rights.
The article that led to Gundem's closure covers "publications openly
encouraging the commission of crimes in the scope of the activities of
a terror organization, praising committed crimes and criminals or
containing terror organization propaganda" and allows for Public
Prosecutors to issue orders in instances where delays need to be
avoided, to suspend the said publication from 15 days up to a month.
It states that the prosecutor will inform a court of the temporary and
preventative closure decision within 24 hours and if the decision is
not ratified by the court in 48 hours, the suspension will be void.
The other article Sezer has taken to court to be annulled foresee the
fining of owners and editors of publications for offences in the
publication involving "disclosure of the identities of public officials
involved in the counter terrorism struggle" and "publishing the
communiqués and statements of terror organizations" whether or
not they
have taken part in the offence. (BIA News Center, Erol ONDEROGLU,
August 9, 2006)
"Anti-Terror
Law" Ball in Constitutional Court
Representatives of Turkey's journalist organizations and concerned
journalists are calling on the Constitutional Court to act urgently to
decide on whether or not to annul articles of the new Anti-Terror Law
(TMY) that restricts media freedoms in the wake of the first
implementation of the legislation that has left two publications, both
noticeably pro-Kurdish in nature, closed for up to a month.
The 15 day print ban imposed on Ulkede Ozgur Gundem newspaper and a one
month ban slapped on the affiliated Ozgur Halk magazine were relayed to
the publications at the end of last week and are being appealed against
while prints are currently on hold.
TGS: "We said so"
Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) chairman Ercan Ipekci said the banning
orders, were expected from the very beginning of the debate on the
anti-democratic nature of the TMY that allows for closures of
publications with no formal trial or hearing.
"We shouted enough before this law was passed that closing down
newspapers would once again come on Turkey's agenda" Ipekci told bianet
in an exclusive interview. "But the intention was clear. Now they are
enforcing that intention under a legal veil".
Noting that past experience showed the Constitutional Court was often
delayed in taking decisions on issues, Ipekci warned that it was not
certain when it would annul the article before it and said even if it
did, any unjust done would remain done as Constitutional Court orders
were not retroactive.
Ipekci predicts the plea of journalists will fall on deaf ears and says
that courts will not wait for the Constitutional Court's final decision
on two controversial articles of the new law that restrict media rights
without enforcing them. "Those who are ruling, are reaching their
targets" he says.
A certain amount of criticism from the top ranks of the TGS also goes
to the mainstream media and in particular, owners of the mass
circulation newspapers. "Media owners not even made a single statement"
Ipekci points out.
"This law ties their hands and arms. The Gundem newspaper has been
closed down but do they think the same article is not applicable to
them? They could not take a bold step and instead they waited for
professional organizations and bolder pens to react. And their voice
came out weak. No one wanted to hear them."
The executive board of Turkey's Journalists Association (TGC) sent a
letter to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Monday thanking him for
asking the Constitutional Court to annul article 6/last of the TMY
which allows for judges and prosecutors to close down publications that
have "propaganda" content for periods of 15 days to a month.
Noting that Sezer's approach to freedom of press and expression were
well known, TGC chairman Orhan Erinc told bianet his application for
annulment was "concrete proof of this" but there was little else to do
at the time being other than wait for the court's decision.
"We want and expect the prosecutors and judges to implement the law in
force" Erinc said, adding that this was why a Constitutional Court
decision was needed to clear the situation. "Because of this, it is
against my opinion to say there is this law but don't implement it."
According to Erinc, as the Association is a trade organization it
needed to evaluate developments according to traditions of the
profession and freedom of expression as opposed to an angle discussing
law.
He too, like Ipekci, recalls that Constitutional Court decisions cannot
be retroactive and that even if any practice violates the constitution,
that practice would take place in its time.
Journalists react
"Birgun" newspaper columnist Dogan Tilic said on the issue, "One wishes
that the Constitutional Court could abolish the legislation that
violates the freedom of expression in a way the President has objected
to it, as soon as possible".
Criticizing the judges who issued the ban order of being "hasty" Tilic
said this example was a "serious indicator of the vacuum of the
democracy culture in Turkey" and called on the court to decide on the
issue and annul articles against media freedoms as soon as possible.
"Cumhuriyet" newspaper writer Sukran Soner said the very fact that the
President, who applied for the annulment was himself a man of law
should itself expedite the decision making process. According to Soner,
past experience shows Sezer's initiatives do achieve success.
Soner added that she hoped the justice would take into account those
articles that threaten the freedom of media and expression and that at
least some of them that are vital would be annulled to retain those
freedoms.
Ozgur Gundem under new name
In the meantime, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem newspaper owner Ali Gurbuz and
Editor Hasan Bayar have filed an appeal against the 15 day closure
through their attorneys Ozcan Kilic and Inan Akmese.
Newspaper executives said that while as of today, August 8, the
newspaper would remain closed, a new newspaper under the name of
"Toplumsal DEMOKRASI" or Social Democracy, would go into print
instead. (BIA News Center, Erol ONDEROGLU, August 8, 2006)
Kurdish Publisher Faces
3 Years in "Barzani" Case
Doz Publishing House editor Ali Riza Vural faces up to three years
imprisonment if found guilty on charges of "insulting and ridiculing
the Republic" by publishing a two-volume book on Iraqi Kurdish leader
Mullah Moustafa Barzani and the Kurdish national movement.
"Barzani and the Kurdish National Movement" was originally published in
February 2003 and an initial court case launched against it was
dismissed after a change in the law. A new investigation was launched
after its second print in May 2005, which had led to this case, which
was launched on April 6.
Vural is to appear at court for his next hearing listed for November 20
to be tried under article 301/2 of the Penal Code.
While the general content of the case is under question, its references
to Kurdish revolts during in the early 20th century are subject to
charges. The book evolved around the life and memoirs of Mullah
Moustafa Barzani (1903-1979) who was father of current Kurdistan
Democrat Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.
"The Kurds rebelled one after another" says a section of the book.
"They revolted against the imperialists and the regional states that
robbed them of their rights. All of the uprisings were crushed with
violence, In Turkey, Mustafa Kemal crushed the Kurds in a very hard
way."
Continues the excerpt subject to charges:
"Whereas he, [modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal] managed to create
the Republic, kick the Greeks our of Turkey's soil and have the allied
forces recognize the Turkish state through the Kurds. At the beginning
Mustafa Kemal was making generous offers to the Kurds but when his feet
stood strong, he forgot all the promises he had given."
Another part of the book refers to the Armenian migration in the
region, a particularly sensitive topic in Turkey and often subject to
court cases where expressed in a form that does not conform with
official history. (BIA News Center, Erol ONDEROGLU, August 8, 2006)
Suspended daily Ozgur Gundem
accuses Sezer of aiding govt to suppress press
The president was buying time for the government to prosecute certain
dailies by not moving against the Anti-Terror Law beforehand, claimed a
Pro-Kurdish daily which was suspended for 15 days late Friday.
An Istanbul court ruled to suspend daily Ozgur Gundem on charges of
"praising terror groups," a decision which came hours after President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer asked the Constitutional Court to annul several
articles of the controversial Anti-Terror Law regarding freedom of
press.
The law, which was passed late June and approved by the president last
month, drew fire from the opposition and civil groups on the grounds
that it would limit basic rights and freedoms.
Sezer has sought the annulment of articles which ease the suspension of
publications and makes owners and editor in chiefs liable to fines even
if they don't personally commit a crime.
The daily, which criticized Sezer for not vetoing the law in the first
place, also admonished the main opposition Republican People's Party
(CHP) for not opposing it as well.
In related news, on Thursday a different Istanbul court launched a case
into the daily's editor in chief Huseyin Aykol under the Anti-Terror
Law for an interview he carried out three years ago. He faces 15 years
in prison over it. (The New Anatolian, 7 August 2006)
Pro-Kurdish Daily Ozgur Gundem Closed Under "Terror Law"
A
Turkish Court has for the first time used relevant articles in the
country's newly amended Anti-Terror Law (TMY) to close down the
pro-Kurdish daily Ulkede Ozgur Gundem newspaper on charges of
"conducting continuous organizational propaganda" in apparent reference
of its coverage of developments in the Southeast region and activities
of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court decision based on a request made
by the Public Prosecutor's Office was relayed to the newspaper on
August 4, effectively banning it from print for a stretch of 15 days as
of August 5, Saturday.
Contemporary Journalists Association (CGD) Chairman Ahmet Abakay, Human
Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Chairwoman Hurriyet Sener and
Democratic Society Party (DTP) Deputy Chairman Hasip Kaplan
reacted to the decision as a spokesman for the newspaper warned they
were considering an application to the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) if the persecution continued.
The Court's decision cited article 6 of the Anti-Terror Law allowing
the banning of printing and distribution of a publication as
preventative measure after concluding that where "the issue of the
newspaper subject to offence and the previous issues that have been
investigated are evaluated in whole, it is established that the Ulkede
Ozgur Gundem continuously publishes content that is propaganda of the
terrorist organization".
It said that as a measure the printing and distribution of the
newspaper had been suspended for 15 days.
Holding a press conference at the IHD Istanbul Branch on August 5,
Gundem's news editor Nurettin Firat noted that the court had based its
closure decision on an article of
the Anti-Terror Law which President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had himself
taken to the Constitutional Court.
Firat said that if the process of what he called "illegality" against
the newspaper continued, they would file an application with the
European Court of Human Rights.
Saying that the TMY granted authority to prosecutors to rapidly close
down newspapers, Firat argued that the penalty of suspending from print
had not even gone through a trial proves and that this in itself was
not legal.
He referred to a past court case at the ECHR against Turkey which
resulted in favour of the Vakit newspaper and said they might do the
same.
IHD's Sener who also spoke at the press conference stressed the
newspaper's critical role in reporting on and uncovering human rights
violations and counter-guerrilla murders in the Southeast region,
saying the decision would prevent the people from being informed.
A number of institutions including the DTP, Socialist Democracy Party
(SDP), Education and Science Workers Union (Egitim-Sen), Mesopotamia
Culture Center (MKM), Peace Mothers, Science Education Esthetic Culture
and Arts Research Foundation (BEKSAV), Gokkusagi [Rainbow], Labourer
Womens Association (EKD), Socialist Youth Association (SGD), Public
Workers Unions Confederation (KESK) and Association of Solidarity With
Prisoner Families (TUAD) supported the press conference.
Saying that the decision did not come as a surprise, CGD Chairman Ahmet
Abakay argued that based on preparations made with laws, Turkey had
quite
recently entered a period of closing down newspapers and arresting
journalists.
"Those who passed this law [TMY] are at fault. The government is
responsible for this" Abakay said, adding "Justice Minister Cemil Cicek
was saying in relation to this law that he hoped it would not be
enforced. Laws are made to be enforced". Abakay said he hoped the
President's own application to the Constitutional Court would be a
success.
According to the CGD executive, initiatives to amend the TMY were
particularly made against publications such as Ulkede Ozgur Gundem and
added, "it is not enough to protest the TMY. We need to do everything
we can to get this law put into correct shape".
Another reaction to the closure of Gundem newspaper came from the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party. DTP Deputy Chairman Hasip Kaplan
said the closure was directed at "restricting the opposition press" and
defined the order as being in violation of the Constitution and
international conventions which would effect the harmonization period
with the European Union. "It is a situation that eliminates the freedom
of opinion and freedom of organizing" he said. (BIA News Center, Erol
Onderoglu, August 7, 2006)
Record
Number of Cases Against Turkey in the
Europen Court
It has been revelaed that Turkey has the highest number of convictions
for violating freedom of expression among European countries.
Strasbourg Court’s 22 of the 29 convictions over violation of freedom
of expression in 2006 are against Turkey. The total amount of
compensation Turkey paid in 2006 for violating frrdom of expression and
related fair tial demands is over 100 thousand euros. In 2005 55 of 66
complaints over freedom of expression taken to European Court are
against Turkey.
Turkey got convicted 38 times last year under article 10 protecting
freedom of expression which makes her the country convicted her
citizens most for freedom of expression. Turkey was convicted in 11
different freedom of expression cases on the same day, on 8 July 1999.
Most of those cases were originated in OHAL (State of Emergency) Law,
former ATL, Law for Protecting Ataturk and the orders of the State
Security Courts closed in 2003. In 2005 Turkey paid 325 thousand TL
only over Anti-Terror Law. Article 301 of TPC and the new ATL are
expected to cause an increase in the number of cases against Turkey in
the Europen Court.
67 people tried for disclosing
opinion
BİAnet's Meida Monitoring Report published in July reveals that at
present 67 writers and jouralists are being tried over expressing
opinion in 56 cases. Most of the cases is under article 301/159
“insulting Turkishness and the institutions of the state” and article
288 “attempting to influence the outcome of a trial”.
European Court’s interpretation on the controversial articles of the
new ATL and the TPC is awaited yet It is known that since
Handyslide-Britain case in 1976 Strasbourg Court considers “aggresive,
shocking and disturbing” ideas against the public authorities in the
scope of freedom of expression unless “violence is encouraged in a way
to cause material damage to public order”.
The EU is against article 301
The EU asked for the amndment of article 301 since amndments in TPC.
Draft Progress Report also demans removal or change in articles 216,
277, 285, 288, 305 and 318. Olli Rehn, Member of EC in charge of
Enlatgement also asked the removal of article 301 following Hrant
Dink’s conviction. Dink is preparing to take the matter to the European
Court following his conviction for “insulting Turkishness.”
(antenna-tr.org, August 4, 2006)
15
years asked for Journalist Hüseyin Aykol over an Interview
The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has charged "Ulkede Ozgur
Gundem" Editor-in-Chief Huseyin Aykol with "membership to an armed
terror organization" due a 2003 interview he conducted with members and
executives of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK/Kongra-Gel) organization
in a mountain camp.
The prosecution's case coincides with the first implementation of media
restriction articles of Turkey's Anti-Terror Law whereby two
pro-Kurdish publications Akyol has been involved with, have been banned
from print.
Akyol's Ulkede Ozgur Gundem newspaper (the Free Agenda in the Country)
has been suspended from print for 15 days while the affiliated monthly
Ozgur Halk (Free People) magazine has been banned for a month. Both
publications were accused of carrying content in the nature of
propaganda for a terror organization.
Akyol's first hearing has been listed for September 26 at the Istanbul
9th High Criminal Court and if found guilty of membership to a
terrorist organization, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment.
The charges leveled against him stem from a trip he made to the Kandil
mountains in August 2003 where he interviewed PKK militants and
executives, covered their life and views. At that time he was the
Foreign News Editor of the newspaper.
In May this year Akyol was detained by Anti-Terrorism teams while
leaving the Istanbul Besiktas Justice Hall after which the Istanbul
Public Prosecutor's Office concluded a preparatory investigation
against him.
His interviews were seen as being evidence to his "membership to an
armed terror organization" and charges have been brought against him
under articles 314/2 and 53 of the Turkish Penal Code and article 5 of
the new Anti-Terror Law (TMY).
While his alleged offence was committed almost three years before the
current TMY went into effect, the prosecution is also demanding for
Akyol to be stripped of all electoral and social rights under the new
law, another first in the enforcement of this controversial legislation.
The indictment on Akyol cites as evidence a connection to photographs
that were seized at Ozgur Halk magazine offices in Istanbul on July 15,
2004. The photographs, allegedly those of organization members, were
later sent to other provinces and shown to captured PKK/Kongra-Gel
members for identification purposes.
A prisoner identified as Hakan Bazo and arrested in Adana in January
2005 is alleged to have pointed out Huseyin Aykol among the pictures
and said he was the journalist who visited the PKK camp in 2003 and
interviewed the leaders and militants. (BIA News Center, Erol
ONDEROGLU, August 8, 2006)
Erdogan
poursuit un caricaturiste qui l'avait
dépeint comme une tique
Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a porté plainte
contre un
caricaturiste et un hebdomadaire satyrique pour un dessin le
représentant sous la forme d'une tique, a annoncé
mercredi un de ses
avocats à l'AFP.
Me Fatih Sahin a indiqué avoir déposé une plainte
mardi devant un
tribunal d'Ankara contre le magazine Leman et le dessinateur Mahmet
Cagcag pour offense au Premier ministre, après la publication du
dessin
incriminé en Une de l'hebdomadaire le 6 juillet dernier.
Faisant référence à une fièvre
hémorragique transmise par les tiques
qui a tué une vingtaine de personnes cette année en
Turquie, Mahmet
Cagcag avait dessiné M. Erdogan sous la forme d'une tique
mordant dans
la tête d'un homme et écrit en légende qu'il
faisait "souffrir la
Turquie".
Me Sahin a expliqué que le Premier ministre réclamait
25.000 livres turques (13.000 euros) de dommages et
intérêts.
L'avocat a précisé qu'aucune date n'avait encore
été fixée pour le
procès mais qu'il allait probablement débuter à la
rentrée judiciaire,
en septembre.
Cette procédure est la quatrième engagée par M.
Erdogan pour des
caricatures.Le Premier ministre a perdu les trois
précédents procès.
En avril 2004, il avait attaqué le quotidien de gauche Evrensel
pour un
dessin le représentant sous les traits d'un cheval, monté
par un de ses
conseillers.
Il avait poursuivi le journal Cumhuriyet en février 2005 pour
une
caricature le dépeignant comme un chat emmêlé dans
une pelote de laine,
puis, un mois plus tard, le magazine satyrique Penguen, qui l'avait
représenté sous la forme de divers animaux pour marquer
son soutien à
Cumhuriyet.
Ces poursuites ont soulevé une vague de critiques dans la presse
turque, qui s'est interrogée sur la sincérité du
chef de gouvernement
lorsqu'il s'affirme déterminé à accroître la
liberté d'expression en
Turquie pour faciliter l'entrée du pays dans l'Union
européenne. (AFP,
2 août 2006)
WIPC
Campaign For Elif Safak's Trial Set for 21 September 2006
From: Writers in Prison Committee
(WiPC), International PEN, cmccann@wipcpen.org
The trial against Elif Safak, a highly respected and best-selling
author, will open on 21 September 2006 before the Istanbul Beyoglu 2nd
Criminal Court of First Instance. She, alongside publisher Semih
Sökmen
and translator Asli Bican, are facing trial on charges of “insulting
Turkish
