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
Turkishness” under the notorious Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal
Code. They are accused in connection with Shafak"s book, The Bastard of
Istanbul. International PEN considers that Article 301 of the Turkish
Penal Code falls foul of international standards that protect the right
to freedom of expression and to which Turkey is a signatory. It urges
that the court hearing the case takes this breach into consideration
and reconsiders its decision to proceed with the case.
In June 2006, the Beyoglu Public Prosecutor in Istanbul dismissed
proceedings launched against Shafak after hearing Safak and
Sökmen"s
argument that the book was a work of literature and it was therefore
not appropriate for prosecution. They added that the book aimed to
promote the culture of peace. However, in early July the Istanbul 7th
High Criminal Court over-ruled the decision not to proceed, following a
complaint filed by Kemal Kerincsiz, a member of a group of right wing
lawyers known as the “Unity of Jurists” who have been active in the
launching of prosecutions of numerous writers and journalists in recent
months. The trial date has not yet been set.
Safak"s book tells the story of two families one based in
Istanbul,
the other an exiled Armenian family living in San Francisco - who share
a family secret dating from the early 19th century that continues to
effect the lives of their daughters in the present. Originally written
in English, the book was published by the Metis Publishing House in
March 2006 and has since become a best seller. It is due to be
published in English by Viking/Penguin. To read an interview with Elif
Shafak on the trial go to
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,,1827788,00.html
Background
Elif Safak was born in France and spent her childhood in Spain. After
studying political science in Turkey, she held teaching positions in
the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the United States. She is now Assistant
Professor in the Dept. of Near Eastern Studies at University of
Arizona. Her publications include both novels and essays, among them
The Saint of Incipient Insanities, which was her first book published
in English, Bit Palas, Mahrem, which won the Turkish Writers"
Association Best Novel of the Year Award. For more details go to
http://www.rusoffagency.com/fiction/thesaint/elif_shafak_bionotes.htm
Metis Publishing House website: http://www.metiskitap.com/Scripts/
Please send appeals:
- Urging that there be a reconsideration of the decision to proceed
with the case against Elif Shafak, Semih Sökmen and Asli Bican;
- Expressing dismay that writers, journalists and publishers continue
to be brought before the courts in violation of their right to freedom
of expression;
- Urging that there be an end to these trials and that there be a
review its legislation with the aim of removing all remaining laws that
allow for the prosecution of those who practice their right to write
and publish freely;
- Calling on the Turkish government to do all that it can to abide by
its commitments to the protection and promotion of freedom of
expression.
Appeals to:
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara
Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476
Foreign Minister and State Minister for Human Rights
Mr Abdullah Gül
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara
Turkey
Fax: +90 312 287 8811
TIHV's Report on
Recent Pressures on the Media
August 29, 2006
Historian and Publisher on Trial... Public Prosecutor in Beyoglu
launched a court case against sumerologist Muazzez Ilmiye Çig
and
director of Çag ve Analiz Publishing Ismet
Ögütücü in connection with
the book of Cig with the title “My Reactions as a Citizen”. The
indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced according to the
Article 216/2 (inciting people hatred and enmity) and increase of the
sentence according to the Article 218 (article for increasing sentences
commited by means of press). The book is a compilation of Cig’s letters
to Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he had been Istanbul mayor and articles
published in 1997 in the journal “Bilim ve Ütopya”. Cig alleges in
the
book that headscarf was used in the past to distinguish women from each
other. She gives the example that bitches during Sumer period were
using headscarves and Prophet Mohammed also wanted females in his
family to use headscarves to be distinguished. (Cumhuriyet)
August 28, 2006
Journalist on Trial… On 24 August Bagcilar Penal Court of First
Instance No 2 started and concluded the case against Murat Yetkin,
writer with the daily Radikal, launched for the article he wrote on 18
September 2005 in connection with the trial of Orhan Pamuk. The court
decided the drop of the case on the grounds that the case was not
launched within the legal time limit. The indictment wanted Yetkin to
be sentenced for “attempting to effect fair trial” (Article 288 TPC).
(BIA)
Kurdish Books Seized… Kurdish editions of the cartoon “Pippi” written
by Swedish author Astrid Lindgrens were allegedly seized in Istanbul.
According to the news of the Swedish TT news agency. 1208 books brought
to Turkey to be sent to the Southeastern Anatolia region were seized on
the allegations that “there was deficiency in customs documents” and
“official permission was not taken from National Education Ministry”.
(25 August, Hürriyet)
Journalists and Demonstrators on Trial… On 25 August Adana Heavy Penal
Court N0 7 continued to hear the case against correspondents with Dicle
News Agency Evrim Dengiz and Nesrin Yazar, and 7 persons who were among
people who were detained the demonstration staged on 15 February in
Sanliurfa in connection with the anniversary of Abdullah Öcalan’s
being
brought to Turkey (1999). The expertise report concerning the materials
used to make molotov cocktails that were allegedly found in the car of
the journalists. Lawyer Özcan Kiliç emphasized that there
was not
detention minute and put that “the detention of the journalists were
extra-legal and the evidences that were allegedly found in the car are
invalid.” (26 August, Özgür Gündem)
Journalists Beaten… Hüsamettin Erbas, editor-in-chief of the local
newspaper “Bölgede Gelecek”, was beaten by Deputy Mayor
Gürbüz
Süleymanoglu and his guards during the ceremony organized for the
start
of a mosque construction by Esenyurt Municipality in Istanbul on 26
August. Reportedly, Mayor Necmi Kadioglu (from the AKP) got angry with
Erbas in connection with the published news against him during the
ceremony, and afterwards Süleymanoglu and the guards beat Erbas.
Erbas,
who made an official complaint to the public prosecutor in
Büyükçekmece, stated that he had been beaten by
Süleymanoglu before.
(27 August, Cumhuriyet)
August 24, 2006
Journalist on Trial... General Chamber of the Court of Cassation
confirmed the decision of acquittal given by Ankara Heavy Penal Court
No 2 against the journalist Tuncay Özkan. The case had been
launched
against Özkan on the allegation that he “insulted the former
Interior
Minister Saadettin Tantan” in his articles published on the daily
Milliyet on 20-23 April 2001. The acquittal decision given by Ankara
Penal Court of First Instance No 2 had been quashed by the 4th Penal
Chamber of the Court of Cassation. However, when the Chief Public
Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation objected the decision the file had
been sent to the General Chamber of the Court of Cassation, who put the
followings in the decision: “The style of the criticism, its being rude
and impolite is related with the aim of the writer his/her psychology,
level of education and culture. However, it should be accepted that
freedom of press includes exaggeration and even incitement to a certain
extend. Expressions used by the journalists, even they include polemic,
cannot be seen as unfounded individual attacks when supported by
objective explanations. Hard criticisms should be welcomed as natural
by the people working or seek to work for public. The action does not
include insult and humiliation.” (Radikal)
August 16, 2006
Journalist and DEP MPs on Trial… On 15 August, Bagcilar Penal Court of
First Instance No 2 concluded the case against Nese Düzel, writer
of
the daily Radikal, and former DEP MP Orhan Dogan, a founder of
Democratic Society Party on the allegation of “making propaganda of
illegal organization”. The court decided the case to be dropped on the
grounds that it was not launched within legal time limit. In his
summing up the case Public Prosecutor wanted the case to be closed on
the grounds that it had launched on 2 November 2005 although the
interview titled “Öcalan Will be Released One Day” had been
published
on 15 August 2005. (Birgün)
August 11, 2006
Pressure in Prisons… Elif Zavar, wife of Erol Zavar (former
editor-in-chief of the journal Odak) who incarcerated in Sincan F-type
Prison, announced that her arm was stamped with a seal used for letters
writing “it was seen” when she went to visit her husband on 7 August.
Eliz Zavar told that she was told, without this stamp, she would not be
allowed to see her husband who suffers from bladder cancer so she had
to accept to be stamped. Zavar told: “He had his last operation on 2
August. He is kept in a cell with two other prisoners. His illness is
very serious so I had to see him.” Lawyer Selçuk
Kozagaçli told that it
was an arbitrary implication to stamp Zavar: “It is an extremely
shameful and unacceptable implication. It is extra-legal and against
the laws. They conduct such arbitrary implications saying that the
computers do not work. The execution system has collapsed. They
ill-treat families during visits. They make the visits of families and
lawyers very difficult by using technical difficulties as an excuse.”
(Özgür Gündem)
Concert Hindered… Selçuk Municipality decided to cancel the
concert of
the band Grup Yorum that would be held on 6 August in Selçuk
district
of Izmir. Spokesman of the band Inan Altin told that they took all the
necessary permissions for the concert but a letter signed by
Selçuk
Mayor Vefa Ülgür saying that the concert was cancelled sent
to the
organizing company. Altin said that they had got permissions before
from Security Directorate and the municipality. (ANF)
August 3, 2006
Publisher on Trial... On 26 July, Beyoglu Penal Court First Instance No
2 started to hear the case against Abdullah Yilmaz, the editor-in-chief
of the publishing house Literatür Publishing House, according to
the
Article 301 TPC on the grounds that the Turks were insulted in the book
of Mara Meimaridi entitled “The Witches of Smyrna”. The court decided
that the case should not have been launched against Yilmaz and sent the
indictment back to the Public Prosecutor. (BIA)
August 1, 2006
Writer on Trial... A court case was launched against the author Elif
Safak in connection with her novel “Baba ve Piç (Father and
Bastard)”
on charges of “insulting Turks” according to the Article 301 TPC. An
investigation had been launched upon the complaint of the Lawyer Kemal
Kerinçsiz but the Public Prosecutor in Beyoglu had decided not
to
prosecute Safak in June. Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 7 that handled
the case upon the appeal of Kemal Kerinçsiz for the cancellation
of the
decision and the court lifted the decision. The case would commence on
21 September at Beyoglu Penal Court of First Instance No 2. (Radikal)
Journalists Detained... Owners of local paper in Tunceli “Emek”
Hüsniye
Karakoyun, Umut Karakoyun and Dilek Karakoyun were detained on 27 July
for sending an e-mail to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the
grounds that Governor Mustafa Erkal was not giving official
advertisements to the paper. They were released on 28 July. Ayse Tozan,
working for the journal Özgür Halk, was detained on 28 July
in Salihli
district of Manisa. (Gerçek Gündem-Özgür
Gündem)
Kurdish
Question / Question kurde
Lynch attempt against Kurdish workers in Konya
A crowded group attacked the Kurdish workers in Bozkir district of
Konya on 28 August. According to the news gathered a quarrel broke out
between 6 workers from a marble factory and 25 workers from a
construction company. Afterwards some 1000 persons gathered on the city
square and they started to shout slogans against Kurds.
They also raided a coffee house where Kurdish workers were going
frequently and beat Salih Yesilmen and another person. Police saved the
workers by firing into air. The group went to the construction. Since
they could not find any other worker there they came back to the
square.
When the crowd was waiting on the square the Kurdish workers were taken
out of the district.
According to the news erleased by Firat News Agency the worker with the
first name Hasan said that the incidents continued all night long and
people were cursing and threatening Kurds. The police also did not
intervene. The worker Hayri Can stressed that villagers were brought
from village to attack the Kurds.
Earlier, the following lynch attempts against Kurds have been reported
by the press:
April 8, 2006: In Erzincan, a group of rightist activists attacked the
spokesmen of the Youth Association of Erzincan holding a press
conference. Attackers attempted to lynch them as well as DTP
Vice-Chairman Hüseyin Sahin.
May 5, 2006: In Kemalpasa District of Izmir province, during a dispute
between Kurdish tradesmen and municipal agents, a group of Grey Wolves
(members of the MHP) attempted to lynch Kurds. Some Kurds were
seriously wounded and some others were expelled from the area.
June 3, 2006: In Torbali district of Izmir province, a dispute during a
wedding ceremony was followed by a lynch attempt against Kurdish
community.
July 2006: In Ödemis district of Izmir province, 16 season workers
of Kurdish origin were attacked by a rightist group attempting to lynch
them. (Radikal-Özgür Gündem-TIHV, August
31, 2006)
Kongra Gel Condemns Bomb
Attacks
Kongra-Gel (People’s Congress of Kurdistan) Presidency condemns
the
bomb attacks that killed 3 people in the turistic region of Turkey.
The written statement of Kongra Gel indicated that, “Koma Komalen
Kurdistan (KKK, Confederalism of Kurdistan, Kongra Gel is the Assembly)
made a peace declaration declared on 23 August 2006 and they supported
this. They also indicated that they were in search of solution without
violence for the resolution of the Kurdish question and they expected a
resopnse on this regard.
Kongra Gel also in the statement expressed their condolences for the
dead. (ANF, Firat News Agency, August 29, 2006)
Les attentats pourraient fragiliser le tourisme en
Turquie
Les attentats survenus ces deux derniers jours dans des sites
touristiques en Turquie, revendiqués par un groupe kurde
extrémiste,
risquent de fragiliser le secteur vital du tourisme déjà
touché par la
grippe aviaire et la crise des caricatures de Mahomet.
Il ne fait nul doute que les attaques visaient essentiellement un
secteur qui est la "poule aux oeufs d'or" du Trésor turc.
Il est impossible de mesurer dans l'immédiat l'impact pour le
tourisme
des attaques survenus à Marmaris (sud-ouest), Antalya (sud) et
Istanbul
(nord-ouest) qui ont au total tué trois personnes et
blessé près d'une
cinquantaine d'autres, dont dix touristes Britanniques.
Pour le président de l'influente Union des agences de
voyage (Türsab),
Basaran Ulusoy, ces attentats n'auront aucun impact sur le tourisme
turc.
"Cela se produit un peu partout, les évoquer sans cesse signifie
en
quelque sorte donner des points au terrorisme", affirme-t-il à
l'AFP.
Mais certains professionnels se montrent plus inquiets.
"Chaque fois que le tourisme reprend un peu, il se produit une
nouvelle chose", a déclaré le président des
hôteliers de la côte
méditerranéenne, Osman Ayik, au quotidien Vatan.
Il exhorte à un renforcement des mesures de
sécurité sur les sites
touristiques, craignant que de nouveaux incidents ne se produisent avec
pour conséquence de chasser les touristes et tarir les revenus
de cette
industrie.
Timur Bayindir, à la tête de l'union des investisseurs du
tourisme, a
noté pour sa part que "des attentats de ce genre ont lieu
partout dans
le monde. Il est impossible de les prévenir à 100%".
Le tourisme a rapporté au pays 18,1 milliards de dollars (14,1
milliards d'euros) en 2005.
La Turquie s'attendait à quelque 20 millions de touristes cette
année
mais des facteurs comme la grippe aviaire, qui a tué quatre
personnes
en janvier dans l'est de la Turquie, et la crise des caricatures de
Mahomet, ont provoqué une baisse de 6,4% du nombre de visiteurs
étrangers depuis le début de l'année par rapport
à 2005, selon les
statistiques officielles.
10,9 millions de touristes sont venus en Turquie sur sept mois,
jusqu'à la fin juillet, selon ces chiffres>.
Cemalettin Özdemir, le sous-préfet de Marmaris, une
région dont les
belles plages sont prisées par des dizaines de milliers de
touristes
britanniques et scandinaves, a affirmé dans une entretien
téléphonique
à l'AFP qu'il ne fallait pas céder à la "panique".
"Nous n'avons pas d'informations sur des visiteurs qui ont fui notre
ville" après l'attaque, a-t-il dit.
Les agences de voyage contactés par l'AFP n'ont signalé
mardi aucune annulation significative de réservations.
Toutefois les deux plus grands voyagistes allemands, TUI et Thomas
Cook, proposent depuis lundi soir des changements de réservation
sans
frais pour leurs clients ayant réservé un voyage en
Turquie.
Plusieurs pays, dont la France, la Grande-Bretagne, la Belgique, la
Finlande et les Pays-Bas ont recommandé la "vigilance" à
leurs
ressortissants voyageant en Turquie, sans leur déconseiller de
s'y
rendre.
A Londres, Sean Tipton de la fédération des
tour-opérateurs a fait état
de peu d'annulations de réservations vers la Turquie. Environ
1,8
million de Britanniques ont visité la Turquie en 2005.
Il a expliqué que ses concitoyens britanniques étaient
habitués aux
menaces terroristes. "Après 40 ans de terrorisme ici, vous avez
tendance à les ignorer", a-t-il affirmé. (AFP, 29
août 2006)
Trois
morts dans une explosion en Turquie
après une série d'attentats
Le secteur vital du tourisme en Turquie a de nouveau été
la cible d'une
explosion lundi à Antalya (sud), qui a fait trois morts,
après une
série d'attentats ayant blessé 27 personnes la veille
dans une station
balnéaire et à Istanbul, et revendiqués par un
groupe armé kurde.
L'explosion d'origine indéterminée survenue à
Antalya a fait trois
morts et 20 blessés, tous Turcs, a affirmé à l'AFP
une responsable du
gouvernorat d'Antalya, qui a démenti la présence de
touristes étrangers
parmi les victimes soignées à l'hôpital.
Selon le ministère israélien des Affaires
étrangères, "quatre
Israéliens membres d'une même famille ont
été légèrement blessés dans
l'explosion".
Un porte-parole de la police d'Antalya, Akif Aktug, cité par
l'agence
Anatolie, a indiqué que la déflagration s'était
produite en face d'un
souk, devant un immeuble de la municipalité, et avait
été à l'origine
d'un début d'incendie.
Cette explosion est survenue au lendemain d'une série
d'attentats
dimanche soir, revendiqués par le groupe armée Les
Faucons de la
liberté du Kurdistan (TAK), dans la station touristique
méditerranéenne
de Marmaris (sud-ouest) et à Istanbul, qui ont fait 27
blessés, dont
dix Britanniques.
Sur leur site internet, les TAK ont affirmé lundi avoir commis
ces
attentats en représailles aux mesures de confinement dont fait
l'objet
le chef historique des séparatistes kurdes, Abdullah Öcalan.
A Marmaris, station balnéaire prisée des Britanniques et
des touristes
scandinaves, trois explosions quasi simultanées ont fait
dimanche soir
21 blessés, dont dix Britanniques, selon le gouverneur local,
Temel
Koçaklar.
La première déflagration s'est produite à bord
d'un minibus sur une des principales artères, bordée de
bars et restaurants.
Près de trois quarts d'heure plus tard, une seconde explosion a
eu lieu
près du port de Marmaris, puis une troisième à
proximité d'une zone
résidentielle, toutes deux dans des poubelles, sans faire de
victime,
selon les chaînes de télévision d'information
CNN-Türk et NTV.
Dix Britanniques blessés étaient toujours soignés
dans deux hôpitaux de
Marmaris et ils ont reçu lundi la visite de l'ambassadeur du
Royaume-Uni à Ankara, Peter Westmacott.
"La vie de nos ressortissants n'est pas en danger", a
déclaré le diplomate, cité par l'agence Anatolie.
Par ailleurs, à Istanbul, l'explosion d'un colis
piégé dans la partie
européenne de la première ville du pays a fait six
blessés, tous turcs
et dont aucun n'est dans un état grave, selon Anatolie, citant
le chef
de la police métropolitaine Celalettin Cerrah.
L'engin placé près d'un bâtiment officiel du
quartier populaire de Bagcilar a explosé vers 18H30 GMT, a-t-il
dit.
Les Faucons de la liberté du Kurdistan, avaient annoncé
en avril leur
intention de prendre pour cibles des zones touristiques afin de tarir
cette importante source de revenus.
Ils ont déjà revendiqué plusieurs attentats, dont
une attaque qui a
coûté la vie en juillet 2005 à cinq personnes, dont
une adolescente
irlandaise et une Britannique, dans la station balnéaire de
Kusadasi
(ouest).
Le tourisme a généré 18,1 milliards de dollars
(14,1 milliards d'euros)
de revenus pour la Turquie en 2005. Déjà affecté
par d'autres facteurs
comme la grippe aviaire, qui a tué quatre personnes en janvier
en
Turquie, et la crise des caricatures de Mahomet, ce secteur a connu une
baisse de 6,4% du nombre de visiteurs étrangers depuis le
début de
l'année par rapport à 2005, selon les statistiques
officielles. (AFP,
28 août 2006)
Plusieurs explosions en Turquie: 27
blessés dont 10 britanniques
Vingt-sept personnes, six à Istanbul et 21 dans la station
balnéaire de
Marmaris, dont dix Britanniques, ont été blessées
dans une série
d'attentats dans la soirée de dimanche en Turquie, ont
annoncé les
médias turcs.
A Marmaris, une station balnéaire du sud de la Turquie, trois
explosions ont fait 21 blessés, 11 turcs et 10 britanniques, a
indiqué
l'agence de presse Anatolie.
La première déflagration s'est produite à bord
d'un minibus dans une
des principales artères de la ville, faisant 21 blessés,
dont 10
touristes britanniques. Selon la chaîne de
télévision CNN-Turquie, elle
a été provoquée par l'explosion d'une bombe
placée sous un siège.
Près de trois quarts d'heure plus tard, une seconde explosion a
eu lieu
près du port de Marmaris, puis une troisième à
proximité d'une zone
résidentielle, sans faire de victime, a précisé
CNN-Turquie.
Aucune confirmation officielle n'a pu être obtenue pour l'instant.
Une porte-parole du ministère des Affaires
étrangères à Londres avait
indiqué auparavant que dix Britanniques se trouvaient parmi les
blessés, et avaient été transportés
à l'hôpital local. Quatre sont dans
un état grave, mais leurs jours ne sont pas en danger, a
précisé un
porte-parole de l'hôpital.
A Istanbul, l'explosion d'un colis piégé dans la partie
européenne de
la ville a par ailleurs fait six blessés, tous turcs dont aucun
n'est
dans un état critique, selon l'agence de presse Anatolie, citant
le
chef de la police locale. (AFP, 28 août 2006)
Un mort
et six blessés dans le conflit armé au Sud et Sud-Est
Un civil a été tué et deux militaires
blessés dans un affrontement
survenu dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi près de la ville
de Bitlis,
dans le sud-est de la Turquie, avec des militants kurdes, a
rapporté
l'agence de presse Anatolie.
La victime, un homme qui ramassait du bois dans une petite forêt
quand
ont éclaté des heurts entre une patrouille militaire et
des militants
du PKK, a été tuée sur le coup, selon l'agence.
Deux soldats blessés ont été
hospitalisés.
Deux bombes ont explosé à cinq minutes d'intervalle
vendredi soir dans
le centre-ville d'Adana, au sud de la Turquie, faisant quatre
blessés,
a rapporté l'agence de presse Anatolie.
Le premier engin a explosé devant une banque, le second dans un
immeuble de bureaux situé dans la même rue et
hébergeant les sections
locales de trois partis politiques de gauche -dont celui du Parti
républicain du peuple (CHP, social-démocrate)- ainsi que
d'une
association de défense des droits de l'Homme.
Selon les premiers éléments de l'enquête, les deux
engins sont des
bombes assourdissantes, ont affirmé des sources
policières citées par
Anatolie, faisant référence à des dispositifs
artisanaux de faible
puissance.
Ces sources n'ont pas évoqué de piste ou de revendication.
Le siège régional du CHP à Diyarbakir, la
principale ville du sud-est
anatolien à population majoritairement kurde, a
été visé le 6 août par
un attentat qui n'a pas fait de victime. (AFP, 25 août 2006)
KKK’s
proposal for the resolution of the Kurdish question
Declaration of KKK (Kurdistan
Democratic Confederalism) Executive Council for a democratic resolution
of the Kurdish question:
The Middle East as a geographical region where there is heightened
conflict continues to dominate the world’s agenda. Although this could
be due to it being a place where the world system was formed, the main
reason is due to the region not having democratizing. When a democratic
culture is not fully developed, society and political forces are not
respecting of the rights of each other, hence the results are
conflicts. The reason and basis for the intervention of foreign forces
is due to the fact that the political systems in the region are not
democratic.
One of the fundamental reasons why the Middle East cannot democratize
is the fact that the Kurdish question remains left unresolved. This
question is not resolved at the fundamental level, hence all the
efforts to solve other issues in the region are ineffective and cannot
bring stability.
The responsibility for the question being left unresolved lies with
both the international and regional forces. As a consequence, the
Kurdish people have suffered grievously. However, the forces that are
dominant over Kurdistan have not attained peace.
Without democratization, peace will not develop in the Middle East and
the suspicions and anxiety felt by Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Persians,
Assyrians, and Israelis against each other will go on. The tension that
has developed through this will inevitably lead to future conflict.
The regional states, who have maintained policies according to a world
shaped by the Lausanne Treaty, which denies the rights of the Kurdish
people, have thus never acknowledged the Kurds as a people and shown
the Kurds only force. These states do not have any positive policy
towards the Kurds. They have only one policy and that is when Kurds
seek their freedom, as is their right, they are suppressed with
violence. Today this same mentality manifests itself in an anti-Kurdish
alliance of Turkey, Iran and Syria. Throughout history the Kurds have
resisted the same policy of annihilation and we have now reached a
point of impasse. The pioneer of this mentality is the Turkish state
with its policy of violence against the Kurdish people, which has
resulted in much conflict and tension.
The new period in the world and in the Middle East and the achievements
gained by the Kurdish Freedom Movement has put the states of Turkey and
Iran into a mood of panic. They are both experiencing difficulties in
continuing with their denial and annihilation policies. It is because
of this that they have initiated a series of attacks against our
movement since the spring. While Turkey is forming alliances with both
Iran and Syria, it is also putting effort into strengthening alliances
with the USA and the Iraqi state in order to develop this policy of
confrontation. When it cannot achieve its aims it puts on the agenda
cross border military operations.
Many groups of prominent people in Turkey and internationally,
including many intellectuals, writers, civil society institutions and
the South Kurdistan Federal Government, have issued proposals and calls
on both sides for a ceasefire. Recently the USA Foreign Ministry
Spokesman also made a call on our movement for a unilateral ceasefire
and disarmament. Unfortunately, calls for unilateral efforts to resolve
the conflict are not adequate. If this were the case, we would have put
all our effort into doing unilaterally whatever was necessary to solve
the issue. However, the history of our struggle has shown that
unilateral actions are not enough to solve the issue.
Public opinion also knows full well that the Leadership of our Movement
has made numerous unilateral ceasefires during the years of 1993, 1995,
and 1998 all in attempt to open the path to a democratic resolution.
However, these did not bring a solution. In fact, the Turkish state
used it as an opportunity to seek to liquidate our movement by
increasing its attacks. When it became clear that all these efforts
were inconclusive and with the call of our Leadership Abdullah Ocalan
in Imrali on 2 August 1999 our movement abandoned the armed struggle
strategy. Thus the guerrilla forces withdrew beyond the border of
Turkey and positioned themselves in a line of self-defense. In this way
our movement gave another opportunity to Turkey to freely find the will
to resolve the issue without putting on any pressure. Turkey, which had
no reason not to take step to resolve the issue, still did not show any
will to adopt this course. Turkey, despite pressures both internally
and internationally, continued the denial and annihilation policies
under new political conditions. They adopted measures, which could only
be regarded as an insult to the Kurdish people, such as the permission
for 45 minute Kurdish television broadcasts and private Kurdish courses
which opened under enormous restrictions. They openly declared their
real intentions by repeating many times statements such as the
following, “we have done what was necessary, so no-one should ask from
us any other steps”.
We made several calls to the state of Turkey to stop the delay and
annihilation by putting off into future policy. Nevertheless, on March
2003 in response to the creation of the Kurdish federation in Iraq
Kurdistan following the intervention of the USA in Iraq, the Turkish
state formed an alliance with Iran and Syria in fear of a larger
Kurdistan. To put a stop to the growth in Kurdish freedom they
re-initiated extensive military operations and pressure policies.
Against these attacks on 1 June 2004 the period of self-defense was
forced on us. In our new struggle strategy the HPG (People’s
Self-Defence Forces) is not a force pursuing struggle as an armed
struggle but is engaged in armed self-defense against armed attacks on
our people. In the face of attacks launched on us the new period began
with the retaliatory actions of the HPG.
On 10 August 2005 our movement began a 1 month no action period as a
friendly gesture to Prime Minister Erdogan’s speech in Diyarbakir and
in response to peace efforts of a group of intellectuals to give a
chance to peace and democratic solution. In reply, however, the Turkish
military increased its attacks and as a result during the 1 month no
action period the HPG forces losses multiplied fourfold. Prime Minister
Erdogan by not following through his word supported the violence
perpetrated by the military. The attempts at a peaceful political
resolution and the actions of the Kurdish people were judged as
weakness and desperation by the political tradition that is used to
seeing everything in terms of force in arms and violence.
While the world has entered a period of dialogue in these types of
issues as a solution, there is only one reason for the closing of all
routes to dialogue with the Kurdish Freedom Movement and opting for
annihilation. That is, the fact that the Turkish state is determined to
follow its denial and annihilation policies because it depends on its
military and political strength.
The Kurdish Freedom Movement is not the party which is running away
from a peaceful solution to the question nor is it the one that is
insistent on violence. We do not see violence as a method to solving
the issue. On the contrary, we have made great sacrifices,
unilaterally, for a democratic resolution and peace. If the
interlocutors show the necessary will for a resolution there will be no
obstacle preventing it. Like our Leadership declared years ago, we are
searching for an interlocutor. If Turkey shows the will for a solution
there will be a ceasefire in one day and the issue will move towards a
solution. We have many times declared several proposals for a
resolution and issued projects that could be rejected before public
opinion. However, no serious proposals for a solution have been put in
front of us. For this reason we are not responsible for the current
crisis and the continuing conflict. Despite all this, our movement has
acted responsibly, demonstrated every possible effort and sensitivity
so as not to escalate the conflict and exceed the limits of
self-defense.
We believe that the current crisis and conflict brings harm to the
Turkish, Kurdish and indeed all the peoples of the Middle East. For
this reason and having taken into account the calls and desire for
peace of some international forces, international institutions, and
various circles, and in the framework of Leadership’s latest peace
calls, we have decided to take a new step.
With this objective, we as the Koma Komalen Kurdistan (KKK,
Confederalism of Kurdistan) Executive Council came together during 7-9
August 2006, discussed the situation and decided that for peace and
democracy a new period must be initiated.
To this end the Turkish state must issue a statement to show the will
for dialogue and solution, cease its attacks and end the heavy
isolation conditions on our Leadership. These are not conditions; these
are steps that any side needs to take in order to make a good gesture.
If these positive steps are taken by the Turkish state, Koma
Komalên
Kurdistan Executive Council will make all necessary efforts for the
development of a ceasefire by the HPG. 1st September World Peace Day is
an important opportunity to start such a process. Our people and
movement will do whatever necessary from this day on to voice every
opportunity for peace and democratic solution and we will increase our
democratic actions on 1st September. The Turkish state, from its side,
can follow its democratic will in the development of this process by
showing peaceful efforts.
The two sides can develop a basis, with these steps to cease the
conflict, and then the possibility of the second phase can come onto
the agenda. The second phase will be the start of the democratic
solution of the Kurdish question. A perspective of democratic autonomy
within the borders of Turkey, which enables the freedom of the Kurdish
question, can be a pivotal for a permanent solution.
The framework for the steps that need to be developed mutually in the
second phase for a permanent solution:
1- The acknowledgement of the Kurdish identity and the constitutional
guarantee of all identities under the identity of a Citizen of Turkey
as the main identity,
2- The lifting of obstacles on the development of the Kurdish language
and culture, the acknowledgement of education in the mother tongue and
Kurdish acknowledged as the official second language alongside Turkish
in the Kurdistan region, and with this to show respect to other
minority cultures,
3- The acknowledgement, on the basis of freely practicing politics and
organizing, of the right to thought, belief and freedom of expression,
the lifting of all social inequalities in the constitution and laws,
firstly being those of gender discrimination,
4- A social reconciliation project with the aim of mutual forgiveness
of both people’s for the development of a peace and freedom union, on
this basis the release of political prisoners including the PKK
Leadership, and no obstacles to them participating in politics and
social life,
5- The removal of forces in Kurdistan there for the purposes of special
war, the abolition of the village guard system and the necessary social
and political projects to be developed for the return of displaced
villagers,
6- In parallel to the realization of the above articles, the
initiation, with a timetable determined by both parties, of the gradual
disarmament and legal participation into the democratic social life.
The permanent solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey can be
developed with the carrying out of these fundamental issues. This also
means that Turkey will become a fully democratic country. The
resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey will also mean the
democratic resolution of the Kurdish question, within the current
borders, in Iran and Syria. The resolution of the Kurdish question
within these countries will mean the democratization of the Middle
East. When suspicion and anxiety is eradicated in such a condition a
period will develop for solutions to all the outstanding issues of the
region.
It is quite clear that the resolution to the Kurdish question by this
means will be for the benefit of the international forces and the
people of the region, not the contrary. Stability and peace can only be
developed within the democratic solution to the Kurdish question and
from a perspective of democratizing the Middle East. Again friendship
amongst peoples, mutual respect and a just system can only be sustained
within such a project.
When the reality is clear to develop annihilation plans with violence
against the Kurdish freedom movement only ends in conflict and
instability that does not benefit any party.
It should be acknowledged today that the PKK and its Leadership is the
fundamental reality of the Kurdish people. Today to try to separate
them from one another, to pursue a no PKK and Ocalan solution search
will only push the issue into an impasse and lead to the deepening of
the conflict. This is a very important issue that needs to be seen by
all forces for a lasting and right development of the solution. The
solution projects of our leader Ocalan do not only concern the Kurds
but represent a freedom and democracy project for the entire peoples of
the Middle East. The just solution of the problems among the people
including the Palestine and Israel conflict and the development of
The platform named as the key mechanism, on the basis that it aims for
the deep-rooted solution of the issue, dialogue, and democratic
solution, we as the Kurdish side will show the necessary effort and
commitment for the solution of the question. In such case a Kurdish
representative should be represented in the mechanism, in which our
people and movement can trust. However, in a contrary case, if it is on
the basis of the violence policies that Turkey has pursued over the
years the Kurdish people will not accept this, it is quite clear that
this can only escalate conflicts and deepen the impasse.
It is understandable that Turkey, which has no other policy besides
denial and annihilation, desires the USA to attack the Kurdish Freedom
Movement. However, there is no logic and explanation in the USA
attacking the PKK. It is against the interests of the USA and the
allied forces who say that they are in lines of democratic mentality to
confront Koma Komalén Kürdistan which is struggling for
this. The
democratic people’s reality that the movement developed can easily be
seen in the stance of the people of Diyarbakir (Amed), which is the
symbol of the Kurdish people. We also believe that the interest of the
international forces passes through the acceptance and respect to the
will shown by the people of Amed.
It is an undisputable reality that the liquidation of the Kurdish
Freedom Movement is a loss for the people and organizations of South
Kurdistan and all the Kurds. The forces that are insistent on the
denial of the Kurds in the region want to weaken the hands of the Kurds
by annihilating our movement and hence believe they can have the upper
hand in the policies in the Middle East. By these means they foresee
that the international forces will come to point of acceptance of their
policy of denial. We believe that all Kurds are aware of this. In this
framework we call on the South Kurdistan Federal Government and parties
to adopt a stance against all annihilation policies, and to make every
effort for the peaceful and democratic resolution of the Kurdish
question. We indicate that we will be in a positive and participative
position in any act of effort along these lines.
Although international forces and regional countries can play a
facilitating role the place for solution of the question in North
Kurdistan and its interlocutor is Turkey. Turkey must accept that the
solution will be with the Kurds living in Turkey. Turkey must see that
by urging the USA to join its alliance against our organization,
establishing an anti-Kurdish alliance with Iran and Syria and attacking
our forces, pressuring the KDP and PUK and by sending troops to Lebanon
to show the international community a positive image, will not solve
the problem.
The Turkish state instead of executing an anti Kurdish Freedom Movement
diplomatic relations, and giving concessions after concessions, should
listen to the calls of the Kurdish people and its Leadership, the issue
is the condition where it can be resolved in a shorter period. Because
the project that we have developed contains the most reasonable
conditions, it expresses the interests of both sides. In reality if the
denial, annihilation and chauvinistic outlook are put to one side it
will be seen that this solution benefits the interests of Turkey.
On this basis within the framework of friendship among the Kurdish,
Turkish, Arab and all regional peoples, we believe that all issues can
be resolved through dialogue and peaceful methods in a just democratic
system. We do not take the view that armed conflict is a method to
resolve the issues. However, where human honour, dignity and
fundamental human values are violated and no other means are left to
defend them, we recognize as the UN has also accepted under
international law that there is the right to armed resistance, within
the framework of self-defence all resistance is legitimate and a legal
right. All other armed violence apart from this we see as terror and we
condemn them.
For the solution to the issues amongst peoples and for the development
of a free democratic system we see this perspective as an important and
contemporary one in the solution of such issues. We call on the
international and regional media circles, intellectuals, writers, and
all who are on the side of democracy to recognize our democratic and
peaceful solution project and to take a stand against the annihilation
policies on the basis of violence of the Turkish state.
We would like as a movement to emphasize once again that the right
solution is a democratic autonomy within the borders of Turkey. We
believe that a solution in the unity of Turkey will be for the benefit
of firstly the Kurdish people and all the people of the region.
We call once again on all international and regional political forces
and democratic circles to make an effort to start the democratic
solution, to work for its success and to support the democratic
resolution of the Kurdish question within the political borders of
Turkey. (kurdmedia.com, August 20, 2006)
Turkish F-16 Jets Carry out Strikes Against PKK Targets in N. Iraq
Turkish jet fighters have commenced air strikes against the PPK bases
in the Kanimasi and Snaht regions in northern Iraq.
Army officials stated that the F-16 jets which took off during the
night had inflicted serious casualties on the PKK.
In addition to the air strikes, Turkish security forces are continuing
their operations along the Iraqi border.
The U.S. government is looking into allegation of Kurdish reports of a
joint Turkish-Iranian operation against the PKK in northern Iraq.
Speaking in Baghdad, spokesman for the U.S. and its allies in Iraq Maj.
Gen. William Caldwell stated that there had been shelling in northern
Iraq. "I'm not sure exactly where the shelling came from. So I'd be
hesitant to say exactly who was responsible for it," the US general
said. (Cihan News Agency, August 24, 2006)
Des livres suédois pour enfants traduits en kurde
saisis à Istanbul
Plus de mille exemplaires en langue kurde d'une série
célèbre de livres
pour enfants de la romancière suédoise Astrid Lindgren
ont été saisis
par les autorités turques à Instanbul, a rapporté
jeudi l'agence
suédoise TT.
La cargaison, destinée à des librairies dans cinq
localités kurdes de
Turquie, a été saisie car elle n'était pas
accompagnée de
l'autorisation requise du ministère turc de l'Education, et il
manquait
également des documents douaniers, selon les autorités
citées par TT.
Les 1.208 livres, dont 25 différents titres de "Fifi
Brindacier",
l'héroïne créée par Astrid Lindgren, avaient
été embarqués en Suède le
7 août par l'association Komak qui s'occupe de projet
d'éducation parmi
la population kurde de Turquie.
Les aventures de Fifi Brindacier, fille aux taches de rousseur et
portant des couettes, ont été traduites en 85 langues et
publiées dans
plus de cent pays. (AFP, 24 août 2006)
Semdinli bookstore
owner faces charges of being PKK member
Charges of being a terrorist group member were filed yesterday against
Seferi Yilmaz, who owned the bookstore bombed in last November's
attacks in Hakkari's Semdinli. According to reports, the indictment
prepared Van Public Prosecutor Halil Selcik on Yilmaz, who's currently
being detained in Van's F-type prison, by is ready.
The indictment said that according to testimony from a terrorist group
member, Hasan Sala, Yilmaz is involved with the PKK, has met with
terrorist group members and run activities on behalf of the group,
charging that Yilmaz is a PKK member.
Yilmaz is the owner of Umut bookstore which was bombed in Semdinli last
November. The attack spurred debates about the secret activities of the
military and raised political tension, which is ongoing.
The case against Yilmaz will be heard on Sept. 18 at Van's High
Criminal Court
Following the bombing in Semdinli, noncommissioned officers Ali Kaya
and Ozcan Ildeniz were convicted to around 40 years in prison, and
Yilmaz was put in prison at the end of June on charges of aiding and
abetting the PKK. (The New Anatolian, 24 August 2006)
Des
membres du PKK en Irak proposent un cessez-le-feu à Ankara
Le groupe issu du parti séparatiste kurde PKK
réfugié en Irak a proposé
un cessez-le-feu au gouvernement turc, a déclaré mercredi
un de ses
responsables.
"En réponse à de nombreuses demandes du gouvernement
autonome du
Kurdistan irakien et d'autres groupes kurdes, et aux
déclarations du
département d'Etat américain, nous sommes prêts
à observer un
cessez-le-feu et à choisir de régler de manière
pacifique et
démocratique la question du peuple kurde en Turquie", a
déclaré à l'AFP
Murat Karayilan.
"Nous sommes prêts à un cessez-le-feu à partir du
1er septembre, le
jour de la Fête de la paix dans le monde. La Turquie doit
être prête à
y répondre et à se montrer souple à cet
égard", a ajouté Murat
Karayilan, qui se présente comme le numéro deux du Parti
des
travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) en Irak.
"Nous savons que la Turquie a des ambitions expansionnistes et
nationalistes et veut mettre la pression sur les responsables kurdes
irakiens. Nous ne nous attendons pas à ce qu'ils attaquent mais
nous
sommes prêts à nous défendre", a-t-il poursuivi, en
référence aux
milliers de soldats turcs massés à la frontière.
Des milliers de membres du PKK se sont installés au Kurdistan
irakien
depuis 1999, date de l'instauration d'un cessez-le-feu après
l'arrestation par la Turquie d'Abdullah Öcalan, qui purge
actuellement
une peine de prison à vie. Ce cessez-le-feu a pris fin en juin
2004.
La Turquie se plaint de longue date de l'inaction de Bagdad et de
Washington face au PKK, qui utilise ses camps du nord de l'Irak comme
bases arrières pour ses attaques dans le sud-est anatolien.
Elle avait menacé en juillet d'intervenir militairement
par-delà la
frontière contre les camps du PKK en territoire irakien si
Bagdad et
Washington n'agissaient pas.
Le président irakien, le Kurde Jalal Talabani et le Premier
ministre
irakien, le chiite Nouri al-Maliki, ont assuré à
plusieurs reprises
qu'ils ne permettraient pas que l'Irak serve de base pour le PKK.
(AFP, 23 août 2006)
"Turkey sees it
can't stop 'independent Kurdistan," says US advisor
Turkey cannot stop the formal creation of an independent Kurdish state
in northern Iraq and is beginning to understand this reality, a top
U.S. adviser to Iraqi Kurdish leaders said.
Peter Galbraith, a former U.S. ambassador to Zagreb, also urged
Washington to redeploy the American army to "Kurdistan," withdrawing
from the rest of war-torn Iraq. He said there was nothing the United
States could do to put an end to the country's ongoing "civil war" or
to reunite Iraq.
"I don't advocate the breaking up of Iraq. It has already
disintegrated," Galbraith said Monday in an address to the Middle East
Institute, a think tank here. "I haven't met a single Kurd who would
say 'I prefer to live in Iraq' rather than in an independent Kurdistan.
There's no chance to persuade the Kurds to give up their independence."
He said the Kurdish entity in northern Iraq already has been de facto
independent, only lacking a seat at the United Nations, and that
winning formal independence was just a matter of time.
President George W. Bush told a news conference here Monday that his
government would continue to work for a united Iraq and opposed calls
for the country's break-up.
Asked to comment on Ankara's position on an independent Kurdish state,
Galbraith said: "Turkey has long viewed anything Kurdish as an
anathema, a threat to its national integrity, but that attitude is
changing. Now there's a significant body of opinion that basically
adopts a different approach."
He said that this new understanding developing in Turkey, which partly
stemmed from European Union-related political reforms, acknowledged
that invading northern Iraq was not an option, because this would
involve huge political and military problems.
Galbraith said that those Turks with this new understanding knew that
any Turkish move to invade northern Iraq would alienate the United
States and make sure that Turkey would be forced to stay "out of the
European Union for the rest of this century."
"So I think the basic argument is that Turkey doesn't have an
alternative, doesn't have a way to stop the emergence of an independent
Kurdistan. That being the case, what's the best strategy for Turkey?
The best strategy is good relations with Kurdistan, and that's actually
what is happening on the ground," Galbraith said, calling this attitude
"a realistic approach."
He did not directly specify which groups or agencies in Turkey had
adopted this new understanding toward a Kurdish state but said: "Turkey
is by far the largest investor in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Turkish
government has promoted investments in Kurdistan."
Galbraith is an advisor to both Massoud Barzani, leader of the
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and head of the Kurdish regional
government in northern Iraq, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, also
leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). But sources say he is
closer to Barzani. He was in Iraq in the wake of the 2003 war and
during last year's negotiations for a constitution.
Galbraith suggested that the U.S. Army pull back from Baghdad and
Iraq's central parts, scene of a simultaneous Sunni Arab insurgency and
Shiite-Sunni sectarian fighting, and the Shiite-controlled south and
instead redeploy in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq.
Asked if the Kurds wanted the creation of a greater Kurdistan uniting
the Kurds of Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria and how Turkey's Kurds would
behave, he said that Turkey's Kurdish problem was largely a civil
rights issue.
"Most Turkish Kurds see that they're better off staying in a Turkey
moving toward the European Union" rather than seeking alternatives, he
said.
Galbraith said the Iraqi Kurds were not interested in a greater
Kurdistan because this would make them a minority in such an entity,
like in the case of "a merger of Moldova and Romania."
Asked to comment on Kurdish efforts to win full control of northern
Iraq's multiethnic city of Kirkuk which sits on 40 percent of the
country's oil reserves, he said that "the Kirkuk issue has already been
settled" through a constitutional provision that calls for a referendum
in the area before the end of 2007.
Turkey and a number of international experts have been warning that
such a referendum, which would favor the Kurds amid an ongoing Kurdish
exodus that is altering the city's demographic structure, would not be
legitimate, but Galbraith said, "You can't make everybody happy."
(Turkish Daily News, Umit Enginsoy, August 23, 2006)
Why
not an International Criminal Tribunal of Kurdish Genocide?
The mockery trial of a so-called Tribunal by Iraqis seeking for Justice
of what happened in Iraq last 40 years has come to the stage of Kurdish
Genocide.
The first mistake of establishing the Iraqi Special Tribunal was making
it a Local Tribunal rather than UN Tribunal backed by Security Council,
just like Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. The Iraqi
constitution were not having specific section on the Crimes of
Genocide, and the Iraqi judges selected for the Tribunal need to be
trained by US judges. Iraqis did not have and do not sufficient
resources (call it financial) to run a Tribunal, and the will of
running the Tribunal has the problem of discontinuing after US
withdrawal from Iraq. (1)
International Criminal Tribunals established to seek the justice,
however Iraqi Special Tribunal has the potential problem of “seeking
Revenge” due to the Local character of the Tribunal, which it will
shadow the process of Reconciliation after Tribunal ended. Its
neutrality and independence will not have the sufficient credibility in
the eyes of international community.
As of Today still Federal Iraq is not a signatory state to statute (The
Rome Statute) and
resolution of International Criminal Court, which is a contributing,
factor to the detriment of international legal system. The global
community has spent more then seven decades developing a relatively
narrow international criminal justice system where ICC receives the
jurisdiction of persecuting the Iraqi nationals for the crime of
Kurdish Genocide.
To date four ad hoc international tribunal have been convened to
prosecute accused genocidal perpetrators; the International Military
Tribunal ( IMT) 1945, the International Military Tribunal for the Far
East ( IMTFE) 1946, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia ( ICTY) 1992 and the International Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda in 1994. (2)
Persecuting crimes of Genocide through the International Criminal
Tribunal demonstrate the commitment to international criminal law
enforcement. According to the Statute of Iraqi Special Tribunal (SIST)
the penalties that are prescribed are those of Iraqi Law, which does
not include crimes like genocide, war crimes and crimes against
humanity. The Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) on December 10, 2003
adopted the Statute of the Iraqi Special Tribunal (SIST). (3)
Its impartiality, legitimacy and fairness are questioned in the
international law circles. Its foundation, selection of judges and
functioning does not meet the criteria’s for approval by the
international community to be recognized as a Criminal Tribunal.
Already Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and a prominent Iraqi Shia
politician Abdul Aziz Hakim talked about what the punishment should be
for Saddam Hussein. It was very unwise interference with the ongoing
trial process of the IST.
The other problem is the Time frame of crimes given to be investigated,
from July 17 1968 and up until May 1, 2003, which is the Article 1(b)
of the SIST. Coincidentally it is the period of BAAS Regime ruled Iraq.
This will extend the trial period far more then expected to end that
people awaiting to see the justice done would be still living. The
persecuted generation, the victims and their families should have at
least some forms of compensation and emotional comfort from the results
of the trials of IST.
If International community agrees on that Kurdish Genocide has been
done then an International Criminal Tribunal for Kurdish Genocide
should be established. In the eyes of many international human rights
NGOs there is a issue of Kurdish Genocide, such as Human Rights Watch,
Amnesty International, Physicians for Human Rights, Human Rights First,
etc where many Western states hesitates to acknowledge the Kurdish
Genocide. Also the scholarly writings amounts to enough documentary
evidence about the Kurdish Genocide that their credibility
internationally recognized.
The documents captured during the Kurdish forces conquering Kurdish and
Iraqi cities from the Iraqi Army amounts to thousands of truck loads
volumes, where some has been taken to USA for translation. Many of
those Iraqi state’ documents will prove the Kurdish Genocide. The
recordings of “Chemical Ali’s “telephone conversation about the use of
Chemical Weapons in Halabja is already made public.
Kurdish people has the right to ask for an International Criminal
Tribunal for Kurdish Genocide, where many Kurdish demonstrations around
the World has shown the dedication and sensitivity on the issue.
(KurdishMedia.com, Hadi Elis, 22 August 2006)
Notes
1) Professor Leila N. Sadat
professor of law at Washington
University in St. Louis
http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/6015.html
2) George S. Yacobian, and others
Iraq and the ICC: Should Iraqi
Nationals be Prosecuted for the Crime of Genocide before the
International Criminal Court.
War crimes & crimes against
humanity Volume 1, No 1, January 2005, pages 47-74
3) Dr. Saby Ghoshray
Enforcing International Criminal
Law in the Iraqi Special Tribunal: An
Analysis of the Scope, Jurisdiction and Legtimacy of the Proposed Legal
Framework
www.isrcl.org/Papers/2004/Ghoshray.pdf
Mayor questioned over
municipal hearse for PKK member's funeral
A district mayor in Van was questioned by state prosecutors yesterday
over providing an official municipality hearse last year for the
funeral of a PKK member.
A probe was launched by the Sanliurfa Suruc Public Prosecutor's Office
against Van Bostanici Mayor Gulcihan Simsek for sending an official
municipality hearse to the funeral ceremony of Mehmet Sahin Bozan, a
PKK member who died in a clash between the PKK and security forces.
Simsek was questioned by the Van Public Prosecutor's Office yesterday
upon the request of the prosecutors' office in Suruc.
Following the questioning, Simsek released a statement acknowledging
that the municipality hearse was sent to Sanliurfa's Suruc district in
June 2005.
Arguing that the municipality is obliged to provide service to all
people, Simsek said, "The municipality provides the hearse to anyone
upon their request. They also asked why I attended the funeral ceremony
of Vahdettin Inan, who died recently in a clash in the district. He was
a person living in our district; of course we will attend his funeral.
We had tension in Van over that issue. We attended his funeral both in
order to calm people down and to commemorate a person who lost his life
in our district."
"This is not the case for Vahdettin Inan," said Simsek. "It could be
anyone. If there is a funeral the people elected have to attend that.
If a person is requesting the municipality's hearse, we have to provide
that. There are no limits to our service. We did what's necessary. We
would do the same in a similar case." (The New Anatolian, 19 August
2006)
Un gazoduc en flammes en Turquie après un
sabotage présumé
Un incendie s'est déclaré samedi soir dans le nord-est de
la Turquie
sur un gazoduc alimentant ce pays en gaz iranien, ont annoncé
les
autorités locales, évoquant la piste d'un sabotage.
Le sinistre s'est déclaré vers 21H30 (18H30 GMT)
près du village de
Muratliköy, dans la province d'Agri, a déclaré le
gouverneur de la
province Halil Ibrahim Akpinar, cité par l'agence de presse
Anatolie.
L'acheminement du gaz a été coupé et des
unités de pompiers
s'efforçaient de circonscrire l'incendie, a ajouté M.
Akpinar qui a
parlé d'un sabotage probable, sans donner plus de
précision sur ses
auteurs éventuels.
La population de la province d'Agri est en partie kurde et les
guérillas du PKK y sont actifs. Le PKK a déjà
été accusé de sabotages
d'oléoducs dans le passé.
La Turquie importe depuis décembre du gaz iranien à des
fins
domestiques via ce gazoduc qui relie la ville de Tabriz, dans le
nord-ouest de l'Iran, à Ankara.
Téhéran a annoncé cette semaine s'être
entendu avec Ankara sur le
transit de gaz naturel iranien via la Turquie vers les marchés
européens.
Deux militants kurdes tués
lors de combats dans le centre de la
Turquie
Deux PKK militants ont été tués lors de combats
avec les forces de
sécurité dans la province de Sivas, dans le centre de la
Turquie, a
rapporté dimanche l'agence de presse Anatolie.
Les affrontements ont eu lieu dans une zone rurale proche de la
bourgade d'Imranli, où les forces de sécurité ont
lancé une opération
sur la base d'informations fournies par les services de renseignement
sur la présence de rebelles, a précisé Anatolie.
L'agence a indiqué que l'opération se poursuivait et
disposait d'un soutien aérien.
La province de Sivas est située à la lisière des
zones de peuplement kurde. (AFP, 19-20 août 2006)
Le
procès s'ouvre en Irak concernant le
génocide des Kurdes
Le président déchu Saddam Hussein, passible de la peine
de mort dans un
premier procès en cours, doit répondre lundi lors d'un
deuxième procès,
des accusations de génocide contre les Kurdes pendant la
campagne Anfal
(1987-1988), qui s'est soldée par au moins 100.000 morts.
Le parquet va essayer de prouver qu'en ordonnant la campagne Anfal
("butin de guerre", selon une sourate du Coran), Saddam s'est rendu
coupable d'un génocide.
Moins d'un an après l'ouverture de son procès pour le
massacre de 148
chiites de Doujail, dont le verdict doit être rendu le 16
octobre,
Saddam va vivre son deuxième procès depuis la chute de
son régime en
2003: il risque la peine de mort dans les deux procédures.
Le procès qui se déroule au Haut Tribunal pénal
siégeant dans la zone
verte, le secteur ultra-protégé de Bagdad, pourrait durer
plusieurs
mois selon des experts.
Le nom du juge, le chiite Abdallah al-Ameri, qui présidera les
débats a
été tenu secret le plus longtemps possible pour des
raisons de
sécurité: le premier juge du premier procès avait
démissionné en cours
de procédure alors que trois avocats de la défense
avaient été tués.
Le procureur en chef du tribunal Jaafar al-Moussaoui a affirmé
qu'il
ouvrirait la séance et passerait ensuite la main à une
équipe de trois
avocats dirigée par Maître Munkis Taklif al-Faraon. Une
équipe de
quarante avocats, dont quatre participeront aux débats,
représente les
parties civiles kurdes.
Saddam Hussein et ses six co-accusés, dont le
général Ali Hassan
al-Majid dit "Ali le chimique" ou le "boucher du Kurdistan", seront
défendus par une équipe de douze avocats.
La campagne Anfal avait pour objectif d'étouffer les
velléités
nationalistes kurdes en s'attaquant aux populations civiles, selon
l'acccusation.
Si les troupes irakiennes ont effectivement été
accrochées par de la
guérilla kurde peshmerga, elles sont accusées d'avoir
concentré leur
puissance de feu sur les villages kurdes et d'avoir utilisé des
armes
chimiques.
"Les tueries ne sont pas en rapport avec la contre-insurrection",
souligne l'observatoire américain des droits de l'Homme Human
Rights
Watch dans son rapport détaillé sur la campagne Anfal.
Le parquet tentera également de prouver l'existence de camps
d'internement et des exécutions en masse.
"Les prisonniers étaient tués plusieurs jours ou
même plusieurs
semaines après que les forces de sécurité eurent
atteint leur
objectif", affirme le rapport précisant que ces points sont des
indices
d'une volonté de génocide.
En 1986, Saddam Hussein, dont le régime était
fragilisé entre autres
par la guerre contre l'Iran entamée en 1980, aurait
ordonné à "Ali le
chimique" de réprimer les Kurdes, dont la région
échappait de plus en
plus au contrôle de Bagdad.
Entre 1987 et 1988, au moins huit offensives ont été
lancées contre le
Kurdistan. Lors de celles-ci certaines régions étaient
vidées et des
populations déplacées dans des zones interdites où
la répression
faisait rage.
Le nombre de morts oscille entre 100.000 et 180.000 selon les
différentes estimations.
Outre l'enjeu de la reconnaissance du génocide, le procès
devrait
également avoir un fort écho politique. Depuis 1991 et la
fin de la
première guerre du Golfe, le Kurdistan jouit d'une large
autonomie qui
était garantie en partie par la création d'une zone
d'exclusion
aérienne imposée par les Etats-Unis à Saddam
Hussein.
Aujourd'hui, le Kurdistan est une province autonome de l'Irak, un pays
gouverné par une fragile coalition d'union nationale,
présidé par le
Kurde Jalal Talabani.
L'avenir du Kurdistan est incertain. Le sort de Kirkouk, ville
historique pour les Kurdes, mais habitée également par
des turcomans,
chiites et sunnites, pose un problème d'autant plus
épineux que la
région recèle du pétrole.
Le procès pourrait rassurer les Kurdes sur la volonté
politique de
punir les exactions du passé contre eux, mais il pourrait aussi
rouvrir
de vieilles blessures et relancer ainsi les velléités
indépendantistes
dormantes. (AFP, 18 août 2006)
Company
Refuses to Distribute Kurdish Daily
The Kurdish language "Azadiya Welat" newspaper which after 12 years of
printing in weekly editions has just become a daily is suffering from
distribution problems.
Newspaper executives who prepared the journal for a daily format had to
distribute the first issues through their nation-wide 12 offices when
the company that used to distribute it in weekly format refused to do
so on a daily basis.
Saying that talks were continuing to overcome the problem, the
newspaper's Editor-in-Chief Tayyip Temel told Bianet that if no
conclusion was reached, they would seek an alternative distribution
company.
Newspaper bureaus have managed to distribute 25 thousand copies of the
daily issue of the newspaper prepared for August 15 Thursday, he
explained, noting that all copies in the east and southeast cities of
Diyarbakir, Batman, Kiziltepe, Van, Adana, Mersin, Hakkari and Agri had
sold out wile sales in the western province of Istanbul were high.
Temel, referring to the circulation and sales problems of opposition
newspapers, agreed that the daily issue of Azadiye Welat would have
problems even when distribution issues were resolved.
"When we take into account the Kurdish literacy rate, it is evident
that we will have problems in the first stage. But our readers have
been demanding a daily newspaper for a long time" he said.
Noting that approximately 15 million Kurds lived in Turkey, Temel said
the Kurdish language faced a great problem in the country due to the
policies enforced but that this should not be interpreted as this
language not being necessary.
"Even though we have been printing weekly for about 12 years, our
readership potential never fell under 7 thousand" he explained. "We
thought that a weekly newspaper could not effectively meet the news
requirement. Our target is for the Kurds to read news reports in their
mother tongue".
Temel ecalled that of the court cases launched against the weekly
version of the newspaper on grounds of conducting "visual and written
propaganda" in favour of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), 20
were still continuing but claimed they would be "the voice of all Kurds
in the world".
Temel, who believes practical restrictions against local Kurdish
publications continue in the country says that even the allowing of
Kurdish language broadcasts only for a limited time of 40 minutes is
"an insult".
He argued that the Kurds had the right to protest these broadcasts by
not listening to them and that it was important for the democratic
quarters in Turkey to support a Kurdish newspaper.
Stressing that the daily version of the newspaper would be full of new
initiatives, Temel said that for the first time Kurdish language sports
and health news would be covered, marking a first in daily publishing.
To be published daily as an eight page newspaper, Azadiya Welat's
editor is Hamdullah Yilmaz who was sentenced to three years
imprisonment for "terror organization propaganda". Among its columnists
is Istanbul Kurdish Institute Chairman Sami Tan, politician and writer
Osman Ozcelik.
Temel said that author Mehmet Uzun had also promised he "will
definitely write" for the newspaper. (BIA, Erol ONDEROGLU, August
16,
2006)
Deux
soldats turcs tués par des militants
kurdes dans le Sud-Est
Deux soldats turcs ont été tués mardi dans des
combats avec des
militants kurdes du PKK dans le Sud-Est de la Turquie, a-t-on
annoncé
de source officielle.
Les affrontements ont eu lieu sur les hauteurs de Gabar, dans la
province de Sirnak, proche de la frontière avec l'Irak, a
souligné un
communiqué du gouvernorat de Sirnak reçu à
Diyarbakir, principale ville
du Sud-Est anatolien peuplé majoritairement de Kurdes.
Un groupe kurde revendique un attentat
Un groupe armé kurde a revendiqué mardi un attentat
à la bombe perpétré
la veille dans un quartier touristique d'Istanbul qui a blessé
trois
personnes, a rapporté une agence pro-kurde, dont le siège
est en Europe.
Une bombe de faible puissance a explosé lundi dans le quartier
touristique de Sultanahmet. L'engin, une "bombe à percussion",
expression désignant des dispositifs visant plus à faire
du bruit que
des victimes, était posé sous un banc de la place de
Sultanahmet,
bordée par la mosquée-musée de Sainte-Sophie, la
mosquée de Sultanahmet
et le palais ottoman de Topkapi.
"Nous assumons la résponsablité de cet acte (...) dont
les conséquences
auraient pu être beaucoup plus sanglantes", a indiqué les
Faucons de la
liberté du Kurdistan (TAK) dans un communiqué
rapporté par l'agence
Firat.
L'explosion est intervenue à la veille de l'anniversaire du
déclenchement, le 15 août 1984, des attaques armées
du Parti des
travailleurs du PKK. (AFP, 15 août 2006)
Ocalan
pourrait appeler à un
cessez-le-feu en cas d'"approche sincère"
Le leader du PKK Abdullah Öcalan a annoncé qu'il pourrait
appeler ses
militants à déclarer un cessez-le-feu si Ankara affichait
une "approche
sincère" pour la résolution du conflit, a rapporté
une agence pro-kurde
vendredi.
"Il est possible d'arrêter l'effusion de sang (...) Si le
gouvernement
affiche une position sincère nous ferons ce qui est en notre
pouvoir.
J'appellerai au cessez-le-feu et les affrontements cesseront", a
déclaré le chef du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan
(PKK), cité par
l'agence de presse Firat, basée en Allemagne.
Ces déclarations ont apparemment été transmises
à l'agence par les
avocats d'Öcalan, qui selon cette source, auraient
rencontré le chef
séparatiste dans sa prison sur l'île d'Imrali
(nord-ouest), où il purge
depuis 1999 une peine de prison à vie pour trahison.
"Nos demandes sont très claires (...) Nos enfants devraient
être
éduqués dans leur langue maternelle, et (pouvoir)
écouter la radio,
regarder la télévision et lire les journaux" en kurde, a
dit Abdullah
Öcalan.
Désireuse d'affermir sa crédibilité en tant
que régime démocratique en
vue d'une adhésion à l'Union européenne, la
Turquie a autorisé la
diffusion de quelques programmes radio et
télévisés et la publication
de journaux en kurde ainsi que l'enseignement, à titre
privé, de la
langue kurde.
Mais la Constitution turque interdit l'utilisation d'une autre langue
que le turc, seule langue officielle, dans les établissements
d'enseignement public.
Öcalan a déclaré que si Ankara prenait "des mesures
pratiques et
donnait certaines garanties" après un éventuel
cessez-le-feu du PKK,
les rebelles se retireraient en Irak ou dans un autre pays.
"A l'étape finale, les armes seraient déposées
pour de bon, dans le cas
où une garantie juridique serait donnée", a-t-il
souligné, dans ce qui
a semblé être une allusion à une demande d'amnistie
pour les membres du
PKK.
"Un dialogue démocratique est nécessaire pour (aboutir
à) une solution permanente", a estimé M. Öcalan.
"Vous ne pouvez pas en finir avec le PKK en suppliant les Etats-Unis et
en coopérant avec l'Iran et la Syrie", a-t-il poursuivi.
(AFP, 11 août
2006)
Turkish, Iranian armies build up forces along Iraq’s only
quiet area
Hundreds of Kurds had to flee their homes in the mountain village of
Razqa, Iraq, when artillery shells came whistling down from Iran early
this month, blowing apart their homes and livestock.
In Turkey, meanwhile, armoured personnel carriers and tanks rumble
along its remote border with Iraq’s Kurdish zone. Turkey has sent tens
of thousands of fresh soldiers in the last few weeks to beef up an
already formidable force there.
The Kurdish provinces of northern Iraq are the country’s most stable
and prosperous area. But to neighbouring Iran and Turkey, they are
something else: an inspiration and a support base for the large Kurdish
minorities in their own countries.
So Iran and Turkey are sending troops, tanks and artillery to the
frontier to seal off the borders and send a message: if the U.S.-backed
Iraqi government doesn’t clamp down on Kurdish guerrillas who use Iraq
as a base, they’ll do it themselves.
That has left the United States in a quandary. If U.S. forces take
action, they risk alienating Iraqi Kurds, the most pro-American group
in the region. And if they don’t, they risk increased tensions – and
possibly worse – with two powerful rivals.
Just listen to Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
"We would not hesitate to take every kind of measures when our security
is at stake," Gul said when asked whether Turkish troops might cross
into Iraq. "The United States best understands Turkey’s position.
Everybody knows what they can do when they feel their security is
threatened."
Iran’s artillery barrages could be warning shots, a crackdown on
Kurdish guerrillas now as a factor in the wrangling with the United
States over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Kurds, who make up 14 per cent of Iran’s population, have long
complained of discrimination in Iran. Iraq’s Kurds backed the U.S.
invasion of their country. Would the Kurds of Iran take the American
side if tensions escalated there?
"The Iranians are clearly very concerned over the mobilization of their
own Kurdish minority," said Toby Dodge, an Iraq expert at Queen Mary
College, University of London.
And Tehran may also be flexing its muscles to remind the United States
that it shares a long border with Iraq, and could cause serious
problems there for the United States.
The Iranians’ policy is to warn that "we have the potential to run you
out of Iraq if you don’t give us some slack over the nuclear issue,"
Dodge said.
The traditional Kurdish region spans Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria and
the guerrillas are based in a mountain range of northern Iraq that
stretches into Turkey and Iran. They seem determined to keep up their
decades-long struggle.
Kurdish guerrillas of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan, or PEJAK,
have called on Kurds in western Iran to begin a campaign of civil
disobedience. In clashes with Iranian security forces last year, dozens
of PEJAK fighters and about a dozen Iranian soldiers were killed,
according to official Iranian reports.
This year, more than a dozen members of Turkish security forces in
southern Turkey have been killed fighting Kurdish guerrillas of the
Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which is closely allied with PEJAK.
After Iran shelled a village used by Kurdish guerrillas, the PKK warned
that it was "capable of responding to these attacks with more strength
then ever."
The attacks, which heat up in the spring when snow-covered mountain
passes clear, have led to the military buildups along the borders.
Turkey and Iran have both rushed tens of thousands of troops to the
area.
Iran has twice shelled Iraqi Kurdish villages believed to be harbouring
PKK militants.
As the Iranians bombarded Razqa on May 1, hundreds of people fled. The
shelling killed some farm animals but there were no reports of human
casualties. Several homes could be seen severely damaged and holes from
shells cratered the streets.
Olla Hamad, a villager, said most of the guerrillas are hiding in the
mountains.
"PKK militants do not care about the bombings," he said, pointing
toward the heights near the village. "They hide in safe rocky places in
the mountains."
A Western diplomat said Turkish officials have hinted to the United
States that they are considering a large-scale military operation
across the border.
In a visit to Turkey in late April, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
warned against any major strike.
"We want anything we do to contribute to stability in Iraq and not to
threaten that stability or to make a difficult situation worse," Rice
said at a news conference with Gul.
The Western diplomat said Iranian troops on the border are not
front-line combat troops and Washington does not believe there will be
any Iranian cross-border operations. The diplomat agreed to discuss the
situation only if granted anonymity because of the subject’s
sensitivity.
Some analysts say that besides sealing off their borders to the
guerrillas, both Iran and Turkey may be trying to intimidate Iraqi
Kurds. The Iranians and Turks fear Kurdish success in creating an
autonomous region in northern Iraq, and the prosperity of their
enclave, could encourage their own Kurdish minorities.
"The Iranians and the Turks do not want a free Kurdistan there," said
Nazmi Gur, vice president of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Democratic Society
Party. "They are saying to the Kurds `We are here.’ " (AP, Louis
Meixler, August 12, 2006)
Iraqi Government banned th PKK in Baghdad
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki banned the PKK from operating in Baghdad
in a move seen largely as a gesture to Turkey, which had threatened to
send troops across the border to destroy the group's bases in northern
Iraq. Al-Maliki told Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the
order during a telephone conversation Saturday, the statement said.
It was unclear whether the order would have significant effect on the
party, known as PKK, which is not known to have a major operation in
Baghdad. The PKK operates clandestine bases in the Kurdish self-ruled
provinces of northern Iraq, where central government authority is
limited.
Last month, Erdogan said Turkey was moving forward with plans to send
troops into northern Iraq to attack PKK bases but was holding talks
with the United States and Iraq in an attempt to defuse tensions.
In an interview with the New York Times published Saturday, the U.S.
ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said Iran was encouraging Shiite
militias to step up attacks on U.S. forces in retaliation for Israel's
assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Shiite Hezbollah is backed by Iran.
Privately, some senior U.S. officials are skeptical the Iranian
government is doing more than providing money to select Shiite groups.
Others insist Iran is providing weapons and training to some Shiite
factions. (AP, Robert H. Reid, August 13, 2006)
State
Forces Suspected of Forest Fires in Kurdish Region
Human Rights Association (IHD) Bingol Branch Secretary lawyer Cevat
Ishakogulu has said that a forest fire that started in the province
four days ago was still continuing with no intervention on part of
officials to control or stop it.
The IHD Bingol branch on Thursday made a formal application to the
Ministry of Environment and Forestry asking both for action to be taken
to stop the spreading fire and for any officials who might have
neglected their duty to be investigated.
Ishakogulu said that while forest cutting was continuing in the region
due to security reasons, our opinion that this fire which is now
endangering many villages was started for security reasons is getting
stronger.
IHD Bingol issued a written statement on the issue where it said the
fire that started near the Doganli village of Bingols Genc township
four days ago had already destroyed a major part of the forest areas
between the villages of Doganli, Dedebag and Camliyurt.
Although applications were made on Tuesday by the IHD provincial branch
to the Bingol Governors Office, the Genc Local Governors Office, the
Genc Forestry Directorate and the Elazig Forestry Directorate, no
answer was received, Ishakogulu explained.
"While they have not intervened until today, they have not given any
answer to our association either. Because of this, we have today made
an application to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
Ishakogulu added that as the fire was not only continuing but also
spreading, thre were genuine concerns for the villages and their
habitants in the forest areas.
He noted that this fire was exactly in the same area where in 2003 a
forest fire had remained ablaze for a whole ten days and said this
raised some questions.
NGOs believe the fire may be related to the forest cutting operation
that has been underway in Bingol since Spring with the primary target
of cleaning wooded tracts and bushes 50 meters either side of the
railway line and the highway as part of security measures imposed in
Turkeys war on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Last month, bianet had reported on a similar forest fire in Sirnak's
Cudi Mountain, with local journalist Kerem Celik blaming the local
Ikizce Commando Battalion for setting the fire on grounds of security.
Celik told bianet in relation to the Cudi fire then that the first fire
was set off with a small area in the military field, around the (Ikizce
Commando Battalion) station being set on fire for reasons of security.
But the fire could not be controlled and it spread.
He added that as the fire was in a military zone, outside interference
was not possible and said according to our observation, the soldiers
took no observable measures to prevent the fire from spreading. (BIA
News Center, August 11, 2006)
Deux
policiers tués par une mine, 3 poseurs de bombe
arrêtés
Deux policiers ont été tués et un autre
blessé dimanche par l'explosion
d'un mine activée à distance par des militants kurdes
à Tunceli, dans
l'Est de la Turquie, tandis que trois poseurs de bombe
présumés du PKK
ont été interpellés dans le Sud du pays.
Le premier incident s'est produit non loin d'un poste de la police
anti-émeutes dans le centre-ville de Tunceli qui est depuis
longtemps
le théâtre d'affrontements entre militants et forces de
sécurité,
a-t-on indiqué de sources de sécurité locales
à Diyarbakir, la
principale ville du Sud-Est, dont la population est en majorité
kurde.
Par ailleurs, trois poseurs de bombe présumés du PKK,
dont une femme,
ont été interpellés en possession de 1,5 kg de
plastic à Alanya,
station balnéaire populaire du Sud du pays, sur la
Méditerranée, a
annoncé l'agence Anatolie.
D'autre part, six personnes ont été blessées, dont
une grièvement, dans
la nuit de samedi à dimanche par l'explosion d'une bombe dans
une
poubelle à Istanbul, a rapporté l'agence de presse
Anatolie.
L'incident s'est produit devant un café internet du quartier de
Kumkapi, dans la partie européenne de la première
métropole turque.
La police a précisé que l'explosion est d'origine
criminelle et que les
artificiers tentent d'établir le type de l'explosif
utilisé. (AFP, 13
août 2006)
New
manoeuvres for preventing Kurds' election to
the Parleiament
In a move to demonstrate the government's non-wavering commitment to
democratic reform, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is
planning to convene Parliament for an emergency session to pass a
critical harmonization package mid-September.
AK Party members said yesterday that Parliament will probably be called
for an extraordinary session on Sept. 19 to pass European Union
harmonization laws before the release of the EU's regular country
report in October. Amendments to the Elections Law, announced last week
by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, may also be brought up in the
extraordinary meeting, they said.
The decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to hear a
case filed by the defunct pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP)
against the 10 percent threshold in national elections led the
government to address the anticipated adjustments to the Elections Law.
For the first time, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he
favors lowering the 10 percent threshold in a statement over the
weekend. Although there are claims that Erdogan has addressed the issue
because of the possibility that the ECHR will oppose the 10 percent
threshold, some commentators argue that Erdogan's remark is a political
tactic.
Claims indicated that Erdogan said that the 10 percent threshold may be
lowered because he is aiming to prevent any alliances or mergers among
political parties. There are also certain circles who claim that
Erdogan made the suggestion to use it as a bargaining tool against the
main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). CHP leader Deniz
Baykal fiercely opposes lowering the 10 percent national threshold.
Meanwhile, some circles argue that lowering the 10 percent threshold
may result in a fall in the number of votes for parties other than the
AK Party, which currently has around 30 percent of the vote according
to recent opinion polls. In this case, the claims suggest, while the AK
Party will be able to get 30 percent of the votes, other parties will
make up a fragmented structure, won't be able to get the number of
votes they anticipate and will have fewer deputies than they expect.
The reason why these circles regard Erdogan's statement favoring the
lowering of the 10 percent threshold with suspicion is the fact that
Erdogan said at his party's retreat in Kizilcahamam last spring that
the threshold will be kept unchanged for two or three more terms. At
that time Erdogan opposed suggestions from the Turkish Industrialists'
and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
to reduce the threshold to 7 or 8 percent.
Erdogan also suggested that the age limit for being elected a deputy be
reduced from 30 to 25, that a deputy who resigns from his or her party
should also lose his or her seat in Parliament, that auxiliary deputies
be elected and that 100 out of 550 deputies be elected as "Turkey
deputies."
He said that they will seek an agreement with the CHP for these
amendments. However CHP deputy group leader Kemal Anadol said that the
AK Party hasn't taken any official or unofficial initiatives in this
regard about the changes to be made to the Elections Law. Anadol argued
that Erdogan made the suggestions to distract attention from funerals
held every day for soldiers dying in clashes with the terrorist
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The amendments Erdogan proposed need to be passed and put into force by
November at the latest in order to be implemented in November 2007.
Under the Constitution, amendments to the Elections Law can be
implemented only if they are made at least one year in advance.
In the meantime, claims by Enis Berberoglu, a columnist for
mass-circulation daily Hurriyet, that the AK Party is discussing a
threshold for independent candidates, made the headlines in daily Vatan
on Wednesday. According to claims, a threshold similar to the one in
effect in Greece to prevent Turks from Western Thrace from being
elected, will be applied to independent candidates in Turkey. The
motive behind that is to prevent pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party
(DTP) members from running in the elections as independent candidates
due to the national threshold.
The possibility of the DTP winning seats in Parliament from 11 to 13
eastern and southeastern provinces has been debated for the last year.
AK Party Hakkari Deputy Mustafa Zeydan recently said that the DTP could
get around 50 deputies if its members run independently in the
elections and called on the party administration to take measures
against this possibility.
However AK Party deputies have said that they are debating the changes
to be made to the law amongst themselves, but haven't made a decision
to apply a threshold for independent candidates. Although there are
deputies in the AK Party arguing that a threshold is necessary, the
party group's suggestions about the Elections Law aren't yet clear.
ECHR to examine election threshold
on September 5
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Sept. 5 is to hear a case
aimed at removing the 10 percent threshold in general elections.
The application to the court was made by candidates of the now defunct
pro-Kurdish Party for Democracy (DEHAP), Resul Sadak, Mehmet Yumak and
Fahri Elci, who failed to enter Parliament due to the 10 percent
threshold in the 2002 general elections.
Under Turkish law, a political party contesting a national election
must win10 percent of the national vote to enter Parliament.
The former DEHAP members said that despite receiving a high percentage
of the vote in their provinces they couldn't enter Parliament. Sadak,
who is currently the mayor of Idil, said despite receiving nearly 50
percent of the vote in his province in three general elections,
1995,1999 and 2002, he was not able to enter Parliament. Sadak also
said that the 10 percent threshold is undemocratic.
Reports say that the ECHR has ruled on election systems in other
countries before, but this will be the first time that the court is to
rule on an election barrier. It has been said that the court's verdict
on the case could have an effect on Turkish laws regulating election
systems and political parties.
Officials said the court is expected to reach a final verdict by the
end of this year. (The New Anatolian, 10 August 2006)
Preventing the election
of Kurds is no solution
Until now Turkey's pro-Kurdish parties have participated in all
parliamentary elections and received from 5 to 6 percent of the vote
and therefore not been able to win seats because they didn't pass the
10 percent threshold.
Despite the fact that they didn't win any seats they still boasted that
they had the backing of 5 percent of the electorate and should thus be
taken seriously. But when your deputies are not in Parliament whatever
you say or do is disregarded and so pro-Kurdish activists have now
realized that they have to change tactics.
In the 2002 elections the pro-Kurdish Democratic Community Party (DTP)
won 6.22 percent of the vote. In most southeastern provinces the party
won an overwhelming majority of the vote but still didn't secure any
seats and instead those seats were filled by deputies from the ruling
Justice and Development (AK) Party, which did well in the nationwide
polls but badly in all those areas.
So the true representatives of the people of southeastern Turkey were
not in Parliament …
With elections approaching in the second half of 2007, it seems the
government is concerned that this time pro-Kurdish parties will field
independent deputies to overcome the 10 percent threshold for parties
seeking to enter Parliament. In normal circumstances, if pro-Kurdish
activists had tried to enter Parliament as independents at least two
dozen would be in Parliament today …
So there are reports that the government is trying to prevent this from
happening by introducing a new threshold for independent deputies that
will make sure they do not win in the polls.
But because this will create furor among circles both at home and from
abroad, especially from the European Union, the government is
reportedly planning to add a sugar coating through the introduction of
a new system in which 450 deputies will be elected by the current
proportional representation system with the 10 percent threshold, while
100 deputies are to be elected according to the percentage of votes
they receive without the limitations of a threshold. This way, even a
party which wins 6 percent of the vote, like the DTP, will have six
deputies.
The idea is that then there would be only a handful of Kurdish
activists in Parliament while under the current system there would be
more than two dozen who could form a group and so make their voices
heard …
Trying to silence Kurdish activists is not democratic. They should be
in Parliament to the extent that the people of their region desire
their presence there. Turks should not be scared to listen to realities
being aired on the Parliament floor. When people are not allowed to
voice their views legitimately then they have no option but to resort
to illegal means and this only fuels secessionism and terrorism.
Turkey has to face its own realities without having to resort to
shortcuts … The AK Party should not try to hang on to seats in
southeastern and eastern Turkey if the local people do not want AK
Party candidates to represent them in Parliament … (The New Anatolian,
ilnurcevik@yahoo.com, August 10, 2006)
Un
militaire et un militant kurde tués dans le Sud-Est
Un sous-officier turc a été tué tôt lundi
dans sa maison du sud-est de
la Turquie par des militants kurdes tandis qu'un militant a
été
déchiqueté lorsque l'engin qu'il manipulait a
explosé dans cette même
région, ont indiqué les autorités locales.
L'attaque contre le militaire par des militants du PKK s'est produite
à
Beytüssebap, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres de la
frontière
irakienne, dans une région peuplé majoritairement de
Kurdes. Le fils du
sous-officier a été blessé, a-t-on
précisé.
Dans un incident séparé non loin de cette ville, un
militant a été tué
sur le coup dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi par un puissant
engin
qu'il manipulait et qu'il voulait déposer sur une route
empruntée par
des troupes militaires, selon un communiqué officiel. (AFP, 7
août
2006)
Des attaques attribuées à la
guérilla kurde font 3 morts et 8 blessés
Trois soldats ont été tués et quatre autres
personnes blessées dimanche en Turquie dans des attaques
menées dans une zone rurale de la province de Gumushane
(nord-est). Des gens armés ont attiré dans une embuscade
un véhicule militaire qui s'est renversé après que
le chauffeur eut été blessé et eut perdu le
contrôle du véhicule, a indiqué le gouverneur de la
province Veysel Dalmaz à l'agence Anatolie.
Un responsable local de la sécurité a attribué
cette attaque au PKK.
Plus tôt dimanche, une mine, activée par
télécommande, avait explosé sur le passage d'un
train de marchandises dans le sud-est, entre les provinces de
Bingöl et d'Elazig, blessant 4 gardes de la sécurité.
Des responsables locaux ont attribué l'explosion au PKK.
Cinq responsables de la sécurité avaient
été tués l'an dernier par l'explosion d'une bombe
au passage d'un train dans la province de Bingöl.
Au moins 94 militants du PKK et 62 membres des forces de
sécurité sont morts dans les violences qui se sont
multipliées cette année, selon un décompte de
l'AFP. (AFP, 6 août 2006)
TAK revendique 2 attentats, nouvelle
explosion dans le sud
Une organisation radicale kurde, Les Faucons pour la Liberté du
Kurdistan (TAK), a revendiqué samedi deux attentats qui ont fait
17 blessés vendredi dans le sud de la Turquie, tandis qu'un
nouvel attentat a visé samedi un bureau du principal parti
d'opposition.
La bombe, placée à l'entrée du siège
régional du Parti républicain du peuple (centre-gauche)
à Diyarbakir, la principale ville du sud-est du pays à
majorité kurde, a endommagé l'immeuble sans faire de
victimes, ont indiqué les autorités.
Il s'agit d'une bombe assourdissante, selon des sources
policières, qui n'ont pas donné de détails sur les
auteurs de l'attentat.
Plus tôt samedi, le TAK a revendiqué deux attentats
à la bombe simultanés, devant une banque à Adana
(sud) faisant dix-sept blessés vendredi.
Dans un communiqué publié sur leur site internet, les TAK
précisent que leur attaque était un acte de
représailles contre "le traitement fasciste subi par le
président Apo et par notre peuple".
"Nos actions deviendront chaque jour de plus en plus violentes", menace
le TAK.
La succursale de la banque Oyakbank, proche du lieu des explosions, a
été visée parce qu'elle dépend de
l'armée, souligne le communiqué.
Oyakbank est la propriété des fonds de pension militaires
turcs.
La première explosion s'est produite à proximité
d'un distributeur de billets d'Oyakbank et a été suivie,
six minutes plus tard, par une deuxième explosion sur un
chantier à plusieurs mètres de là.
Dix-sept personnes, dont huit policiers et deux stagiaires de
l'école de police locale, ont été
blessés.
Les TAK ont revendiqué dix autres attentats à la bombe
dans divers centres urbains à travers la Turquie cette
année, qui ont fait six morts et 120 blessés. (AFP, 5
août 2006)
New probe into DTP Kars head Alinak
A public prosecutor's office yesterday launched a new probe into
Democratic Society Party (DTP) Kars branch head Mahmut Alinak, who is
already facing several lawsuits.
It was launched by the Ardahan Public Prosecutor's Office over remarks
made by Alinak in January claiming that last November's bombings in
Semdinli, Hakkari were carried out by "hoodlums of the counter-guerilla
republic."
Regarding the release of two non-commissioned gendarmerie officers on
their own recognizance following questioning into the incident, he
said, "That hoodlum worked for the counter-guerilla republic; of course
the regime protected and released him."
The gendarmerie officers, Ali Kaya and Ozcan Ildeniz, were later
sentenced to almost 40 years in prison apiece.
"Turkish politics is shaped by this counter-guerilla mentality;
whatever the counter-guerilla republic orders, Parliament does, the
General Staff does and the president does," charged Alinak. "Parliament
is just a rubber-stamp organ that works under the authority of the
counter-guerilla republic."
Ardahan Public Prosecutor Metin Aslan said that Alinak had insulted the
republic and other constitutional organs, overstepped the limits of
criticism and made insulting and unfounded remarks about the
constitutional order. (The New Anatolian, 4 August 2006)
KRG
has no plan to handover PKK members to Turkey
The spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government stated that his
government has no plan to handover members of the PKK to Turkey,
reported local media on Thursday.
The statement by Omar Fattah, the deputy Prime Minster of the KRG, ends
the speculation of recent media reports alleging that the PKK would be
attacked by southern Kurds. Fattah added that they pursue the end of
the PKK in the region peacefully.
It was reported in the Turkish media that the Iraqi authorities
handover high ranking members of the PKK.
Recently the President of Kurdistan, Massuad Barzani, told the media
that even if he, as the President, ordered the attacks on the PKK, the
Kurdish peshmarga would refuse to fight Kurds. (KurdishMedia.com,
August 3, 2006)
Turkey sends reconnaissance units into Iraqi
Kurdistan
Iraqi officials said the Turkish Army sent reconnaissance units to the
Kandil mountains over the last week. The Kandil mountains were believed
to contain about 5,000 fighters of the Kurdish Workers Party. No
clashes were reported.
Turkey had embarked on a military buildup along the border with Iraq,
Middle East Newsline reported. But despite repeated threats Turkey has
not ordered an invasion.
"We got some information that there is some movement on the border
between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, and it seems some Turkish soldiers
entered Iraqi Kurdish villages near Zakho," Fuad Hussein, an adviser to
Kurdish President Masoud Barzani, said.
Officials said the Turkish military appeared to be preparing for a
massive operation in Iraq. They said the United States, including
President George Bush, has urged Ankara to exercise restraint.
"It is obvious that over the last two or three weeks, the Turkish Army
has brought large numbers of soldiers to the Iraqi Kurdistan border,"
Hussein said.
The Baghdad government has examined options to counter any Turkish
military invasion. A senior Kurdish official was expected to arrive in
Irbil to discuss defensive measures.
"The main headquarters of the PKK is inside Turkish territory," Kurdish
Affairs Minister Mohammad Ihsan said. "The Turkish government should
solve its problems within its territory and not violate our territory."
Iran has also been operating against the PKK along the Iraqi border.
Officials said the Iran Army has fired artillery toward Kurdish
strongholds in northern Iraq.
For his part, Hussein expressed confidence that the United States would
not participate in a Turkish invasion of Kurdistan. He said Washington
maintains close relations with the Kurdish government.
"I think one must be realistic if one knows the area and the
relationship between the United States and the Kurdish authorities
here," Hussein said. (World Tribune.com - http://www.kurdmedia.com,
August 2, 2006)
Les nouveaux marchandages tripartites concernant le
PKK en Iraq
Le président irakien Jalal Talabani a assuré mercredi que
l'Irak "fera
tout son possible pour empêcher le PKK d'attaquer la Turquie
depuis le
sol irakien".
"Je suis personnellement intervenu sur la question du PKK et j'ai
appelé le représentant turc pour lui assuré que le
gouvernement irakien
est sérieusement décidé à faire cesser
l'utilisation du territoire
irakien par des groupes armés visant des pays voisins", a
déclaré le
président irakien lors d'une conférence de presse.
"L'Irak fera tout son possible pour empêcher le PKK d'attaquer la
Turquie depuis le sol irakien", a-t-il poursuivi, assurant avoir
déjà
ordonné la fermeture de bureaux du PKK, considéré
par les Etats-Unis et
l'Union européenne comme une organisation terroriste.
Une rencontre trilatérale entre responsables irakiens,
américains et
kurdes doit avoir lieu prochainement à ce sujet, a
indiqué M. Talabani,
lui-même Kurde, sans en préciser la date.
Plus tôt dans la journée, le porte-parole du
ministère des Affaires
étrangères turc, Namik Tan, avait fait preuve d'optimisme
quant à la
collaboration de l'Irak et des Etats-Unis.
"L'Irak nous a récemment donné des informations sur les
mesures qu'il
prévoit pour faire cesser les activités de l'organisation
terroriste du
PKK en Irak", avait déclaré M. Tan. "Au bout du
compte, le PKK sera
définitivement vaincu", a-t-il ajouté. "Nous le verrons
très clairement
très prochainement".
L'optimisme apparent de la Turquie intervient après qu'elle eut
menacé
le mois dernier d'intervenir militairement par-delà la
frontière
irakienne contre les camps du PKK si Bagdad et Washington n'agissaient
pas.
M. Tan a souligné que la Turquie souhaitait accroître sa
coopération avec les Etats-Unis et l'Irak sur ce dossier.
"Plus notre coopération se renforcera, plus vite nous pourrons
observer
des résultats concrets", a-t-il commenté. "Nous
nourrissons un fort
espoir que les résultats concrets de cette coopération
vont commencer à
apparaître bientôt".
Au moins 94 rebelles et 58 membres des forces de sécurité
turques ont
péri depuis le début de l'année dans le Sud-Est
anatolien, peuplé en
majorité de Kurdes, selon un comptage de l'AFP. (AFP, 2
août 2006)
Declaration of 38 Intellectuals on Kurdish
Problem: “It is Our Problem As Well”
38 intellectuals of Turkey issued the following declaration over
Kurdish problem under the title "It is Our Problem As Well."
“Some parts of this country is not less precious than the others. If
there is suffering in one part it is my problem as well...
We are all in the same ship; women, men, Kurds, Turks, Alewis,
immigrants, unemployed, youth, people trying to set up a decent life in
the shanty towns around the big cities, minorities, victims of violence
and those who feed violence unknowingly... We are all on the same way,
comrades.. Whether we know that or not...
We do not want a country polarised on the axis of Kemalism-islamism or
Turks-Kurds. We refuse to be part of a polarised scene. We defend all
colours, midtones, bridges and synthesis...
What we demand in our country:
1. Political, legal, cultural, international dimensions are being taken
into consideration in terms of a search for a solution to Kurdish
issue. We want the humanitarian dimension to be prioritised...
2. In order for our country to be free of violence and terror it should
be understood that politics can not go hand in hand with arms and that
violence can not silence and stop the search for rights....
3. The issue should stop being viewed as a loyalty- treason issue, the
nationalist viewpoint of seeing all critical approaches as the
potantial enemy inside should be left behind....
4. To see that respecting the suffering of the others is basic to be
and act as a society and live in peace....
5. To make effort to clarify that a long lasting solution will come not
from outside but from inside, from us and it will not be a military
solution but civilian...
6. Kurdish question is not one dimesnional and the solution will
involve multiactors...
7. The initiatives big or small, to improve humanitarian conditions
should be respected...
8. Womens issues should be separatelt addressed and the importance of
an independent women’s movement should be acknowledged ...
9. Children of displaced Kurdish families should be provided with
necessary help and assistance to be able to set up new lives in the new
cities yhet settle....
10. A conciousness raising campaign should be launched against
honour-traditional killings...
11. Multiculturalism and bilingualism should be acknowledged as a
right...
12. The villages whose names have been changed should be able to assume
their old names.... People should be able to name their children...
13. A new language of dialog should be encouraged free of escalating
hostility and violence. Listening, understanding, forgiveness and
reconciliation should be encouraged....
14. To see and to be able to show that we all share the same public
space afterall and we have common values and interests...
Ahmet
İnsel, Ahmet İçduygu, Ali Bayramoğlu, Ayşe Gül Altınay,
Ayhan Bilgen,
Can Paker, Derya Sazak, Ece Temelkuran, Elif Şafak, Erol Katırcıoğlu,
Eyüp Can, Fazıl Hüsnü Erdem, Ferhat Kentel, Fuat Keyman,
Gençay Gürsoy,
İbrahim Betil, Kutbettin Arzu, Mesut Öztürk, Mesut Yeğen,
Mithat
Sancar, Murat Belge, Muharrem Erbey, Mustafa Karaalioğlu, Nebahat
Akkoç, Necdet İpekyüz, Osman Kavala, Oya Baydar, Ömer
Laçiner, Rojbin
Tugan, Sabih Ataç, Salim Uslu, Sedat Yurtdaş, Sezgin Tanrıkulu,
Şahismail Bedirhanoğlu, Tahir Dadak, Tarhan Erdem, Yusuf Alataş, Zozan
Özgökçe.
Minorités
/ Minorities
Armenian Patriarch Mutafian's Controversial
Statements to the Turkish Media
It seems that Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Mesrop II Mutafian,
is getting into the habit of ascribing his own opinion to the Armenian
community and making grim conclusions and prognosis in Turkish printed
media. Still in mid-June when Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II
was getting ready for Istanbul visit, he suggested Turkish papers that
"the Armenian community of Constantinople thinks that the Supreme
Patriarch does not know the proper place for his statements," thus
trying to forecast "possible unrest during his visit" and to let the
world know about the Armenian community’s "concern."
Patriarch Mutafian’s gloomy forecast did not though hit the target.
According to Armenian press of Istanbul, the community not only warmly
welcomed His Holiness and enjoyed his presence but also was surprised
at Mesrop Mutafian’s conclusion that "some fears in the community came
true." The Armenian community strongly criticized Patriarch Mutafian
"for casting shadow on the Catholicos’s visit" and emphasized: "When
His Holiness was still in Istanbul, in his interview with Hurriyet
Patriarch Mutafian showed that he can hardly follow a logic worthy a
religious leader."
It was the interview with Sefa Kaplan published on June 28 in Hurriyet
that Patriarch Mutafian provided "clarification" to the Catholicos’s
press conference. In August 6 issue of Hurriyet answering the question
of the same correspondent, the Patriarch made public his attitude to
his compatriots in Armenia not forgetting to speak for the whole
community.
Asked by Kaplan "what kind of relations do you have with your
compatriots in Armenia? Do they turn to you with requests?", Patriarch
Mutafian answers: "Two-three years ago they used to turn to us for
money. Seeing that they were in desperate need we would help them
paying for their ticket to Armenia. Then we saw that they return to
Istanbul from Samsun or Trapizon but do not return to Armenia. That’s
why we decided not to fund anymore. But the church still remains a
meeting place for the latter. On Sundays Surp Astvatsatsin church is
full of Armenians speaking Eastern Armenian. The Ethiopians and
Africa-born Armenians also come. So when preaching you may think that
people do not understand you."
Asked "what’s the education level of those people", the Patriarch says:
"Almost all of them are university graduates but they found no jobs at
home. There are even doctors among them who attend patients at home but
earn more than in Armenia."
Answering a question about the relations between the Turks and the
Armenians of Armenia, Patriarch Mutafian says: "Relations are rather
good. I think if there were exchange programs of students,
intellectuals, artists and media representatives, Turkey-Armenia
relations would improve."
The most exciting in the interview were perhaps the last two questions.
The correspondent asked: "Are there cases when the Armenian residents
turn to you complaining of bad treatment?", to which the Patriarch
answers: "As far as I know, they get along very well, and there were
even marriages with the Turks."
Asked "if the local Armenian community is worried because of the
Armenian residents", the Patriarch says: "Unfortunately, there is more
distrust than worry towards them. The local community is slow to trust
those people for unknown reasons. There is a firm opinion in the
community that they are ‘untrustworthy and do not keep their word’.
This is an inglorious phenomenon."
Firstly, it should be said that not all job seekers in Turkey are
university graduates. The Patriarch simply lies fanning the fires of
those who want to see Armenia ruined. As to the community, if they
really consider their compatriots in Armenia untrustworthy, then it
goes against the Patriarch’s words that the Armenians get along with
the Turks and even marry them.
If Patriarch Mutafian ascribes distrust to the Armenian community, then
he carelessly sticks a label of untrustworthy on the Turks who trust
the Armenian residents to the extent of marrying them. In this case the
Armenian community of Constantinople takes the stance of distrust to
Turks because of its Patriarch’s wishful thinking.
It’s obvious that in order to "get well along with the Armenians" the
Turks have to be at least equally bad, therefore the Patriarch’s
suspicion towards his countryman should refer to Turks as well. We can
only remind him the inscription that Lraber, the patriarchy’s
newspaper, carries: "The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked
and those who love violence his soul hates." (www.azg.am, Hakob
Chakrian, August 24, 2006)
Turkish State Regards
Own Citizens as "Foreigners"
A recent report looking into the purchase of immovable property by
foreigners in Turkey has drawn criticism to the State Supervisory
Council for listing the country's minority foundations among foreign
legal entities.
Minority law expert lawyers Kezban Hatemi and Murat Cano have said the
Council's report is in breach of the Constitution while Prof.Dr. Baskin
Oran, a lecturer at the Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty
said any student who made a classification similar to the report would
have repeatedly failed classes.
The State Supervisory Council (DDK/Devlet Denetleme Kurulu) is attached
to the Office of the Presidency of the Republic and has some special
power in every kind of state supervision.
Speaking to bianet on the DDK's Report Examining the Practices of
Foreign National Real Persons and Commercial Companies of Corporate
Nature Set Up in Foreign Countries Obtaining Immovable Property Inside
The Borders of The Republic of Turkey, Hatemi described the
classification in the text as "in only one word, a disgrace".
"A foreigner is a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of
Turkey" Hatemi explained. "Foundations of congregations are foundations
set up by people who are citizens of the Republic of Turkey coming
together. This classification shows non-Muslim citizens of the Republic
of Turkey as if they were foreigners".
She said the DDK, a constitutional supervisory institution established
with the aim of performing and developing the regular and efficient
functioning of the administration and its observance of law, needed
first to supervise its own mentality in accordance with the
Constitution.
"From the President to the individual, the Constitution is binding for
everyone. The classification in this report is a constitutional
offence. This mentality which defines those inside of it as foreigners
is the obstacle in front of democracy" she said.
Adding, "The President should also condemn this. The minorities could
use their right to petition and write to the President and condemn
this".
Cano: State not based on religion
or race
Lawyer Cano referred to the classification as "an illiterate exercise"
stressing "The Constitution determines that the state is not founded on
race of religion, that citizens are equal in rights and freedoms."
"Minority foundations are not foreign legal entities. Because they are
institutions of the Republic of Turkey that are accepted as legal
entities according to the laws of the Republic of Turkey. All of their
executives are citizens of the Republic. Whatever rights and licenses
the foundations set up by Turkish Republic citizen Muslims have, the
minority foundations have the same rights and licenses".
Oran: Citizenship of Turkey
important
Prof. Dr. Oran said the situation with regard to the report and its
classification further showed how the concept of "being a citizen of
Turkey" as they recommended in the Minority and Cultural Rights Working
Group Report was important.
"Because, [the concept of] Turk signifies an ethnic group, not a
nation. When this is the case we continuously come across things like
this" he said.
"This way, the non-Muslims are formally being left out of the concept
of citizenship. As Etyen Mahcupyan says, it leads not to being a
non-Muslim but to being a non-citizen.
How Foundations became 'Foreign'
The Fourth Section of the DDK report titles "The Obtaining of Immovable
Property in Turkey by Foreign Real Entities" lists among those entities
those minority foundations formed in Turkey. A section of the report on
corporate ownership also lists the foundations alongside companies of
foreign capital or foreign companies.
The report describes "congregation foundations" as institutions set up
by people of the same religion or race, aiming to serve their
communities and allowed to obtain property in Turkey under permission
of the General Directorate of Foundations to meet their requirements in
religious, educational, social and cultural fields.
The report cites the foundations in Turkey as belonging to Turkish
Orthodox, Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Bulgarian, Georgian, Assyrian,
Maruni and Keldani people saying that as of December 31, 2004, they had
a total of 161 congregation foundations in Turkey and that 159 of these
had immovable property "in the borders of our country".
In an explanatory part of the DDK report, it is stated that the
immovable property of congregation foundations in Turkey are divided
into 5 groups based on the number of property and their size. According
the property of Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Assyrian congregations are
listed under their own names and individually while the Turkish
Orthodox, Keldani, Maruni, Bulgarian and Georgian congregation
properties are listed as "others".
The report says that 1.427 immovable properties with known surface
areas belong to 142 congregation foundations in Turkey and these are
2.584.763 m2 in total. Of the 1.427; 650 (%45.6) belong to Greek
foundations, 510 (%35.7) to Armenian, 122 (%8.5) to Assyrian, 113
(%7.9) to Jewish and 32 (%2.2) to the 'others'. (BIA, Tolga KORKUT,
August 14, 2006)
CHP
Leader Baykal: "There are no minorities in Turkey"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
said yesterday that everybody in Turkey is a part of the Turkish nation
and that there are no minorities in the country.
Speaking in Kahramanmaras over the weekend, Baykal said there's a
deliberate political aim behind terrorism in Turkey, adding, "What will
happen if you divide the country? You'll only become a pawn on a chess
board and on someone's energy map. There are no minorities in Turkey;
we are all one and united. Terrorism in Turkey is aimed at imposing a
policy of divide and rule. The administrators of the country,
meanwhile, are just trying to save the day regarding terrorism. We're
preventing threats with our one-third of seats in Parliament."
Asserting that the biggest threat in Turkey is the abuse of religion
for political aims, Baykal said that the country will become a
Taliban-like regime if politics, the law and justice are mixed with
religion.
"We're all Muslims and proud of our faith," Baykal said. "We're all one
as a people, wearing a headscarf or not. But the regime will become a
Taliban-like regime if you try to blend religion with politics, the law
and justice. We won't allow them to repress or divide Turkey. We
believe in the people." (The New Anatolian, 14 August 2006)
Politique
intérieure/Interior Politics
La Turquie
confrontée à une crise de la noisette
Le gouvernement turc est confronté ces dernières semaines
à une crise
agricole sans précédent provoquée par la
colère des dizaines de
milliers de producteurs de noisettes, très touchés par la
baisse des
prix de ce fruit dont la Turquie a le quasi-monopole mondial.
Ils étaient près de 100.000 selon la police et 150.000
selon les
organisateurs, à manifester pour dénoncer la politique du
gouvernement,
fin juillet à Ordu, sur la mer Noire, dans le Nord-Est de la
Turquie où
est cultivée depuis des temps immémoriaux la noisette.
Le rassemblement a dégénéré en
affrontements avec les policiers et le
Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan a limogé le chef de la
police de
cette petite ville, jugeant son attitude face aux manifestants par trop
indulgente.
Les manifestants ont brûlé une effigie de Cüneyd
Zapsu, important
exportateur de noisettes et proche conseiller de M. Erdogan, qu'ils
accusent de faire baisser les cours.
70 à 80% des noisettes produites dans le monde proviennent de
Turquie,
ressort-il des chiffres du ministère de l'Agriculture, et plus
de deux
millions de personnes vivent pour l'essentiel de cette culture dans la
région de la mer Noire. Ce fruit représente plus de 30%
de la
production agricole nationale.
La production de noisettes excède la consommation mondiale,
d'où
l'effondrement du cours qui est passé depuis l'an dernier de 6
à 2,5
livres turques (3,2 à 1,3 euro) le kilogramme, le niveau le plus
bas de
l'histoire de la Turquie.
Les petits cultivateurs qui n'arrivent pas à écouler
leurs noisettes se
sont endettés auprès des banques, certains sont
même ruinés.
Les pertes totales sont évaluées à quelque 2,5
milliards de dollars (1,95 milliard d'euros), disent les
spécialistes du dossier.
L'Union des producteurs de noisettes (Fiskobirlik), chargée de
la
vente, ne peut payer les sommes qu'elle doit aux cultivateurs, faisant
dégringoler les prix, et est très critiquée par le
gouvernement,
celui-ci la montrant du doigt pour son "incapacité" à
gérer la crise.
Mais c'est le gouvernement qui est la principale cible des paysans.
En effet, l'Etat épongeait les dettes, estimées
annuellement à 100
millions de dollars (78 millions d'euros), de Fiskobirlik, en achetant
le surplus de noisettes.
Mais, depuis trois ans, le gouvernement refuse de renflouer Fiskobirlik
en raison de ses engagements auprès du Fonds monétaire
international
(FMI) qui l'a sommé de réduire les dépenses
budgétaires.
Mardi dernier, M. Erdogan a réuni un "sommet de la noisette"
auquel ont
participé de nombreux ministres pour faire le point de la
situation et
il a été décidé de racheter une partie du
surplus de cette année, une
décision jugée cependant insuffisante par les producteurs.
Le président de la puissante chambre de commerce d'Ankara, Sinan
Aygün,
a appelé à une "mobilisation" pour empêcher que
cette crise ne débouche
sur un fléau social dans les zones productrices.
Son organisation a décidé de distribuer des noisettes
dans les écoles pour écouler la surproduction.
"La noisette est la pierre angulaire de l'économie turque",
a-t-il été
jusqu'à affirmer, appelant les Turcs à consommer
davantage de ce fruit
"national".
Le président de l'Union des chambres agricoles (TZOB) Semsi
Bayraktar a
quant à lui menacé le gouvernement de nouvelles
manifestations au cas
où le gouvernement ne s'impliquerait pas davantage dans le
règlement de
la crise. (AFP, 12 août 2006)
Le parti au pouvoir envisage des modifications à
la loi électorale
Le parti de la Justice et du Développement (AKP), au pouvoir en
Turquie, souhaite amender la loi électorale afin de
réduire l'âge
d'éligibilité et le seuil électoral qu'un parti
doit franchir pour
entrer au Parlement, a-t-on appris mercredi de sources proches du parti.
Les cadres du parti du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan oeuvrent
sur un projet d'amendement constitutionnel qui permettrait de
réduire
de 30 à 25 ans l'âge minimum pour être candidat
à un siège à
l'Assemblée nationale, qui compte 550 membres, a-t-on
précisé.
Autre volet du projet: abaisser de 10 à 7% le seuil minimum des
suffrages recueillis à l'échelle nationale pour qu'une
formation puisse
être représentée au Parlement, un changement
demandé depuis longue date
à la Turquie par l'Union européenne, avec laquelle elle a
entamé l'an
dernier des négociations d'adhésion.
Lors des dernières législatives de 2002, seul deux
partis, l'AKP (issu
de la mouvance islamiste) et le parti social-démocrate CHP ont
pu
envoyer des représentant au Parlement, tout les autres partis
étant
restés sous ce seuil.
Du coup, plus de 40% des électeurs n'ont pas été
représentés.
Héritier du coup d'Etat militaire de 1980, le système
électoral turc a
jusqu'à présent empêché, avec son seuil
électoral de 10%, les partis
pro-kurdes d'entrer au Parlement.
Parmi d'autres modifications que l'AKP envisage d'apporter figure aussi
une disposition qui rend plus difficile l'élection de candidats
indépendants, et ce afin d'empêcher que des membres du
principal
mouvement pro-kurde de Turquie, le Parti pour une société
démocratique
(DTP), n'entrent au Parlement.
"Ils font des plans pour entrer à l'Assemblée comme
députés
indépendants. C'est une duperie, nous pouvons prendre des
contre-mesures", a affirmé Burhan Kuzu, le président AKP
de la
commission constitutionelle au Parlement, à des journalistes.
Le Parlement rentre en principe le 1er octobre de vacances et ce projet
devrait y être débattu dans sa forme finale après
avoir obtenu l'aval
de M. Erdogan. (AFP, 9 août 2006)
Istanbul mega-flags stir nationalist wave
Amid rising concern over a nationalist wave gaining ground in Turkey,
Istanbul's mayor yesterday marked the first step by the municipality to
furnish the city with huge national flags.
Istanbul Greater Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbas, hailing from the
ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, hoisted a gigantic Turkish
flag at a ceremony in Istanbul's Sarayburnu district, an elevated
neighborhood that can easily be seen from around the city center.
The municipality aims to adorn the city with 10 flags, each weighing
nearly 50 kilos.
However, several commentators watching these developments with concern
have warned about what they see as a rapid escalation in nationalist
sentiment and demonstrations, while urging authorities to stop
"manipulating" the public.
On the other hand, a great many analysts have explained the rise in
nationalist expression as an expected reaction to increased terrorism
and Armenian genocide claims. It has become common to observe crowds
marching against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) while
carrying huge flags and shouting nationalist slogans.
Topbas, speaking at the ceremony, said, "The municipality wishes for
all people living in Istanbul to feel the honor of living under the
Turkish flag, the real love of the Turkish people, and that foreigners
setting foot in the city notice these flags."
"The flags, which will be flown from 36 meter poles and be floodlit
around the clock, will be in the sky forever," he added.
He also noted that each flag has an area of 150 square meters.
The enormous flags will be flown in the Emirgan Grove, Beylikduzu,
Kartal and the Pendik districts, Camlica Hill and Istanbul's hilly
Kayisdagi district.
The flag poles are made of a weather-resistant electro-plated material
that can withstand gales and earthquakes.
Sisli district Mayor Mustafa Sarigul from the main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) also said recently that he is planning
to have an extraordinarily large flag made to order. According to the
mayor, one end of the flag could be placed in Taksim and the other in
Sisli, a 15-minute walk away. (The New Anatolian, 3 August 2006)
Forces
armées/Armed Forces
The military's war cries at the takeover ceremony
Taking over the helm of the General Staff from Gen. Hilmi Ozkok
yesterday, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said that never before had such danger
and risk confronted Turkey as does today.The handover ceremony came
amid speculations of a changed tone with Buyukanit taking the post of
chief of General Staff from the academic, soft-spoken Ozkok.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and high-ranking military officials
attended the ceremony in which retiring Chief of Staff Gen. Ozkok and
Gen. Buyukanit both delivered speeches.
Ozkok, for his part, refrained from drawing a dark picture and chose
instead to say that he leaves any judgment of his tenure to history.
Gen. Ozkok mainly touched on Turkey's security concerns, arguing that
changing global conditions hadn't brought a bright picture for the
country. Gen. Ozkok said that the security concerns around the world
have changed. "While many countries have chosen to cut their defense
expenses, Turkey remained at the center of security risks," he said.
Gen. Ozkok said terrorism and fundamentalism are two major security
threats that Turkey should closely be watching and taking necessary
measures to counter. Praising his successor, he said the new chief of
general staff is a valuable commander who has proven himself at various
posts over many years. "I have full confidence in him. I am sure he
will carry the Turkish military to the 21st century," added Ozkok.
The theme of risk and dangers confronting Turkey was also sounded by
the incoming chief of staff, but Gen Buyukanit also referred to
domestic threats -- namely terrorism and fundamentalism.
"These have been present since the founding of the republic but I have
to say that they have never been as strong as now," said Buyukanit.
Gen. Buyukanit also stressed that "democracy" and "cultural rights"
cannot be used to undermine the regime or the nation-state itself. He
said at the ceremony he wouldn't answer the smear campaigns directed
against him since he believes it's neither the right time nor place for
such a thing.
After Gen. Buyukanit's speech, President Sezer decorated Gen. Ozkok
with the State Medal of Honor, thanking him for his distinguished
services as chief of general staff.
The new chief of General Staff, Gen. Buyukanit, will stay at the post
for two years due to the age for mandatory retirement and probably will
hand over his post to the current commander of the Land Forces, Gen.
Ilker Basbug.
Büyükanıt is expected to adopt a tougher line towards
European Union
negotiations and in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK). The change in military leadership comes as Turkey is
insisting that Washington do more to crack down against PKK operating
out of bases in northern Iraq. Many believe tension between the
government and the military could increase under blunt-speaking
Büyükanıt's leadership. But analysts were sanguine about
relations
between the military and the AKP, noting that Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan had hardened his stance on the PKK and introduced a
tough new anti-terrorism law.
Büyükanıt raised eyebrows this year by praising a soldier
subsequently
jailed for a bombing believed to be aimed at stirring up unrest in the
southeastern Anatolia. The bombing triggered riots in the region and a
parliamentary inquiry. A regional prosecutor accused
Büyükanıt of
organizing an illegal group to plan the bombing, claims the General
Staff strongly denied. The prosecutor was then sacked from his post in
a move the EU said raised questions about judicial independence.
Analysts say Büyükanıt's no-nonsense views have been shaped
by the time
he spent in the Southeast during the 1990s, the heyday of the PKK,
which is now seen as weakened but far from defeated.
Büyükanıt's
promotion also coincides with the renewed turmoil in Iraq and Lebanon.
Ankara has said it may provide troops for an international peacekeeping
force in southern Lebanon if conditions are right. (Turkish Daily
News-The New Anatolian, 29 August 2006)
Le gouvernement veut un vote rapide sur l'envoi
de soldats turcs
Le gouvernement turc va appeler le Parlement à écourter
ses vacances
pour examiner en urgence une motion sur l'envoi de troupes au Liban, a
affirmé mardi aux journalistes le porte-parole du gouvernement,
Cemil
Ciçek.
"Nous projetons que la motion gouvernementale soit examinée au
Parlement mardi" 5 septembre, a déclaré M. Ciçek
au sortir d'une
réunion avec le Premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, et
plusieurs
ministres. "C'est au président de l'Assemblée de prendre
la décision,
mais nous allons demander que cela ait lieu mardi", a ajouté M.
Ciçek,
dont les propos étaient retransmis par la chaîne
d'information CNN-Türk.
M. Ciçek a indiqué plus tard au cours d'une discussion
avec des
journalistes que la durée de la mission confiée aux
troupes envoyées au
Liban serait d'au moins un an. "Les soldats qui seront envoyés
au Liban
seront en mission au moins un an, avec la possibilité d'une
extension
si nécessaire", déclaré le ministre, cité
par l'agence de presse
Anatolie.
Le gouvernement turc a annoncé lundi son intention d'envoyer des
troupes en renfort de la Force intérimaire des Nations
unies au Liban
(Finul), sans préciser le nombre de soldats devant être
déployés. Selon
la presse, la participation turque pourrait être de 600 à
1.200 hommes.
La rentrée parlementaire était initialement prévue
pour le 1er octobre.
Le parti gouvernemental de la Justice et du Développement (AKP)
dispose
d'une écrasante majorité au Parlement et une motion sur
l'envoi de
troupes à toutes les chances d'y être adoptée.
(AFP, 29 août 2006)
Le gouvernement annonce officiellement la
participation turque à la Finul
Le gouvernement turc a annoncé lundi officiellement la
participation de
son pays à la Force intérimaire des Nations unies au
Liban (Finul),
sans toutefois préciser l'ampleur de la contribution turque, qui
sera
arrêtée dans les jours prochain.
"La Turquie ne peut rester simple spectateur, comme un lointain pays
(face) aux événements qui se déroulent au
Proche-Orient (...) cet état
de choses serait contraire à nos intérêts
nationaux", a expliqué le
porte-parole du gouvernement turc Cemil Ciçek au terme d'un
conseil des
ministres.
Le parlement turc, actuellement en vacances, qui aura le dernier mot
sur l'envoi de troupes à l'étranger sera convoqué
"dans les plus brefs
délais" en session extraordinaire, a-t-il dit.
De source gouvernementale, on précise que l'Assemblée
nationale
pourrait se réunir dès cette semaine ou au plus tard
d'ici la fin de la
semaine prochaine.
La date de l'envoi des casques bleus turcs dépendra de
l'adoption d'une
motion gouvernementale à l'Assemblée nationale où
le parti de la
Justice et du Développement (AKP, issu de la mouvance
islamiste), au
pouvoir, dispose d'une écrasante majorité.
L'opposition parlementaire s'est prononcée contre la
participation de
militaires turcs à la Finul, qualifiant la position du
gouvernement
d'"aventurisme".
M. Ciçek, qui est également ministre de la Justice, a
souligné que des
travaux techniques étaient actuellement en cours à
l'état-major des
armées et au sein du gouvernement pour déterminer le
nombre de soldats
qui seront envoyés.
"Les détails sur le nombre de troupes seront connus
ultérieurement", a-t-il dit.
Selon la presse turque, la participation turque serait de 600 à
1.200 hommes.
Le ministre a aussi souligné que les militaires turcs n'auront
pas pour
mission de désarmer la milice chiite libanaise Hezbollah.
M. Ciçek a par ailleurs rejeté les critiques du chef de
l'Etat Ahmet
Necdet Sezer qui s'était opposé l'envoi d'un contingent
au Liban,
affirmant qu'"il n'est pas question d'agir comme un simple spectateur
aux faits".
"La Turquie va assumer ses responsabilités et jouer un
rôle actif" dans la zone, a-t-il ajouté.
Vendredi, le président de la République s'était
clairement opposé à
l'éventualité de dépêcher des troupes au
Liban, estimant en substance
que l'armée turque faisait face à d'autres
problèmes, en particulier
celui des séparatistes kurdes dans le sud-est du pays.
Il avait aussi stigmatisé l'empressement d'Ankara de s'engager
en faveur d'un renforcement de la Finul.
La Turquie, pays musulman mais au régime laïque, occupe une
position
unique au Proche-Orient : elle jouit de la confiance d'Israël,
pays
avec lequel elle a signé un 1996 un accord de coopération
militaire, et
a des relations étroites avec les Etats arabes de la
région.
Pour mettre à profit cette situation et renforcer sa position
géostratégique, le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan
avait laissé
entendre le mois dernier que son pays enverrait un contingent au Liban.
La question de l'envoi de casques bleus au Liban sera également
évoquée
lors d'une visite à Ankara du secrétaire
général de l'ONU, Kofi Annan,
prévue le 6 septembre.
Dissensions au sommet de l'Etat
turc sur une participation à la Finul
L'éventuel déploiement de casques bleus turcs au Liban
ravive les
dissensions entre le chef de l'Etat Ahmet Necdet Sezer, opposé
à une
participation turque à la Finul, et le gouvernement qui y voit
une
occasion d'affermir la position géostratégique de la
Turquie.
"Je suis opposé à l'envoi de soldats au Liban, il
n'appartient pas à la
Turquie de sauvegarder les intérêts nationaux d'autres
pays", a déclaré
M. Sezer vendredi lors d'une de ses rares interventions devant des
journalistes à Ankara.
Le président a estimé en substance que l'armée
turque avait d'autres
chats à fouetter, en particulier le problème des
séparatistes kurdes
dans le sud-est du pays. Il a également
désapprouvé les conditions
d'engagement proposées par l'ONU et s'est dit plus favorable
à une
contribution humanitaire d'Ankara.
M. Sezer a ainsi pris le contre-pied du gouvernement du parti de la
Justice et du Développement (AKP, issu de la mouvance islamiste)
qui,
sans avoir encore pris de décision officielle, s'est dit
favorable à
l'envoi d'un contingent pour renforcer la Force des Nations unies au
Liban (Finul), la presse évoquant une participation turque
à hauteur de
600 à 1.200 hommes.
"Alors que les grandes puissances sont toujours en train
d'étudier la
teneur de la résolution (1701 de l'ONU), nous nous sommes
engagés avant
même l'adoption du texte", a affirmé M. Sezer,
stigmatisant
l'empressement du gouvernement à se déclarer favorable,
dès la fin
juillet, à l'envoi de troupes.
L'opposition social-démocrate au Parlement a salué les
déclarations de
M. Sezer, qualifiant l'engagement du gouvernement d'"aventurisme".
L'offensive d'Israël au Liban a suscité un mouvement
d'antipathie
contre l'Etat hébreu et de nombreuses manifestations ont
été organisées
dans les grandes villes turques pour condamner les "massacres" commis
contre la population civile. (AFP, Burak Akinci, 28 août
2006)
New Army Chief Büyükanıt Promises To
Crush "Terrorism"
The new chief of general staff promises to crush terrorism and
dismisses attacks against the military and the republic under the guise
of protecting democracy and human rights as futile ones that will only
make them stronger
Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt, who will officially take over as the
new chief of
general staff on Aug. 28, said on Friday attacks on the military would
only serve to make it stronger.
Speaking at a ceremony during which he handed over the post of land
forces commander to Gen. İlker Başbuğ, Büyükanıt said the
military was
not like a small fire that could be extinguished by wind but was rather
a huge blaze that became even bigger.
He said there were people who were attacking the soldiers and
commanders who were putting their lives on the line to protect the
country, adding that people guilty of such acts would be the victims of
their own devices.
Those involved in antiterrorism acted in accordance with the law, he
said, adding that anyone who wanted to attack the military and the
police would be punished eventually. The Republic of Turkey and its
military are determined to eliminate these groups. No one can hide
behind human rights or democracy to attack this country or its regime.
He said it was important to act as part of the global community but
added: Turkey faces both symmetric and asymmetric threats. These
threats necessitate that Turkey have a strong military.
According to Büyükanıt the military's modernization efforts
were
misunderstood along with the process involved in transforming the force
into a more mobile one that can fight wherever necessary.
He dismissed claims made in some newspapers about the Aegean Army and
other commands being disbanded. We don't have any such plans. If you
increase the capability and strength of a single brigade to that of
three brigades, you can disband two, he said.
He also dismissed reports on the shortening of military service, noting
that military service was shortened in 2003, resulting in the Land
Forces shrinking by 20 percent. There will be no additional shortening
of military service.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
were also present at the ceremony. (Turkish Daily News, August 26, 2006)
Multiple
Investigations into "Bombing General"
The Public Prosecutor's Office of the southeast Turkish Sirnak province
has joined the list of those looking into retired Lieutenant General
Altay Tokat's public revelation that he was responsible for ordering
one or two clandestine street bombings when assigned to the region "to
bring judges and civil servants in line".
The probe, coming in the wake of an ongoing investigation in Diyarbakir
and another one launched at the end of July by the Chief of General
Staff Headquarters, is meant to uncover whether Tokat was involved in
similar extrajudicial activities while he was appointed as the Public
Order Corps Commander in the region.
Turkey's Human Rights Association (IHD), the Association for Human
Rights and Solidarity with the Oppressed (MAZLUMDER), the Diyarbakir
Bar Association and the Patriotic Front Jurists Initiative had
previously filed criminal complaints against Tokat.
Self-confessed 'bomber'
Tokat's revelations were made during an interview with the "Aktuel"
weekly and reported in summary in the July 27 issue of Sabah newspaper.
He was speaking in relation to the controversial bookstore bombing in
Semdinli by members of the security forces, which the general described
as a "possibly clumsy" operation.
"In my time," the retired general said, "I also had them throw a few
bombs to some critical points. These were empty places! My issue was to
give a message".
Tokat said the message given through street bombings targeted civil
servants and judges who were assigned to the region and the explosions
occurred close to were they lived.
"Civil servants, judges that come from the West [of Turkey] don't
understand the seriousness of the situation... when things became
calmer, they started to take this business nor seriously... In
consequence I had [bombs] thrown at two places close to their houses.
After that they understood that they needed to be careful. One [act of]
disaster is better than a thousand words of advice. This way I educated
them," he said.
"You can't immediately evaluate this by saying throwing bombs is
illegal. I might have saved the lives of those people. I did not tell
them either. Now if you construe this as assassination, I'll laugh at
that" he was quoted as further saying. (BIA, August 14, 2006)
Ankara
Bar Files Against "Military Impunity"
The Ankara Bar Association has filed a case with Turkey's Council of
State against a Police General Directorate circular that prevents law
enforcement officers from detaining soldiers or members of the armed
forces even if where they are caught "red handed" in crime, out of
uniform.
The case, filed on August 9 at the country's highest level court,
states that the July 20 dated circular is in violation both of the
Criminal Procedures Code (CMK) and the Regulation on Capture, Detention
and Taking Statements. It stresses that the new regulation will also
prevent any required measures that are normally taken where offenders
are apprehended before or during the commissioning of a crime.
The Bar Association said that as military legislation did not cover
this area, the code of the Regulation on Capture, Detention and Taking
Statements should be enforced to everyone. Article 6, requiring a
suspect to be captured, searched and stripped of any weapons to prevent
his escape or endangering anyone else would therefore be applied to
military personnel and soldiers.
The Association also asked the State Council to apply to the
Constitutional Court to annul the Turkish Armed Forces Internal Service
Law (TSKIHK) on grounds that it contradicted with the principles of
"equality" and "fair trial" guaranteed by the Constitution.
In its argument against articles 92 and 93 of the TSKIHK, the Bar
Association said these covered offences that soldiers might be involved
in but because the articles ruled that even offences unrelated to the
duty of the soldiers would be subject to special investigation
procedures, they violated "equality" and "fair trial" rights under the
Constitution.
Wednesday application to the State Council follows another case filed
in the past week against the same circular by a senior Turkish police
officer.
Kadir Ozdemir, a Turkish police superintendent based in the northern
Black Sea town of Ordu filed a case against the same administrative
circular with the Ordu Administrative Court arguing that the immunity
granted to offending soldiers and armed forces staff would lead to
irreparable harm.
He said the relevant circular contradicted the Turkish Constitution and
was a violation of democracy and the rule of law. Ozdemir's petition
stressed that as the circular needed to be enforced, it would force
police officers to continuously commit the offence of neglecting their
judicial duty.
The circular, since issued by the Police General Directorate, has been
challenged by the Human Rights Association (IHD) for violating the
principles of equality and supremacy of law. (BIA News Center, August
8, 2006)
Büyükanit: Turkish Land Forces to
shrink by 2014
Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, who will be Turkey's new
chief of general staff for the next two years starting from the end of
the month, said yesterday that Turkey needs a robust land forces since
it's in the center of an area of global crises.
But this does not mean that the it will increase in number. On the
contrary, the outgoing Land Forces commander said that it will shrink
by 20 to 30 percent by 2014.
Incoming Chief of General Staff Gen. Buyukanit gave significant
messages during an interview with Defense and Aerospace Magazine, due
to appear on the newsstands next week.
The general described Turkey's region and the steps that Turkey needs
to take in the interview.
"Despite the detente after the end of the Cold War and the arms-race,
the threats, instability and uncertainty in our region continue and are
on the rise," he said.
Quoting Ataturk, Buyukanit said that a good armed force must not be
aggressive but be materially and morally ready for defense in the face
of an unjust offensive.
"It's extremely important for us to have deterrent armed forces in our
region. Turkey's geopolitical location, combined with the fact that the
country lies in the very center of various crisis areas, necessitates
the army to assume various roles both in times of war and peace. The
country must have strong and modern Land Forces," he said.
Forces 2014
Gen. Buyukanit, who sent crucial messages regarding the future of the
Land Forces, said that the country2s own instabilities should also be
taken into consideration. He reported that the land forces will shrink
considerably within the next eight years. But he said that despite this
process, the force's capacities will be increased.
"The Land Forces aim at being equipped with new opportunities and
capabilities in order to carry out its duty in full strength against a
large variety of threats, varying from classical threats to
asymmetrical ones.
"The targets for our land forces are to be realized through 'Forces
2014' project. This project aims to shrink the forces without
undermining its combat capabilities. On the contrary, under the plan
the efficiency of the force will increase.
"Within this period of time the Land Forces will gradually decrease by
20 to 30 percent in terms of number of personnel and forces formations.
It will be equipped with modern arms and war devices as the distinct
features of this new formation. Thus the battle capability will be
given to high-ranking brigades. Moreover with the Combat Zone
Management System, the land tactical map will be numerically formed in
real-time or close to real-time and a constant tracking will be
provided," said Buyukanit. (The New Anatolian, Evren Deger, 10 August
2006)
Top
brass of the Turkish Armed Forces reshaped
The top brass of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has been reshaped
following the three-day meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS).
Following the appointment of Yasar Buyukanit to the helm of the General
Staff effective Aug. 30, former First Army Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug
replaced him as Land Forces commander.
The Navy and the Air Forces commanders weren't appointed this year
since appointments to those posts were made last year, which means
those commanders have another year left in office.
Although not officially confirmed, Lt. Gen. Atilla Isik and Lt. Gen.
Hasan Igsiz were promoted to a higher rank in the YAS meeting.
According to reports, Gen. Isik was appointed to the Land Forces
Command chief of staff and Gen. Igsiz was appointed to the 2nd Army
effective Aug. 30.
Reports indicated that there were two candidates for Gendarmerie
General Command: Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Isik Kosaner and Gen.
Ismail Kocman, the commander of Education and Doctrine Command (EDOK).
The sources were uncertain about the reports that Gen. Kosaner was
appointed to the post. If Gen. Kosaner is appointed to the post, he
will be appointed to the helm of the Land Forces Command following two
years in this post and to the helm of the General Staff itself in 2010.
Aegean Army Commander Gen. Fethi Tuncel remained in this post.
According to reports about the YAS decisions, which are expected to be
officially announced today, appointments are as follows:
Land Forces Command Chief of Staff Gen. Ergin Saygin was appointed as
deputy chief of General Staff, Third Army Commander Gen. Orhan Yoney
was appointed as EDOK commander, Second Army Commander Gen. Sukru
Sariisik was appointed as First Army commander, Lt. Gen. Isik, who was
promoted to a higher rank as of Aug. 30, was appointed as Land Forces
Command chief of staff, and Lt. Gen. Igsiz, who was promoted to a
higher rank as well, was appointed as Second Army commander. (The New
Anatolian, 4 August 2006)
L'armée
renvoie 17 militaires pour des
activités
pro-islamistes
L'armée turque a annoncé vendredi dans un
communiqué avoir renvoyé 17 militaires pour des
activités pro-islamistes et pour indiscipline.
Les expulsions ont été décidées lors de la
réunion annuelle du Conseil militaire supérieur,
rassemblé trois jours durant sous la présidence du
Premier ministre pour statuer sur les promotions, les départs en
retraite et les exclusions au sein de l'armée, selon ce document.
Les exclus ont été convaincus de "participation à
des activités réactionnaires" ou "d'avoir agi
immoralement d'une manière portant atteinte au prestige de
l'armée et d'avoir ignoré les avertissements (les
appelant) à améliorer leur conduite", affirme le
communiqué.
Le communiqué ne donne pas de détails sur la nature des
actes d'indiscipline des officiers congédiés, mais
l'armée, qui s'est érigée en gardienne du
régime strictement laïc en vigueur en Turquie, a dans le
passé expulsé des centaines de militaires
soupçonnés de militantisme islamiste.
Le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan et le ministre de la
Défense Vecdi Gonul, dont le gouvernement est issu de la
mouvance islamiste, ont au cours des dernières années
émis des réserves sur ces expulsions, tout en les
entérinant.
Bien qu'il ait publiquement renié ses convictions islamistes, le
Parti de la justice et du développement de M. Erdogan est
toujours regardé avec suspicion par l'armée et les
défenseurs de la laïcité.
Les décisions du Conseil militaire supérieur sont
irréversibles et ne sont pas susceptibles d'appel. (AFP, 4
août 2006)
Le Figaro: L'armée turque conforte son
influence politique
L'ARMÉE a remporté une manche dans sa bataille contre le
gouvernement
AKP islamo-conservateur. Le général Yasar
Büyükanit, qui appartient à
la tendance dure de la hiérarchie militaire, a été
nommé lundi chef de
l'état-major. Son arrivée à la tête des
forces armées confirme le
regain d'influence du clan des souverainistes au sein de l'institution
et intervient alors que les relations entre l'armée et le
pouvoir civil
se durcissent en Turquie.
La possible arrivée en 2007 au palais de Cankaya, fief
laïc, d'un chef
de l'Etat sorti des rangs de l'AKP, cristallise cette radicalisation.
«Si jamais le premier ministre Erdogan brigue la
présidence de la
République, il y aura des tensions, assène
Gündüz Aktan, directeur du
think-tank Asam, proche des cercles militaro-nationalistes.
L'armée le
mettra en garde gentiment.»
Le message semble avoir été bien reçu par le
gouvernement et la
majorité AKP du Parlement, chargé d'élire le chef
de l'Etat : les noms
de présidentiables plus consensuels que celui du premier
ministre
circulent. L'enjeu de cette élection présidentielle est
révélateur de
l'intervention de l'armée dans le jeu politique turc. Toujours
bien
présente même si elle s'est faite plus discrète,
notamment sous la
pression de l'Union européenne.
Depuis 2003, de nombreuses réformes ont été
menées pour réduire la
capacité d'ingérence politique des militaires. Ainsi, ils
ne disposent
plus de représentants au sein du conseil de l'audiovisuel ou du
YÖK, le
puissant organisme de tutelle des universités. Surtout, le
Conseil
national de sécurité (MGK), sorte de cabinet
ministériel parallèle qui
permettait à l'état-major d'imposer ses vues au
gouvernement, a été
démilitarisé. Tout comme la majorité de ses
membres, l'actuel
secrétaire général du MGK vient désormais
de la société civile.
Le processus de négociations d'adhésion à l'UE,
soutenu par l'armée, a
également réduit la marge de manoeuvre des militaires
dans le sud-est
du pays à majorité kurde. La guerre civile entre les
troupes du
séparatiste Abdullah Ocalan et l'armée a causé 37
000 morts dans les
années 1980-1990. «Bruxelles soumet désormais
l'armée à sa discipline
en quelque sorte», explique Umit Cizre, politologue à
l'université
Bilkent à Ankara. Les combattants du PKK ont repris ces derniers
mois
leurs attaques : seize militaires ont été tués ces
deux dernières
semaines. Pourtant les requêtes d'une partie de l'appareil
militaire
pour restaurer l'état d'urgence n'ont jusqu'à
présent pas trouvé d'écho
favorable.
Mais selon Levent Unsaldi, sociologue auteur de l'essai Le Militaire et
la politique en Turquie (*), les réformes obtenues par Bruxelles
n'ont
entamé qu'à la marge le pouvoir de l'institution :
«Ses intérêts sont
intacts, tout comme son droit d'ingérence dans la vie politique
et sa
mission de gardienne de l'intégrité de
l'état.» Le Parlement valide
toujours le budget des dépenses militaires sans discuter. Et la
loi
précisant les obligations de l'armée n'a pas
été modifiée.
Son devoir reste «de surveiller et protéger la
République établie
constitutionnellement». En 1997, jugeant la laïcité
en danger, l'armée
avait acculé le gouvernement islamiste de Necmettin Erbakan
à la
démission. Ce pouvoir législatif est consolidé par
un soutien sans
faille du public. «Il faut garder à l'esprit que 80% de la
population
lui fait confiance, rappelle Mehmet Ali Birand, journaliste vedette
à
Kanal D et spécialiste des enjeux militaires. Une partie de la
société
civile soutient cette influence.»
Après l'assassinat en mai dernier d'un juge du Conseil d'Etat au
cri de
«Allaho Akbar !», des milliers de manifestants avaient
scandé dans les
rues d'Ankara «Erdogan, assassin !» Le chef de
l'état-major de
l'époque, Hilmi Özkök, était intervenu
publiquement pour féliciter ses
concitoyens.
L'actualité en Turquie est rythmée par les
déclarations des généraux.
Mais les interventions de l'armée ne se limitent pas au
débat public.
En novembre 2005, l'explosion d'une bombe dans une librairie pro-PKK
à
Semdinli, près de la frontière irakienne, avait fait un
mort. Les
responsables de l'attentat avaient été pris sur le fait :
il s'agissait
de deux gendarmes.
Un procureur de Van avait réclamé l'ouverture d'une
enquête contre le
général Büyükanit, commandant de l'armée
de terre, et soupçonné de
liens avec les deux militaires. Le magistrat, accusé par
l'opposition
d'agir pour le compte de l'AKP, a été radié.
«Concernant les enjeux
essentiels, le gouvernement est obligé de partager le pouvoir
avec les
militaires, résume Umit Cizre. Ils ont toujours le dernier mot
sur les
sujets sensibles comme Chypre ou les Kurdes.» (Le Figaro, Laure
Marchand, 2 août 2006)
(*) Ed. L'Harmattan, Paris 2005.
Le Monde: Un "faucon" favorable à une
opération en Irak
Le gouvernement turc a nommé à la tête de son
armée, lundi 31 juillet,
un général considéré comme un "faucon".
Cette nomination intervient au
moment où la Turquie relance ses menaces d'intervenir dans le
nord de
l'Irak et s'interroge sur sa participation à une force de paix
au Liban.
Conforme aux traditions de rotation à la tête de
l'état-major, la
nomination du général Yasar Büyükanit, 66 ans,
commandant des forces
terrestres, pour remplacer le général Hilmi
Özkök, un "modéré" qui part
à la retraite, met fin à des mois de spéculations
sur la volonté
supposée du gouvernement turc de s'opposer à cette
succession.
Le gouvernement du Parti de la justice et du développement
(AKP), aux
racines islamistes, fut ainsi accusé par l'opposition
"kémaliste",
laïciste et nationaliste comme les militaires, d'avoir
poussé un
procureur de province à demander - audace sans
précédent - la mise en
examen du futur numéro un de l'armée pour liens occultes
avec un gang
de provocateurs antikurdes.
Le procureur fut radié, mais le général
Büyükanit, bien que déclaré
au-dessus de tout soupçon, pourrait réagir en "animal
blessé", estiment
certains commentateurs, et chercher à se venger.
Le général Büyükanit est, en effet, connu pour
ses rigidités sur les
questions sécuritaires et ses penchants nationalistes, tout en
étant
accusé, dans les milieux islamistes qu'il combat, d'être
"pro-américain" et "pro-israélien". Il serait surtout un
"faucon" de la
lutte contre le PKK - le parti ex-marxiste et séparatiste des
rebelles
kurdes de Turquie qui opèrent aussi à partir du nord de
l'Irak.
En novembre, il critiqua le gouvernement pour son refus d'ordonner une
intervention de l'armée contre les camps irakiens du PKK,
après des
attaques de celui-ci en Turquie. En juillet, des attaques plus
meurtrières encore - 15 militaires turcs tués par le PKK
en trois jours
- ont fait la "une" des médias et amené le gouvernement
à menacer
d'intervenir "au cas où le gouvernement irakien ou les forces
américaines en Irak ne prenaient pas eux-mêmes les mesures
nécessaires".
Mais les Etats-Unis ont, comme toujours, exprimé leur opposition
à
toute opération "unilatérale" de l'armée turque en
Irak, tout en
promettant de coopérer avec la Turquie, membre de l'OTAN, contre
le PKK
- que Washington, de même que l'UE, ont inscrit sur leurs listes
d'organisations terroristes. Ces promesses ne furent jamais mises en
oeuvre, ce qui a nourri le soupçon, en Turquie, que les
Etats-Unis
veulent préserver le PKK comme une arme contre les
régimes d'Iran et de
Syrie, où celui-ci est également actif. C'est, en tout
cas, ce
qu'affirme l'ambassadeur d'Iran à Ankara, qui se félicite
de la bonne
coopération de la Turquie avec son pays contre le PKK.
Dans ce contexte, l'attaque israélienne contre le Liban à
la poursuite
du Hezbollah a eu pour effet d'accroître l'irritation turque
contre
Washington, les médias dénonçant la politique de
"deux poids, deux
mesures" des Américains, qui "encouragent Israël à
faire ce qu'ils
interdisent à la Turquie". Le premier ministre turc, Recep
Tayyip
Erdogan, a dû hausser le ton et tancer les Américains
avant d'en
obtenir des mises au point, confirmant que la Turquie "a le droit de se
défendre contre le terrorisme".
Des séries de rencontres entre représentants turcs,
américains et
irakiens, ainsi que des entretiens téléphoniques entre
MM. Bush et
Erdogan, ont permis à ce dernier d'assurer à son pays
que, cette fois,
les Américains seraient décidés à agir
contre le PKK. Des membres de
l'administration kurde d'Irak entamaient, par ailleurs, leurs premiers
entretiens sur le sujet en Turquie.
Mais, c'est surtout l'éventualité d'une participation
turque à la force
de paix envisagée pour le Liban qui donnerait à M.
Erdogan l'espoir de
voir les besoins sécuritaires de son propre pays pris finalement
en
compte.
Pour autant, les militaires turcs - et sans doute le
général Büyükanit
lui-même, qui doit prendre ses fonctions le 30 août -
restaient très
prudents sur leur intérêt à se joindre à une
force dont les conditions
de déploiement sont inconnues, où ils risquent
d'être les seuls membres
musulmans et de se retrouver au côté uniquement de membres
de l'OTAN,
estimait-on, lundi, de source diplomatique à Ankara. (Le Monde,
Sophie
Shihab, 2 août 2006)
Jurists
Demand Inquiry for General Tokat
Jurists are preparing to file a criminal complaint against former
Turkish Lieutenant General Altay Tokat who revealed in a recent
interview that he had ordered clandestine street bombings while on duty
in Southeast Turkey "to make judges and civil servants take their jobs
serious and get in line". He reportedly had at least two bombs thrown
close to residential compounds hosting the officials "to educate them".
Tokat's revelations were made during an interview with the "Aktuel"
weekly and reported in summary in the July 27 issue of Sabah newspaper.
He was speaking in relation to the controversial bookstore bombing in
Semdinli by security officials, which the general described as a
"possibly clumsy" operation.
"In my time," the retired general said, "I also had them throw a few
bombs to some critical points. These were empty places! My issue was to
give a message".
Tokat said the message given through street bombings targeted civil
servants and judges who were assigned to the region and the explosions
occurred close to were they lived.
"Civil servants, judges that come from the West [of Turkey] don't
understand the seriousness of the situation... when things became
calmer, they started to take this business nor seriously... In
consequence I had [bombs] thrown at two places close to their houses.
After that they understood that they needed to be careful. One [act of]
disaster is better than a thousand words of advice. This way I educated
them," he said.
"You can't immediately evaluate this by saying throwing bombs is
illegal. I might have saved the lives of those people. I did not tell
them either. Now if you construe this as assassination, I'll laugh at
that" he was quoted as further saying.
Criminal Investigation
Diyarbakir Bar Association Chairman Sezgin Tanrikulu told bianet on
Thursday that the association will be filing a criminal complaint to
start an investigation into Tokat who "openly confessed his crime"
while a former senior military judge said the revelations raised
suspicions of an organized formation.
According to Tanrikulu the very essence of Tokat's statement is a crime
in itself and prosecutors should take action on their own. "There is a
direct threat and an influencing of justice" he said. "These bombing
incidents should be investigated. There is also the praising of crime".
Referring to Tokat's assignment to the Diyarbakir Public Order Army
Corps Command before serving as the Hakkari Commando Regiment Commander
in the region, Tanrikulu explained that his revelations proved correct
the existing suspicion over he impartiality of trials held in
Diyarbakir and Van provinces in the 1990s.
Recalling that the Bar Association had long been raising questions on
justice handed out during the 90s, Tanrikulu called for a debate on the
impartiality of judges to start based on the former general's
statements.
Kardas: Bombing may not be the only crime
Retired Military Prosecutor and Judge Umit Kardas told bianet in an
exclusive interview that Tokat's statement was definitely a confession
and added, "A Lieutenant General can't just go around exploding bombs
as if he was using fireworks."
Kardas said in reference to the Semdinli bombing, "While non
commissioned officers are exploding bombs, where does Tokat find the
courage to say these things? It means they rely on a formation, a focal
point. They rust that this cannot be revealed."
According to the former military justice, "This cannot be something
personal. If there is a criminal conspiracy, a gang, this needs to
reveal. In fact this itself might be a more severe crime. It might even
fall under the scope of acts to change the constitutional order."
Kardas also said that he was not too hopeful any results would be
achieved. "To be correct," he said, "the prosecutor where Tokat was on
duty should open an investigation. But the Semdinli case has shows us
things. No civilian prosecutor can do this anymore. "
Stressing that the incident was not only limited to the military Kardas
concluded "This is not just a military issue. It is a general system
with its soldier, politician and media. One needs to ask politicians
how they just watched on". (BIA News Center, Tolga KORKUT, August 1,
2006)
Affaires
religieuses/Religious Affairs
L'agression d'une femme en bikini par des
islamistes trouble la Turquie
Une jeune femme turque, en bikini sur une plage, a été
prise à partie
par des islamistes dénonçant sa tenue, une agression qui
illustre pour
certains une dérive islamiste de la société
turque, pays musulman mais
république laïque.
L'incident, qui s'est produit la semaine dernière à
Karaburun, une
station d'été située près d'Izmir, aurait
pu passer inaperçu, mais la
victime, qui a saisi la justice, est la fille d'une journaliste du
quotidien à gros tirage Hürriyet, qui n'a pas manqué
de rapporter
l'affaire en dénonçant une atteinte aux principes
laïques de la
République.
La jeune femme, qui avait prié des femmes en tchador de ne pas
souiller
le sable avec les langes sales de leurs bébés, a
été traitée de
"prostituée" car elle portait un bikini et a par la suite
été molestée
par les hommes du groupe.
L'agression a défrayé la chronique dans le pays
où, depuis l'arrivée au
pouvoir en 2002 du parti aux origines islamistes de la Justice et du
Développement (AKP), la puissante hiérarchie
pro-laïque, dont l'armée,
ne cesse de déplorer une islamisation galopante de la
société.
Des hôtels de luxe ont fait leur apparition ces dernières
années sur
les côtes turques, imposant de strictes règles islamiques
et offrant à
leurs clients des piscines et plages séparées pour hommes
et femmes.
La vente des "hasema", des maillots de bain qui recouvrent les femmes
voilées de la tête aux pieds et auxquels s'ajoutent une
capuche, va bon
train. Une nouvelle raison pour les défenseurs de la
laïcité d'affirmer
que les valeurs instaurées par le père fondateur de la
Turquie moderne,
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), prennent l'eau sous les coups
du
Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan et de son parti.
"Les partisans de l'AKP ne doivent pas agir avec la mentalité de
ceux
qui se croient tout permis parce que leur parti est au pouvoir",
affirme Ertugrul Özkök, rédacteur-en-chef de
Hürriyet, qui évoque une
"impertinence sociale" des cercles ultra-musulmans.
Ce comportement pourrait, selon lui, provoquer un "sentiment de
revanche" au sein de l'establishment pro-laïque pour lequel le
port du
voile islamique est un défi aux principes d'Atatürk et
constitue un
signe ostensible d'appartenance à l'islam politique.
Les épouses de la plupart des cadres de l'AKP sont
voilées, dont celle
de M. Erdogan. Le parti avait promis d'abolir l'interdiction du port du
voile dans les universités et la fonction publique mais a
dû, à chaque
tentative, faire marche arrière.
Le responsables du tourisme se sont aussi dit inquiets.
Le président de l'association des investisseurs du tourisme
(TYD),
Oktay Varlier, a affirmé que l'incident nuirait au secteur qui a
rapporté 18,1 milliards de dollars (14,1 mds d'euros) au pays en
2005.
"C'est un acte isolé mais il ternit l'image du pays à
l'étranger", a-t-il dit.
Les journaux ont rapporté entre-temps d'autres incidents sur les
plages impliquant les islamistes.
Les Rufai, une secte orthodoxe, ont installé un camping sauvage
à Sile
(nord-ouest), près d'Istanbul, empêchant pendant deux long
mois les
vacanciers de se promener sur une portion de la plage publique en
raison de la présence des femmes du groupe, indique Radikal.
Les tentes du complexe ont été démontées
mercredi soir à la suite de plaintes, ajoute le journal.
Et enfin, dernier épisode en date, un danseur du ballet d'Ankara
a été
agressé par des islamistes dans une crique de Seferihisar
(ouest) car
il a osé se baigner alors que des femmes voilées se
détendaient dans
les environs, rapporte Cumhuriyet. (AFP, Burak Akinci, 25
août 2006)
L'avocat
du "taliban de Brême" dénonce une
"co-responsabilité" de Berlin
L'avocat de Murat Kurnaz, un Turc rentré jeudi en Allemagne
après plus
de quatre ans de détention sur la base américaine de
Guantanamo, a
dénoncé vendredi une "co-responsabilité" de
l'ancien gouvernement
allemand dans cette affaire.
"Il y a là une co-responsabilité" du gouvernement
social-démocrate/Vert
au pouvoir entre 1998 et 2005, a déclaré Me Bernhard
Docke à la presse
à Brême, ville de naissance du Turc de 24 ans à
laquelle il est
retourné après sa captivité.
"Pire encore, il existe un soupçon de défaut d'aide
concrète" de la
part de l'ex-gouvernement allemand, a estimé l'avocat. L'ancien
chancelier social-démocrate Gerhard Schröder était
en froid avec
Washington en raison de son opposition à la guerre en Irak.
Me Docke a en revanche remercié l'engagement de l'actuelle
chancelière
conservatrice Angela Merkel pour la libération de son mandant.
"Ce jeune homme a vécu dans une cage" pendant plus de quatre ans
sous une lumière au néon jamais éteinte, a
souligné l'avocat.
Même dans l'avion qui l'a ramené en Allemagne jeudi, il
est resté
attaché aux mains et aux pieds, "humilié, avili: c'est
dans cet état
qu'il a été remis aux autorités allemandes",
a-t-il ajouté.
Kurnaz, titulaire d'un passeport turc et né à
Brême, est arrivé à la
base américaine de Ramstein (sud-ouest) jeudi avant de rejoindre
sa
famille à Brême.
Le Parquet de Brême a annoncé vouloir rouvrir une
instruction
judiciaire à son encontre pour soupçon de fondation d'une
association
criminelle. Cette enquête avait été ouverte
après le départ de Kurnaz
pour le Pakistan et interrompue pendant sa détention à
Guantanamo.
Murat Kurnaz avait été arrêté par les forces
américaines au Pakistan
après les attentats du 11 septembre 2001.
Soupçonné d'activités
terroristes, il avait été transféré sur la
base de Guantanamo à Cuba en
2002. (AFP, 24 août 2006)
Un Turc
détenu à Guantanamo
transféré vers l'Allemagne
Murat Kurnaz, un Turc né en Allemagne, a été
libéré jeudi après avoir
été détenu plus de quatre ans à Guantanamo
et est arrivé à la base
américaine de Ramstein (sud-ouest de l'Allemagne), a
annoncé son avocat
Bernhard Docke.
"Murat Kurnaz est libre. Il a été transféré
de Guantanamo vers
l'Allemagne, remis aux autorités allemandes à Ramstein et
remis en
liberté", selon un communiqué de Me Docke.
"Il se trouve au sein de sa famille", après quatre années
et neuf mois de détention.
Titulaire d'un passeport turc et né à Brême, dans
le nord-ouest de
l'Allemagne, Murat Kurnaz avait été arrêté
par les forces américaines
au Pakistan après les attentats du 11 septembre 2001.
Soupçonné
d'activités terroristes, il avait été
extradé vers Guantanamo en 2002.
Son avocat a souligné que son client allait "consulter un
médecin et ne
pas s'adresser à l'opinion publique pour le moment". "Il aura
certainement besoin de temps pour réaliser ce passage abrupt de
la
prison de torture à la liberté", a-t-il ajouté.
Une conférence de presse est prévue vendredi à
11H00 GMT à Brême en
présence de la mère de l'ancien détenu, Rabiye
Kurnaz, et de l'avocat
américain, Baher Azmy, a indiqué Bernhard Docke.
La presse allemande avait récemment évoqué sa
prochaine libération. Des
informations qu'avaient confirmées mercredi le ministère
turc des
Affaires étrangères puis le chef de la diplomatie
allemande, Frank
Walter Steinmeier, jeudi après-midi.
Surnommé le "Taliban de Brême" par la presse allemande,
Kurnaz ne sera
pas extradé vers la Turquie, car il n'y est pas
recherché, selon Ankara.
Me Docke a remercié la chancelière allemande, Angela
Merkel, et le
ministère allemand des Affaires étrangères, qui
"ont négocié depuis
janvier 2006 avec les Américains pour la libération de
Kurnaz".
Il a critiqué en revanche le "manque d'engagement actif du
précédent
gouvernement" du chancelier sociale-démocrate Gerhard
Schröder, qui
était en froid avec Washington en raison de son opposition
à la guerre
en Irak.
En mars dernier, l'hebdomadaire Der Spiegel avait affirmé que
les
Américains avaient rapidement été convaincus que
Kurnaz n'était pas lié
à al-Qaida, et que le Turc avait eu la malchance de se trouver
"au
mauvais endroit au mauvais moment". Washington avait donc
proposé sa
libération dès 2002, mais "les Allemands ont voulu
empêcher son retour,
car ils le considéraient comme dangereux", avait alors
affirmé le
Spiegel.
Le président américain George W. Bush avait
affirmé en mai dans une
interview à la télévision publique allemande ARD
qu'il souhaiterait
fermer le camp de Guantanamo et traduire en justice les personnes
détenues sur cette base américaine à Cuba.
Mais le ministre américain de la Justice, Alberto Gonzales, a
estimé
début août que le gouvernement pouvait maintenir
"indéfiniment" en
détention des "ennemis combattants", pour la plupart
incarcérés à
Guantanamo (Cuba).
Près de 500 personnes sont détenues à Guantanamo,
la majorité d'entre elles ayant été
capturées en 2001 en Afghanistan.
Les conditions d'incarcération et le maintien en
détention indéfinie de
suspects non inculpés suscitent la controverse dans le monde.
(AFP, 24
août 2006)
91
femmes tuées dans des crimes d'"honneur" depuis 2000
Les crimes d'"honneur" ont coûté la vie à 91 femmes
depuis l'an 2000 en
Turquie. Les violences infligées aux épouses par leurs
maris y sont
très répandues, selon un rapport de la police,
cité par la presse. Ce
genre de crimes dit d'"honneur est tristement très
répandus, notamment
en Jordanie et au Pakistan. En toute impunité ou presque.
Ces 91 femmes, âgées de 19 à 25 ans, ont
été tuées pour laver
l'"honneur familial", selon le rapport. Les auteurs de ces crimes sont
originaires pour la plupart des régions de l'est et du sud-est
anatolien, peuplées majoritairement de kurdes et largement
régies par
des règles claniques.
Selon un sondage réalisé par des organisations
féminines à Diyarbakir,
la principale ville du sud-est, 37,4% des gens interrogés
approuvent
les "crimes d'honneur", précise le document.
Les familles se réunissent en "conseil" pour désigner le
membre du clan
qui sera chargé de tuer la femme qui, à leurs yeux, a
entaché "leur
honneur", le plus souvent en ayant une liaison hors mariage.
Les violences conjugales sont aussi devenues pratiquement banales dans
l'ensemble de la Turquie. D'après le rapport, 62% des femmes
sont
victimes de violences au foyer et ces incidents sont d'autant plus
répandus dans les métropoles comme Ankara et Istanbul.
La Turquie, qui souhaite adhérer à l'Union
européenne, a été enjointe
par Bruxelles d'améliorer le statut des femmes. Ankara a ainsi
renforcé
les sanctions prévues pour les auteurs de crimes d'honneur, qui
peuvent
désormais être condamnés à la prison
à vie. (apic/ag/arch/pr, 18 août
2006)
Incidents au
procès de l'auteur d'une attaque contre des juges
L'auteur présumé d'un attentat contre le Conseil d'Etat
turc, qui avait
fait un mort et quatre blessés en mai à Ankara, a
tenté de fuir la
salle d'audience lors de l'ouverture de son procès vendredi,
obligeant
la cour à suspendre la séance.
Alparslan Arslan, un avocat de 29 ans, a auparavant reconnu avoir
commis l'attentat contre la plus haute juridiction administrative
turque ainsi qu'une attaque à la grenade contre le quotidien de
gauche
Cumhuriyet, en évoquant des motivations d'ordre religieux.
Le jeune homme était en train de faire sa déposition
lorsqu'a retenti hors du tribunal l'appel du muezzin à la
prière.
"C'est le moment de la prière du vendredi, je dois me conformer
aux
ordres d'Allah", a répété à plusieurs
reprises le prévenu, le juge
refusant de le laisser quitter l'audience pour prier.
Arslan a alors bondi par dessus le box des accusés et
tenté de prendre
la fuite, mais a été rapidement maîtrisé par
les gendarmes présents
dans la salle.
Face aux remous créés par l'incident - et notamment la
bronca créée par
les huit complices présumés de l'avocat, jugés
avec lui -, la cour a
suspendu l'audience pour deux heures.
Plus tard dans la journée, Arslan a fait une deuxième
tentative de
fuite, sans succès, après avoir entendu l'appel à
la prière de
l'après-midi.
Arslan a admis avoir commis l'attentat contre la 4e chambre du Conseil
d'Etat, où il avait fait feu sur cinq juges, en tuant un et
blessant
les quatre autres, de même qu'une des trois attaques à la
grenade
perpétrées à la même époque contre le
quotidien Cumhuriyet, qui
n'avaient pas fait de victimes.
Selon des témoignages, l'avocat avait fait irruption dans une
salle
d'audience du Conseil d'Etat en criant "Je suis un soldat de Dieu".
"J'ai planifié dans ma tête les événements
du Conseil d'Etat et de
Cumhuriyet", a-t-il déclaré. "J'ai un caractère
enclin à la violence".
Le prévenu a expliqué avoir agi en réaction
à une décision du Conseil d'Etat sur le port du foulard
islamique.
Cette institution est connue comme un bastion de la laïcité
et pour la
vigueur avec laquelle elle fait respecter l'interdiction du port du
foulard islamique dans les administrations publiques et les
universités.
Arslan a indiqué que les attaques contre Cumhuriyet visaient
à punir le
journal après la publication d'une caricature
représentant un porc
(animal impur pour les musulmans) affublé du foulard islamique.
L'avocat a par ailleurs donné des indications sur son
passé politique
en expliquant que l'un des coprévenus, Süleyman Esen, son
maître à
penser quand il était étudiant, était à
l'époque le chef d'une section
locale des Foyers d'Idéalistes, une organisation d'extrême
droite.
Le ministère public a requis la prison à vie sans
réduction de peine
pour Arslan, accusé de tentative de renversement de l'ordre
constitutionnel, d'assassinat, de tentative d'assassinat, d'usage
d'explosifs et de violations de la loi sur les armes à feu, et
quatre
de ses complices supposés.
L'attentat contre le Conseil d'Etat avait provoqué de vives
tensions
politiques, l'opposition accusant le gouvernement, issu de la mouvance
islamiste, d'avoir encouragé le geste de l'assaillant en prenant
position contre l'interdiction du voile islamique et en critiquant les
décisions du Conseil d'Etat sur le sujet. (AFP, 11 août
2006)
Socio-économique
/ Socio-economic
Le secrétaire d'Etat néerlandais à Ankara pour
évoquer l'Otapan
Le secrétaire d'Etat néerlandais à
l'Environnement, Pieter van Geel,
est arrivé à Ankara lundi pour rencontrer son homologue
turc Osman
Pepe, afin d'évoquer le sort de l'Otapan, un navire
chargé d'amiante
parti d'Amsterdam et refoulé des eaux turques jeudi.
"Pieter van Geel doit rencontrer son homologue (Osman) Pepe dans
l'après-midi", a indiqué à l'AFP le porte-parole
du secrétaire d'Etat,
Jeroen Bos.
Le secrétaire d'Etat "se sent une responsabilité morale"
de régler
l'affaire de l'Otapan, navire poubelle battant pavillon mexicain, parti
le 25 juillet d'Amsterdam afin d'être désamianté
dans un chantier près
d'Izmir (ouest de la Turquie), a poursuivi le porte-parole.
Jeudi, le ministère turc de l'Environnement avait annoncé
que, "d'après
les analyses effectuées, la quantité d'amiante sur
l'Otapan est
supérieure à celle annoncée", et avait
refusé par conséquent qu'il
pénètre dans les eaux territoriales turques.
Se fondant sur les déclarations du propriétaire du
navire, les
autorités néerlandaises avaient fourni à la
Turquie une estimation
selon laquelle il comportait une tonne d'amiante.
"Nous avons été légers. Selon des estimations plus
réalistes, il comporte 45 tonnes d'amiante", a indiqué
Jeroen Bos.
Il a également précisé que l'Otapan a
été vendu par son propriétaire
Basilisk au chantier naval de Simsekler près d'Izmir, qui est
censé le
démanteler.
"Comme la vente a été conclue dans les eaux
internationales, nous ne
savons pas si le navire est déjà propriété
turque", a expliqué M. Bos.
Selon des informations diffusées précédemment par
le gouvernement
néerlandais, l'Otapan était à la fois
propriété de l'Etat néerlandais
et de Basilisk, une compagnie spécialisée dans le
rééchelonnement et le
recouvrement de dettes.
L'arrivée de l'Otapan est un sujet sensible en Turquie,
déjà échaudée
par l'affaire du MV Ulla, un navire battant pavillon de Saint-Vincent
(Caraïbes) qui a sombré en 2004 avec 2.200 tonnes de
cendres toxiques
d'origine espagnole dans le port d'Iskenderun (Sud), où il
était
immobilisé depuis quatre ans en raison d'une bataille juridique.
(AFP,
28 août 2006)
Amiante:
La Turquie refoule un navire mexicain (ministre)
La Turquie refuse l'accès de ses eaux territoriales à
l'Otopan, un
navire battant pavillon mexicain qui devait gagner un chantier naval
turc pour y être désamianté, car il transporte une
quantité trop élevée
d'amiante, a affirmé jeudi le ministre turc de l'Environnement.
Le bâtiment, qui était bloqué à Amsterdam
depuis 1999, a quitté les
Pays-Bas le 25 juillet pour gagner le chantier d'Aliaga, près
d'Izmir
(ouest).
"Notre ministère a été informé par (...) le
ministère de
l'Environnement néerlandais que, d'après les analyses
effectuées, la
quantité d'amiante sur l'Otopan est supérieure à
celle annoncée", a
déclaré Osman Pepe à des journalistes lors d'un
déplacement à Rize
(nord-est).
"Sur ce, nous avons informé que nous refuserons le navire
Otopan. En
conséquence, l'Otopan ne pénètrera absolument pas
dans les eaux
territoriales turques", a poursuivi le ministre, cité par
l'agence de
presse Anatolie.
La Turquie avait demandé mi-août aux Pays-Bas de confirmer
que le
navire comportait bien une tonne d'amiante, comme indiqué dans
une
notification précédente, faute de quoi il serait
refoulé des eaux
territoriales turques.
Selon la branche turque de l'organisation de défense de
l'environnement
Greenpeace, l'Otopan, en mauvais état au point de devoir
être remorqué
pour atteindre les abords de la Turquie, comporte 10 tonnes d'amiante
et non une tonne.
La Turquie a déjà été
échaudée par l'affaire du MV Ulla, un navire
battant pavillon de Saint-Vincent (Caraïbes) qui a sombré
en 2004 avec
2.200 tonnes de cendres toxiques d'origine espagnole dans le port
d'Iskenderun (sud), où il était immobilisé depuis
quatre ans en raison
d'une bataille juridique.
L'Otapan appartient à la fois à l'Etat néerlandais
et à Basilisk, une
compagnie spécialisée dans le
rééchelonnement et le recouvrement de
dettes. (AFP, 24 août 2006)
Activists Demand Toxic
Ship to be Sent Back to Netherlands
Environmentalist activists demanded Osman Pepe, the Minister o
Environment and Forests to keep his promise and send Otapan, the ship
loaded with asbestos back to Netherlands.
Pepe had announced that they had consulted with authorities in
Netherlands and in case the level of asbestos on the ship exceeded the
amount declared, it should be sent back.
While the time limit ended yesterday, there were no responses from the
home country.
"Cheap labour force"
Otapan was sent to Izmir, Turkey to be teared down. No country had
accepted that mission and it was resting in Netherlands since 1999.
Initiatiative to Prevent Hazardous Ship Decomposition, formed by more
than ten NGO's, said that the Dutch government is violating both the EU
law and the Basel Convention which forbids toxic waste trade.
The spokesperson for the initiative remarked that Otapan is now outside
Turkish waters but the Dutch government hadn't yet acted to take the
ship back.
The Dutch government had confessed that Otapan was sent to Turkey
because of low labour costs. (BIA News Center, August 23, 2006)
L'épreuve
des touristes bloqués sème le
trouble dans le monde du tourisme
Cent soixante des quelque 500 vacanciers, Français pour la
plupart, qui
étaient bloqués en Turquie depuis le week-end dernier,
ont quitté ce
pays mardi. La mésaventure des touristes français
bloqués plusieurs
jours en Turquie à la suite d'un litige financier dans lequel
chacun se
renvoie la balle a mis sur la sellette la responsabilité et la
fiabilité de certains voyagistes.
L'affaire est d'autant plus complexe qu'elle met en scène une
série
d'acteurs : la plupart des touristes ont réservé
auprès d'agences en
ligne, Lastminute.com ou Promovacances, qui ont eu recours au
tour-opérateur français Elégance qui, lui, a fait
appel à une compagnie
aérienne turque, Atlas Jet.
Atlas Jet avait refusé dimanche d'embarquer à Izmir
(ouest) des
passagers français voulant rentrer à Paris, accusant
Elégance de ne pas
avoir réglé la prestation. Une accusation
réfutée par Elégance, qui
assure avoir payé.
Alors que la majorité des touristes devaient être
rapatriés mardi, une
polémique s'est déclenchée entre les acteurs d'un
secteur atomisé qui
compte une myriade de plus de 4.000 entreprises générant
un chiffre
d'affaires de 12 milliards d'euros par an.
Inquiet de voir un cas isolé jeter le discrédit sur
l'ensemble de la
profession, le président de l'Association des
tour-opérateurs français
(Ceto), René-Marc Chikli, a pris les devants pour fustiger le
"manque
de capacité professionnelle et de vigilance" de certains acteurs
du
tourisme.
Pour lui, il faudrait "réformer le secteur pour éviter
d'accorder des licences à des gens qui n'auraient jamais
dû en avoir".
"Nous sommes un tour-opérateur qui dérange. Il y a
quelque chose ou
quelqu'un qui veut nous couler", a rétorqué Erol Dil,
co-gérant
d'Elégance, basé à Noisy-le-Grand
(Seine-Saint-Denis), créé en 2004 et
adhérent du Syndicat national des Agences de voyage (SNAV).
Egalement en cause, la guerre des prix que se livrent les sites de
voyages en ligne : "certains distributeurs, pour faire des
économies,
vont chercher des fournisseurs qui n'ont aucune
crédibilité", accuse M.
Chikli.
"L'arbre ne doit pas cacher la forêt. 14 millions de
Français passent
par une agence de voyage par an, quelques centaines sont restés
bloqués, mais ce n'est pas pour cela qu'il faut remettre en
cause tout
un système", tempère Rachid Temal, secrétaire
général du SNAV.
Quant aux responsabilités des voyagistes vis-à-vis des
clients, la loi
prévoit que "l'agent de voyages est de plein droit responsable
à
l'égard des touristes de la bonne exécution du voyage",
rappelle à
l'AFP Cyril Gory, avocat au barreau de Paris et spécialiste des
droits
des voyageurs.
En cas de défaillance, poursuit-il, il doit à la fois
organiser le
retour et indemniser le client pour le préjudice subi, en
l'occurrence
"les deux jours passés dans le stress et l'affolement en
Turquie" en
attendant un autre avion.
Lastminute.com et Promovacances ont d'ailleurs pris leurs
responsabilités, en affrétant des avions pour rapatrier
leurs clients,
165 pour le premier et 55 pour le second. "Il y aura des compensations
pour les désagréments que nos clients ont connus", a
aussi promis le
PDG de Lastminute.com, Pierre Alzon.
De son côté, le tour-opérateur Elégance, qui
a aussi vendu directement
des billets par le biais de son agence et son site internet, doit
prendre en charge ses propres clients.
Mais la répartition des responsabilités n'est pas
forcément aussi
évidente. Juridiquement, précise Cyril Gory, le terme
"agent de voyages
désigne à la fois l'agence de voyages et le
tour-opérateur", et non pas
seulement le vendeur ultime du billet.
Si aucune solution à l'amiable n'est trouvée, il vaut
donc "mieux
assigner en justice l'agence de voyage et le tour-opérateur, car
les
deux sont juridiquement responsables", recommande-t-il. (AFP, 22
août
2006)
Turkey's southern and western coasts in flames
Fires destroying almost 1,000 hectares of forestry, above all along the
country's southern and western coasts, are a threat to nature and
sowing panic among the public with the authorities reporting yesterday
that there were over 90 fires nationwide over the weekend.
Firemen and forest fire teams worked hard to extinguish fires in 20
different places in the Aegean and Mediterranean and late yesterday
another fire broke out in Bodrum, one of Turkey's major holiday resorts
and officials were working to put it out.
The fires were around Antalya and the Selcuk district, Izmir which is
also known for faith tourism.
While a total of 300 hectares of forestry had been destroyed by fire in
three different locations in Antalya, the authorities said that it will
take a few more days to extinguish fires in the Kas district.
Saying that the deep Kas valley is protected by the National Parks
Department as it's an isolated area, Forestry Directorate Provincial
head Osman Gedikagaoglu added that the valley is home to wild animals
as well the natural habitat of cedars, pines and junipers.
Gedikagaoglu told the Anatolia news agency that it will take two to
three years for the ecology of the valley to recover after the fire has
been put out. Local officials suspect that lightening may have caused
the fire in the valley.
A forest fire in the Manavgat district, which started early Sunday, was
reported under control by officials yesterday. The gendarmerie
evacuated some neighborhoods as some of houses in the area were damaged
by the fire.
After the fire in the hamlet of Meryemana, Selcuk destroyed 300
hectares of land, some villages were evacuated, Environment and
Forestry Minister Osman Pepe reported after going straight to the area
Sunday night. The fire spread to the Kusadasi district and caused panic
among tourists visiting Meryemana and teams worked hard all day
yesterday to get the fire under control.
Pepe then held a press conference with Izmir Governor Oguz Kagan
Koksal, Forestry Directorate General Manager Osman Kahveci and Selcuk
kaymakam (local official) Aziz Inci and promised that the area will be
replanted after the fire has been extinguished.
Unlike Pepe, the head of Mugla Provincial Forestry Directorate claimed
that 500 hectares of forestry have been destroyed.
A fire over the weekend on agricultural land in Didim, Aydin, where
many British people have holiday homes, destroyed 200 hectares of olive
groves.
After that fire was extinguished yesterday, another one followed but
was put out immediately. Forestry teams were also reported to be
extinguishing fires that started the same day in three different
districts in Mugla.
A farmer from Mugla who burned the stubble in his field caused panic as
the fire spread to a greenhouse 100 meters from a filling station.
Mersin Greater Municipality's fire fighting teams got the fire under
control but couldn't save the greenhouse as it was completely destroyed
by the fire.
The ministry issued a warned to the public to be more careful about not
starting forest fires during the summer in the wake of the fires.
According to the ministry's statistics, nearly 2,500 hectares of
forestry was destroyed by fire in 447 incidents in the first eight
months of this year.
It's of the utmost importance to find out about fires as early as
possible, explained Isparta Forestry Directorate Provincial head Mehmet
Bahar yesterday, who then went on to complain about hoax calls.
Bahar said that a hotline for the public to call and notify them of
fires is now being wiretapped by the prosecutor's office because of too
many hoax calls, adding that 40 percent of calls are hoaxes. (The New
Anatolian, 22 August 2006)
European
court asks Turkish gov’t for urgent brief
on Ilısu
The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a
complaint filed regarding the construction of Ilısu Dam in Batman's
Hasankeyf district -- destroying the homes of many locals and
submerging historically and culturally significant ancient structures
-- was admissible and asked the Turkish government to urgently brief
the court about measures planned to be taken to preserve the historic
site.
The complaint was filed in February by Professor Zeynep Ahunbay, head
of the restoration department at Istanbul Technical University; retired
Professor Metin Ahunbay; Professor Oluş Arık, head of the art history
department at Ankara University; Atlas magazine's editor in chief,
Özcan Yüksek; and lawyer Murat Cano.
Despite finding the file admissible, the court, however, rejected
requests to impose interim measures or prioritizing the case.
This decision means that the European Court of Human Rights technically
qualifies cultural heritage as a fundamental right. This is the first
and only such result since 1948, Cano was quoted as saying by the
Anatolia news agency.
The scope of the concept of human rights has been broadened by this
decision, said Atlas magazine's Yüksek.
This decision means that human beings exist not only within their body
and psychology but also their culture. And, destroying culture and
history is and act against human rights. Thus, Turkey, who wishes to
join the European Union, has brought this conceptual enlargement to the
court, he added.
Delegations from the Austrian, German and Swiss governments, which have
not yet allowed their national institutions to finance the construction
of Ilısu Dam, are expected to visit Hasankeyf this week.
Construction of the dam officially began on Aug. 5 with a ceremony in
which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally launched the
project, which is expected to change the landscape dramatically. Almost
80 percent of the town of Hasankeyf will be submerged by the water
collected by the dam, and 199 communities will have to be relocated.
The dam will be 135 meters high and 1.82 kilometers long. The dam's
lake, which will have a surface area of 313 square kilometers and a
capacity of 10.4 billion cubic meters of water when completed, will
generate 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year.
In 1978 Hasankeyf was declared a first degree protected site by the
Turkish High Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Entities and
Monuments. The then Culture Ministry -- now Culture and Tourism
Ministry -- declared the ancient city, located on the Tigris River and
dating back 12,000 years, a natural conservation area in 1981.
In an interview with the Turkish Daily News, Ethem Torunoğlu, head of
the honorary board of the Turkish Union of Engineers and Architects
Chambers' (TMMOB) Chamber of Environmental Engineers, said the
government's policy to move all artifacts from the city of Hasankeyf,
the sole intact ancient city in Anatolia, to another area in order to
create a new Hasankeyf in no way spelt preserving the cultural legacy
of the city.
Today, the Hasankeyf issue concerns not only historical and cultural
values but also natural and humanitarian values. Moving artifacts that
face being submerged! That is not preservation but rather a mechanical
approach which excludes both human being and nature, he said at the
time, in an apparent reference to Erdoğan's remarks at the launching
ceremony.
The prime minister then said the government was preserving the cultural
legacy of Anatolia, and added: We can't sacrifice the precious
artifacts in Hasankeyf. We have 25 million euros in funding to be used
in saving Hasankeyf. We will create a new Hasankeyf by moving its
structures to another area. (Turkish Daily News, August 21, 2006)
Des centaines de voyageurs bloqués en Turquie
faute d'avion
Des centaines de voyageurs en majorité français
étaient bloqués
en Turquie dimanche, au retour des vacances estivales, à la
suite d'un
différend entre leur agence de voyage et la compagnie
aérienne turque
devant les ramener en France.
Erol Dil, directeur commercial de l'agence de voyage Elégance,
basée à
Noisy-le-Grand en banlieue parisienne, a dans un premier temps fait
état de quelque 700 personnes concernées par un
"malentendu" avec Atlas
Jet ayant empêché le décollage de quatre avions, un
à Istanbul
(nord-ouest), un à Antalya (sud) et deux à Izmir (ouest).
Des sources consulaires françaises ont établi à
290 le nombre de
voyageurs bloqués à Izmir et à 170 ceux retenus
à Istnabul, tout en
précisant que des Turcs résidant en France figuraient
dans ce décompte.
Elles ont en revanche démenti l'existence de problèmes
à l'aéroport
d'Antalya et assuré qu'Elegance avait cessé ses
activités depuis
plusieurs semaines dans cette station balnéaire.
L'aéroport d'Antalya a confirmé qu'aucun touriste
n'était resté en attente dans ses locaux.
M. Dil n'était pas immédiatement joignable pour commenter
ces nouvelles données.
Selon Atlas Jet, le "malentendu" évoqué par
Elégance serait en fait un
défaut de paiement ayant conduit la compagnie aérienne
à interrompre
ses activités avec l'agence de voyage.
"En dépit de nos avertissements par la voie légale,
Elégance n'a pas
rempli ses obligations contractuelles et a gelé ses paiements",
affirme
dans un communiqué la compagnie aérienne qui
précise avoir arrêté ses
vols pour l'agence le 18 août et notifié cette
décision aux autorités
de l'aviation civile turque et française.
M. Dil a assuré avoir rencontré un responsable d'Atlas
Jet et avoir
avec lui "mis un projet sur pied pour permettre aux passagers de
rentrer en France dans les plus brefs délais".
Il a précisé que l'attente ne devrait pas durer
au-delà de mardi matin et que les voyageurs seraient
hébergés à l'hôtel.
Par ailleurs, un vol Atlas Jet qui devait quitter l'aéroport de
Roissy,
au nord de Paris, pour Izmir dimanche à 18H15 avec 180 passagers
à son
bord a été annulé, a-t-on appris de sources
aéroportuaires concordantes.
Rassemblés dans un hôtel de Roissy, les 180 passagers
attendaient
dimanche en fin d'après-midi une attestation d'annulation de
l'agence
de voyage Elégance qui avait affrété le vol, pour
faire annuler leur
séjour en Turquie.
La compagnie Atlas Jet, fondée en 2001, dispose d'une flotte de
17
avions et dessert une quinzaine de villes turques ainsi qu'une
vingtaine d'aéroports internationaux, principalement en Europe.
(AFP,
20 août 2006)
Un sanctuaire chrétien menacé par un
incendie de forêt
Un sanctuaire chrétien, la Maison de la vierge Marie,
était menacé par
un vaste incendie de forêt dimanche dans l'ouest de la Turquie,
où des
touristes ont été brièvement encerclés par
les flammes avant d'être
secourus, ont rapporté des médias turcs.
"La priorité était de secourir les touristes
étrangers et turcs bloqués
dans le secteur de la Maison de Marie, ce qui a été fait
par des
équipes de gendarmes, de la sous-préfecture et des eaux
et forêts", a
expliqué sur la chaîne d'information CNN-Türk Oguz
Kagan Köksal, le
gouverneur de la province d'Izmir, où le sinistre s'est
déclaré.
"Nos équipes se sont rendues en priorité dans la zone
où se trouvent
les bâtiments de la Maison de Marie pour éviter qu'ils
brûlent et ont
pour l'instant empêché l'incendie d'avancer", a
ajouté M. Köksal.
Selon l'agence de presse DHA, près d'un millier de touristes
sont
temporairement restés bloqués aux abords du sanctuaire
situé dans les
monts Bülbül, près de la cité antique
d'Ephèse et de la mer Egée.
"On ne peut pas dire que l'incendie soit maîtrisé" dans
son ensemble,
"mais on peut dire qu'il est complètement sous contrôle"
dans le
secteur de la Maison de Marie, a déclaré M. Köksal,
faisant état de 15O
hectares de forêt déjà détruits.
Cinq avions bombardiers d'eau, sept hélicoptères, une
soixantaine de
véhicules et plus de 350 personnels ont été
mobilisés pour lutter
contre le feu, a indiqué la Direction des forêts dans un
communiqué
cité par l'agence de presse Anatolie.
Le sanctuaire de la Maison de Marie accueille chaque année
plusieurs
centaines de milliers de pèlerins. La tradition
chrétienne y situe
l'Assomption de la vierge Marie.
Les papes Paul VI et Jean Paul II ont visité le site
respectivement en 1967 et 1979.
Le pape Benoît XVI a prévu de se rendre à
Ephèse dans le cadre d'une visite en Turquie fin novembre. (AFP,
20 août 2006)
Still
No State Policy on Earthquake Risks
This year again commemorations have been organized in the places the
earthquake hit while NGO's criticize the government's apathy.
"The reactions that grew up in public and expectations of change after
the August 17 earthquake are left unsatisfied" told Mehmet Soganci of
the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB).
"Politicians gave promises yet to be realized. Nothing concrete has
been done. Earthquakes can't be peoples destiny", he added.
People gathered in Golcuk, which took the worst damage seven years ago,
exactly at 03.02 a.m, the time the disaster struck.
Head of the Golcuk Rescue Team (GESOTIM) Necmi Kocaman and his crew
lighted a torch on the sea side by side with a flag saying "We didn't
forget the disaster, have you?".
Mayor of Kocaeli İbrahim Karaosmanoğlu gave a speech during the
ceremony noting that earthquakes are not dangerous but only human
intervention and negligence make it harmful.
Karaosmanoglu promised not to repeat the mistakes which turned the
earthquake into a disaster seven years ago.
TMMOB on the other hand, drew attention to the fact that there is no
comprehensive state policy regarding the measures to be taken to
minimize life loss during the predicted earthquake in Istanbul as well
as in other parts of the country.
The organization asks the government to leave the policy of giving out
amnesty to unregistered housings.
"Planning and specialized legal regulations concerning the
responsibilities and competences of professionals working in the field
are urgently needed. Chambers of those professions must be provided
with the authority of inspection and they should be held accountable in
case of a failure".
TMMOB accuses the government of not being transparent on its
implementation of policies after the earthquake and transferring the
budget built for it to other areas such as the payment of public
workers' salaries and debt payments.
Transfer of public authority of inspection to private sector by Law no.
595 is also denounced. According to the organization the building of
safe housings in the region has also been done without following
necessary scientific requirements. No resolution in the 8th Development
Plan was realized in this regard.
Soganci demanded for the building of planned, earthquake resistant
housings which involve the participation of engineers, architects and
city planners as well as a national earthquake plan that involves the
implementation of necessary legal regulations. (BIA, August 17, 2006)
Grogne à la
Turkish Airlines: les pilotes menacent de faire grève
Les pilotes et les hôtesses de l'air de la compagnie nationale
aérienne turque Turkish Airlines (THY) ont menacé jeudi
de faire une grève d'un jour pour protester contre les longues
heures de travail qui, selon eux, pèsent sur la
sécurité des vols.
Cette menace d'un arrêt de travail intervient en pleine saison
touristique.
"Si les négociations avec la direction de la THY se concluent
par un échec, les équipages useront de leur droit
à un jour de récupération après le 17
août en raison de la fatigue et de leur sens de
responsabilité (...) afin de protéger la
sécurité des vols", souligne une lettre ouverte de leur
syndicat Hava-Is, publiée dans les grands journaux.
Appelant les usagers à soutenir le mouvement, le syndicat
explique que "la fatigue tue".
Le président du syndicat Atilay Aycin a expliqué que la
THY s'était rapidement développée ces deux
dernières années, en multipliant les vols
intérieurs et à l'étranger, sans prendre en
considération les intérêts de son personnel.
"Le nombre des avions a augmenté de 70 à 96 mais le
nombre des employés n'a pas changé, ce qui a
provoqué des horaires excessifs", a-t-il insité.
La compagnie a ajouté 24 nouvelles destinations de vol à
l'étranger pour 2006 et a transporté quelque 14 millions
de passagers en 2005.
Selon le syndicat, les heures de travail ont été
rallongées parfois à 17 heures.
La THY a pour sa part rejeté les accusations, affirmant que "la
sécurité de son personnel et de ses passagers est la
première priorité".
La compagnie, autrefois fleuron de la Turquie, est
régulièrement critiquée pour sa mauvaise gestion
depuis l'arrivée au pouvoir en 2002 du parti de la Justice et du
Développement (AKP, issu de la mouvance islamiste) qui a
changé l'ensemble de sa direction. (AFP, 17 août 2006)
NGOs
protest nuclear power plants in Turkey
Harshly opposed to the construction of nuclear power plants in Turkey
several non-governmental organizations over the weekend held a meeting
in Mersin to warn people of the danger of nuclear energy.
Hundreds of protestors opposed to nuclear energy attended the meeting,
organized by the Anti-Nuclear Power Platform (NKP), in Aydincik in the
southern province of Mersin to show their determination in resisting
the government's alleged projects to build nuclear power plants in
Turkey.
Many youth organizations and the Turkish Union of Engineers' and
Architects' Chambers (TMMOB) were there to support the NKP and express
their opposition to the use of nuclear energy in Turkey.
Speaking at the meeting, TMMOB head Mehmet Soganci said that Turkish
people are being unilaterally informed on the issue. "We will never
surrender to international nuclear power lobbies," charged Soganci,
urging the government to heed their calls.
Electrical Engineers' Union (EMO) chair Kemal Ulusaler argued that the
government is delegating its responsibilities to the private sector
through build-operate-transfer (BOT) type projects. Ulusaler also
accused state officials of not doing anything on the energy issue. "We
will speak for feasible and public-friendly energy policies," Ulusaler
added.
Also opposed to nuclear energy Confederation of Public Sector Trade
Unions (KESK) Chair Ismail Hakki Tombul said not Turkey but those who
want more profit need nuclear energy.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said in June that as
of then Turkey's electricity production was around 38,900 megawatts,
adding that in 2010 demand for electricity in the country will reach
200-250 billion kilowatts.
According to the government's calculations, Guler said that the three
nuclear power plants proposed under the current plan will meet 5
percent of Turkey's electricity needs from 2015 to 2020. In order to
meet the future demand Guler claimed that in addition to the current
and under-construction facilities, there's needs to be a further 50,000
megawatts by 2010.
Guler also said that waste produced as a toxic byproduct of nuclear
power plants does not constitute a problem during the lifetime of a
plant.
The minister said that with nuclear waste, the guidelines of the
International Atom Energy Agency (IAEA) must be followed. Guler noted
that there is work underway in a number of countries on the storage of
waste, citing the U.S., Sweden, Finland and France. (The New Anatolian,
8 August 2006)
La
Turquie a
lancé le projet controversé de barrage d'Ilisu
sur le Tigre
La Turquie a lancé samedi la construction d'un grand barrage sur
le Tigre, malgré les violentes critiques suscitées par le
projet qui pourrait, selon ses opposants, détruire un site
historique majeur et provoquer le déplacement de plusieurs
milliers de Kurdes.
Le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan a participé à
l'inauguration du chantier du barrage d'Ilisu, près de Dargecit,
à 45 kilomètres de la frontière syrienne, posant
la première pierre d'un projet très controversé
depuis sa conception, à la fin des années 70.
Quelque 4.000 personnes se sont rassemblées vendredi soir sur le
site du futur barrage d'Ilisu sur le Tigre, situé à 47km
au nord de la frontière syrienne, dans le sud-est de l'Anatolie.
L'ouvrage, dont la construction devrait être terminée
d'ici 2013, sera l'un des plus grands du pays, selon l'agence de presse
publique Anatolie.
En janvier dernier, une trentaine de communes et d'organisations
locales se sont regroupées pour lutter contre ce projet, et
notamment pour sauver le site archéologique de Hasankeyf.
Au coeur des critiques, la petite ville d'Hasankeyf, sur les bords du
Tigre, cité prospère de l'ancienne Mésopotamie
aujourd'hui frappée par la pauvreté, risque de voir une
partie de ses terres ensevelies sous le lac du barrage.
Les nombreux opposants au projet, qui prévoit également
la construction d'une centrale hydroélectrique, craignent la
disparition non seulement d'un site historique unique, où se
côtoient des monuments assyriens, romains et ottomans, mais aussi
d'un style de vie traditionnel, préservé jusqu'ici par sa
population, kurde et arabe.
"Ce barrage est une arme de destruction culturelle massive, pas
seulement à cause du grand nombre de monuments mais aussi de la
culture, des gens d'ici", explique Maggie Ronayne, archéologue
à l'Université nationale d'Irlande de Galway, qui
travaille dans la région depuis 1999.
Pour arrêter le projet, des militants ont remis une
pétition à la Cour européenne des droits de
l'homme (CEDH) de Strasbourg et ont appelé les créanciers
étrangers à suspendre leurs prêts au consortium
international chargé de la construction de l'édifice.
Le 15 mai à Berne, des maires de la région d'Ilisu ainsi
que des représentants d'initiatives citoyennes locales ont
dénoncé les conséquences de la construction de ce
méga-barrage: 55'000 personnes déplacées, des
écosystèmes et des biens culturels vieux de milliers
d'années détruits.
Selon M. Erdogan, ce projet est une preuve de la volonté
d'Ankara d'améliorer les conditions de vie de la minorité
kurde de Turquie. "Le pas que nous franchissons aujourd'hui montre que
le Sud-Est n'est plus négligé (...) Ce barrage apportera
des profits substantiels aux populations locales", a-t-il
déclaré au cours de la cérémonie.
Prévu pour 2013, le barrage d'Ilisu deviendra le deuxième
plus grand réservoir d'eau et la quatrième centrale
hydroélectrique du pays, avec une production annuelle de 3,8
milliards de kW/h. Son coût est estimé à 1,2
milliard d'euros.
Selon des responsables, 80% des sites archéologiques
d'Hasankeyf, dont des tombes et des centaines de maisons souterraines
déjà usées par le temps et des années de
négligence, resteront au-dessus du niveau de l'eau.
Les autres, notamment des mosquées, un hammam et les restes d'un
ancien pont enjambant le Tigre, seront transférés dans un
musée en plein air, qui deviendra, selon le voeu de M. Erdogan,
un "pôle touristique".
Le gouvernement est déterminé à préserver
le patrimoine d'Hasankeyf, a ajouté M. Erdogan, rappelant que 66
millions d'euros avaient été alloués aux
recherches archéologiques, déjà bien
avancées.
Des opposants estiment pour leur part que même si les monuments
sont transférés, l'intégrité du site et le
paysage original seront dénaturés pour toujours.
Le gouvernement prévoit aussi d'indemniser les habitants de
près de 200 villages qui seront expropriés, et de
bâtir une nouvelle ville pour accueillir ceux d'Hasankeyf.
"Le barrage va détruire 12.000 ans d'histoire", déplore
Abdulvahap Kusen, le maire d'Hasankeyf, membre d'un groupe civique
opposé au projet. "Ni moi, ni personne d'autre n'ira s'installer
dans ce nouvel endroit. Si Hasankeyf est inondée, nous migrerons
tous vers les grandes villes", a-t-il déclaré à
l'agence de presse Anatolie.
Le barrage d'Ilisu fait partie du Projet pour le Sud-Est anatolien
(GAP), qui prévoit la construction de 22 barrages et de 19
centrales hydroélectriques dans la région,
essentiellement sur le Tigre et l'Euphrate.
Le GAP a été vivement critiqué par l'Irak et la
Syrie, qui accusent la Turquie de s'approprier les eaux de deux fleuves
coulant vers le sud de leurs territoires frappés par la
sécheresse. (AFP-AP, 5 août 2006)
Inflation rises to 11.69 percent in July
Consumer prices in Turkey continued to climb in July, rising by 0.85
percent from the previous month and by 11.69 percent on an annual
basis, the Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK) said on Thursday.
Producer prices went up by 0.86 percent from June to July and by 14.34
percent over the year, the institute said.
The Turkish Central Bank said last week that year-end inflation would
hit a level between 9.1 and 10.5 percent, doubling the official target
of 5.0 percent.
Inflation in Turkey has been on the rise since April, pushed up by
increasing oil prices and a depreciation of the Turkish lira. The
currency, which has lost about 20 percent of its value against the
dollar, was hit by global capital flight from emerging markets and
domestic political tensions.
The central bank has said that it is optimistic that the 2007 target of
4.0 percent remains within reach, provided tight monetary policies are
implemented.
In a series of moves to rein in rising prices, the bank has increased
its key overnight borrowing rate three times since June, from 13.25 to
17.5 percent.
Fighting inflation is a key element in a three-year economic stability
program that Turkey is implementing with the support of a
10-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
IMF-backed tight financial policies have helped the government beat its
inflation targets over the past three years, bringing the rate from
29.7 in 2002 to 7.7 percent in 2005. (AFP, August 4, 2006)
Hazelnut controversy
heats up politics
The government discussed its hazelnut policies yesterday amid mounting
criticism from hazelnut producers and the political opposition that its
strategy is responsible for a record decline in nut prices,
impoverishing hundreds of thousands of producers.
No statement had emerged from a Cabinet meeting that tackled, along
with other issues, the hazelnut controversy, by the time the Turkish
Daily News went to press.
Criticism peaked when some 100,000 demonstrators, bussed from nearly 40
provinces, gathered in the Black Sea province of Ordu on Sunday,
blocking the Ordu-Samsun highway for several hours in protest of the
government's hazelnut policies.
They shouted slogans against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and
his advisor, Cüneyd Zapsu, who is involved in the hazelnut export
business and is currently chairman of the board of directors of the
International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.
Critics claim the government's nut policy is shaped according to
Zapsu's personal business interests and that Zapsu and Prime Minister
Erdoğan, who backs him at the expense of alienating hazelnut producers,
are responsible for record-low prices for hazelnuts this year.
Political tension reached a critical point in July when a fight broke
out between the government and the Association for Hazelnut Marketing
Cooperatives, or Fiskobirlik. The association failed to announce a base
price this year and made no purchases from producers due to the
economic hardship it is currently facing.
Fiskobirlik's failure to pay producers has intensified a decrease in
the wholesale price of hazelnuts, since desperate producers are hardly
able to sell their product at sufficiently higher prices elsewhere.
Prices currently stand around YTL 2.5 per kilogram, down from YTL 7
just earlier this year.
The government has made it clear that it is not responsible for
Fiskobirlik's failure to buy hazelnuts from producers. Industry and
Trade Minister Ali Coşkun has repeatedly assured that the government
has no intention of paying the debts of Fiskobirlik.
In a speech in Ordu in June, Erdoğan, responding to a call on the
government to seize Fiskobirlik's assets and repay its debts, said the
government had already paid YTL 2 billion to write off Fiskobirlik's
debts but asserted that it would not do so again.
Go and knock on Fiskobirlik's door, he had then said.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, in
a meeting last week in Ordu, blamed Erdoğan and Zapsu for the miserable
situation the hazelnut producers are in and pledged to work with
advisors who would look at the issue from the perspective of the
interest of the producers, if his party comes to power. (Turkish Daily
News, August 1, 2006)
Relations
turco-européennes / Turkey-Europe Relations
Le
débat Turquie-Union Européenne et la question
kurde
La réunion des ministres des Affaires étrangères
qui s’est tenue à
Luxembourg le 12 juin, a ouvert le premier volet – consacré
à la
recherche et à la science – parmi les trente cinq chapitres du
futur
traité d’adhésion entre l’Union Européenne et la
Turquie. Donc,
officiellement, le processus des négociations a
été lancé. Nous ne
savons pas si ce processus va aboutir à la décision
d’adhésion à
l’Union Européenne ou non.
L’enjeu turc a ravivé les passions séculaires d’un
débat qui, pour être
constructif, se doit d’être juste et équilibré.
Parfois, hélas, ce
dernier a pris les habits d’une confrontation idéologique
figée où,
pour certains, l’Occident devrait se fermer à l’Orient et
vice-versa,
la religion musulmane s’affronter aux valeurs
judéo-chrétiennes,
l’humanisme étant définitivement miné par
l’intégrisme. A ce débat, de
notre point de vue mal engagé, il faut ajouter l’épineuse
question de
la géographie et le jeu des alliances stratégiques et
militaires qui
fondent des interrogations forcément complexes sur la Turquie
actuelle.
Ce débat sur l’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union
Européenne, qui devrait
courir pendant une période d’au moins dix ans, à travers
les 80 000
pages de l’acquis communautaire à assimiler, ne sera pas un long
fleuve
tranquille à traverser. La question kurde, la question
chypriote, la
reconnaissance du droit des minorités, l’égalité
hommes - femmes, le
respect de la laïcité, le respect des droits de l'homme
demeurent des
points d’interrogation, auxquels sont attentifs, me semble-t-il, les
responsables européens.
D’après les analyses concernant la politique turque, la position
d'Ankara à l'égard de Chypre n’aura pas beaucoup de
changements, même
si cela signifie la suspension des négociations
d'adhésion. Ceci a été
déclaré aussi par le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Et ce
malgré les multiples efforts des 25, qui demandent à la
Turquie
d’ouvrir ses ports et son espace aérien aux Chypriotes grecs et
d’aller
vers une reconnaissance du gouvernement de la République de
Chypre.
Concernant cet aspect, le président de la République
Française,
Monsieur Jacques Chirac, a aussi exhorté la Turquie à
"respecter les
engagements qu'elle a pris" avant l'ouverture des négociations
avec
l'Union européenne, en ajoutant : "sinon elle mettra
elle-même en cause
sa capacité à poursuivre le processus
d'élargissement". Le Président
français a rappelé également l'engagement pris par
le gouvernement turc
sur l'ouverture de ses ports et aéroports aux marchandises
venant de
Chypre. Nous savons bien que la position de la France a beaucoup
d’influences sur la politique européenne.
Il serait donc nécessaire qu’en 2007 au plus tard, l’Union
Européenne
reçoive des éclaircissements de la Turquie sur cette
épineuse question.
Malgré tout cela, le premier ministre turc Recep Tayip Erdogan a
prévenu que la Turquie ne répondrait "jamais" à la
demande de l'Union
européenne concernant l’ouverture de ses ports et
aéroports à Chypre,
tant que l'isolement international qui est appliquée contre la
partie
chypriote turque de l'île ne serait pas levé.
Le Processus des
Négociations et la Question Kurde
Malheureusement, dans le processus des négociations avec la
Turquie, la
politique européenne n’a pas encore d’exigences importantes en
ce qui
concerne la question kurde. Les Européens gardent toujours le
problème
chypriote en première ligne. Dans les réunions dont le
sujet est
l’adhésion de la Turquie, toujours le problème chypriote
est sur la
table. Bien sûr, ceci est important pour l’Europe, mais les
problèmes
que l’Union a avec ce pays ne consistent pas simplement en celui-ci. Il
faut que les Européens sachent que la question kurde non
résolue est un
véritable obstacle à la démocratisation de la
Turquie. Si la Turquie
s’obstine à ne pas résoudre ce problème de la
question kurde, son
adhésion à l’Union Européenne reste
problématique.
Depuis le mois de mars 2006, la situation de la Turquie devient de plus
en plus critique au regard des libertés et des droits de
l’homme. Avec
les soulèvements populaires du mois de mars 2006 au Kurdistan,
qui ont
duré plus de trois jours, les oppositions d’attitudes entre les
forces
armées turques et le gouvernement de l’AKP se sont aussi
multipliées.
Et parfois, les contradictions entre ces deux camps sont apparues au
grand jour. Ce conflit a influencé la justice turque, qui
devrait a
priori être indépendante, et cela continue. D’après
nous, ce processus
va se poursuivre jusqu’à l’an 2007. Avant les élections
générales de
l’an prochain et tant qu’un nouveau gouvernement ne sera pas
désigné,
il semblerait que peu de changements aient lieu dans ce pays.
Avec l’apparition des discussions concernant les éventuelles
élections
anticipées, la situation de la Turquie devient encore plus
critique.
Les opérations militaires continuent dans toutes les
régions du
Kurdistan, provoquant systématiquement des morts et des
blessés. Les
forces armées turques utilisent les méthodes de
cruauté dans la guerre
contre les militants kurdes. Malheureusement, cette utilisation de la
force permet aux militaires de devenir les vraies autorités
gouvernementales du pays. Nous pouvons dire que, actuellement, la
Turquie est dirigée par les généraux. Cela va
conduire, hélas, le pays
vers un avenir sombre et très mauvais.
Tout ce qui se passe actuellement en Turquie compromet les projets pour
la démocratisation du pays. Cette situation ne concerne pas
seulement
les Kurdes, l’avenir de tous les peuples et des minorités du
pays est
en danger.
C’est pourquoi il faut réagir vite et dans le bon sens.
(kurdishinfo.com, Ahmet DERE, 7 août 2006)
EUTCC's
Report on Turkey Sent to EP Political
Groups
Dear Distinguished Chairpersons of the Political Groups of the European
Parliament,
Re: European Parliament’s draft report on Turkey’s progress to accession
We are writing in regard to the European Parliament’s draft report on
Turkey’s progress to accession which will be debated by the European
Parliament in September 2006.
The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) seeks to promote the
accession
of Turkey as a member of the EU, in order to guarantee respect for
human and minority rights and a peaceful, democratic and long-term
solution to the Kurdish situation. To this end, it monitors and
conducts regular audits of the European Union’s performance in ensuring
Turkey’s full compliance with the accession criteria, as defined within
the meaning of the accession agreements.
We therefore submit an assessment of the implementation gaps that exist
in Turkey’s domestic law that includes comments on the content of the
draft parliamentary report which we believe you will find to be useful
in light of the upcoming debate.
In order that Turkish accession retains credibility and fulfils its
potential as a force for democratisation in Turkey, it is vital that
the process is consistent with the human rights criteria lain out in
Copenhagen in 1993. As the Council of Europe openly acknowledged
in
its Parliamentary Assembly in 2004,(1) EU membership is predicated on a
just resolution to the Kurdish question and attainment of democratic
standards equivalent to those in other EU member states.
Mounting evidence suggests that since the opening of accession
negotiations a sense of complacency has pervaded the Turkish
government’s attitude towards full implementation of the reforms.
The
EUTCC is concerned that without pressure from the EU on Turkey to keep
the promises it has made, the human rights situation in the country
will remain fundamentally unchanged.
Torture
Despite Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gül’s encouraging statement
in
2003 that Turkey has a “zero tolerance” policy towards torture, the
legal amendments that have thus far been enacted have fallen short of
this goal. Instances of torture in Turkey continue to be
widespread in
the Kurdish areas and little has been done to end the culture of
impunity that purveys amongst security personnel.
Encouragingly, during 2005, courts investigated numerous allegations of
torture by state security forces. There were 232 convictions out of the
531 cases that actually went to full verdict. Meanwhile a staggering
1005 were acquitted. Of the convictions, only 37 carried jail
sentences, and the rest received fines or other reprimands; statistics
which are not encouraging for the 34 preparatory investigations that
were launched in June against police officers in Diyarbakir alleging
torture of children and adults during and after the disturbances in the
city at the end of March 2006.
Paragraph 7 of the draft report does go some way to expressing some of
our concerns at the high rate of instances of torture. However,
we
consider it crucial that the report highlights the failings in Turkish
law which is allowing these practices to continue.
Turkey has made great strides in abolishing incommunicado detention by
guaranteeing detainees immediate access to a lawyer. All this
work
will be undone once the new Anti-terror law comes into force (discussed
further below). Article 9 states that during detention, the detained
suspect’s right to meet with a lawyer can be restricted for a period up
to 24 hours – the period when the detainee is at the greatest risk of
being tortured. These concerns are amplified by the apparent
contempt
security agents have shown to the rights of detainees. Reports suggest
that lawyers’ access to clients has been restricted until a statement
is signed, and arrests are often registered at the Police station
several hours —and sometimes days— after taking place in order to
extend the detention period.
As the practice of torture is prevalent outside of detention centres
(2), Turkey must monitor more closely the practical effect of
provisions in the new Code of Criminal Procedure and the Law on the
Execution of Sentences, which allow the transfer of detainees from a
detention centre, to see if they are permitting torture.
Effective
medical examinations of detainees are crucially important in the fight
against torture, as security forces have adopted methods which do not
leave any physical signs on the body to avoid detection to circumvent
the legal amendments. The medical examinations are, though, inadequate;
they are usually brief and informal, and detainees have been refused
access to a second examination by the authorities. More training of
medical practitioners is needed as only 300 out of the 80,000 doctors
in Turkey have the forensic skills to diagnose instances of torture.
Minority rights
We welcome the points raised by paragraphs 14 to 20 of the draft report
regarding the protection of minorities in Turkey. Our concern is
that
this section contains little reference, other than in paragraph 20, to
the treatment of the Kurds as a minority in Turkey. The
fundamental
problem is that Turkish law does not afford recognition to ethnic
groups as a “minority” under law, as the Turkish constitution follows
the strict definition under article 39 of the Treaty of Lausanne which
states that only the rights of Turkish nationals belonging to
“non-Moslem minorities” will benefit from legal protection. Articles
14, 26, 27 and 28 of the constitution allow Turkish authorities to
criminalise non-violent expression of ethnic identity simply on the
basis that they are contrary to the constitutional definition of
“Turkish” and a danger to the integrity of the state.
The ramifications of this are evidenced by the trial of Professor
Baskın Oran and Professor İbrahim Özden Kaboğlu who were
prosecuted for
simply arguing, in a report commissioned by the Prime Minister’s own
office, that “Turk" is an identity of only one ethnic group and that
Turkey also includes other ethnic groups such as "Kurd" or "Arab".
Even commonplace expressions of identity, that are taken for granted in
other European states, are subject to restriction. The Kurds were
unable to officially register non-Turkish names for years in
Turkey.
The Registration Act now allows children to be given names that do not
“offend the public” but this has been used in practice to refer to
names only using the Turkish language’s alphabet. Kurdish names
with
the letters “w”, “x” and “q” cannot be officially recognised and used,
effectively prohibiting their usage altogether. In addition,
article
49(9) of the constitution continues to maintain that no language other
than Turkish can be taught as mother tongue to Turkish citizens at
institutions of training or education.
The lack of any constitutional recognition of cultural, ethnic or
linguistic minorities makes addressing access to minority rights
impossible. We believe that the amendments that Turkey has made to its
constitution do not go far enough. The European Parliament must
urge
Turkey in paragraph 12 of the report to address these constitutional
concerns in order to offer meaningful protection to the rights of
minorities.
Freedom of expression
We support wholeheartedly paragraph 6 of the draft report which calls
on Turkey to amend the provisions of the revised Turkish penal code
(TCK) in order to protect the right to free expression as enshrined by
article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Prosecutions continue to be frequently instigated despite the revision
of the TCK in 2005, with over 60 free expression cases being pursued in
the last year. In the first week of June 2006 alone, courts
in
Istanbul heard 6 cases involving the freedom of expression.
We believe, however, that the wording of the draft report’s conclusion
in paragraph G that the acquittal of Professor Ibrahim Kaboglu and
Professor Baskin Oran is a “positive development” is misleading.
Even
the instigation of a criminal prosecution against individuals
expressing a legitimate opinion tears at the heart of the right to free
expression enshrined by article 10. The fact that the charges in
most
free expression cases are often dropped once the case provokes
international condemnation does not negate the “chilling effect” that
they have on free speech. Prosecutions, no matter how spurious, taint
the work of human rights defenders with the smear of illegality and
criminality, undermining their work in the eyes of the public. Court
appearances are time consuming, inhibiting human rights defenders, and
those organisations that rely on them, from carrying out their work and
slowing down the progress of society on every level.
With financial support from the EU, the Turkish government has started
a program of human rights training for judges, prosecutors and lawyers
but the continuing frequency of prosecutions and convictions of writers
and journalists in Turkey would suggest that this program needs to be
pursued with more vigor as fundamental human rights principles have
failed to fully take hold in the adjudication process.
It is crucial that international and European human rights instruments
are fully assimilated into the Turkish legal consciousness.
Turkey
must review its training process and monitor judicial decisions more
closely to fully assess its success.
Democracy and the rule of law
We welcome the reference in paragraph 11 of the draft report which
calls for Turkey to reform its electoral law which is discriminatory
towards the Kurds and their political representation and remains one of
the fundamental impediments to Turkey attaining true democratic
status.
Until the ten percent threshold rule is amended, the Kurds as a
minority group do not and cannot have any political representation in
parliament which can represent their interests and put forward their
agenda. (3) Turkey must also amend its Political Parties law so that
political parties that include Kurdish Rights in their platform are
able to discuss these issues in Kurdish. Leaders of Hak-Par (the Rights
and Freedoms Party) appeared before a court in June for speaking
Kurdish at their party congress.
We believe it is imperative that the report states that Turkey must
amend the Political Parties law which forbids political parties from
using any other language other than Turkish in written material, public
meetings or in video or audio cassettes.
In paragraph 1, the draft report does note the “insufficient progress”
that has been shown as regards the independence of the judiciary and we
welcome the European Parliament’s concern at the dismissal of the
prosecutor in the Şemdinli case.
In this regard, it is vital that Turkey addresses article 140(4) of the
Constitution which ties the administrative functions of the judiciary
to the Ministry of Justice, creating a direct link between the
judiciary and the executive, and undermining the former’s independence.
Turkey must also address the unduly restrictive legal regime that
governs the relationship between a lawyer and their client if it is to
adhere to standards of due process and the right to a fair trial under
article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The work of
defence lawyers is impeded by restrictions on client confidentiality
(5) and by the risk of being exposed to a criminal investigation.
(6)
A lawyer can be immediately suspended before any guilt is established
and he or she cannot visit or contact their client. Human rights
defenders who are often subject to and specifically targeted for
prosecution can be permanently prevented from representing their
clients, as the Code of Criminal Procedure prevents lawyers who have
been prosecuted for an offence from representing clients who have been
charged with similar crimes. These provisions seem to be designed to
unduly frustrate the work of the defence team, placing the principle of
“equality of arms” in jeopardy.
Security situation in the Kurdish
areas of Turkey
The EUTCC strongly believes that the resolution of the conflict in the
southeast is central to the establishment of a stable and democratic
Turkey and to bringing about an end to human rights violations in the
region.
We commend the European Parliament for calling on the Turkish
government to pursue a democratic solution to the conflict and for
recognising that the problem in the Kurdish areas has political and
economic dimensions (paragraph 24).
We are, however, concerned with wording of paragraph 21 of the draft
report. It fails to acknowledge the inflammatory and provocative
effect that the human rights violations committed by state security
forces have on the level of violence in the region. As we have
mentioned above, instances of torture are still prevalent in the
region. Security forces have shown a hard-line attitude towards unarmed
civilians and aggressive dispersal tactics during pro-Kurdish protests.
There have been a number of violent clashes between police and
civilians, with reports of police firing on civilians and
children.
A fact finding mission sent by Kurdish Human Rights Project (a founder
member of the EUTCC) to the southeast region in April 2006 (7) found
that the rule of law was clearly put aside during the security forces’
handling of the violence that sparked following the funerals of PKK
guerrillas at the end of March 2006. Police used indiscriminate,
disproportionate and lethal force, clearly condoned by their superiors,
chillingly reminiscent to many of the security force’s behaviour under
the state of emergency during the 1990s. Ten civilians lost their
lives, including three children; hundreds of civilians were detained,
many of whom have alleged that there were tortured during their
detention.
The report must provide an impartial view of the situation in the
Kurdish areas of Turkey to maintain the EU’s political objectivity. We
urge the European Parliament to acknowledge that violence from both
parties has contributed to the resurgence in hostilities, which must be
halted in order for a democratic solution to be reached.
The draft report also neglects to mention that the ongoing conflict has
also impacted women severely, leading to the use of sexual violence by
state security forces as a means to humiliate and weaken the Kurdish
community. The violence in the region also dissuades communities
from
abandoning traditional practices that violate human rights. The
ongoing conflict and continuing spiral of violence can be directly
linked to the rise in incidences of domestic violence, honour crimes
and the number of female suicides.
The EUTCC commends the Turkish government for enacting the Law on
Compensation for Damage Arising from Terror and Combating Terror (Law
No. 5233). However, paragraph 25 of the draft report makes
no mention
of the inherent flaws in the scheme which will mean that the majority
of IDPs will not receive the compensation they are owed for the losses
they have incurred within the context of the conflict. The compensation
scheme will not offer redress to those who left their homes of their
own “free will” or compensate for losses sustained before 1987.
The
documentation requirements for receiving compensation are burdensome,
requiring the production of deeds to property which are impossible for
many IDPs to lay claim to. The scheme has also awarded sums of
money
that are below what is recommended by the European Court of Human
Rights.
The new anti-terror law
The draft report must be stronger in its condemnation of the amendments
to the 1991 Law on the Fight against Terrorism (Act 3713) that have
recently been passed by the Turkish Parliament. The language used in
paragraph 4 of the draft report which states that the European
Parliament “expects that the new Anti-Terror Law will not further
restrict the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms” is
disingenuous. The EUTCC believes that these amendments are
fundamentally flawed, are clearly a threat to rights and freedoms in
Turkey and will undo the good work that the reform process has already
achieved.
The anti-terror law is an affront to the rule of law. The poor
drafting of the legislation means that it will be difficult for the
ordinary, law-abiding individual to regulate his/her behaviour so as to
avoid criminal liability. The likely result will be that individuals
will be prosecuted for “terrorist” acts without having any real links
to the terrorist organisation itself. Article 6 has the potential
to
label anyone who expresses an idea contrary to the official state
ideology as a “terrorist”, as its ambiguous terms will almost assuredly
lead to legitimate criticism being incorrectly labelled as “terrorist
propaganda”. In addition, the offence of “financing terror” contained
in article 7 is couched in vague and confusing language, criminalising
those who “willingly” provide funds “directly or indirectly” knowing
they would “entirely or partially” be used to commit terror
crimes.
This offence could potentially apply to overly broad number of crimes
and their funding.
The amendments also disproportionately punish behaviour that, to the
layman, would not constitute “terrorism”. Under article 6, the types of
activity that will be deemed to be a “terrorist offence” are broadened
to include the carrying of an emblem, signs or placards of a terrorist
organisation and attempting to conceal your own identity during a
demonstration.
It must be pointed out to Turkey that extending the list of terrorist
offences carries the risk of diverting police time away from the real
threat posed by individuals who utilise violent means to further their
cause.
Conclusion
Despite our unease at the stalling reform process in Turkey, the EUTCC
continues to support the accession process in Turkey. We are convinced
that accession, with its attendant enforceable standards on human and
minority rights, remains by far the best hope for mainstreaming Kurdish
concerns and bringing human rights reform and the Kurdish issue to the
fore of political debate in Brussels and beyond. This
anticipation is
based on the belief that the institutions of the EU will ensure that
the prospect of EU membership remains a powerful incentive for change
in Turkey by adopting a robust approach to ensuring Turkish compliance
with accession standards. We would therefore be grateful if you could
raise the issues discussed in this letter during the debate in the
European Parliament so that they may be included in the final draft of
the report and be presented to the Turkish administration.
1
Council of Europe (COE), Parliamentary Assembly, Committee on the
Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the
Council of Europe, ‘Turkey: Explanatory memorandum by the
co-rapporteurs, Mrs. Mady Delvaux-Stehres and Mr. Luc Van den Brande
(Co-rapporteurs)’, March 2004, p38
2 According to the Diyarbakir-based
Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, out of the 180 torture cases who
applied to their rehabilitation centres in 2005, more than half cited
that the torture took place outside a detention centre.
http://www.tihv.org.tr/eindex.html
3 There are over 100 Kurdish MPs in
the Turkish Parliament but they were elected as representatives of
parties that do not include Kurdish Rights in their platform and so
cannot be relied upon to represent the Kurdish interest.
4 Paragraph 6
5 Under Turkish law, the presence
of
a law enforcement official can be required at meetings between a lawyer
and their client, discussions can be taped and documents confiscated
based only on a suspicion of “abetment”. Under the new anti terror law,
a judge can request to see the defence lawyer’s documents and for a law
enforcement official to be present at meetings if it is considered that
the lawyer is “liaising” with the terrorist organisation.
6 This can be instigated against a
lawyer who is representing a client on terrorist offence charges if he
or she is considered to be “assisting” their client (Sections 22 and
151 of the Turkish Penal Code)
7 “Indiscriminate Use of Force:
Violence in South-east Turkey” KHRP Fact Finding Mission Report July
2006
Yours faithfully,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the EUTCC
Kariane Westrheim
Chairperson
(Email: kariane.westrheim@iuh.uib.no)
Turquie-USA/
Turkey-USA
Former NATO commander Ralston named as US
special anti-PKK envoy
Washington has named former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of the U.S.
in Europe Joseph W. Ralston a special envoy to coordinate efforts in
combating the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), U.S. sources said on
Sunday.
Turkish officials told TNA yesterday that they had not yet been
informed about an official appointment, but expressed their positive
view of the U.S. move. One official said Ankara is now waiting for an
official announcement from the U.S. side over the appointment, as well
as clarification of the mission of the envoy, before deciding to
appoint a similar special coordinator from the Turkish side.
Retired Gen. Ralston has an impressive professional career. He served
as vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1996 to 2000.
In 1997, upon the retirement of John M. Shalikashvili, then chairman of
the Joint Chiefs, Ralston was the top candidate to succeed him but
withdrew his name from consideration when it became public that he had
had an adulterous affair with a CIA employee during the 1980s while he
and his wife were separated. The job eventually went to Hugh Shelton,
and Ralston remained vice chairman until 2000.
Gen. Ralston retired after serving as the NATO supreme allied commander
in Europe from 2000 to 2003 and vice chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
Then Defense Secretary William Cohen stood by Ralston despite the
scandal, and appointed him vice chairman of consulting company the
Cohen Group after his retirement, a post he retains to this day.
Gen. Ralston, during his service at NATO, had close cooperation with
the Turkish military. He attended an award ceremony in which the
U.S.-based Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs honored
retired Turkish General Cevik Bir in October 1999.
Bir described Ralston as "my colleague with whom I developed friendship
and shared similar values throughout my career."
In the capacity of supreme allied commander, Ralston visited Ankara
prior to the Iraq war to persuade Turkey open its territories for the
U.S. troop's northern front, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
The U.S. move to appoint a special envoy to coordinate efforts against
PKK follows a strong warning from Ankara last month to both Washington
and Baghdad to make concrete steps in eliminating the PKK threat in
northern Iraq, cautioning that otherwise it is ready for a cross-border
operation.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson commented on the identity of the
coordinator several days ago, saying he is well known to Turkey, and
Ankara will be pleased and surprised when the name is announced.
Despite its 130,000 troops in Iraq, Washington strongly opposes any
possible cross-border operation that might be launched to deal with the
presence of the PKK in northern Iraq. It says this may further
complicate the situation in Iraq and undermine efforts for stability
and the political process.
Turkish jet fighters commenced limited airstrikes last week against PKK
targets in northern Iraq. Turkish F-16 jets took off from the military
air base in Diyarbakir and bombed several PKK targets in the Kanimasi
and Snaht areas of the region.
The Iranian military also launched a limited cross-border operation
into northern Iraq late last week, following attacks on border patrol
points along the border by the PKK's sister party PEJAK. (The New
Anatolian, 28 August 2006)
US
calls for PKK to lay down arms, end terrorist attacks
The US administration has called on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK) to lay down its arms and end its terror attacks on Turkey.
"We (US) call the PKK for a termination of its attacks and laying down
the arms on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of its attacks against
our ally Turkey, US Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack said
on Monday in a written statement.
The statement recalled that PKK have claimed the lives of over 30
thousand people in Turkey since August 15, 1984- when it began
operating.
McCormack went on to say in the statement that the violence declined a
few years after the arrest of "terrorist" Abdullah Ocalan, the leader
of PKK, in 1999, however, it resumed again in 2004. (Cihan News
Agency, 14 August 2006)
"Triple
Alliance": The US, Turkey, Israel and the War
on Lebanon
by Michel Chossudovsky
While Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Israel
for the atrocities committed in Lebanon, his government remains a
staunch ally of Israel and a major military actor in the Middle East
and Central Asia, with close ties to Washington, Tel Aviv and NATO
headquarters in Brussels.
"This war is unjust... The Israeli war ...is simply fueling hatred...
It is not difficult to see that a terrible global war and a huge
disaster await us.”", said Erdogan at the Organization of the
Islamic
Conference (OIC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, in early August.
In a cruel irony, Turkey, through its military alliance with Israel and
the US, is a de facto partner in the "terrible global war" alluded to
by Prime Minister Erdogan.
The Turkish head of government's apparent indignation responds to
strong anti-Israeli sentiment within Turkey and the Middle East. His
Justice and Development Party (AKP), which dominates the ruling
coalition is considered to be a "pro-Islamic political entity". Yet
beneath the gilded surface of Turkish party politics, the ruling AKP
coalition government led Prime Minister Erdogan is complicit in Israeli
war crimes.
Turkey's condemnation of Israel is in blatant contradiction with the
substance of its longstanding military cooperation agreement with
Israel, which the ruling AKP government has actively pursued. Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not only supported Israeli interests,
he had also developed a close personal rapport with (former) Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon.
The contradictions underlying Turkey's foreign policy also relate to
complex divisions within the ruling coalition as well as between the
government and the Military hierarchy, which historically has
maintained a close rapport with the Pentagon and NATO. While the
alliance with Israel may be the source of political contention in the
Turkish parliament, it has, nonetheless, been accepted and endorsed,
since the mid-1990s, by successive government coalitions.
The Israeli-Turkish Military
Alliance
A significant turnaround in Turkish foreign policy occurred in the
immediate wake of the Cold War, which contributed to redefining the
Turkey-Israel relationship. Initially forged under the helm of Prime
Minister Tansu Çiller, the Israeli-Turkish military pact is
characterized by the landmark 1994 Security and Secrecy Agreement
(SSA). This strategic realignment of Turkey with Israel was part of
Washington's post Cold War agenda in the Middle East, which was also
supported by US covert intelligence operations. In 1997, Mrs. Ciller
was accused of having been recruited by the CIA and "of accepting money
from foreign governments [the US] to work against Turkey's national
interests". (Voice of America, 17 July 1997)
The 1994 Security and Secrecy Agreement emulates a defunct secret
agreement between Israel and Turkey formulated in the late 1950s at the
height of the Cold War, entitled the "Peripheral Pact":
"By 1958, however, a fascinating secret agreement, sometimes referred
to as the "peripheral pact", had emerged between the two nations. It’s
conceptual framework can be traced back even before the founding of the
state [of Israel] to the ideology of Baruch ‘Uzel [Uziel], an Israeli
leader who would later become a member of the Liberal Party.
Notably, exact details of the alliance remain hidden in numerous
classified Israeli documents, and are obscured by Turkish secrecy,
classified documents, and insistence that there was no actually
documented pact between the countries. Nonetheless, it seems the
alliance had three fundamental tenets. The diplomatic tenet involved
joint public relations campaigns to influence general publics. The
military aspect allegedly involved the exchange of intelligence
information, joint planning for mutual aid in emergencies, and Turkish
support in the Pentagon and at NATO for an improved Israeli military.
Some also say that “highly sensitive” scientific cooperation as well as
the export of Israeli military equipment to the Republic occurred. (See
Washington Institute)
This 1958 bilateral military cooperation agreement, however, was short
lived. In the course of the 1960s, Turkey pursued a rapprochement with
both the Soviet Union and the Arab countries. (Ibid).
A protocol on Defense Cooperation was established in 1992 under the
government of Süleyman Demirel, followed two years later by the
signing
of the 1994 Security and Secrecy Agreement (SSA). Necmettin
Erbakan
succeeded Tansu Çiller as Prime Minister in 1997 in
"an Islamic
center-right coalition" with Ciller's True Path Party.
In 1997, the Erbakan government was forced to resign as result of
pressures exerted by the Military in what was described as "a post-
modern coup d'État".
The US sponsored 1994 Security and Secrecy Agreement (SSA) implemented
by the Çiller government, essentially set the stage for a firm
and
close relationship between Israel and Turkey in military and
intelligence cooperation, joint military exercises, weapons production
and training. The SSA is far-reaching in its implications. It also
requires the exchange of military intelligence in what is described as
the "guaranteed secrecy in the exchange and sharing of information".
From the outset in 1992, the Israeli-Turkish military alliance has
consistently been directed against Syria. A 1993 Memorandum of
Understanding led to the creation of (Israeli-Turkish) "joint
committees" to handle so-called regional threats. Under the terms of
the Memorandum, Turkey and Israel agreed "to cooperate in gathering
intelligence on Syria, Iran, and Iraq and to meet regularly to share
assessments pertaining to terrorism and these countries' military
capabilities."
Turkey agreed to allow IDF and Israeli security forces to gather
electronic intelligence on Syria and Iran from Turkey. In exchange,
Israel assisted in the equipping and training of Turkish forces in
anti-terror warfare along the Syrian, Iraqi, and Iranian borders."
(Ibid)
In 1997, Israel and Turkey launched "A Strategic Dialogue"
involving a
bi-annual process of high level military consultations by the
respective deputy chiefs of staff. (Milliyet, Istanbul, in
Turkish 14
July 2006).
The 1994 SSA was followed in 1996 by a Military Training and
Cooperation Agreement (MTCA). Also in 1996, Turkey entered into a
Military Industry Cooperation Agreement with Israel, which was in turn
instrumental to the signing of "a secret agreement" with Israel
Military Industries to update its tank division, modernize its
helicopter fleet and its F-4 and F-5 combat planes (Ibid). In turn, the
two countries entered into negotiations with a view to establishing a
Free Trade Agreement, which came into operation in 2000.
On the official agenda of recent Israeli-Turkish talks are joint
defense projects, including the joint production of Arrow II Theater
Missile Defense and Popeye II missiles. The latter, also known as the
Have Lite, are advanced small missiles, designed for deployment on
fighter planes.
More recently, the Eastern Mediterranean corridor, from the Red Sea,
through Lebanon and Syria to the Syrian- Turkish border has, both from
a strategic and economic standpoint, become an important factor in the
evolving Israel-Turkey military alliance. It is intimately related to
the proposed Ceyhan-Ashkelon oil pipeline project (to be implemented by
Turkey and Israel), which would link the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan
pipeline
to Israel's Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline. (Michel Chossudovsky, The War on
Lebanon and the Battle for Oil, July 2006)
The war on Lebanon ultimately seeks to establish joint Israeli-Turkish
military control over a coastal corridor extending from the
Israeli-Lebanese border to the East Mediterranean border between Syria
and Turkey. What this militarization of the coastal Lebanese-Syrian
corridor would signify is the control of almost the entire Eastern
Mediterranean coastline by Turkey and Israel under the terms of the
Israeli-Turkish military alliance. (Ibid)
Water is also part of this strategic relationship. Under a 2004
agreement, Turkey was to sell some 50 million cubic meters of water per
annum to Israel over a 20 year period. In recent developments, the
agreement has been revised. The water would to be channeled to Israel
via an Israeli-Turkish water pipeline. (Ibid)
The NATO-Israel Security Agreement
In April 2001, Israel entered into "a security agreement" with
NATO as part of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue:
"This security agreement provides the framework for the protection of
classified information, as defined by all 19 member countries, and is
signed by countries that wish to engage in cooperation with NATO."
In 2004, the decision was taken to "elevate" the 2001 Mediterranean
Dialogue "to a genuine [military] partnership and to launch the
Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) with selected countries
[including Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan. Mauritania, Morocco and
Tunisia] in the broader region of the Middle East." The mandate of the
Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, is to:
"contribute to regional security and stability, by promoting greater
practical cooperation, enhancing the Dialogue’s political dimension,
assisting in defense reform, cooperation in the field of border
security, achieving interoperability and contributing to the fight
against terrorism, while complementing other international efforts."
(NATO, emphasis added)
The Initiative "offers a 'menu' of bilateral activities" consisting
of
"defense reform, defense budgeting, defense planning and civil-military
relations; military-to-military cooperation to contribute to
interoperability through participation in selected military exercises
and related education and training activities,..." ; cooperation
in
the fight against terrorism, including through intelligence-sharing;
cooperation in the Alliance's work on the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction ... (NATO, The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative)
In practical terms, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI)
neutralizes Israel's potential adversaries in the Arab World. It
essentially grants a green light to Israel and its indefectible Turkish
ally. It ensures that other member States (frontline Arab States) of
the NATO sponsored ICI, will not intervene in a Middle East conflict
instigated by Israel. This is the main purpose of the Istanbul
Cooperation Initiative (ICI): paralyze the Arab States at the
diplomatic and military levels, to ensure that they will not act in any
meaningful way against US-Israeli interests in the Middle East.
By late 2004, the "enhanced" Mediterranean Dialogue (Istanbul
Cooperation Initiative), had evolved into a more cohesive military
cooperation agreement. The member countries met in Brussels in November
2004. Senior Israeli IDF officers held discussions, under NATO
auspices, with the top military brass of six members of the
Mediterranean basin nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia,
Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania. The hidden agenda of this meeting was
essentially to set the stage for a full-fledged NATO-Israel
partnership, with the tacit consent of the frontline Arab States.
This partnership relationship was firmed up in bilateral NATO-Israel
talks held in Tel Aviv in February 2005.
Joint NATO-Israel Military Exercises
In early 2005, the US, Israel and Turkey held military exercises in the
Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Syria, which were followed by
NATO military exercises with Israel, which included several Arab
countries.
These joint war games were then followed in February 2005, by NATO's
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's visit to Israel. De
Hoop
Scheffer had talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister
Silvan Shalom, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and the Chief of Staff of
the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Lt. General Moshe Ya’alon. (NATO Press
Release, 24 February 2005).
The purpose of these meetings pertained to "possible ways of expanding
current cooperation, particularly in the areas of military
co-operation, the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction."
The ongoing relationship between NATO and Israel was confirmed in
NATO's Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer's February 2005 speech
in
Tel Aviv:
"...At NATO’s Istanbul Summit [June 2004], we agreed, in close
consultation with Israel and other partners in this process, to try to
move our relationship to another level – in short, to move from
dialogue to partnership. We want to further intensify our political
dialogue; to promote greater interoperability between our military
forces; and to encourage greater cooperation on defense reform, as well
as in the critical fight against terrorism.
Israel has stepped forward with a list of concrete proposals for
enhancing our cooperation. These proposals cover many areas of common
interest, such as the fight against terrorism or joint military
exercises, where Israel’s expertise is very much valued. They underline
your country’s desire for a strengthened relation, and we are looking
forward to working with Israel in the framework of an individual action
programme. (NATO website, 24 February 2005, click for complete
transcript of speech) (emphasis added)
These military cooperation ties were viewed by the Israeli military as
a means to "enhance Israel's deterrence capability regarding potential
enemies threatening it, mainly Iran and Syria."
It is worth noting that in February 2005, coinciding with the NATO
mission to Israel, the government of Ariel Sharon dismissed General
Moshe Ya'alon as Chief of Staff and appointed Air Force General Dan
Halutz. This was the first time in Israeli history that an Air Force
General was appointed Chief of Staff (See Uri Avnery, February 2005).
The appointment of Major General Dan Halutz as IDF Chief of Staff
was
considered in Israeli political circles as "the appointment of the
right man at the right time." In retrospect, his appointment has a
direct bearing on the planning of the air campaign directed against
Lebanon, although at the time Maj General Halutz was slated to
undertake the planning of possible aerial bombing raids on Iran, as
part of a planned US-Israeli operation. These planned bombings on Iran
would be coordinated by US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) in liaison
with Israel, Turkey and NATO. (See Michel Chossudovsky, May 2005,
February 2006, Jan 2006 ).
The Role of NATO in Relation to the
War on Lebanon
NATO cannot under any circumstances play a "neutral stabilizing" role
in Lebanon. NATO's involvement would be dictated by the precise terms
of the "NATO-Israel partnership". A NATO "stabilization force",
pursuant to a UN Security Council Resolution would side with Israel
against Lebanon.
The NATO-Israel partnership establishes NATO's "responsibilities" in
relation to its ally Israel: Israel is under attack and has "the
legitimate right to defend itself". The terms of the NATO-Israel
agreement as defined in the February 2005 consultations in Tel
Aviv,
specifically point to "the fight against terrorism".
The 2005 Israel-NATO agreement is all the more important because it
requires NATO, in the context of the Israeli led war on Lebanon, to
support Israel. It also means that NATO would be involved in the
triangular process of military consultations and planning, which link
Tel Aviv to Washington and Ankara.
Meanwhile, the NATO-Israel partnership reached in 2005 was also viewed
by the Israeli government as an opportunity to strengthen its military
alliance with Turkey in relation to its main regional enemies (Syria
and Iran) as well as boost the shattered image of Israel:
The more Israel's image is strengthened as a country facing enemies who
attempt to attack it for no justified reason, the greater will be the
possibility that aid will be extended to Israel by NATO. Furthermore,
Iran and Syria will have to take into account the possibility that the
increasing cooperation between Israel and NATO will strengthen Israel's
links with Turkey, also a member of NATO. Given Turkey's impressive
military potential and its geographic proximity to both Iran and Syria,
Israel's operational options against them, if and when it sees the
need, could gain considerable strength. " (Jaffa Center for
Strategic
Studies, http://www.tau.ac.il/jcss/sa/v7n4p4Shalom.html )
New Pro-Israeli Turkish Chief of
Staff
Another crucial and related development --which has a direct bearing on
the current situation in Lebanon-- is the timely appointment by the
Erdogan government of a new Chief of Staff. Ground Forces Commander
General Yasar Buyukanit, who is slated to succeed Gen. Hilmi Ozkok in
late August.
General Yasar Buyukanit is pro-Israeli. He is a US approved appointee,
firmly committed to America's "War on Terrorism". His timely
appointment at the outset of Israel's military campaign in Lebanon
bears a direct relationship to the evolving Middle East war theater.
The appointment of General Buyukanit as Chief of Staff has been in the
pipeline since December 2005, when he visited Washington for
consultations with his US counterparts. At the Pentagon, General
Buyukanit met the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter
Pace, Army Commander General Francis Harvey Under Secretary of
Defense
for Policy Eric Edelman.
General Yasar Buyukanit also had discussions at the American Enterprise
Institute (AEI), a Neo-conservative think tank with close ties to the
Pentagon. AEI's military analyst Thomas Donnelly was responsible for
outlining and drafting the 2000 Neo-conservative military blueprint
entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses" published by the Project of
the New American century (PNAC).
The decision by the Turkish cabinet led by Prime Minister Erdogan, to
appoint (with some reluctance) General Buyukanit as Chief of Staff, was
ratified by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in early August at the height
of a judicial procedure, indirectly implicating General
Buyukanit, in
the alleged organization of state-sponsored death squads
targeting
Kurdish rebels in Turkey's southeastern region (The Independent, 21
April 2006).
Coinciding with General Buyukanit's appointment as Chief of Staff,
Prime Minister Erdogan's government had already formulated the contours
of Turkey's participation in "an international force for stability in
Lebanon" in anticipation of a UN Security Council resolution, which was
being prepared by France and the United States.
Under the helm of General Buyukanit, the Turkish military could come
play a more active role in the Israeli sponsored conflict. This role
would be based on the terms of the military alliance between Israel and
Turkey as well as on Israel's partnership with NATO.
If the Lebanon war were to escalate into a broader conflict involving
Syria, Turkish ground troops could be deployed under the terms of the
Israeli-Turkish military alliance. It is worth mentioning that prime
ministers Recep Erdogan and Ariel Sharon in a 2005 meeting in Tel Aviv
decided to set up a "Hotline for the exchange of intelligence" as part
of their evolving military alliance. What this suggests is that Turkey
is a potential partner in the ongoing war on Lebanon.
"Triple Alliance": US, Israel,
Turkey
Already during the Clinton Administration, a triangular military
alliance between the US, Israel and Turkey had unfolded. This "triple
alliance", which is dominated by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff,
integrates and coordinates military command decisions between the three
countries pertaining to the broader Middle East. It is based on the
close military ties respectively of Israel and Turkey with the US,
coupled with a strong bilateral military relationship between Tel Aviv
and Ankara. Amply documented, Israel and Turkey are partners in the US
planned aerial attacks on Iran, which have been in an advanced state of
readiness since mid-2005. (See Michel Chossudovsky, May 2005)
In recent developments, on July 6, barely a week before the bombing of
Lebanon, a so-called "Shared Vision" document was signed by the
US and
Turkey, which essentially confirms the "Triple Alliance". Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was in Washington with U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice for the signing ceremony.
The "Shared Vision" agreement describes the relationship between Turkey
and the United States as: "characterized by strong bonds of friendship,
alliance, mutual trust and unity of vision. We share the same set of
values and ideals in our regional and global objectives: the promotion
of peace, democracy, freedom and prosperity." more significantly, it
implies Turkey's unbending support of the US "war on terrorism".
In practice, the document requires the Ankara government to endorse
Washington's foreign policy stance with regard to Israel's right to
"self defense" . This commitment was ratified barely a week before the
onslaught of the war on Lebanon. According to Zaman (Istanbul) (July 6,
2006), the "Shared Vision" document is aimed at ensuring that:
"Turkey remains aligned with the United States and the West in
strategic and tactical terms, adding that Ankara in turn wants to be
part of the political planning processes in the Middle East rather than
a 'blind implementer' of policies determined by global players."
The document defines Turkey's strategic and military alignment in the
broader Middle East-Central Asian region as defined in Washington's
"Greater Middle East Initiative":
"[The Shared Vision agreement] will encourage democracy and stability
in Iraq, the Black Sea, Caucasus, Central Asia and Afghanistan [as well
as support] "international efforts aimed at resolving the Middle East
conflict; boosting peace and stability through democracy in the Greater
Middle East Initiative; ensuring energy security; strengthening
transatlantic relations; and enhancing understanding among religions
and cultures.( Turkish Daily, 6 July 2006)
Escalation and Military Build-up
Israel is involved in a major military operation with the full
deployment of its air force and ground forces. The target of the
Israeli-led military operation is not Hizbollah but the destruction an
entire country and the impoverishment of its population.
Israel is meeting fierce resistance not only from Hizbollah but from an
armed civilian movement. The Israeli government has issued an order to
mobilize as many as 40,000 additional reserve soldiers (Patrick Martin,
July 2006)
In contrast to the "shock and awe" March 2003 Blitzkrieg over
Iraq,
the Israelis have aimed systematically and almost exclusively civilian
targets. Moreover, Lebanon is defenseless. It does not possess an air
defense system and the Israelis know it. The number of declared targets
is staggering, even when compared, for instance, to the 300 selected
strategic targets identified in the 1991 Gulf war.
The civilian infrastructure has been destroyed: water,
telecommunications, bridges, airports, gas stations, power plants,
dairy factories, etc. Confirmed by the British press, in towns and
villages across Lebanon, schools and hospitals have been targeted with
meticulous accuracy. In an utterly twisted logic, the Israeli
government has casually blamed Hizbollah for using the schools and
hospitals as hideouts or launch pads to wage their terrorist
activities. (ABC Australia, interview with Israeli Ambassador to
Australia, Nati Tamir, 21 July 2006).
Israeli Stockpiling of WMD
Recent developments in the war theater point towards escalation both
within and beyond the borders of Lebanon. The Israeli government has
confirmed that it is in for a "long war". Patterns of weapons
stockpiling by Israel support the long war agenda. To meet
shortfalls
in current stockpiles of WMD, Israel's IDF is to take delivery of an
emergency shipment of precision guided bombs, including US made GBU-28
bunker buster bombs produced by Raytheon.
The proposed shipment is described by military observers as somewhat
"unusual". Israel already has a large stockpile of precision guided
weapons. In addition to its own stockpiles, the IDF took delivery in
2005 of some 5000 US made "smart air launched weapons" including some
500 "bunker-buster" bombs.
While the report suggests that "Israel still had a long list of targets
in Lebanon to strike", the history of these deliveries of bunker buster
bombs to Israel since 2004, suggests that they may be intended for use
in the broader Middle Eastern region, including Syria and Iran.
The Broader Middle East War
The war in Lebanon is an integral part of the US Middle East war
agenda. Over the last two years, US military documents and national
security statements point quite explicitly to Syria and Iran as
potential targets of US military aggression. Escalation in relation to
Syria is a strategic scenario, contemplated by US, Israeli and Turkish
military planners.
In their July Joint Press Conference at the White House,
President
George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair renewed, in no
uncertain
terms, their threats against Syria and Iran. These threats are now
backed by concrete military plans:
"The message is very, very simple to them. It is that, you have a
choice. Iran and Syria have a choice. And they may think that they can
avoid this choice; in fact, they can't. And when things are set in
train like what has happened in Lebanon over the past few weeks, it
only, in my view, underscores the fact they have this choice. They can
either come in and participate as proper and responsible members of the
international community, or they will face the risk of increasing
confrontation." (White House, 28 July 2006)
This and other statements point to escalation, where Lebanon is slated
to be used as a casus belli, a "just cause" for war on Syria and
possibly Iran, due to their alleged support of Hizbollah.
On the other hand, the Syrian government has intimated that if Israel
launches an all out invasion of Lebanon beyond the southern region, it
would have no choice but to intervene in the conflict:.
"Syria issued a stark warning that an Israeli invasion of Lebanon would
drag it into the spiraling Middle East conflict and called for an
immediate ceasefire.
'If Israel makes a land entry into Lebanon, they can get to within 20
km of Damascus,' Information Minister Moshen Bilal told the Spanish
newspaper ABC.
'What will we do? Stand by with our arms folded? Absolutely not.
Without any doubt Syria will intervene in the conflict.'" (AFX, 26 July
2006)
Moreover any encroachment or movement of Israeli troops inside Syrian
territory could trigger the entry of Syria into the conflict. Syrian
troops and air force are currently deployed and are "in an advanced
state of readiness".
If Syria were to be brought into the war, in all likelihood Turkey
would intervene in accordance with the terms of the Israel-Turkey
military alliance. NATO would send troops pursuant to its 2005 military
partnership agreement with Israel.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration in close liaison with Britain is
pushing for a UN Security Council Resolution on Iran's nuclear program,
which could lead in the months ahead to punitive bombings directed
against Iran.
In relation to Lebanon, Iran's president Ahmadinejad intimated at
the
very outset of the bombing campaign that Iran would intervene if Syria
is attacked:
Mr [Mahmud] Ahmadinezhad expressed grave concerns over the Zionist
military's attacks on Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. He described
the aggressions as the sign of weakness on the part the illegitimate
regime. He said despite what the Zionist officials may think, such
actions cannot save the regime.
Commenting on the recent Israeli threats against Syria, the president
said that the regime's ever increasing aggressive measures would be
interpreted as an attack on the whole of the Islamic world, adding that
it would meet with a strong response.(Voice of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, Tehran, in Persian, 14 July 2006)
As the Middle East war escalates, the Resistance movements in the
various countries will move closer together. Already a solidarity
movement in favor of Hizbollah has developed in Iraq. In Lebanon,
sectarian boundaries are breaking down between Sunni and Shiite.
Muslims and Maronite Christians are joining hands to defend their
Homeland.
The US and Israel will not be able to handle this resistance on the
ground without destroying the entire country with aerial bombardments.
If Syria is brought into the war and Turkey intervenes, the entire
Middle East will flare up. Turkey has a formidable military arsenal
(with 393,000 ground troops, 56,800 Air Force and 54,000 Navy
personnel). Yet at the same time, there is a very strong anti-Israeli
sentiment in Turkey to the extent that the Erdogan government may have
to present Turkey's role to public opinion as part of a limited
"peace-keeping" or humanitarian mandate under UN auspices.
The Anti-war Movement
The geopolitics behind the war on Lebanon must be addressed by the
Antiwar movement. We are not dealing with a limited conflict between
the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah as conveyed by the Western
media. The Lebanese war theater is part of a broader US military
agenda, which encompasses a region extending from the Eastern
Mediterranean into the heartland of Central Asia. The war on Lebanon
must be viewed as "a stage" in this broader "military road-map".
The structure of military alliances is crucial in understanding the
evolution of the US sponsored Middle East war. The war on Lebanon is
not strictly an Israeli military project, it is part of a coordinated
military endeavor by Israel's main partners and allies including the
US, Britain, Turkey, and the member states of the Atlantic
Alliance.
War Crimes
While Israel is indelibly responsible for "Crimes against Peace" as
defined in Article 6a of the Nuremberg Charter: for "the
planning,
preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, or a war in
violation of international treaties", the same Article 6a also
extends
to Israel's military partners and allies.
Israel is responsible for "War Crimes" under Article 6b of the
Nuremberg Charter .through the "plunder of public or private property,
wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not
justified by military necessity;" (Art. 6b). It is responsible for
"Crimes against Humanity" through the perpetration of acts of :
"murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane
acts committed against any civilian population, before or during the
war..." (Article 6c).
Those Western heads of State and heads of government who overtly
support Israel's air raids and illegal occupation of Lebanon, are
complicit in "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity." This pertains
specifically to those Western political leaders who, at the outset of
the war, turned down the "cease fire" proposal, which would have led to
a halt to the Israeli aerial bombardments, largely directed against the
civilian population.
The legitimacy of the main political and military actors and corporate
sponsors must be the target of a consistent anti-war movement
which
goes beyond the expression of anti-war sentiment and the holding of
large public antiwar rallies. Under the Nuremberg Charter, Article
6,
Western leaders who support and/or pay lip service to Israel's war
crimes are categorized as accomplices:
"Leaders, organizers, instigators and accomplices participating in the
formulation or execution of a common plan or conspiracy to commit any
of the foregoing crimes are responsible for all acts performed by any
persons in execution of such plan."
The latter clause also applies to the permanent members of Security
Council, who uphold Israel's right to "self defense". Article 7 of the
Nuremberg Charter stipulates that "the official position of defendants,
whether as Heads of State or responsible officials in Government
Departments, shall not be considered as freeing them from
responsibility or mitigating punishment."
There is a sense of urgency in
reversing the tide of war.
Reversing the tide of war can not be limited to a critique of the US
war agenda. What is at stake is the legitimacy of the political and
military actors and the economic power structures, which from behind
the scenes control the formulation, and direction of US foreign policy.
A war agenda is not disarmed through antiwar sentiment. One does not
reverse the tide by asking President Bush or Prime Minister Olmert:
"please abide by the Geneva Convention" and the Nuremberg Charter.
Ultimately a consistent antiwar agenda requires unseating the war
criminals in high office as a first step towards disarming the
institutions and corporate structures of the New World Order.
To break the "war on terrorism" consensus, we must also break its
propaganda apparatus, the pervasive structures of media disinformation,
the fear and intimidation campaign, which galvanize public opinion into
accepting the legitimacy of the Anglo-American military project.
This can only be effectively implemented by unseating the war criminals
from the positions of authority which they quite legitimately occupy.
It is this legitimacy of "war criminals" in high office in our
respective countries, which has to be broken.
Sanctions against Israel
Sanctions against Israel must be adopted by member countries of the
United Nations. And if they are not adopted or ratified by the relevant
government or inter-governmental authorities, then the officials
representing those authorities should be held responsible for "war
crimes" under the Nuremberg Charter. If the national legislatures of UN
member countries uphold governments which condone Israeli war crimes,
then those members of parliament must also be unseated.
A UN Security Council resolution cannot override or erase the fact that
Israel has violated international law and has committed extensive
crimes. Moreover, the veto exercised by a permanent member which might
temporarily uphold Israel's actions, including its illegal occupation
of Lebanon, has no legitimacy and cannot override the UN Charter and
the tenets of international law (Nuremberg Charter).
In other words, if appropriate sanctions against Israel are not
adopted by the UN Security Council, due the encroachment of one or more
permanent members of the Security Council, the heads of State and heads
of government of those permanent member countries of the Security
Council (e.g. US, UK, France) should be considered, under the Nuremberg
Charter, accomplices of Israeli "crimes against the peace", " war
crimes" and "crimes against humanity". (Article 6).
Similarly, the adoption of a bogus "consensus" UN Security Council
resolution brokered by the US, France and Britain, which protects the
interests of Israel and/or upholds the illegal occupation, while
calling for the disarmament of Hizbollah, does not alter the fact that
Israel has committed those crimes. Moreover, it should be clear that if
such a resolution were to be adopted, those members who voted in
favor
of the resolution would, under Article 6 of the Nuremberg Charter, be
considered accomplices of Israeli crimes. Ultimately what such as bogus
resolution signifies is the "criminalization" of the United Nations
Security Council.
But the more crucial and complex relationship to be addressed by the
antiwar movement pertains to the powers operating behind the scenes:
the Anglo-American oil giants, the so-called "defense contractors"
which produce Weapons of Mass Destruction in the real sense of the
word, the media conglomerates which fabricate the news and constitute
an instrument of war propaganda, and the powerful financial
institutions, whose interests are served in a profit driven war.
*Michel
Chossudovsky is the author of the international best seller "The
Globalization of Poverty " published in eleven languages. He is
Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa and Director of the
Center for Research on Globalization, at
www.globalresearch.ca . He
is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His most
recent
book is entitled: America’s "War on Terrorism", Global Research,
2005.
(www.globalresearch.ca, August 6, 2006)
TIHV
Chairman: "UN's Primary Duty is to Defend Peace"
In wake of ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestine and Lebanon, Human
Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV) Executive Board Chairman Yavuz Onen
sent a letter to United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan on
Wednesday calling on the Security Council to adopt an urgent and
effective resolution for the issue and to take all the measures
required.
Onen's letter stressed that "the unfolding drama experienced in the
Middle East for years plunges us into deeper despair" noting that
Israel was using disproportionate force that involved hitting "civil
targets, the main Lebanese infrastructures including medical
establishments, productive facilities, all major roads and bridges, and
irrigation plants."
In consequence, said Onen's letter "the right to live, right to
shelter, and personal security ahead, the most fundamental human rights
are being violated. A nation is being penalized altogether."
"We express our utmost concern that these attacks of Israel constitutes
a grave violation of international humanitarian law according to the
Geneva Convention and International Criminal Court and they also give
rise to permanent and unavoidable problems in the region" it said.
The letter continued saying:
"The fundamental purpose of the United Nations, as set forth in the
Charter of UN Article 1, are "to maintain international peace and
security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for
the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the
suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and
to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles
of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of
international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of
the peace". As the most important document of the UN, the 3rd article
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifies also that
"everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person". And
according to the Article 28, Everyone is entitled to a social and
international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration can be fully realized".
Despite these articles, basis of existence of the UN might fall under
suspicion due to the lack of any kind of social and international order
which terminates the shame on humanity and the failure to take
precautions to surpass the aggressiveness destroying peace.
As an institution making an effort to cease all human rights violations
for years, we believe that "the recognition of the inherent dignity and
of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family
is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world", as in
stated in the preamble of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Establishing a stable peace in the region and to preserve coming
generations against the scourge of war are urgent demands of the whole
world."
Onen's letter ended with the conclusive request for a resolution. "Dear
Secretary General", it said, "in accordance with the promises of the
UN, we call the Security Council to adopt an urgent and effective
resolution for the issue and to take all the measures." (BIA News
Center, August 9, 2006)
Turkish Intellectuals accuse Bush, Blair
and Olmert
In one of the most strongly worded condemnations of Israel's attacks on
Lebanon and Palestine coming out of Turkey, seven of the country's
leading intellectuals have united to issue a public declaration
charging the leaders of Israel, the United States and Britain of
"committing crimes against humanity".
Titled "We Accuse", the public indictment written by Perihan Magden,
Ayse Gul Altinay, Latife Tekin, Zeynep Caglayan Gambetti, Yildirim
Turker, Koray Caliskan and Taha Parla has been signed by more than
15,500 supporters in a few days.
The indictment is online at www.weaccuse.net both in Turkish and in
English and is open for new signatures until August 15th.
Stating that the USA, Britain and Israel were responsible for
"imperialist, colonialist and aggressive policies" the declaration said
its leaders had collectively committed offences ranging from mass
destruction warfare to premeditated massacre, the deliberate killing of
children and civilians.
The below is the full text of the declaration:
WE ACCUSE
"G.W. Bush, T. Blair, and E. Olmert, the chief executives of the
imperialist, colonialist, belligerent policies and actions of the
US-British-Israeli coalition, of perpetrating the composite crimes of
war of annihilation, occupation, and the premeditated mass murder of
children and civilians in Palestine and Lebanon, following their
atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq and foreboding the same in Syria and
Iran, sinking into utter barbarity in transgression of all universal
norms of human morality.
THE FOLLOWING ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE:
"All government employees and agents, advisors, civil and military
functionaries who partake in collective and individual responsibility
in these states;
"the legislative and judicial branches that have not curbed the
criminal activities of their governments as they violate basic human
rights, most significantly the right to live, and as they trample
international legal norms and commit crimes against humanity;
"universities, media, intellectuals, workers and citizens who do not
restrain and sanction their governments through domestic democratic
channels;
"United Nations and other national and international bodies that
actively or passively support, aid and abet this illegality, crude
force, and aggression -- all bear responsibility for the catastrophe
that is taking place.
WE DEMAND:
"An immediate cessation of this horror,
"the due trial, in international tribunals, as well as in the courts of
conscience and history, of, above all, Bush, Blair, and Olmert as
perpetrators of crimes against humanity, of their respective government
agents and supporters, of the chief executives and state personnel in
all countries that have been accomplices to these crimes against
humanity, and their removal from office by the lawful and democratic
initiatives of their respective citizenry.
AND WE DECLARE:
"We stand at a critical juncture in human history.
"These aggressive, colonialist, exploitative, and militarist practices
are negating the achievements of humanity, destroying the basic pillars
of international law, and thus, threatening the present and the future
of this planet.
"We refuse to submit to this brutal force and be accomplices to its
crimes.
"We refuse to give in to the (il)logic of blood-fed economies and
lethal war machines.
"We declare that we will continue to struggle for a different world."
Turkey
to purchase
30 F-16 planes from US- report
Turkey is planning to buy 30 new F-16 warplanes from the United States,
according to the US military affairs magazine Defense News.
Defense News reports that Turkish officials are currently negotiating
the purchase of the planes from the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin,
and adds that a deal is expected to be finalised during the coming
months.
Turkey is reported to be interested in buying 30 F-16s of the most
up-to-date version called the 'F-16 Block 52+', in a deal which may be
worth as much as 1.5 billion US dollars.
Last year Greece decided to buy 30 of the same type planes which are
due to be delivered by 2009. (Cihan News Agency, August 1, 2006)
Relations
régionales / Regional Relations
Des Arméniens du Liban manifestent contre la
participation turque à la Finul
Plusieurs centaines d'Arméniens ont manifesté jeudi
devant l'immeuble
des Nations unies à Beyrouth pour protester contre une
participation de
la Turquie à une Finul renforcée au sud du Liban.
Une délégation des manifestants a remis une lettre
adressée au
secrétaire général de l'Onu Kofi Annan, lui
demandant de "tenir compte
de la voix des Arméniens, qui représentent une force
active au Liban"
pour empêcher la participation de soldats turcs à la Force
intérimaire
des Nations unies au Liban (Finul).
Le gouvernement turc a annoncé lundi son intention d'envoyer des
troupes en renfort de la Finul, sans préciser le nombre de
soldats
devant être déployés.
"N'encouragez pas la conspiration", "Les atrocités turques au
Liban ne
qualifient pas la Turquie pour participer au maintien de la paix"
comptaient parmi les slogans inscrits sur les banderoles brandies par
des manifestants, faisant allusion aux heures noires de l'empire
ottoman au Liban et aux massacres des Arméniens de 1915-1917.
Le Liban abrite la plus large communauté arménienne du
monde arabe,
descendant des survivants des massacres, et qui mène une
campagne
internationale pour la reconnaissance du génocide
arménien.
La manifestation était organisée par le parti Tachnak, le
plus
important de la communauté arménienne du Liban, qui avait
déjà annoncé
dès la mi-août son "refus" d'une participation turque
à une Finul
renforcée.
Les organisateurs du rassemblement ont également
distribué une "lettre
ouverte" au gouvernement d'Ankara dans laquelle ils expliquent les
raisons de leur refus de voir les soldats turcs venir au Liban.
"Le peuple arménien au Liban, et partout dans le monde, attend
toujours
une reconnaisance du génocide de 1915, perpétré
par les autorités
ottomanes, et des excuses de la part de la Turquie", affirme la lettre.
Cette lettre note également que "les pays participant à
la force de
maintien de la paix doivent être neutres, ce qui n'est pas le cas
pour
la Turquie qui a signé un accord de coopération
sécuritaire et
militaire avec Israël". (AFP, 31 août 2006)
Deux
ressortissants turcs tués en Afghanistan,
un troisième enlevé
Deux ressortissants turcs ont été tués dans deux
incidents séparés et
un troisième a été enlevé lundi en
Afghanistan, a-t-on appris auprès de
l'ambassade de Turquie à Kaboul.
Un contremaître turc d'une entreprise de construction a
été tué et un
gardien de sécurité enlevé lundi au cours d'une
attaque à main armée
sur la route qui relie Kandahar, la principale ville du sud de
l'Afghanistan, à Herat à l'ouest, selon la mission
diplomatique turque.
"Je peux confirmer qu'un employé turc a été
tué dans une attaque
armée", a déclaré un diplomate de l'ambassade, qui
a requi l'anonymat,
soulignant qu'il s'agissait de "terrorisme".
L'ambassade a ensuite indiqué qu'un garde de
sécurité, également turc, avait été
enlevé au cours de cette même attaque.
Depuis le début de l'année, quatre ressortissants turcs
ont été tués
sur la route partant de Kandahar vers l'ouest, une importante
artère
commerciale avec l'Iran voisin.
A la suite d'un autre incident, un ingénieur turc a
été retrouvé mort à
Kaboul par la police, ont indiqué cette dernière et
l'ambassade. Il
s'agit sans doute d'un acte "criminel", selon ces sources.
De nombreuses entreprises turques sont présentes en Afghanistan
et ont
été, comme d'autres compagnies étrangères,
la cible d'attaques ou
victimes d'enlèvements depuis la chute du régime des
talibans fin 2001.
Les rebelles revendiquent parfois les enlèvements ou les
assassinats de
travailleurs étrangers. Ils ont exigé à plusieurs
reprises des
entreprises étrangères de quitter le pays sous peine de
représailles et
demandé aux Afghans de ne pas travailler pour elles. (AFP, 28
août 2006)
Zoom
sur la presse turque : La Turquie face
à la crise libanaise
Enverra ? N’enverra pas ? La question de l’envoi de troupes turques au
Liban occupe largement le devant de la scène à Ankara.
Juste avant son
départ pour Damas, dernière étape de sa
tournée proche-orientale,
Abdullah Gül, le chef de la diplomatie turque, a
déclaré que la
décision serait annoncée très prochainement. Des
officiels du ministère
des Affaires étrangères ont indiqué pour leur part
que la décision
pourrait être arrêtée d’ici à la fin de cette
semaine.
La Turquie a déjà exprimé son désir
d’envoyer des soldats au sein de la
force de maintien de la paix des Nations unies ; elle attend simplement
de connaître les détails sur le déploiement et le
mandat de cette
force, avant de donner le feu vert à ses troupes.
Dans un entretien accordé au quotidien Sabah, Abdullah Gül
estimait en
fin de semaine dernière que l’envoi de troupes turques au Liban
était
une question de prestige. « Des pays comme l’Espagne, le
Pakistan,
l’Italie et la Malaisie ont déclaré qu’ils enverraient
des troupes au
Liban, a déclaré Abdullah Gül. Si nous restons en
dehors de ce
processus, en tant qu’héritier d’un Etat qui a gouverné
cette région
pendant des siècles et qui est le pays le plus fort et le plus
stable
du Moyen-Orient, notre prestige en prendrait un sérieux coup.
Notre
présence là-bas serait une bonne décision pour
tout le monde. »
Interrogé par le journaliste Fatih Altayli à son retour
du Liban, le
chef de la diplomatie turque avait toutefois opposé un refus
catégorique à tout engagement de troupes turques dans des
opérations de
désarmement du Hezbollah.
Un refus qu’Abdullah Gül a réitéré, selon le
Turkish Daily News, juste
avant son départ pour Damas. Cette visite d’Abdullah Gül en
Syrie était
donc la dernière étape d’une tournée
proche-orientale, qui a conduit le
chef de la diplomatie turque successivement en Israël, dans les
territoires palestiniens et au Liban.
Juste avant de décider si oui ou non elle va envoyer des troupes
au
Liban, la Turquie a abattu la carte syrienne, pour afficher un certain
optimisme quant à l’avenir du processus de paix au
Proche-Orient. A son
retour de Damas, Abdullah Gül, résolument enthousiaste, a
estimé au vu
de ses entretiens avec les dirigeants syriens, selon le Turkish Daily
News, qu’il existait à présent « une grande
opportunité de réactiver le
processus de paix dans la région ».
Cette déclaration du chef de la diplomatie turque a fait
curieusement
écho au refus catégorique exprimé lundi 22
août par Ehud Olmert, le
Premier ministre israélien, de relancer les négociations
de paix avec
la Syrie, aussi longtemps que Damas « soutiendra le terrorisme
».
Notons que les derniers pourparlers de paix israélo-syriens
remontent à
janvier 2000, et qu’ils concernaient le sort du plateau du Golan, dont
Damas réclame à Tel-Aviv la restitution.
Tel-Aviv, justement, où la visite d’Abdullah Gül, dans le
cadre de sa
tournée au Proche-Orient, a donné l’occasion aux
dirigeants turcs et
israéliens d’évoquer la question de la participation de
troupes turques
au sein d’une force de maintien de la paix au Liban. «
J’espère que la
Turquie jouera un rôle important dans la force multinationale au
Sud-Liban », a déclaré Ehud Olmert à la
radio israélienne, selon
Hürriyet, à l’issue de son entrevue avec Abdullah Gül.
« La Turquie
jouit de la confiance d’Israël et peut jouer un rôle
stabilisateur dans
la région », a-t-il ajouté.
De son côté, le chef de la diplomatie turque a
demandé à Israël de
cesser de recourir à un usage disproportionné de la
force. Un Abdullah
Gül qui a profité de son passage en Israël pour avoir
une rencontre
secrète avec les familles des soldats israéliens
enlevés par le Hamas
et le Hezbollah. Selon Hürriyet, les familles des trois soldats
ont
demandé à Abdullah Gül de vérifier si les
captifs sont sains et saufs.
Le chef de la diplomatie turque leur a promis qu’il ferait son maximum.
Avant même que la décision d’Ankara ne soit officiellement
arrêtée, on
attendait avec une certaine impatience la réunion lundi 21
août du
Conseil national de sécurité de Turquie (le MGK), qui
avait inscrit la
question de l’envoi de troupes turques à son ordre du jour.
Toutefois,
dans son communiqué publié au terme de la réunion,
le MGK allait
s’abstenir de donner une indication précise sur ce que sera la
décision
d’Ankara. Il appelait plutôt à l’intensification des
efforts
diplomatiques pour la paix et la stabilité régionales, et
soulignait
l’importance d’un règlement négocié.
Dans la presse turque, les commentaires vont bon train sur cette
question de l’envoi de troupes turques au Liban. Fehmi Koru, du
quotidien progouvernemental Yeni Safak, note que le gouvernement a
exprimé sa volonté d’intégrer la force
multinationale. Dans un
parallèle avec la crise irakienne, il note que de nombreux
observateurs
regrettent à présent le refus d’Ankara, le 1er mars 2003,
d’envoyer des
troupes en Irak aux côtés des Etats-Unis. « De
nombreux partisans de
cette décision sur l’Irak soulignent aujourd’hui, à
propos du Liban,
qu’il existe une résolution des Nations unies qui devrait
renforcer
notre volonté de participer à la force multinationale.
Parmi ces gens,
écrit Fehmi Koru, l’on trouve plusieurs membres du gouvernement
qui
avaient joué un rôle déterminant dans la
décision de ne pas aider les
Etats-Unis au moment de l’invasion de l’Irak. »
« Vouloir contribuer à une force internationale
déployée au Liban peut
se comprendre du point de vue du gouvernement, qui mène une
politique
étrangère multidimensionnelle. Cependant, avant
d’arrêter la décision
finale, certains problèmes devront être abordés
», souligne Fehmi Koru.
Lequel doute que la résolution onusienne ne fasse pas mention du
désarmement du Hezbollah, contrairement à la
volonté d’Ankara, qui
souhaite éviter toute confrontation militaire avec
l’organisation
libanaise.
Dans Cumhuriyet, Ali Sirmen fait un autre parallèle – bien plus
lointain celui-là – avec les dernières années de
l’Empire ottoman. Pour
le journaliste de Cumhuriyet, les propos d’Abdullah Gül sur le
prestige
dont jouirait la Turquie en envoyant des troupes au Liban font penser
à
la Première Guerre mondiale, lorsque l’Empire ottoman «
fut entraîné
dans le conflit aux côtés de l’Allemagne pour regagner une
partie de
son prestige », avec le « résultat catastrophique
» que l’on sait.
Qu’arrivera-t-il si des soldats turcs sont enrôlés au sein
de la Force
des Nations unies pour le Liban ? Comment réagira le peuple
libanais ?
Deux questions que pose Ertughrul Özkök dans Hürriyet.
Pour le
chroniqueur turc, la réponse la plus significative à
cette double
interrogation est venue durant le dîner organisé par le
Premier
ministre libanais Fouad Siniora, à Beyrouth, à l’occasion
de la visite
du chef de la diplomatie turque Abdullah Gül.
A ce dîner, précise le journaliste de Hürriyet, le
chef du gouvernement
libanais avait convié les ministres des Affaires
étrangères de Turquie,
de France, du Pakistan et de Malaisie, ainsi que neuf ministres de son
cabinet. Au centre des entretiens : la force de maintien de la paix
à
envoyer au Liban. Fouad Siniora a souligné à cette
occasion que la
présence de soldats turcs au sein de cette force était
une nécessité.
Et lorsque Abdullah Gül a demandé à Fouad Siniora
comment le peuple
libanais réagirait à la présence de soldats turcs
sur son sol, le chef
du gouvernement libanais a fait la réponse suivante, selon
Hürriyet : «
Même le ministre arménien de notre cabinet veut la venue
des soldats
turcs ! ». Une réponse qui a causé la surprise du
ministre français des
Affaires étrangères, Philippe Douste-Blazy, toujours
selon Ertughrul
Özkök.
Lequel poursuit : « Mais avant que l’effet de surprise ne soit
passé,
Siniora a sorti un autre coup de son chapeau, en appelant le ministre
arménien de son cabinet à la table où était
assis Abdullah Gül. Prenant
le ministre arménien par le bras, Siniora lui demanda : “ Vous
voulez
également la venue des soldats turcs, non ? ”. Et le ministre
arménien
répondit par l’affirmative. Bien entendu, cela surprit les
représentants turcs présents dans le salon, et
particulièrement dans la
mesure où le matin même, le parti arménien dachnak
avait publié une
déclaration dans laquelle il se disait opposé à
l’arrivée de soldats
turcs au sein d’une éventuelle force de maintien de la paix.
»
« Il est clair que le ministre arménien et le Parti
Dachnak étaient en
désaccord, affirme le chroniqueur de Hürriyet. Il est
impossible de
savoir si le ministre arménien a fait une réponse
dictée par la
politesse, ou s’il s’est exprimé en toute
honnêteté. Simplement, il est
intéressant de noter, a ajouté Ertughrul Özkök,
qu’Abdullah Gül a
déclaré aux journalistes qui ont entendu cet
échange de vues que les
autorités d’Ankara “ ne prennent pas au sérieux ” les
informations
selon lesquelles le lobby arménien des Etats-Unis tenterait
d’empêcher
la venue de soldats turcs au Liban. »
Les éditorialistes et chroniqueurs de la presse turque
s’attardent bien
entendu longuement sur cette nouvelle guerre du Liban, et en
particulier sur l’attitude d’Israël. Dans Milliyet, Taha Akyol se
demande qui est sorti vainqueur, d’Israël ou du Hezbollah, d’un
mois de
confrontation militaire. Pour Taha Akyol, « Israël n’a pu
totalement
atteindre ses objectifs militaires, pendant que le Hezbollah a
montré
de façon convaincante qu’il n’avait aucunement l’intention de
céder ».
Et si aucune des deux parties n’a gagné la guerre, il n’en
demeure pas
moins, pour Taha Akyol, que le Hezbollah « a acquis un avantage
».
Akyol fustige « les régimes conservateurs sunnites du
Golfe et de
Jordanie, qui se sont davantage préoccupés depuis
l’intervention
militaire américaine en Irak, en 2003, de la croissance d’un arc
chiite
que du conflit israélo-palestinien ». Pour le chroniqueur
de Milliyet,
critiquer la politique militariste de l’Etat d’Israël ne
relève pas de
l’antisémitisme. « Le fait que les Juifs aient
été persécutés ne donne
pas le droit à Israël d’être cruel aujourd’hui
», écrit Taha Akyol.
Hakan Albayrak va plus loin dans le quotidien conservateur Milli
Gazete, proche de l’ancien leader islamiste Necmettin Erbakan, interdit
d’activité politique pour propagande islamiste. Evoquant une
possible
coopération militaire entre la Turquie et le Hezbollah, le
journaliste
écrit à propos du cabinet Erdogan que « le
même gouvernement qui permet
à des pilotes israéliens de s’entraîner dans
l’espace aérien turc tente
de se donner bonne conscience en envoyant de l’aide humanitaire au
Liban ». Selon Hakan Albayrak, « le gouvernement – au sein
duquel de
nombreux députés de l’AKP étaient membres du
groupe d’amitié
Turquie-Israël au Parlement turc – devrait avoir honte’ d’avoir
joué un
rôle indirect dans les récentes atrocités commises
par Israël au Liban
». Notant que ces mêmes députés ont
quitté le groupe d’amitié après
l’attaque israélienne sur Cana, durant laquelle de nombreux
enfants ont
été massacrés, le journaliste invite les membres
de l’AKP à former un
groupe d’inimitié à l’égard d’Israël. Selon
lui, les membres de l’AKP
devraient tenter d’user de leur influence auprès du Premier
ministre et
du ministre des Affaires étrangères afin que ceux-ci se
dressent contre
Israël. Pour Hakan Albayrak, le gouvernement turc « devrait
renforcer
ses relations avec les combattants de la liberté de Palestine et
du
Liban, ainsi qu’avec l’Iran, l’Algérie, le Venezuela et la Syrie
».
Toujours dans la mouvance islamiste, le journal Vakit tente de mettre
à
jour l’ambiguïté – pour ne pas dire la duplicité –
de la politique
turque entre Israël d’un côté et les Palestiniens de
l’autre. Dans un
article intitulé “Ils nous ont trompés”, Vakit rapporte
qu’un groupe de
diplomates turcs a pris part récemment, à Tel-Aviv,
à une “nuit de
solidarité” avec Israël. Selon le journal, le porte-parole
du ministère
des Affaires étrangères, Namik Tan, a admis que les
diplomates turcs
qui ont assisté à l’événement ont
été abusés, croyant que l’argent
récolté serait utilisé au profit
d’étudiants juifs de Turquie. On ne
s’étonnera guère, du coup, de voir le même journal
Vakit fustiger, dans
un autre papier titré “Scandale diplomatique”, certains
officiels du
ministère des Affaires étrangères,
critiqués « pour avoir assisté à
Tel-Aviv à une “nuit de solidarité” avec les soldats
israéliens,
pendant qu’en Turquie on collecte activement des fonds pour les
Palestiniens. »
Tout autre son de cloche, en revanche, dans un papier du Turkish Daily
News signé Cüneyt Ülsever. Lequel déplore
qu’une grande partie des
journalistes et intellectuels de Turquie n’appréhendent la
guerre du
Liban que du seul point de vue de l’alliance entre Washington et
Tel-Aviv. Pour le chroniqueur, « les intellectuels turcs
analysent
correctement pour la plupart la politique impérialiste des
Etats-Unis
et d’Israël, mais ils ne font pas de même avec la partie
adverse. (…)
Résultat : on pourrait croire qu’une partie attaque l’autre sans
véritable raison. L’une des deux parties apparaît
totalement innocente,
pendant que l’autre prend le visage de l’agresseur ».
Pour Cüneyt Ülsever, les intellectuels commettent deux
erreurs. La
première tient au fait que la nouvelle politique
américaine au
Moyen-Orient est analysée dans le détail, tandis que
celle de l’Iran
est ignorée. Le chroniqueur reproche aux intellectuels turcs de
ne pas
pouvoir se projeter sur les vingt années qui viennent. «
Ils n’ont
aucune idée de la manière dont la Turquie sera
affectée lorsque l’axe
Chine-Inde-Russie deviendra un bloc économique plus puissant que
les
Etats-Unis et l’Union européenne. Ils ne peuvent pas voir
à quel point
les efforts déployés par l’Iran pour devenir
l’étoile montante de ce
nouvel axe et redessiner le Moyen-Orient porteront atteinte aux
intérêts de la Turquie. »
Deuxième erreur : le fait que certains dépeignent le
Hezbollah comme un
groupe non terroriste. Argument invoqué : le Hezbollah pratique
le
terrorisme pour atteindre des objectifs sans rapport avec le
terrorisme. Cüneyt Ülsever y voit une confusion entre
terrorisme et
anarchie. « Dans l’histoire, écrit-il, seuls les
anarchistes ont
utilisé la violence, sans autre objectif que de renverser le
système.
Tous les groupes terroristes, comme l’Armée Républicaine
Irlandaise
(l’IRA), le Parti des Travailleurs du Kurdistan (le PKK), le Hamas, le
Hezbollah, Al-Qaida et les Brigades Rouges, ont ou ont eu des cibles et
des objectifs clairs. Pour eux, le terrorisme est ou était une
tactique
utilisée contre les nations dotées d’armées
puissantes, car ils ne
disposaient pas d’autre moyen de résistance. Ces groupes ont
recouru ou
recourent à la violence contre les civils et ont utilisé
ou utilisent
des gens innocents’ comme bouclier humain contre les militaires pour se
défendre. Les Etats et les groupes qui se cachent
derrière des civils
dans leur lutte armée font du terrorisme. A cet égard, le
Hezbollah est
loin d’être innocent », conclut le chroniqueur turc.
Autant de sujets qui seront sans doute abordés, le 6 septembre
prochain, par les dirigeants turcs et Kofi Annan. Le secrétaire
général
des Nations unies se rendra en effet en Turquie, à cette date,
dans le
cadre d’une tournée dans plusieurs pays de la région,
pour discuter du
déploiement de la force de paix au Liban. (Gamk Online, Varoujan
Mardikian, 26 août 2006)
Turkish president opposed to country's troops in Lebanon
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Friday he is opposed to
his country contributing troops to the enlarged UN force in Lebanon,
television channels reported.
Sezer said he disagreed of the proposed rules of engagement for the
UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) force and that he
preferred Turkey to make a humanitarian contribution, NTV and CNN-Turk
reported.
Turkey has its own security problems in its fight against separatist
Kurdish rebel group PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), making an overseas
deployment untimely, the president said at a military ceremony in
Ankara.
"We do not have to protect the national interests of other
countries.
At a time when we have our own problems, it is not our duty to resolve
the problems of other countries," said Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Turkish
President, today.
General Yasar Buyukanit, who was appointed as Chief of General Staff,
has handed over the missions of Land Forces Commander to General Ilker
Basbug, in a ceremony on Friday.
Sezer talked with journalists after the military ceremony.
In reference to questions on Lebanon, Sezer stressed that "some circles
want to portray that if Turkey does not send troops to Lebanon, it is a
weak country. We are a strong country even if we do not send troops to
Lebanon."
When reminded about the risks Turkish troops may face in Lebanon, Sezer
pointed out that the duty of a peacekeeping force in Lebanon has not
been clarified yet. "Turkey expressed a desire to contribute soldiers
without a proper United Nations resolution," told Sezer.
In reference to rumors that the United States will appoint a new
coordinator to deal with terrorist PKK, Sezer replied that "the concept
is accurate. We must adjust the content of such an office." Sezer
underlined that no country in the world is helping Turkey in its fight
against PKK.
In response to a question on the possible invitation that may be
extended to the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani from Turkey, Sezer
expressed that he "thinks that the atmosphere of confidence has not
been established yet. I do not find proper, invitations extended to
Talabani to visit Turkey, on my behalf."
Meanwhile, General Buyukanit told reporters that the Turkish
politicians have not made a decision on the possible deployment of
Turkish troops in Lebanon. "We are discussing related topics in various
governmental organs. Turkey's national interests are crucial," told
Buyukanit. (turkishpress.com, August 25, 2006)
La Turquie et son armée tiraillées entre le nord de
l’Irak et le Liban
Ankara n'a toujours pas donné son feu vert à l'envoi de
militaires
turcs pour renflouer la Force intérimaire des Nations Uunies au
Liban
(Finul). Abdullah Gül, le ministre des affaires
étrangères, a effectué
ces derniers jours une tournée des capitales du Proche-Orient,
se
rendant à Beyrouth, Jérusalem et Damas pour
évoquer la participation de
son pays à la Finul et réserve sa réponse.
La
Turquie qui pourrait
fournir un millier d'hommes est extrêmement prudente, mais
pourrait
clarifier sa position la semaine prochaine lors de la visite que le
secrétaire général de l'ONU, Kofi Annan, doit
faire à Ankara. La guerre
au Liban et les bombardements de Tsahal touchant les civils ont
suscité
un fort ressentiment anti-israélien et anti-américain au
sein de
l'opinion publique turque. Le gouvernement AKP, islamo-conservateur, se
dit donc prêt à participer à une opération
de maintien de la paix mais
ne veut surtout pas se risquer à engager des hommes dans une
mission de
désarmement du Hezbollah. Mais même si toutes les
conditions sont
réunies, l'engagement de soldats suscite une forte
polémique dans le
pays.
«C'est une évidence, les troupes turques doivent
stationner dans les
monts Kandil (n.d.l.r.: en Irak) et pas dans le Sud du Liban», a
ainsi
martelé mardi Devlet Bahceli, le président du MHP, le
parti d'extrême
droite. Ces déclarations belliqueuses correspondent à
l'opinion des
nationalistes et d'une frange de l'armée, partisans d'une
intervention
militaire dans le Nord de l'Irak. Des combattants du PKK, organisation
kurde qui s'opposa à l'armée turque au
cours d'une guerre
civile qui fit 37 000 morts dans les années 80-90, sont en effet
retranchés dans les montagnes du Kurdistan irakien. De cette
base
arrière, ils s'infiltrent sur le territoire turc.
Les heurts
avec
l'armée dans le sud-est du pays, à majorité kurde,
sont quasi
quotidiens. Plus de 20 soldats ont trouvé la mort au cours
d'embuscades
ou attentats menés par les rebelles depuis début juillet.
L'état-major
turc a massé des milliers de soldats le long de la
frontière avec
l'Irak et a envoyé des tanks en renfort. Ces derniers jours, des
positions du PKK, en Irak, auraient été pilonnées
par l'artillerie
turque, selon une agence de presse kurde.
Pour les experts, ces mouvements de troupes massifs visent plus
à
donner des gages à une opinion publique chauffée à
blanc et à mettre la
pression sur les Etats-Unis qu'à préparer une invasion de
grande
ampleur. Ankara réclame en vain que son allié
américain agisse dans les
montagnes irakiennes. En juillet, la tension entre les deux pays
était
à son comble. Le Premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a
dénoncé le
deux poids deux mesures de Washington dans la région, qui d'un
côté
laisse Israël agir en toute liberté au Liban et de l'autre
interdit à
la Turquie d'intervenir en Irak.
Plus récemment, le chef de la
diplomatie Abdullah Gül a répété que la
Turquie se chargerait toute
seule d'éliminer les "terroristes" retranchés dans leurs
repaires
irakiens, si la coopération inter-Etat ne menait à aucun
résultat
tangible. Mais l'administration Bush n'a aucune envie que le Kurdistan
irakien, unique territoire qui échappe au chaos
généralisé dans le
pays, soit déstabilisé, et encore moins de contrarier les
Kurdes, ses
plus fidèles partenaires en Irak. (24heures.ch, Laure
Marchand, 24
août 2006)
MGK
discussed Turkey's contribution to a
peacekeeping force in Lebanon
Turkey clarified its possible contribution to a peacekeeping force in
Lebanon yesterday, putting particular emphasis on less risky areas,
including logistics, military engineering and humanitarian assistance,
diplomats told The New Anatolian.
Turkish military and government leaders discussed Turkey's possible
contribution to the peacekeeping force in Lebanon in detail, at
yesterday's meeting of the National Security Council (MGK).
In its brief written statement following the meeting, the MGK did not
announce a decision on Turkey's contribution, but praised and expressed
support for UN Security Council's Resolution 1701. The statement issued
after the five-hour-long meeting underlined the importance of
implementation of the elements of the resolution and stressed the need
for "revival of diplomatic efforts in the Middle East" and encouraging
the peace process. The MGK also pledged the continuation of
humanitarian assistance to both Lebanon and Palestine.
The Turkish government earlier expressed willingness to send troops to
the UN
peacekeeping force but then said it was waiting for details on the
force's deployment and mandate before committing troops.
The particular concern for Ankara was the ambiguous elements of the UN
mandate, such as lack of clarity in the guidelines of the peacekeeping
mission on when and in which conditions to use force.
However, Turkish diplomats told TNA yesterday that following talks with
the UN, global actors and parties involved in the conflict, the
conditions were now more clear for Ankara. "Disarming Hezbollah is not
a part of international force's mission. And Turkey also made it clear
that if it contributes to this force, it will not be for such a goal,"
said a Turkish official. "What is mentioned in UN Resolution 1701 and
the rules of engagement paper as 'use of force when necessary' refers
to particular events that can be seen in all peacekeeping operations,"
the official added.
According to Foreign Ministry sources, Turkey has also clarified, to a
large extent, its possible contribution to the peacekeeping force in
Lebanon, putting particular emphasis on the areas of logistics,
military engineering and humanitarian assistance.
For diplomats, the experiences of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in
peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and the Balkans shows its
particular success in these fields, and Ankara is preparing a
contribution to UN essentially within this framework. But Turkey still
wants to wait for the outcome of talks in the UN, the commitment of
other countries and also to get the views of regional countries.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will make a key visit to Damascus today,
following his weekend visit to Israel, and will meet his Syrian
counterpart Waleed Al Muallem and President Bashar Assad.
Gul is expected to underline that Turkey's possible contribution to the
UN force in Lebanon will be for "peace" in the region and that Syria's
"positive" use of its influence over Hezbollah is extremely important
for that goal to be attained, which is in the interest of all.
Diplomats told TNA yesterday that Turkey is expected to make its final
decision on sending troops to Lebanon before this weekend. According to
diplomats, if there is a need, Gul may also visit Tehran in the coming
days. (The New Anatolian, 22 August 2006)
Thousands Protested Against Troops to Lebanon
Several NGO's organized a rally to protest against the government's
plans to send troops to Lebanon. Despite the hot weather, about ten
thousand protesters marched yesterday in Kadikoy.
Groups of demonstrators shouted against the United States, Israeli and
Turkish governments' policies in the Middle East, condemning them as
imperialist and capitalist.
Yunus Ozturk of the organization committee said that Israel had
violated the ceasefire on Saturday.
He remarked that "the US and the imperialist states in Europe don't
care about the dead civilians in Lebanon; they're merely the
representatives of global monopolies, trying to secure their interests
in the region".
Ozturk assereted that the UN's apathy during the crises proved that
it's no longer an independent, objective body.
He insisted that the UN peace keeping force to be deployed on the
border between Israel and Lebanon is an occupying force and Turkey
should not be involved in it.
"The Israeli offensive in Lebanon and Palestine are all part of the US'
Great Middle East Project" said Mehmet Soganci of the Union of Chambers
of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB).
"Now is the time for another world where world's peoples can stand side
by side against the global war of the global capital" he added.
Ismail Hakki Tombul of the Federation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK)
noted that this is one of the bloodiest periods in history.
He warned that Turkey would be dragged in to the mud by sending troops
to Lebanon: "We don't want to be a part in this unjustifiable war".
More than 30 groups, NGO's and political parties gave support to the
demonstration. (BIA, Kemal OZMEN, August 21, 2006)
Neuf
combattants kurdes arrêtés et trois autres
blessés en Iran
Cinq combattants kurdes iraniens du Parti démocrate du Kurdistan
d'Iran (PDKI) et quatre combattants du Parti des travailleurs du
Kurdistan (PKK) de Turquie ont été arrêtés,
et trois autres blessés lors d'un affrontement, a
rapporté lundi le quotidien Kayhan.
"Cinq membres du parti démocrate du Kurdistan, dissout, ont
été arrêtés dans la région de
Miandoab (Azerbaïdjan occidental)", a déclaré le
colonel Hossein Rashidi, un des responsables des forces de l'ordre de
l'Azerbaïdjan occidental, une province du nord-ouest de l'Iran.
Il a déclaré par ailleurs que "quatre membres du PKK,
dont une femme, ont été arrêtés dans la
région de Salmas (Azerbaïdjan occidental) et remis aux
autorités judiciaires". Il a ajouté que "des armes et des
documents ont été saisis".
Selon le même responsable, "trois membres du PKK ont
été la cible des forces armées après la
mort d'un policier et d'un membre des gardiens de la révolution
par des mines posées dans la région".
Le colonel Rashidi n'a pas précisé quand ces
différents incidents ont eu lieu.
La province du Kurdistan (ouest) est depuis un an le
théâtre d'affrontements armés entre les soldats
iraniens et des militants du Pejak, un groupe indépendantiste
kurde iranien proche du PKK, qui s'infiltrent en Iran depuis le
Kurdistan irakien et la Turquie. (AFP, 21 août 2006)
Palestinian protests
against Turkish FM Gul for relations with Israel
A Palestinian protested against Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
on Sunday during his visit to Al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem. Minister
Gul, who has been paying a visit to Israel and Palestine on Sunday,
paid a visit to Al Aqsa Mosque for noon prayers.
During visit, a Palestinian approached to Turkish Prime Minister Gul
and protested against the Turkish relations with Israel. The protestor
called on Turkish Foreign Minister to cut the diplomatic ties with
Israel, saying that Holy Quran banned the relations with Jews. "We do
not need relations with the Israelis."
The Palestinian said that Turks, which governed the region in the past,
should take the control of the Jerusalem back from Israelis.
Gul's guards drove the protestor away from the scene.
Israeli Defense Minister asks for
Turkish troop deployment in Lebanon
Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told reporters before his meeting
with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul that Turkey should send its
peacekeeping troops to the south of Lebanon.
Israeli and Turkish Ministers came together in Jerusalem on Monday.
Israeli Defense Minister Peretz said that he would ask the Turkish
Foreign Minister to send their troops to region. "The implementation of
resolution number 1701 was very important."
As part of his talks in Israel, Foreign Minister Gul will come together
with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipni Livni and Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert.
Although Turkish government has inclination to send the troops to the
region, Turkey has not yet taken any decision on the issue of Turkish
troop deployment in the south of Lebanon. (Cihan News Agency, August
20, 2006)
La
fédération arménienne contre
la présence militaire turque au Liban
La Fédération Euro-Arménienne salue avec
soulagement le cessez-le-feu
qui a mis un terme aux bombardements israéliens et à la
souffrance des
populations au Liban ". Elle soutient également les efforts
actuels de
la Communauté Internationale visant à la normalisation de
la situation
régionale sous l’égide des Nations Unies.
Cependant, la Fédération Euro-Arménienne exprime
son inquiétude la plus
vive au sujet d’une possible participation de troupes turques en tant
que « force de maintien de la paix » dans cette
région sensible.
« Nous rappelons que la Turquie est l’ancienne puissance
coloniale du
Proche-Orient et qu’elle affiche toujours d’indéniables
visées
territoriales vis-à-vis des pays arabes. Les forfaits de la
Turquie en
terme de génocide, massacres et tortures et les souffrances
qu’ils ont
engendrés sont inscrits de manière
indélébile dans la mémoire
collective des Libanais. Par ailleurs, les exactions actuelles de la
Turquie envers ses propres minorités, y compris sa
minorité arabe, sont
une réalité attestée de la région. »
a déclaré Hilda Tchoboian, la
présidente de la Fédération Euro-Arménienne.
« La présence de troupes turques au sein d’une force
internationale
serait une grave erreur aux conséquences désastreuses
pour les
opérations de maintien de la paix. La Turquie n’est pas un
facteur de
paix. Des forces turques ne feraient qu’aggraver la délicate
situation
actuelle au Sud Liban en mêlant à une conjoncture
déjà complexe
l’agenda et les objectifs propres de la Turquie. Après tant de
souffrance, le peuple libanais mérite mieux » a
ajouté Hilda Tchoboian.
La Fédération Euro-Arménienne souligne
également que des bataillons
turcs seraient particulièrement inefficaces et inadaptés
en raison du
conflit fondamental entre d’une part leur responsabilité qui
consisterait à maintenir la paix de manière
crédible et responsable et
d’autre part les intérêts nationaux supérieurs de
la Turquie
fondamentalement liés à son alliance militaire et
stratégique avec
Israël.
Elle invite en conséquence la Communauté Internationale
à effectuer un
choix plus approprié pour la constitution du corps de maintien
de la
paix de l’ONU. (contact@eafjd.org, 19 août 2006)
La Turquie a
fouillé des avions iraniens se rendant en
Syrie
La Turquie a récemment forcé deux avions cargo de la
compagnie aérienne iranienne se rendant en Syrie à se
poser dans le Sud-Est du pays pour rechercher d'éventuels
équipements militaires, dont des roquettes, a
déclaré jeudi le ministère turc des Affaires
étrangères.
Le journal à gros tirage Hürriyet a rapporté que ces
appareils avaient été invités à atterrir
à l'aérodrome de Diyarbakir, respectivement le 27 juillet
et le 8 août.
Aucune arme n'a été retrouvée, selon le journal.
Le porte-parole du ministère des Affaires
étrangères Namik Tan a confirmé lors d'un point de
presse hebdomadaire que son pays avait bien procédé
à une fouille de ces avions, mais a tenu à souligner que
cela s'était réalisé "conformément aux
règles du droit international".
"Il s'agit d'une activité de routine", a-t-il dit, ajoutant que
l'incident n'avait provoqué aucune friction diplomatique avec
l'Iran voisin.
Israël, un allié de la Turquie musulmane, mais laïque,
dans la région, accuse régulièrement l'Iran et la
Syrie de soutenir le Hezbollah au Liban et de lui fournir des armes.
Les Etats-Unis de leur côté ont multiplié ces
dernières semaines les accusations quant au rôle de Damas
et de Téhéran, leurs deux bêtes noires au
Proche-Orient, dans les tensions actuelles. (AFP, 17 août 2006)
Les
Arméniens du Liban contre une participation
turque à la Finul
Le parti Tachnak, le plus populaire parmi la communauté
arménienne du
Liban, a annoncé mercredi son "refus" d'une par
