INFO-TURK N°343

Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights

Human Rights Defenders and Journalists on Trial

A court case was launched according to the Article 301/2 TPC against the representatives of several NGOs and one journalist who prepared a report in connection with the the killing of Mizgin Özbek (9) and HPG militants Seyhmus Degirmenci and Halis Akbiyik when gendarmerie soldiers opened fire against a vehicle on 5 September 2005 on the road between Kozluk and Batman.

The case would commence on 18 March and lawyers from Batman Bar Association Bengi Yildiz and Ahmet Sevim, Chairwoman of HRA Batman branch Saadet Becerikli and Mazlum-Der Batman branch Chairman Mehmet Sat, Batman Bar Association Chairman Lawyer Sedat Özevin and Mustafa Seven, editor-in-chief of local paper Batman Petrol, would be on trial in this case.

The case was launched upon official complaint by Batman Gendarmerie HQ. According to the complaint the defendants allegedly insulted security forces and also tried to affect judiciary.

Another investigation was reportedly started in connection with the report against Nedim Arslan, owner of local paper Batman Çagdas, chief editor of the paper Arif Aslan and Kemal Çelik, owner of local paper Batman Postasi.

Public Prosecutor in Diyarbakir launched a court case against Vedat Kursun, owner of the daily Azadiya Welat, in connection with the photos and news appeared on the paper on 13, 14, 17, 19 March.

Vedat Kursun testified on 26 March to the Public Prosecutor with in the investigation. He was sent to the court afterwards and the court released him to be tried without remand.

The indictment wants Kursun to be sentenced for "inciting to crime in accordance with the activities of PKK", "praising crime and criminals", and "making propaganda of an illegal organisation".

Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No 5 recently closed the paper Azadiya Welat for 20 days starting from 22 March for those news and photos. The decision was taken for "inciting to crime in accordance with the activities of PKK", "praising crime and criminals", and "making propaganda of an illegal organisation". (TIHV, March 29, 2007)

Police Walk Free on Illegal Eavesdropping

Turkish justice system failed to finalize a case where telephones of state institutions ranging from the presidency to the National Assembly hundreds of institutions were bugged and eavesdropped illegally by the Ankara Police Department.

The case dropped on prescription after six years.

38 accused officers walked free following the recent ruling by Kırıkkale 2nd Court of First Instance.

Between 1998 and 1999, Ankara chief of police at the time Cevdet Saral and his deputies and 34 police officers have been accused of concocting an unknown, illegal surveillance room at the department's headquarters.

They followed numerous phone conversations without court orders.

Inspectors deepened the investigation and revealed that 963 people had been monitored illegally between May 1998 and May 1999.

Among them were high rank officials, workers' unions, the parliament, government officials as well as other political party administrators.

A case was filed by the public prosecutor's office following the investigation but only one deputy were condemned to a deferred six months imprisonment.

Others escaped penalties on allegations of misconduct. One of the eavesdropped, Evrensel daily journalist Sultan Özer filed a complaint against the Ministry of Interior and won. As she tried to recourse the decision to other suspects, the court dropped the file on prescription. (BIA News Center, March 30, 2007)

Threatening e-mail from TIT: Baydemir, Tekçe and Tunç are next

It has been revealed that Turkish Revenge Squads (TIT) who has a reputation of political murders sent an e-mail to the Security department claiming “We killed Hrant Dink. Now Osman Baydemir, Metin Tekçe and Ferhat Tunç are next. Protect them if you can”.

It reported that the e-mail was sent on 24 January 2007 soon after Hrant Dink was murdered and signed as “TIT Tunceli Disrict Commandership”.

Security units found out that the e-mail was sent from an internet shop in Izmir’s Foça district.

Two security officers from Beyoğlu Security Centre visited musician Ferhat Tunç in his office on 22 March 2007 informing him about the e-mail. Officers told Tunç to be very careful as he travelled between his home and office and inform them about suspicious people. Security centre said they warned him on the order of the prosecution office and they would take some measures too.

Ferhat Tunç who has long received threats said there was a notable increase in the number of hate e-mails since Dink murder. Tunç said police would patrol his street and he did not demand any extra protection. (antenna-tr.org, March 24, 2007)

Quatre policiers condamnés à la prison pour un décès en garde à vue

Un tribunal d'Ankara a condamné vendredi quatre policiers à près de neuf ans de prison pour avoir torturé à mort 16 ans plus tôt un jeune militant gauchiste au cours de sa garde à vue, mais n'a pas demandé leur incarcération, a rapporté l'agence de presse Anatolie.

Les quatre hommes ont été reconnus coupables de "coups et blessures ayant entraîné la mort sans intention de la donner", un crime auquel le juge a ajouté la circonstance aggravante de "torture" avant de tenir compte de leur bonne conduite pour prononcer une peine de huit ans, 10 mois et 20 jours de prison.

Il a cependant décidé de ne pas appliquer immédiatement la peine, ordonnant simplement aux quatre hommes de ne pas quitter le pays.

Les faits remontent au 15 janvier 1991, avec le décès en garde-à-vue de Birtan Altinbas, étudiant à l'université ankariote de Hacettepe, arrêté pour appartenance supposée à une organisation clandestine d'extrême-gauche.

Ont suivis seize années de démélés juridiques -les autorités administratives refusant dans un premier temps de déférer les fonctionnaires devant la justice- transformant l'affaire en un test de la volonté d'Ankara de réprimer les violences policières et d'établir l'état de droit.

Les quatre hommes, qui n'ont à aucun moment été placés en détention provisoire et ont toujours plaidé leur innocence, avaient été condamnés lors d'un premier procès à quatre ans et demi de prison, un jugement cassé en appel.

Un cinquième prévenu est mort en cours de procédure et un sixième a été acquitté. (AFP, 23 mars 2007)

Poster of Teachers Union was Banned for “Reminding States System“

Posters of Teachers Union Eğitim Sen announcing the demonstration on 1 April have been confiscated in Bursa’s Mudanya district. Borough Education Director ordered the confiscation: “Graphics on the poster reminds Kenan Evren’s suggestion to divide Turkey administratively into 7 states”.

The demonstration over pay and conditions are to be held in 8 cities. The posters show a map of Turkey with the emblems of the union on 8 spots where demos would take place. (antenna-tr.org, March 24, 2007)

IHD Chairman: "Law Against Racial Discrimination Needed"

"Turkey is reluctant to ratify and adopt international legislation against racial discrimination" says Human Rights Association chair Yusuf Alatas. "Together with legislative changes, government needs to work to eliminate various forms of discrimination"

Talking to bianet for the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Turkey's Human Rights Association (IHD) chair Yusuf Alataş reminded that Turkey lacks rudimentary legislation on the subject.

"To eliminate and foreclose all practices of discrimination, first you need a legislation that gives a general definition of the act of discrimination, defines the rights of those discriminated against and pointing out the sanctions to be exerced upon the perpetrators".

Nonetheless, discrimination wouldn't be eliminated totally with legislative precautions. "More important is the functioning of the society and practices related to that which needs to be changed" says Alatas as he lists the basic steps to follow:

* All discriminatory phrases and definitions in current legislation shall be removed.

* A basic education against discrimination in the society should be formulated. Most people don't know what it means and how it develops.

* Schoolbooks should be cleared from discriminatory phrases. Media should avoid generalizing such a language.

"Government must comply with international law"

One of the invisible faces of discrimination is practiced concerning the right to access social rights. For example, Roma people often face discrimination in education, in work life and access to public services.

Noting the examples of "hate speech" on the Internet towards Kurds, non-muslims or other minorities in Turkey, Alatas says a serious change in public consciousness is needed.

Recently, racist discriminatory expressions have became common on forum and newspaper sites especially following the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

In conclusion, Alatas urges the government to ratify the 12th Optional Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which reinstates a bar against discrimination.

Although Turkey signed the protocol on 2001, the National Assembly is yet to ratify the text.

Furthermore, Turkey has ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination -which dates back to 1965- only in 2002. (BIA News Center, Tolga KORKUT, March 22, 2007)

La violence dans les stades turcs souvent politisée

Comme dans la plupart des grands pays de football, la violence est enracinée dans les stades turcs. Mais elle a récemment pris une tournure plus politique, et les slogans racistes et les bannières ultranationalistes ont fleuri dans les tribunes. Une semaine après le meurtre, le 19 janvier, du journaliste d'origine arménienne Hrant Dink, et le slogan "Nous sommes tous arméniens" lancé à ses funérailles, des milliers de supporteurs nationalistes ont brandi à Trabzon, la ville du meurtrier présumé située sur la mer Noire, des banderoles "Nous sommes tous turcs, nous sommes tous Mustafa Kemal".

La semaine suivante, au stade d'Afyon (centre), des spectateurs dans un virage criaient "Nous sommes tous des Ogün Samast", le nom du jeune tueur présumé. Ailleurs on reprenait en le modifiant un chant classique du football "Qui ne saute pas est arménien".

La Fédération turque de football a été priée de faire le ménage par le ministre d'Etat chargé des sports, Mehmet Ali Sahin, pour lequel "ces affiches et ces slogans sont contraires à l'esprit du sport". Elle a infligé une lourde amende (environ 19 500 euros) au club de Trabzon pour les banderoles racistes. Désormais, la fédération promet de punir sévèrement toute "insulte à caractère xénophobe à l'encontre des Arméniens, des Kurdes, des Tziganes et des Turcs".

Mais dans les stades du pays, la revendication de positions politiques, nationalistes ou non, est devenue très courante. Certains groupes de supporteurs, tels que le Çarsi de Besiktas, en ont fait une spécialité. Réputés à gauche, tendance anarchiste, les ultras de l'équipe dirigée par Jean Tigana manifestent à chaque rencontre contre la guerre en Irak ou pour l'augmentation des salaires.

Après ces poussées de fièvre, la situation est redevenue plus calme. Fin février, tous les clubs de supporteurs turcs s'étaient donné rendez-vous à Sakarya (nord-ouest). Une fois n'est pas coutume, c'était pour un défilé pacifique. Encadrés par d'importantes forces de police mais sans incidents, les fans ont marché tous ensemble et appelé à la fin des violences autour des stades de Turquie. (Le Monde, Guillaume Perrier, 22 mars 2007)

Workers' Union Offices Attacked

Sakarya branch of Turkey's Education and Science Workers Union (Eğitim-Sen) has been sabotaged and burned down by unidentified aggressors at 4 a.m. on March 4.

First burning down the door of the offices, the aggressors then set the place to fire and run away.

Timely intervention of the fire squad avoided any harm to others living in the building.

Kadir Zeybek, chair of the union's Antalya branch protested the attack with a press conference.

Addressing to PM Tayyip Erdoğan, Zeybek urged the government to bring the aggressors to justice in due time.

"Provocative speeches made to gain political profits lead to the formation of cliques in the society and as a result attacks towards those who promote democracy and rights increase. This last incident is not unrelated to the increasing nationalist-reactionary wave in the country".

About hundred people attended the meeting, protesting the attack chanting "Unite against fascism" and "we won't give into oppression". (BIA News Center, March 6, 2007)

La Turquie condamnée pour imposer le port de menottes en public

Le port de menottes imposé à un homme en public et devant sa famille peut être un "traitement dégradant", a jugé mardi la Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme (CEDH) en condamnant la Turquie pour ce motif.

Un médecin de 53 ans, en poste depuis 15 ans auprès de la direction de la sûreté d'Istanbul, avait été menotté sur le parking de la sûreté devant des centaines de personnes après une dénonciation, puis conduit chez lui et dans son bureau, toujours menotté, pour des perquisitions. Un mois plus tard, il avait été mis hors de cause. Mais à la suite de cet événement, il avait été mis à pied pendant quelques mois puis incapable de reprendre son travail en raison du grave traumatisme psychologique subi.

La Cour européenne a jugé que le comportement du médecin ne nécessitait aucunement de lui infliger le port de menottes.

"L'exposition du requérant menotté (...) avait pour but de créer chez lui des sentiments de peur, d'angoisse et d'infériorité propres à l'humilier, à l'avilir et à briser éventuellement sa résistance morale", ont estimé les juges européens pour qui la Turquie a de ce fait violé l'interdiction de traitements dégradants inscrite dans la Convention européenne des droits de l'Homme.

Le médecin recevra 2.000 EUR pour dommage matériel et moral et 1.000 EUR pour frais et dépens. (AFP, 6 mars 2007)

IHD draws gloomy picture of human rights situation

Both the Turkish and EU publics were dragged into an artificial debate on human rights last year as if the absence of freedom of expression in the country were the sole problematic area, although other kinds of human rights violations still exist in numerous cases, according to Yusuf Alataş, president of the Human Rights Association (İHD).

Alataş unveiled the IHD's annual human rights “balance sheet” for 2006 at a press conference held Tuesday at the IHD headquarters. “Particularly following the formal opening of entry negotiations between the EU and Turkey in 2004, the human rights issue lost its priority on the country's agenda both for Turkey and the EU. Instead, the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code has been put on agenda as an artificial item,” Alataş said.

He described slain journalist Hrant Dink, who was also charged under the article that denigrates any insult to the concept of "Turkishness," as "maybe the first victim of the absence of freedom of expression" in this country.

Nevertheless, the IHD president drew attention to human rights violations concerning other topics that have remained as grave as the those in the past, if not worse.

"The mood in the country and abroad was so that as if all other kinds of human rights violations were over. Following the opening of entry negotiations, both Turkey and the EU have perceived the rest of the process as 'technical,'" he said. "Partial fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria was considered as sufficient."

According to the figures released by the IHD, unsolved murders increased to 20 last year while there was only one case in 2005. There were also a considerable practice of torture and ill-treatment with 708 reported cases in 2006. In 2005, the reported cases of torture and ill-treatment were 825.

Alataş continued criticizing the EU in the light of these figures, saying that EU particularly ignored existence of torture in Turkey as "it would be hard for EU politicians and policy makers to explain to their public why the bloc accepts opening entry negotiations with a country where torture still exists."

"Turkey and the EU have had a silent agreement for extending Turkey's EU membership process as long as possible. The lack of a solution in human rights issues serves as the goal of this silent agreement," Alataş also said.

He then directed criticism at the government: "We can't see a full determination against implementation of torture when we consider that the government long ago announced a policy of zero tolerance against torture into consideration. We don't know the reason why this decrease in figures concerning torture is so small. Maybe it was because there was a decrease in cases or a decrease in number of people subject to torture. But if it is none of them, then we have to question the government's sincerity or whether it really holds the power to have its policies implemented by related units of the state." (Full text of the report: http://www.ihd.org.tr/eindex.html )

Pression sur les médias / Pressure on the Media

Taner Akcam acquitted at his trial for an article to Agos

The Sisli Office of the Public Prosecutor adjudicated that historian Taner Akçam who in his article, published in the AGOS journal, wrote the sentence “I believe that what happened between 1915 and 1917 was holocaust,” was innocent.

The Office of the Public Prosecutor stated that using the word “holocaust” is within the lines of freedom of speech and does not contain an expression of insult against Turkey. The decision was announced 12 days after the assassination of Hrant Dink, who was judged in violation of Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for also expressing the word “holocaust.”

Taner Akçam has backed his former colleague, Dink, with the article which said, “If using the word ‘Holocaust' is a crime then I am committing it at least once every single week. I have to be a collaborator in Hrant's alleged crime in order to clear this situation of injustice.” The Office of the Public Prosecutor ruled on Jan. 30 that the sentence authored with Akçam's pen did not constitute an offense and was within the limits of freedom of speech. (TDN, March 30, 2007)

New Pressures on the media in Turkey

Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No 5 closed the Kurdish paper Azadiya Welat for 20 days starting from 22 March for the news and photos appeared on the issues of 13, 14, 17 and 19 March. The decision was reportedly taken for "inciting to crime in accordance with the activities of PKK", "praising crime and criminals", and "making propaganda of an illegal organisation".

Merkez Dagitim, the distributor of the papers Güncel and Azadiya Welat, reportedly prevented the distribution of the papers.

The paper Güncel was started to be published on 19 March and the owner of the paper Lütfi Ürper announced that the distributor asked the Security Directorate whether they could distribute the paper.

Lawyer of the paper Özcan Kiliç announced that the official of the distribution company said to him that they made applications for the distribution, but did not mention the content of the applications. The company also stressed that they did not refuse to distribute, but they have to wait for the answers.

Vedat Kursun, owner and editor-in-chief of Azadiya Welat, announced that Merkez Dagitim annunced that they would not distribute the paper after the confiscation decision of Public Prosecutor on 21 March.

Antalya Peace Penal Court No 3 ordered the confiscation of the supplementary "Akdeniz" of the paper Hürriyet. According to the news gathered the announcement of Public Prosecutor in Antalya Yusuf Hakki Dogan in connection with an operation appeared on the cover of the supplementary. After having been informed Public Prosecutor wanted to see the paper before being distributed. Yusuf Hakki Dogan wanted the officials of the paper not to press the supplementary on the grounds that the news was in contradiction with the objectivity principle. Since the paper was pressed he applied to Peace Penal Court No 3 for the confiscation of the paper. The court gave the decision of confiscation under the Article 285 TPC (confidentiality of investigation). After the decision the paper was seized. The same news appeared on other papers. (ANF-Hürriyet-TIHV, March 28, 2007)

22 journalists are still under arrest in Turkish prisons

Press release by the Platform of Solidarity with the Arrested Journalists (TGDP):

22 journalists are under arrest in prisons of Turkey now. Whereas the number of the imprisoned journalists after the Struggle With Terrorism Law (TMY) [so-called as “Struggle with Society Law” in public] is valid by June 2006 is 18. That is; the 18 of the 22 journalists were arrested in the last six months.

Even that data by itself reflects that TMY is practiced against the freedom of the press and idea. The arrestments of various members of DTP (Democratic Society Party), the oppression on the regime opponent parties and organizations reveal that the TMY is the part of the direct attack against the freedom of word, action and organization.

The democratic reaction against 301 must be practiced also against TMY. Besides; TMY attacks the freedom of thought more extensively than 301st item.

The first trial of the arrested regime opponent journalists and ESP members who are arrested with the attack of TMY, which is organized on September 2006,against legal institutions and foundations like newspaper Atilim, Free Radio, LIMTER-IŞ (Union of the Workers of harbor and dock), Tekstil-Sen ( the Union of Textile), BEKSAV will be held in 13th of April in Istanbul. The first hearing of the arrested ones among whom Emin Orhan, the author of newspaper Atilim; Özge Kelekçi ,the correspondent of the newspaper, Halil Dinç; news manager of Free Radio; Sinan Gerçek, the employee of the Radio also exist is very important for the future of TMY. We hold the anxiety that TMY will hurt a lot of lives if it is not blocked.

On the other hand; even the trial date of a number of author and journalists among whom Ibrahim Çiçek, general manager of press in Atilim; Sedat Şenoglu,general press coordinator of Atilim; Füsun Erdogan, general manager of broadcast in Free Radio exist, has not been declared yet. That situation shows strikingly the way TMY is practiced and its modalities. We see what TMY is by experiencing it.

ESP will make a press statement about the trial on 13th of April, in Bakırköy Freedom Square on March 25, 2007 at 11:00.

We call the press, press organizations, sensitive people and institutions about the freedom of word, action and organization to come and support the statement.

Freedom for the Arrested Journalists!

Cancel the TMY!

Platform of Solidarity with the Arrested Journalists (TGDP), March 23, 2007.

(Communication: Necati Abay, Gsm: 0535 929 75 86. Fax: 0212 514 68 77, E-mail: tutuklugazeteciler@mynet.com )

Police Searches News Agency Office for Evidence

Srnak's Beytüşşebap district prosecution office and security centre searched the office of DHA news agency for evidences against Democratic Society Party. Police confiscated the films in office arguing they showed pictures of people chanting pro-PKK slogans. The office was searched before following Democratic Society Party’s World Women’s Day activities.

Journalist Emin Bal said the searches and confiscation of his material damaged his credibility as a journalist and led to people avoiding him. (antenna-tr.org, March 24, 2007)

Newspaper Fined for Incurring State Officials

Daily Vakit concessionaire Nuri Aykon and chief responsible Harun Aykan are fined by Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court for deliberately rendering target the Council of State members who approved the termination of duties of a elementary school teacher on grounds that she wore a head scarf on the way to work.

Aykon is to pay a preliminary fine of 23 thousand 675 YTL (around 14 thousand euros) and Aksoy 12 thousand 102 YTL (around 7 thousand euros). In case they pay the fine in 10 days the case will drop, otherwise it will continue.

On another account, both journalists are on trial in a seperate case on allegations of "insulting state officials via press" and "humiliating state's judiciary".

The daily had published the photographs and names of the Council members on its front page, following the Council ruling, which angered many extreme Islamists.

Three months later, a young extremist lawyer raided the offices of the State Council and killed Mustafa Yücel Özbilgin and wounded four others.

Public prosecutor's office filed the case against the journalists following the incident.

Ozgur Gundem Journalist on Trial...

On 20 March Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 9 continued to hear the case against Hüseyin Akyol, editor-in-chief of the closed daily Özgür Gündem, launched for publishing the interview he made with the PKK executives in August 2003 at Kandil Mountain in Northern Iraq. The hearing was adjourned to 21 June for the public prosecutor to announce the summing up. The indictment wants Akyol to be sentenced according to the Article 314/2 TPC and Article 5 of the Law on Fight against Terrorism. (BIA)
charge by means of press" and "insulting the judiciary". (Hürriyet)

Distribution of Paper Prevented...

Distribution of Newroz addition of the paper Dema Nu was prevented in Diyarbakir on 19 March. Editor-in-chief Nurettin Izgi and the employees were stopped by police while they were distributing the addition in Dagkapi quarter. After the police informed the Public Prosecutor by radio Diyarbakir Peace Penal Court No 2 decided in the confiscation of the paper upon the demand of the Public Prosecutor. Police detained the worker of the paper Ejder Samanci.

Meanwhile, distribution of the addition was prevented in Dicle University by the persons who introduced themselves as "Patriotic Student Youth Movement".

Lawyer Eren Keskin Detained...

Lawyer Eren Keskin, former Chair for the HRA Istanbul branch, was detained in Diyarbakir where she went for a hearing on 20 March. Eren Keskin was reportedly released after being testified. (BIA-Atilim-TIHV, March 22, 2007)

Les journalistes d'origine arménienne dans la ligne de mire des nationalistes

Talin Suciyan, une journaliste d'origine arménienne, a été renvoyée du magazine politique hebdomadaire turc Nokta, sans d'autre motif que son attitude "négative" en général. Son renvoi est survenu sans aucun avertissement préalable ou entretien. Cette annonce a causé une grande surprise et une grande déception pour tous ceux qui se sont engagés sur la question arménienne. Talin Suciyan a souvent écrit sur le problème arménien. Elle a signé récemment une interview avec Ara Sarafian, et a publié des articles au sujet des charniers de Nusaybin.

Son nom a récemment été cité par l'éditorialiste de droite Ruhat Mengi dans le quotidien Sabah, faisant bien sûr d'elle une cible pour les nationalistes. Il est possible que l'équipe éditoriale de Nokta, dirigée par Alper Gormus, cède ainsi à la pression émanant des milieux nationalistes.

Deux mois après l'assassinat le 19 janvier à Istanbul de Hrant Dink, journaliste arménien de Turquie et rédacteur en chef de l'hebdomadaire Agos, la "lune de miel" entre les intellectuels turcs et arméniens s'achève par le lâchage honteux d'une journaliste d'origine arménienne sous un prétexte qui ne trompe personne. Les larmes de crocodile ont séché : place aux vrais sentiments. (Collectif VAN, 19 mars 2007)

Gündem: How democratic is it to close down newspapers?

Gündem newspaper workers held a press conference on the shutting down of the paper for a month.

Yüksel Genç from the paper said one of the justifications of the closing down was “to intervene in order to maintain democratic life” and asked “how is it that democracy is maintained by closing down a newspaper?”.

Genç said: “Interestingly enough High Criminal Court issued two separate orders to close down the paper for 30 days from 6 march 2007 onwards, as if one order were not enough”.

Genç also noted the closing down of the successor of “Gündem” paper before it was published: “Prosecutor in collaboration with the security forces legitimatised a new arbitrary practice which is against the law. Prosecutor Öz extended the court order for “Gundem” paper to a new paper before it was even published. Istanbul 13th. High Criminal Court approved it on 14 March.” (antenna-tr.org, March 19, 2007)

Turkish professor face charges of allegedly insulting Ataturk’s legacy

A prosecutor on Tuesday pressed charges against a professor of political science for allegedly insulting the legacy of the revered founder of modern Turkey.

Nationalists had already declared Atilla Yayla a traitor and his university has suspended him for daring to criticize Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, whose ideas are still the republic's most sacred principles 68 years after his death.

Prosecutor Ahmet Guven on Tuesday filed charges against Yayla for allegedly "insulting the legacy of Ataturk." Yayla could receive up to three years in prison if tried and convicted. No trial date was set yet. But Yayla was expected to stand trial in the coming days, the state-run Anatolia news agency said..

Turkey, which is aspiring to join the European Union, has been roundly condemned for not doing enough to curb extreme nationalist sentiments and to protect freedom of expression.

Loved and idolized, portraits of Ataturk hang in all government offices and his statues adorn parks and squares throughout Turkey.

Yayla said in his Nov. 18 speech that the era of one-party rule under Ataturk, from 1925 to 1945, was not as progressive as the official ideology would have Turks believe but was "regressive in some respects." He also criticized the statues and pictures of Ataturk, saying Europeans would be baffled to see the portraits of just one man on the walls.

The prosecutor said in his indictment that during his speech Yayla insulted Ataturk's legacy by referring to the leader as "this man" and asked for his punishment. The indictment said there has been eight complaints about Yayla, demanding his trial.

Ankara's Gazi University was inundated with fax messages accusing Yayla of treason and demanding that he be sacked after the speech, delivered at a panel discussion organized by the youth wing of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party in the Aegean port of Izmir.

Gazi's chancellor, Kadri Yamac, bowed to the pressure and temporarily removed Yayla from his teaching post pending the outcome of an investigation.

Yayla has insisted that he was not insulting Ataturk but questioning his legacy, as well as the rigid way some followers interpret his principles to oppose liberal reforms and impose strict secular laws such as the ban on headscarves at universities.

"As an academic, I must be free to think, to search and share findings," Yayla, 50, has said in an interview at the Ankara-based Association for Liberal Thinking, an organization he co-founded in 1994. "If Turkey wants to be a civilized country, academics must be able to criticize and evaluate Ataturk's ideas."

But his ordeal shows how Turkish universities, most of them state-controlled, are not always places of free-thinking. Anyone deviating from the set of principles — including a strict interpretation of secularism — inspired by Ataturk and closely guarded by the military, the bureaucracy and judiciary, is chastised and in some cases, sacked. (The Associated Press, March 13, 2007)

European journalists call on Turkish military to end use of “media blacklist”

The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) and its regional group the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today called on the Turkish military to stop classifying journalists by their perceived attitude toward the military and using that classification to grant or deny press accreditations.

“We are calling on the Turkish military to immediately stop using this classification system and grant equal access to journalists who wish to cover its activities, regardless of whether they are critical of the military or not,” said EFJ chairman Arne König. “It is unethical for them to deny media access to information at their discretion and a blow to press freedom,” he added.

Not only does the preferential treatment raise serious concerns about the access that independent media get to cover the military but it also raises concerns about blacklisted journalists’ security and how they might be treated by the military in the future, the EFJ said.

Last week, Turkish weekly Nokta published a report on Turkish General Staff’s classification of journalists based on their views for or against the army. The report, which is entitled 'A reassessment of accredited press and media organs' and dated Nov. 2006, makes recommendations on whether the media accreditation for certain people should be granted, denied or revoked.

It was prepared by the media relations office that gives accreditation to journalists and media organizations that want to follow the activities of the Office of the Chief of General Staff. The military has not denied the document’s existence but has only launched a judicial probe to discover who leaked the information to the press.

The report, which appeared on several Turkish dailies on Thursday, criticizes newspapers and other media and tallied their positive and negative reports on the military in the first nine months of 2006.

The EFJ also expressed its “support for calls from its affiliate, the Turkish Journalists’ Union, to end the preferential treatment for media and ensure equal access to all journalists who cover military news.” (Cihan News Agency, March 13, 2007)

Turkish Prime Ministry too has a "media blacklist"

The daily Cumhuriyet published an article on the "Monthly report by the prime minister's office," consisting of a sort of classification of the media. The prime minister's press office described the article as "unreal and deliberate" and insisted that "no such report has ever been submitted to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan."

According to the newspaper, the report even included the fact that journalists Nuray Basaran, Enis Berberoglu, Oral Calislar and Gungvr Uras drank 2002 vintage Syrah Calvet French red wine during a visit to Lebanon on 5 July 2005.

The Islamist daily Yeni Safak (New Dawn) is identified in the report as an essential support for Prime Minister Erdogan and his government. The committed Islamist daily Vakit (Time) is praised for "deflecting criticism of the government over the Muslim headscarf"and the Islamist daily Zaman is praised for being "free of prejudice towards any group or person."

Other newspapers are not held in such high esteem. The republican Cumhuriyet is "rarely objective," the liberal centrist Millyet is said to have improved after Sedat Ergin became its editor and "the articles and content became more positive." The liberal right daily Sabah (Morning) is accused of becoming more negative, publishing fewer stories about the government and putting them on the inside paged when it did.

As for the liberal right newspaper Hurriyet (Freedom), the report says it "no longer puts the government's activities on its front page since its leading journalists were not allowed on the prime minister's plane during and his US visit, and the reports on the government are quite short."

The European Union, which Turkey wants to join, has said Turkey will not be able to meet democratic standards as long as the army continues to exercise influence over non-military matters. The Turkish Armed Forces, which often portray themselves as a bulwark against Islamism, have seized power three times, the last one in 1980. (rsfcanada@rsf.org, March 13, 2007)

2007 Ayse Nur Zarakolu awards granted to Turkali, Guney and Oran

The Ayşe Nur Zarakolu (ANZ) Awards for the Freedom of Thought and Expression have been granted this year to Vedat Turkali, Yilmaz Guney and Baskin Oran. The award ceremony was held on March 8, 2007, International Women’s Day.

Following is the declaration at the ceremony by the ANZ Award Committee :

We are disclosing this year’s winners of the Ayşe Nur Zarakolu (ANZ) Awards for the Freedom of Thought and Expression, given out by the Human Rights Association of Turkey, in the shadow, alas, of the inhuman assassination of our beloved Hrant Dink, himself winner of the award for 2005. HRANT DİNK was a man of peace who had devoted himself to the cause of building a bridge between the Armenian and Turkish peoples, two peoples torn spiritually apart since 1915. He had chosen the difficult path of understanding the other and making himself understood by them, of establishing mutual empathy. And in this he succeeded. In a variety of contexts, he managed to win the hearts of many who thought they were his opponents. That is in fact why he was targeted by certain circles. He was constantly harassed for nothing more than his humane way of thinking. He would not be silenced. That was in fact why he was given the award two years ago. The loss of Hrant in the same month of January in which our dearest Ayşe Nur had passed away has enhanced our pain. During a speech he had said: “Through her concern for the Armenian tragedy, Ayşe Nur healed the bitterness in our hearts, transforming us into humans. For us Ayşe is a Saint.” Hrant himself, through years of arduous effort, made it possible for us to understand the Armenians better, to penetrate into the depths of their hearts, and to transform ourselves into humans. Both Hrant and Ayşe loved their country and refused to leave it. Thanks to their self-sacrifice, the conscience of at least a section of Turkish society is no longer oblivious and deaf. Hrant taught us how to be principled, honest, affectionate and courageous. He himself has now become a saintly figure for his community and for us.

We are giving this year’s ANZ Award for the Freedom of Thought and Expression to our dear VEDAT TÜRKALİ. He has devoted his life to the fight against injustice and for the ideal of a society based on equality and freedom. He was imprisoned for his ideas and political ideals, but did not give in, did not keep silent, and continued to deliver works of value in diverse areas of artistic and literary creation. He did not withdraw into his ivory tower in times of social crisis and conflict. He vocally defended the freedom of expression, peace and human dignity. With his plays he fought against articles 141 and 142 of the Turkish Criminal Code, articles that restricted freedom of expression. With his film, “Karanlıkta Uyananlar” (“Waking in the Dark”), he raised the banner of the freedom of association, the right to strike and other similar social rights. He took his honourable place among those who signed the so-called “Intellectuals’ Petition” in 1984 in defence of democratic rights against military dictatorship. He stood for a just, honourable, democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question from the very beginning, more particularly in his book Kürt Yazıları (“Writings on the Kurdish Question”). And he did all this with ceaseless resolution. Dear VEDAT TÜRKALİ, it’s so good to know that you are around. You will forever remain Turkey’s honourable son.

For the first time this year, we are granting the award also to someone who is no longer alive, but who during his life time devoted himself to the freedom of expression. Another awardee of this year is our dear YILMAZ GÜNEY. Alongside his fame as a cinéaste, he was also a writer and a man of action. He was committed to the utopia of a just and egalitarian society. In his art he always stood on the side of the oppressed and supported social awakening. For this attitude, he was prosecuted and imprisoned even as a high-school student. Victim of persecution he was not able to complete his studies. Under the regime established by the coup d’Etat of 1980, he fought for the right to life of revolutionaries in the face of militarist terror. Charged on the basis of a conspiracy, he was imprisoned, the aim being to deprive him of the freedom to create artistically. After having freed himself through his own initiative, his first move was to make the film “Duvar” (“Le Mur” in the original French) to pay a tribute to the plight of prisoners and in particular juvenile inmates. On the basis of the 1984 Paris Tribunal, he was the first intellectual of Turkey to confront the Armenian tragedy and to speak publicly about it. Dearest YILMAZ GÜNEY, you will always remain in our hearts.

Still another awardee is Professor BASKIN ORAN. Professor Oran has become a target for the extreme nationalists defending the status quo and the official view of history for his work on minority rights. He was deemed to deserve the award for his perseverance in pursuing his chosen path in the fight for democracy and human rights despite all kinds of pressure. Dear BASKIN ORAN, we know that no one or no power can stop you from marching forward on the road that you know is the right one.

We thank Human Rights Association of Turkey’s Istanbul Branch, which organised the Ceromony and Messrs. Vedat Türkali and Baskın Oran and Ms. Fatoş Güney, widow of Yılmaz Güney, who will be given the award on his behalf, for accepting the awards.

(In 2006, Info-Turk editors Dogan Özgüden and Inci Tugsavul were among the awardees.)

Nobel prize winner Pamuk to tour Germany after all

Nobel-prize winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk will embark on a book reading tour in Germany in May after he canceled the visit at short notice five weeks ago amid concerns for his safety.

Christina Knecht, a spokeswoman for Carl Hanser Verlag, Pamuk's German publisher, said the writer had always intended to meet his commitments at some point.

"Nothing has really changed, he always said the tour was never completely off. Now he's suggested May, and we're delighted that we were able to find new dates with the organizers fairly quickly," she said.

The safety of Pamuk, 54, became an issue after the murder in January of the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul. A key suspect in that murder, escorted by police into a court house, had warned Pamuk to be careful.

"He canceled the tour without giving any reason, but I think it was really more about the situation in Turkey, and that he was being pursued for weeks there," Knecht said, adding that as far as she knew, Pamuk was probably in the United States now.

Dink and Pamuk were both prosecuted under laws restricting freedom of expression in Turkey, which wants to join the EU.

Pamuk was tried for insulting "Turkishness" after telling a Swiss paper in 2005 that 1 million Armenians had died in Turkey in World War One and 30,000 Kurds had perished more recently.

Pamuk, whose best-known novels include "Snow," in which the main character is shot in Frankfurt, has a big following in Germany, home to about 2.5 million people of Turkish descent.

He is due to open the rescheduled tour in Hamburg on May 2, before visiting Berlin, Stuttgart and Cologne. The trip will end on May 8 in Munich. While in Berlin, Pamuk is due to receive an honorary doctorate from the city's Free University. (Reuters, March 8, 2007)

YouTube de nouveau accessible après la levée d'un arrêt judiciaire

Le site d'échange de vidéos YouTube est de nouveau accessible aux internautes en Turquie après la levée vendredi d'un arrêt judiciaire qui avait interdit mercredi son accès.

"Dès que nous avons reçu une décision de justice levant l'interdiction d'accéder à YouTube, nous l'avons appliqué. Cela s'est passé il y a juste quelques minutes", a déclaré Ahter Kutadgu, un responsable de Türk Telekom, premier fournisseur d'accès internet de Turquie, cité par l'agence Anatolie.

Türk Telekom avait bloqué l'accès à YouTube sur ordre d'un tribunal d'Istanbul après que ce site internet eut diffusé une vidéo jugée offensante pour Atatürk, le père de la Turquie moderne.

L'ordre a été donné par la cour sur une recommandation du ministère public, après la publication dans la presse turque d'articles sur une vidéo soumise à YouTube par un utilisateur grec et dans laquelle figureraient des insultes au fondateur en 1923 de la République turque Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Depuis le début de l'année, des internautes turcs et grecs se livrent bataille sur le site YouTube en soumettant des vidéos insultant ou tournant en dérision leurs adversaires, selon les journaux.

Atatürk est considéré comme un héros par la plupart des Turcs et sa mémoire est protégée par un texte de loi spécifique.

L'interdiction prononcée par la justice turque a fait scandale en Turquie et les médias ont dénoncé une "censure". (AFP, 9 mars 2007)

State Secrets or a New Base for Censorship?

Draft Legislation on State Secrets, which aims to regulate and standardize different rules on the issue featuring on the 1982 Constitution, the Penal Code of the Law on Right to Reach Information may constitute another tool for censorship.

The draft legislation will come to the National Assembly for ratification, as it will be approved by the Council of Ministers.

Turkey's Association of Journalists (TGC) chair Orhan Erinç and Press Council chair Oktay Ekşi criticized the draft legislation as it would constitute another tool to pressure journalists and jeopardize the freedom of expression in the country.

Thinking about the coming presidential elections and the controversy around it, one can get suspicious regarding the limitations brought by this law" wrote Erinç on his column at the daily Cumhuriyet.

"There's nothing new in this legislation. Before, judges asked to related institutions about the secrecy of concerned information. Now they will consult a commission made up of representatives of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs and National Security Ministries".

"So politicians gain the power to influence the judiciary", said Erinç. "In consequence, they can be intolerant to views against their benefits".

Oktay Ekşi agrees: "As if the restrictions on freedom of expression brought by the Penal Code were not enough, now the government tries to further limit our freedoms".

Turkey's constitution, formulated right after the military coup in 1982 cites several abstruse cases where the freedom of expression and diffusion can be restricted.

Those consist of "national security, public order, public security, founding principles of the Republic, the indivisible unity of the State with its people and land, prevention of crimes, punishment of criminals, secrecy of State information filed in par with the defined procedures, protection of others' privacy or reputation, protection of vocational secrets as defined in law, or the due process of the judiciary".

In addition, article 330 of the new Penal Code defines the scope of "State secrets" and penalizes their diffusion. (BIA News Center, Erol Onderoglu, March 5, 2007)

Controverse après un rapport de l'armée sur les journalistes

Un rapport de l'état-major turc classant les journalistes en fonction de leur loyauté envers l'armée a provoqué une controverse jeudi, les associations de journalistes dénonçant une violation de la liberté de la presse dans ce pays aspirant à rejoindre l'Union européenne.

Dans ce document interne publié par les médias, l'armée analyse la loyauté de nombreux journalistes et commentateurs de presse travaillant pour 18 chaînes de télévision, 19 journaux, cinq agences de presse et huit magazines.

Le rapport explique pourquoi les journalistes les plus critiques envers l'armée et son rôle dans la vie politique turque seront interdits, comme dans le passé, d'accès aux événements organisés par les militaires (conférences de presse, visites guidées, etc.).

Les organes de presse pro-islamistes, dont l'armée rejette par principe toutes les demandes d'accréditation, ne figurent pas dans ce rapport.

Un communiqué laconique de l'armée a annoncé jeudi l'ouverture d'une "enquête judiciaire", sans dire si celle-ci serait interne ou viserait les médias ayant publié le rappport.

La principale association des journalistes, le Syndicat des journalistes (TGS), a dénoncé un "nouvel obstacle à la liberté de pensée et d'expression" en Turquie.

L'UE, avec laquelle Ankara a entamé en 2005 des négociations d'adhésion, a estimé dans le passé que la Turquie ne parviendrait pas à s'aligner sur les normes démocratiques de l'Union tant que ses forces armées continueraient d'exercer une influence sur les questions civiles et d'échapper à tout contrôle.

L'armée turque a par trois fois pris le pouvoir en Turquie (en 1960, 1971 et 1980) et a forcé à la démission le premier gouvernement islamiste de l'histoire turque, en 1997. (AFP, 8 mars 2007)

USA: "Turkish government limits freedom of expression"

Although an overhaul of Turkey's criminal code has helped reduce torture and improve due process for defendants, the government last year struggled to achieve full implementation of new laws, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday in an annual global human rights report.

"During last year the government faced the major challenges of increasing the legal accountability of government security forces, reducing restrictions on free speech, and modernizing societal attitudes with respect to antiquated practices such as 'honor killings of women," it said in the document's Turkey country report.

The executive branch at times undermined the independence of the judiciary, and the overly close relationship of judges and prosecutors continued to hinder the right to a fair trial, according to the department.

"The government also limited freedom of expression through the use of constitutional restrictions and numerous laws, including articles of the penal code prohibiting insults to the government, the state, 'Turkish identity,' or the institution and symbols of the republic," it said.

Some leading intellectuals including Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was shot dead in Istanbul in January and Nobel literature laureate Orhan Pamuk have been prosecuted or convicted under the penal code's controversial Article 301.

The number of arrests and prosecutions of security forces who committed unlawful killings was low compared with the number of incidents, and convictions remained rare, the State Department said, adding that members of the security forces occasionally tortured, beat and otherwise abused persons.

Prison conditions remained poor, with problems of overcrowding and insufficient staff training, and law enforcement officials did not always provide detainees immediate access to attorneys as required by law, it said.

Non-Muslim religious groups continued to face restrictions on practicing their religion openly, owning property, and training leaders, the department said. Violence against women, including honor killings and rape, continued to be a widespread problem, it said.

Child marriage was a problem, and corruption contributed to trafficking in women and children to and within the country for the purpose of sexual exploitation, it added.

The State Department declared that the genocide in Darfur is the world's gravest human rights abuse. It also issued tough critiques of many of its adversaries, most notably Iran and China.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International took issue with the U.S. administration for failing to address its own failings. Larry Cox, Amnesty International's executive director, asked The Washington Post that although the reportcorrectly points out that Egypt, for example, continues to use torture, "how can the United States have any credibility in trying to stop torture in Egypt when the whole world and we know what it does not mention - our role in sending people to be tortured, extradited and jailed. ... How can we criticize regimes for holding people in indefinite detention while we ourselves are holding people in indefinite detention?"

These were "striking and disturbing omissions," he said, accusing the United States of "hypocrisy." While documenting the practices of allies such as Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Colombia and others, "we have done very little and we have not spoken out publicly about disappearances, for example," he said.

In Iraq, Cox said, the United States neither talks about its role in certain abuses nor criticizes the judicial process there, although the report noted that certain institutions in Iraq remain weak. While the State Department monitors abuses that would cast a bad light on others, "we hope the United States will begin to cast the same light on itself." (Turkish Daily News, Umit Erginsoy, March 8, 2007)

“Gündem” Newspaper Shut Down for another Month

Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court issued two separate order for shutting down Gundem paper due to reports published between 4-6 March. The paper will not be available for 30 days. One of the reports published on 2 March 2007 and reported that Ocalan was poisoned. The decision was based on Press Law article 25.

The court charges the paper over reports “Öcalan is poisoned”, “Kalkan: High numbers join the Guearillas”, “Kurds Appeal for Öcalan” with “praising a crime and a criminal”. (antenna-tr.org, March 8, 2007)

Papers Ordered to Pay Fines for Writing “Murder Suspect”

Prosecution office sent paying orders for fines to many newspapers who published OS’s picture and full name. OS aged 17 stands trial for murdering Hrant Dink. Prosecution office ordered 10 thousand Lira of fine for each newreport.

Press Council said that Press is asked to pay the bill for Dink murder. President of the council Oktay Ekşi said: "İstanbul Security Chief who said before the investigation 'there is no organisational link' is still in his post. Security officers who had their picture taken with the suspect in front of the flag and distributed it to the press, even the ones who ignored the information that an assasination was planned, have not been prosecuted. Yet prosecutors are sending paying orders to newspapers."

Ekşi said that there were 67 national and 900 local newspapers and around 20 nws agencies in Turkey and if the prosecutors order 10 thousand lira fine for each newsreport it would lead to the closing down of many newspapers.

Prime Minister Erdogan talked live on air spelling out the name of suspect OS as he was captured. (antenna-tr.org, March 8, 2007)

Publisher Sırrı Öztürk: I go to Court every month for 30 years

Trial of Osman Tiftikçi the writer of “The evolution of the Army since Ottoman Time” and the publisher Sırrı Öztürk continues. The general chief of Staff is the complainant. İstanbul Primary Court Num 2 ordered for the third time the enforcement of writer Tiftikçi to attend the trial. Tiftikçi lives abroad for 35 years.

Publisher Öztürk said after the hearing "I have been a publisher for 30 years, I do not remember a single months that I did not attend a court hearing over a book or a magazine". Tiftikçi and Mztürk are vharged with “openly insulting the army” under article 302/2 of TPC.

The court decided that Tiftikçi would be arrested if he enters Turkey and postponed the trial to 8 May at 9:30. (antenna-tr.org, March 8, 2007)

RSF soulève des questions relatives à l’enquête sur l’assassinat de Dink

L’assassinat du directeur d’Agos, le 19 janvier dernier, a ravivé les tensions à l’œuvre dans la société turque. La réforme de l’article 301 du code pénal cristallise les oppositions, sur fond de négligence des autorités à protéger Hrant Dink.

Le 27 février 2007, le quotidien Milliyet a publié un article faisant état de négligences de la police d’Istanbul dans la protection du journaliste Hrant Dink. Cet article présentait la liste des sites à protéger, établie par la Direction de la sécurité d’Istanbul, suite à l’adoption de la loi relative à la pénalisation de la négation du génocide arménien par le Parlement français en 2006. Sur cette liste figuraient, à la 12e place, les bureaux de la rédaction d’Agos. Pourtant, les autorités n’ont pas jugé nécessaire de protéger le journaliste. Le lendemain de son assassinat, lors d’une conférence de presse commune, le préfet et le chef de la police d’Istanbul avaient même déclaré que Hrant Dink n’avait pas sollicité de protection policière.

L’épouse du journaliste, Rakel, ses filles Sera et Delal ainsi que son fils Arat, se sont présentés le 13 février au parquet d’Istanbul pour apporter leur témoignage. L’un des avocats de la famille, Me Bahri Belen, a déclaré que les membres de la famille avaient déposé une plainte à l’encontre de ceux qui n’ont pas pris les mesures nécessaires pour le protéger.

«Reporters sans frontières exhorte une nouvelle fois les autorités et le gouvernement turcs à mettre tout en oeuvre pour faire la lumière sur cette affaire et juger tous les responsables de la mort de Hrant Dink. Cet assassinat ne peut rester impuni, la justice doit être rendue. Nous demeurons inquiets quant aux menaces incessantes qui pèsent sur Agos. Nous espérons que le projet d’amendement de l’article 301 aboutira dans les meilleurs délais et que la question de la liberté de la presse fera l’objet d’un sérieux débat politique», a déclaré l’organisation de défense de la liberté de la presse.

Depuis l’assassinat de Hrant Dink, le 19 janvier dernier, vingt-huit personnes ont été interpellées dans plusieurs villes de Turquie, dont huit ont été incarcérées. Néanmoins, des zones d’ombre subsistent. Yasil Hayal, le commanditaire présumé de l’assassinat, est revenu sur ses déclarations après avoir appris que Erhan Tuncel, un militant ultranationaliste étudiant à l’université de la mer Noire (Karadeniz), était un informateur de la police. Lors de sa deuxième audition, depuis la prison de Kandira dans la ville de Kocaeli, Yasil Hayal a confié au procureur que son premier témoignage avait pour but de protéger ErhanTuncel qui serait, selon lui, le «véritable commanditaire ». Il y a un an, ce dernier aurait informé à plusieurs reprises la police d’un projet d’assassinat contre Hrant Dink.

Alors que l’enquête se poursuit, les menaces continuent de peser sur l’hebdomadaire Agos. Le 12 février, à Kayseri, dans le centre du pays, dix personnes ont été interpellées. Ces dernières étaient responsables d’avoir envoyé des mails menaçant le journal. Du matériel informatique a été saisi mais les suspects ont été relâchés.

Enfin, le débat sur l’article 301 continue de prendre de l’ampleur à quelques mois des élections parlementaires (mai) et de la présidentielle (novembre). Le 14 février, à la suite d’une réunion des hauts représentants du parti AKP (Parti de la justice et du développement, que dirige le Premier ministre), le président adjoint du groupe, Faruk Celik, a déclaré : «Nous voulons que cette affaire soit achevée une fois pour toutes. Mais l’article ne sera pas aboli. Il sera amendé ou maintenu dans son intégralité.» A la demande du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan de «faire sortir l’article 301 de l’actualité», les membres du gouvernement et de son parti, se sont réunis le 19 février pour débattre d’une éventuelle réforme. Cette initiative n’a malheureusement abouti à aucune proposition concrète.

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Abdullah Gül, s’est prononcé en faveur de l’amendement de l’artice 301 qui, s’il n’est pas réformé, pourrait nuire à l’intégration de la Turquie dans l’Union européenne. Pourtant la nature de cette réforme éventuelle demeure inconnue. Les propositions successives des organisations de défense des droits de l’homme, réunies au sein de la plate-forme commune des droits de l’homme IHOP, et de l’Association turque des journalistes (TGC) n’ont pas été retenues. La TGC s’était notamment déclarée favorable à un remplacement de l’expression “d’identité turque” figurant dans le texte de l’article 301 par “le peuple turc”, dans le but de ramener son champ d’application aux affaires se déroulant sur le sol turc.

L’onde de choc de l’assassinat de Hrant Dink continue d’ébranler la société turque, tandis que le fossé se creuse entre ultranationalistes et pro-Arméniens.

Le 3 mars 2007, une messe a été célébrée en l’honneur du journaliste en l’église arménienne, Sainte Marie de Kumkapi, sur la rive européenne d’Istanbul. Quelque temps après, deux jeunes gens ont tiré des coup de feu en l’air afin d’impressionner les personnes venues se recueillir dans les jardins. Les policiers de la section antiterroriste d’Istanbul sont parvenus à interpeller Volkan Karaova et Yilmaz Murat Ozalp, identifiés grâce aux caméras placées à l’entrée de l’église, en possession d’un revolver chargé de balles à blanc. Selon les médias turcs, le parquet d’Istanbul a autorisé la prolongation de leur garde à vue de deux jours, afin d’approfondir les interrogatoires. Il y a trois mois, Volkan Karaova avait déjà été placé en garde à vue pour avoir tiré en direction d’une église grecque du quartier Eminonu à Istanbul. ( RSF, Elsa Vidal, 7 mars 2007)

L'accès à YouTube bloqué en Turquie en raison d'une vidéo sur Atatürk

Türk Telekom, premier fournisseur d'accès internet de Turquie, a bloqué l'accès à YouTube sur ordre d'un tribunal après que ce site internet eut diffusé une vidéo jugée offensante pour Atatürk, le père de la Turquie moderne, a déclaré mercredi le président de Türk Telekom.

"L'ordre du tribunal nous a été faxé la nuit dernière (mardi) et en conséquence les services de l'entreprise (YouTube) ont été suspendus en Turquie", a déclaré Paul Doany, président de Türk Telekom, à l'agence de presse Anatolie.

L'ordre a été donné par la cour sur une recommandation du ministère public, après la publication dans la presse turque d'articles sur une vidéo soumise à YouTube par un utilisateur grec et dans laquelle figureraient des insultes au fondateur en 1923 de la République turque Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Depuis le début de l'année, des internautes turcs et grecs se livrent bataille sur le site YouTube en soumettant des vidéos insultant ou tournant en dérision leurs adversaires, selon le quotidien populaire Vatan.

Atatürk est considéré comme un héros par la plupart des Turcs et sa mémoire est protégée par un texte de loi spécifique.

"Je ne suis pas en mesure de dire si ce que YouTube a fait était une insulte ou si c'était juste ou pas", a affirmé M. Doany. "On nous a notifié une injonction judiciaire et nous faisons ce que dit cette injonction", a-t-il ajouté. (AFP, 7 mars 2007)

Dr. Ergün Sönmez and Publisher Mehdi Tanrikulu to be tried on March 30

A court case was launched against Mehdi Tanrikulu, owner of Tevn Publishing, in connection with the book of Dr. Ergün Sönmez entitled “Kapitalizmin Emperyalist Sürecinde Kürt Özgürlük Hareketive PKK'nin Rolü (Kurdish Independence Movement in the Age of Kapitalist Imperialism and the PKK's Role)”.

The indictment wants the defendant to be sentenced according to the articles 7/2 and 6/2 of Anti-Terror Law.

The case would commence on 30 March 2007 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14.

Dr. Ergün Sönmez, living in Europe for more than 30 years, is the author of a number of researchs on the political and social problems of Turkey.

Kurdish Question / Question kurde

A new Case of Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in Turkey

Turkey continues having problems in understanding and respecting European standards of human rights, including the importance of respecting the freedom of expression.

One of the latest examples is the decision by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior asking the State Council to dissolve the Sur Municipality of Diyarbakir and to dismiss the mayor, Abdullah Demirbas.

The basis for this decision by the Turkish government is that the Sur Municipality wanted to provide multi-lingual services to its citizens in view of the composition of the population (72 % Kurdish-speaking and 24 % Turkish-speaking). Sur Municipality wished to provide better services to its citizens, such as enabling people to have more easy access to different educational and cultural activities. It was made specifically clear that Turkish would continue to be the official language of the municipality.

The European Union has always made it clear to Turkey that respect for minorities and the freedom of expression are among the fundamental requirements for membership. Turkey accepted to negotiate for membership on this basis. The present case is extremely disappointing to those who wish to see Turkey as an equal partner in the EU, with democratic institutions, human rights standards and practices aligned with European standards and values. The EUTCC deplores this attack on the mayor of Sur Municipality, Abdullah Demirbas, who is known as a defender of human rights and cultural values in a multicultural society.

This is yet another demonstration that Turkey either does not understand the meaning of the European human rights standards, or that it does not wish or is unable to comply with those standards. It runs counter to the commitments made by Turkey to the EU and the core standards, laws and practices within the European Union, and its declared values of a multicultural Europe, with full respect for and protection of all ethnic groups.

The EUTCC strongly urges:

1. the Government of Turkey to stop this attack on the rights and freedoms of its citizens,

2. the European Union to follow this case very closely, and insist that the Turkish authorities comply fully with European standards and conventions ratified by Turkey. (Branscheidt@eutcc.de, March 27, 2007)

DTP insists on independent Ocalan checkup

The pro-Kurdish Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) on Friday reiterated its call for an independent delegation to check on whether Abdullah Ocalan, inmate leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has been poisoned.

Concerning allegations that Ocalan was poisoned, a final declaration of the party assembly stated that a satisfactory reply regarding Ocalan, who it said launched the cease-fire process and had a "remarkable effect" on a solution to the problem, has yet to be made. "This adversely affects the cease-fire and whole disarmament process," the statement added.

The poisoning claim was produced by lawyers of Ocalan earlier this month, and the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party government sent a team of experts to the island to see whether the claims were true. The medical report said that Ocalan was not poisoned, while a former army general underlined that there is no such risk for Ocalan given the high security around him, but this failed to satisfy the party.

"In line with the demand of human rights and non-governmental organizations in Turkey, an independent delegation should be sent in order to probe the claims that Ocalan was poisoned, and the results of this should be announced to the public without delay," the party said.

The statement also claimed that the this month's Nevruz celebrations were held in a festive atmosphere due to the supervision of the DTP.

The declaration said: "Our people expressed their social, cultural and political demands in a mass enthusiasm in Nevruz and showed that they claim to be the owners of the values, initiatives and institutions that they have set up with determination."

It criticized recent detentions and arrests of DTP administrators, saying they are the result of impatience and illegal policies towards the party and free thought.

Saying that May's presidential election was also evaluated at the party assembly, the declaration said: "The president should be have full impartiality and an understanding that claims to grant all rights to our citizens."

The declaration added: "For continuation of the cease-fire process, the active efforts of NGOs, intellectuals and other democratic powers will make more contributions to ensuring peace in the country." (The New Anatolian, 31 March 2007)

La justice lance une enquête contre Erdogan pour "Monsieur Öcalan"

Un procureur d'Ankara a lancé lundi une enquête préliminaire à l'encontre du Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan soupçonné d'avoir fait l'apologie d'Abdullah Öcalan, qu'il aurait appelé "Monsieur Öcalan" il y a sept ans, rapporte l'agence Anatolie.

Si le parquet décide au vu des preuves qu'il recueillera (bandes sonores) de transformer l'enquête en procédure judiciaire il devra demander l'autorisation du Parlement en raison de l'immunité parlementaire dont jouit M. Erdogan, précise l'agence.

M. Erdogan, chef du parti de la Justice et du Développement (AKP, issu de la mouvance islamiste), au pouvoir depuis 2002, est accusé d'avoir appelé le chef séparatiste "Monsieur Öcalan" lors d'une interview à une chaîne de radio en janvier 2000 au cours d'une visite en Australie.

Le principal parti d'opposition social-démocrate à l'Assemblée nationale, le parti républicain du peuple (CHP) avait déposé une plainte devant la justice. D'autres plaintes similaires avaient également été déposées.

M. Erdogan a catégoriquement rejeté la semaine dernière les accusations.

Plusieurs hommes politiques kurdes ont été condamnés à six mois de prison aux termes de l'article 215 du code pénal turc qui réprime l'"éloge du crime et du criminel". (AFP, 26 mars 2007)

Les Turcs mitigés pour accorder plus de droits aux Kurdes (sondage)

Un tiers des Turcs environ souhaite que les Kurdes aient le droit d'étudier dans leur langue maternelle tandis qu'une majorité d'entre eux considèrent que la lutte armée contre les séparatistes kurdes est la seule issue au conflit, selon une enquête publiée samedi.

34,9% des Turcs pensent que garantir le droit des Kurdes à étudier dans leur langue maternelle serait "la bonne" solution pour mettre un terme au conflit, entre le gouvernement turc et le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) et qui a fait plus de 37.000 victimes en 20 ans, selon le sondage publié par le journal Milliyet.

36,3% d'entre eux soutiennent l'idée de programmes de radio et de télévision en langue kurde.

39% des personnes interrogées sont favorables à ce que l'on abandonne le seuil de 10%, nécessaire aux partis politiques pour avoir une représentation parlementaire et qui a, jusqu'à présent, interdit toute représentation des partis kurdes au Parlement.

Toutefois, une grande majorité des personnes sondées, 80,3%, ont indiqué que "l'éradication du terrorisme" est selon eux la seule solution pour mettre un terme au conflit.

Sous la pression de l'Union européenne, la Turquie a, ces dernières années, autorisé l'enseignement de la langue kurde dans des écoles privées ainsi que certains programmes de télévision en kurde, des réformes jugées insuffisantes par les activistes kurdes.

Ce sondage a été réalisé depuis octobre par l'institut Konda auprès de 48.000 personnes sur l'ensemble du territoire turc. (AFP, 24 mars 2007)

DTP chairman Türk and ex-deputy Leyla Zana to be probed for Newroz remarks

Ahmet Turk, the chairman of pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and Leyla Zana, former member of Turkish parliament, will be probed for their remarks during Newroz celebrations.

Public Prosecution Office in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir has launched an investigation into the speeches Turk and Zana delivered during the festivities of Newroz, which marks the coming of spring. The office will decide whether their remarks constitute a crime and a lawsuit would be filed against them.

DTP chairman Turk called “sayin”, an expression in Turkish roughly means Mr. or Sir, in referring to Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed chief of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Former MP Zana said during a speech on Wednesday that Kurds had three leaders, Jalal Talabani, Massood Barzani and Abdullah Ocalan.

Last month, Ahmet Turk was sentenced to six months in prison since called Ocalan "sayin" in a speech dated March 2006 and thus “praised a crime or criminal”, a violation of the Article 215 of Turkish Penal Code that prohibits the act.

In June 2004, the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals ordered the release of Leyla Zana and three other former MPs of the now-defunct pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP).

The former DEP deputies were elected to parliament in the 1991 elections. The Turkish Parliament cancelled their parliamentary membership in the same year because of their pro-Kurdish sympathies expressed at the oath-taking ceremony in the parliament.

Under current Turkish laws, praising a crime and criminal is regarded as a crime and dozens of DTP officials have been detained or arrested for "praising" Ocalan. (Cihan News Agency, March 23, 2007)

La colère monte au bidonville kurde d'Ayazma, à Istanbul

Dans le sillage des bulldozers, une nuée d'enfants crasseux cherche des débris récupérables dans les gravats qui s'entassent depuis que la mairie d'Istanbul a entrepris la destruction du bidonville d'Ayazma, peuplé majoritairement de Kurdes. Soit un millier de maisonnettes construites illégalement, étalées sur une colline à la périphérie de l'agglomération, coincées entre l'autoroute et l'immense stade olympique. Pour justifier sa politique de "rénovation urbaine", la mairie a expliqué vouloir "nettoyer un foyer terroriste".

Les mieux lotis sont recasés dans des tours de douze étages à 10 kilomètres de là. Des ghettos urbains et sociaux, avec une dimension ethnique. "Ils sont en train de créer la future révolte sociale", constate l'urbaniste français Jean-François Pérouse, professeur à l'université Galatasaray.

Le cimetière pour enfants d'Ayazma est saturé, signe de la misère de ce quartier où tous les indicateurs sociaux sont au rouge. "Ce sont essentiellement des réfugiés du Sud-Est qui ont fui la guerre" (entre l'armée et la guérilla du Parti des travailleurs kurdes, PKK), raconte Bernard Granjon, responsable de la mission Turquie de Médecins du monde. Ayazma illustre cette "harlémisation d'Istanbul" pressentie par l'ex-chef de la police de la ville, Necdet Menzir, lundi 19 mars, dans les colonnes du journal Radikal : "Des gangs politiques et criminels créent des zones où la police ne peut plus venir." Les bus, non plus, ne vont plus à Ayazma. Mercredi, pour la fête de Nawrouz, ils ont été détournés des quartiers sensibles. En un mois, une douzaine de bus ont été attaqués aux cocktails Molotov.

Peu à peu, Ayazma se vide. Ceux qui étaient locataires iront reconstruire plus loin. Les propriétaires se sont résolus à être relogés. Masallah emménage dans la tour B8. "Ils nous dispersés comme des moutons, râle le vieux paysan. Bien sûr, ici c'est plus luxueux, mais c'est comme une prison, ce n'est pas ma façon de vivre." A Ayazma, les villageois avaient amené leur mode de vie. Les poules ont été victimes de la grippe aviaire, mais vaches et chèvres paissent au milieu du bidonville. "Je suis triste pour mes arbres fruitiers, dit Masallah. Ils étaient comme mes enfants."

Les ex-propriétaires du bidonville sont installés dans trois des 52 tours d'un ensemble urbain flambant neuf où on leur demande de payer pendant 15 ans, l'équivalent de 135 euros par mois de mensualités. Un tarif préférentiel en compensation de leur expulsion. "On ne sait pas comment on va payer", s'inquiète Ogün, père de cinq enfants et ouvrier textile. La mairie va dispenser des cours à ces déracinés, pour leur apprendre à vivre en milieu urbain.

Mais la surpopulation est déjà ingérable. Après quelques semaines, les salles de bain fuient, les enfants démontent les ampoules des cages d'escalier, arrachent les fleurs des plates-bandes pour les revendre. "Ils utilisent l'ascenseur comme toilettes, rigole Kezban au 11e étage de la tour B9, en préparant le déjeuner sur la moquette du salon. Moi, je jette mes ordures par la fenêtre. On est de vrais paysans !"

La violence sociale se mêle à des revendications identitaires."Tous les jeunes sont au chômage, tempête le vieux Muzafer. Pour l'Etat, on est moins que des chiens". "Si je dis que je suis kurde, je ne trouverai pas de travail", se persuade un gamin. A Ayazma, on a brûlé quelques pneus et peint des slogans sur les murs. Dans d'autres quartiers, la réaction plus vive des habitants a fait reculer les bulldozers. Une révolte qui prend un tour de plus en plus radical sous la forme de manifestations de soutien au PKK et à son leader emprisonné Abdullah Öcalan. "Il y a ici des milliers d'autres Öcalan", clame Masallah. (Le Monde, Guillaume Perrier, 22 mars 2007)

Les Kurdes fêtent le Newroz: Incidents et interpellations

Des centaines de milliers de kurdes de Turquie ont célébré mercredi le Newroz, leur nouvel an, encadrés par d'imposants dispositifs de sécurité qui n'ont pourtant pas empêché des incidents de se produire, provoquant une cinquantaine d'interpellations.

Des heurts ont ainsi marqué les festivités à Mersin, une ville du sud du pays qui compte une forte communauté de Kurdes immigrés, particulièrement militante.

Un millier de manifestants, pour la plupart des jeunes, se sont heurtés aux forces de l'ordre après les festivités. Plus d'une vingtaine d'entre eux ont été interpellés et il a y eu des blessés, dont on ignore le nombre, lors de l'intervention musclée de la police, selon un photographe de l'AFP.

"Öcalan, Öcalan", scandaient les manifestants, faisant référence au chef rebelle kurde emprisonné Abdullah Öcalan.

La police a procédé en outre à une trentaine d'interpellations dans d'autres villes, notamment du sud-est peuplé majoritairement de Kurdes.

A Diyarbakir, principale ville de cette zone pauvre de Turquie, environ 100.000 personnes se sont rassemblées dès les premières heures de la matinée sur la Place des Foires, lieu traditionnel des festivités, dansant aux mélodies des chansons folkloriques, selon les chaînes de télévision.

Des milliers de policiers soutenus par des véhicules blindés ont été déployés aux abords pour assurer l'ordre sur les lieux.

La police a dû à un moment tirer en l'air lorsque la foule a lancé des pierres contre des agents qui avaient interpellé un groupe de jeunes scandant des slogans en faveur d'Öcalan, surnommé Apo, a rapporté l'agence Anatolie.

Trois femmes ont été blessées par des jets de pierres dans un autre incident.

Les festivités étaient organisées par le principal parti pro-kurde, le DTP (Parti pour une société démocratique).

Les dirigeants turcs ont pourtant mis en garde les Kurdes pour que le Newroz (Nouvel an) soit fêté dans le calme.

A Istanbul, ils étaient quelque 50.000, selon la police, à se réunir sur un terrain vague de Zeytinburnu, dans la partie européenne de la ville.

"Une vraie démocratie ou rien" proclamait une banderole tandis qu'un groupe a déployé une photo géante d'Öcalan aux cris de "Biji serok Apo" (Vive le président Apo), provoquant une intervention policière.

Comme le veut la tradition, les gens, dont des femmes portant des vêtements traditionnels, ont sauté sur les feux ou les pneus brûlés.

Les Kurdes de Turquie, une communauté de plus d'une dizaine de millions de personnes, profitent habituellement du Newroz pour réclamer des droits accrus et afficher pour nombre d'entre eux leur soutien au PKK qui combat depuis 1984 les forces turques. (AFP, 21 mars 2007)

Ocalan, northern Iraq dominate Diyarbakır’s Nevruz celebrations

The early hours of the morning. Hundreds of people are moving in processions to the fair area, 15 kilometers away from the city center of Diyarbakır.

Participants of Nevruz celebrations in Diyarbakır chanted slogans in support of the jailed PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, and raised flags of the outlawed group.

People, young or old, packed into pickup trucks, buses or private cars are flowing in convoys. Many people are traveling on foot hastily, but with joy. The women wearing traditional colorful clothing, the elderly waving the party flags of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and young women carrying their children on their backs...

Police checkpoints have been set up at several intervals to ensure a controlled migration. At a certain points, the vehicles are not allowed to go on any further. The drivers who are reluctant to pay heed to this prohibition are warned politely, yet with determination.

The enthusiasm is increasing at an unexpected rate though there are still hours for the ceremony to start. In the front rows, women from all walks of life are dancing halay -- an Anatolian folk dance -- and accompanying the dances with songs, mostly in Kurdish. An old woman in traditional clothing opens a huge umbrella decorated with scraps of fabric in green, red and yellow -- the colors of the flag of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). To have a better view of the stage she climbs onto someone's shoulders.

The biggest placard reads: "Either true or no democracy." This is the main slogan for this year's Nevruz. Another slogan is "Turkish unity requires Kurdish unity." There are also other striking placards: "This spring is the closest to freedom" or "Nevruz is the dawn of freedom of the Middle East peoples."

Some other placards have been banned: "The only solution in the Middle East is democratic confederalism." "Your health is our health," says another, referring to Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the PKK. This one relates to the current debates on Kirkuk: "We are all from Amed -- Diyarbakır in Kurdish language -- and we are all from Kirkuk."

Security measures are not restricted to police checkpoints,