Droits
de l'Homme / Human Rights
La
Turquie condamnée pour tortures lors
d'une garde à vue
Trois ressortissants turcs, dont une femme, ont obtenu 15.000 euros
chacun pour dommage moral après avoir été
torturés par des policiers de
la section antiterroriste de la sûreté d'Istanbul, dans un
arrêt de la
Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme.
Pendant dix jours, en juin 1995, les trois personnes,
soupçonnées
d'appartenir à un parti communiste léniniste marxiste,
avaient subi
pendaisons palestiniennes (par les bras), électrochocs sur les
parties
génitales, jets d'eau et privation de sommeil, destinés
à leur arracher
des aveux.
Le gouvernement turc a soutenu que les blessures décrites dans
les
rapports médicaux avaient été infligées aux
requérants lors d'une
bagarre contre les policiers qui les arrêtaient.
Mais la Cour européenne a relevé que les
requérants n'avaient pas été
examinés par un médecin pendant leur détention.
Elle juge probable en
conséquence que ces tortures "particulièrement graves et
cruelles" ont
été "infligées délibérément
par la police dans le but d'arracher aux
requérants des aveux ou des informations".
Les juges européens se sont en outre irrités des
"importants retards"
qui ont entaché l'enquête et ont finalement
entraîné la prescription de
l'affaire.
"Les principaux auteurs des actes de violence ont joui d'une
quasi-impunité en dépit des preuves à charge",
déplore la Cour
européenne, soulignant en outre que la justice turque n'avait
lancé des
poursuites contre des policiers d'Istanbul qu'après avoir
été avertie
qu'une requête avait été déposée
à Strasbourg.
Les trois requérants, âgés aujourd'hui de 49, 37 et
35 ans, résident actuellement en Allemagne et en Suisse.
(AFP, 31 mai 2007)
Police
Regaining Vast Powers in Turkey
The provisional law has evoked strong reactions by MPs, trade unionists
and lawyers. It would give security forces unprecedented, and many
claim unrestricted, powers.
The acceptance of the provisional law was commented on by an MP from
the People's Republican Party, Yüksel Corbacioglu, who said that
it
represented "one-nil for the police state against a judiciary state".
Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP Hakki Köylü complained
that the
new law would allow the police to shoot anyone who "smacked someone in
the face twice and ran away".
Protest by trade unionists
The Trade Union Confederation of Public Workers (KESK) has called for a
rejection of the law, saying that "our country does not need more
pressure, more police force, but more democracy. We call on all parts
of society who support democracy, human rights and freedoms to oppose
this law".
It went on to say: "This law, which foresees questioning in the
streets, arrests without establishing identities, taking everyone's
fingerprints and preparing files on them, unlimited authorization to
search, random pressure put on syndicates and mass organizations, and
using violence without warning, includes many practices that are
incongruous with democracy. "
On the way to a police state
Lawyer Ali Koc has claimed that such a law would create a police state
and that it represented a set-back in the progress previously made with
laws conforming to European Union standards. He summarised the law as
follows:
"Everyone, everywhere, could be stopped, searched as a suspect, could
be exposed to gun use and violence. And the only restraint would be the
'good will' of the police officer in question. The police would be able
to search all kinds of buildings, including homes." (BIA News Center,
May 30, 2007)
TIHV Reacts to Law Enforcing the Police
The Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV) has reacted to the
passing of an amendment by the Parliamentary Justice Commission.
Increase in powers
According to the foundation, the "Proposal to Change the Law on Police
Duties and Authorities" would allow the police the following:
* To stop people and their cars, to ask for IDs and ask questions "in
order to prevent crimes"
* To take fingerprints and photos of a person and keep this information
* To do body searches, searches of cars, private property and documents
* To use truncheons, handcuffs, pressurized water, tear gas or powder,
and to use violence against physical barricades like cars
* To use guns and to fire them non-stop in self-defense
* To force people to identify others
Should this law be passed, the TIHV argues that in the name of crime
prevention everyone would become a potential criminal. The foundation
emphasized that formulations in the law made it dependent on the
disposition of the police how far the freedom of people, associations,
foundations, syndicates and similar organizations would be restricted.
(BIA News Center, May 31, 2007)
Trade Unionist Teacher Killed
The trade union Egitim-Sen has announced that its Deprem Sarikas, a
high school literature teacher and member of the union, was killed in a
"planned and professional manner".
The union suspects that he was murdered for his progressive, democratic
views. The union called the District Directorate of Education, the
police department, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the
Interior and the governor's office to investigate the case.
Sarikas was murdered on 24 May in Ankara on his way to school. Two days
before he had been attacked by a group with knives.
Sarikas had brought cases of racist attacks at schools and universities
to the attention of teachers' boards before and had lobbied for
prevention of such attacks.
The union spoke of a "normalisation" of violence in Turkey in general,
and at schools. This meant that murder became easier to commit and that
both teachers and pupils were in danger. (BIA News Center, May 28, 2007)
Police to be given "terror authorization"
A draft bill handed to the Turkish Grand National Assembly yesterday
aims to expand police power following a bomb attack in Ulus, Ankara
that killed six and injured more than one hundred. The draft bill
proposes the following amendments to the Regulations for Police Duties
and Authorities:
-Authorization of use of all types of human and technical resources and
intelligence activities, including the use of cameras, voice recording
facilities and the internet, to survey possible criminals. It was
explained that this could also mean the ability to listen to telephone
conversations without obtaining any prior permission.
- The police will be able to obtain fingerprints from anybody applying
for a gun license, driving license or passport.
- The police will be able to carry out body searches and searches of
cars, personal documents and personal effects after obtaining authority
from the civil authorities.
- Use of force such as physical force, handcuffs, a baton and
pressurized water will be authorised in that order on persons refusing
cooperation. The officer will say ‘Stop’ before using their gun. If the
person continues to run, the officer must first fire a warning shot
before shooting to disable their escape. (Hurriyet, May 27, 2007)
AI
Say Human Rights Situation in Turkey Froze in 2006
In its annual world report on human rights, published on its website
yesterday, Amnesty International also evaluated the state of Turkey.
Further restrictions
According to Amnesty International (AI), a revision of the Law to Fight
Terrorism has widened "the scope and number of crimes punishable as
terrorist offences". Furthermore, freedom of expression was still not
guaranteed, as the controversial Article 301 was used to try
"journalists, writers, publishers, academics, human rights defenders
and students".
Kurds facing repression
AI mentions the trial of 56 mayors from the pro-Kurdish Democratic
Turkey Party (DTP), which is based on a letter they wrote to the Danish
Prime Minister, urging him not to close to pro-Kurdish television
channel Roj TV based in Denmark.
AI also criticises the "excessive use of force" by security forces
policing the funeral of four PKK members in March 2006, at which 10
people were killed, including 4 children.
More bomb attacks
An armed group calling itself the "Kurdish Freedom Falcons" claimed
responsibility for bombings in different cities last year, resulting in
9 dead and many injured. An armed attack on the higher administrative
court in Ankara, carried out with religious motives, resulted in the
death of one judge. Related to this case, the Kemalist newspaper
"Cumhuriyet" faced three bomb attacks of its premises last year.
Torture
Although there has been a decrease in reports of torture by law
enforcement officers, many detainees stil report mistreatment.
Furthermore, security forces are stil able to act with impunity, both
in torture cases and in militia activities. AI quotes the Semdinli case
as an example.
Conscientious objectors
AI draws attention to the fact that conscientious objectors face prison
for their decision, as there are no civilian alternatives. They quote
the imprisonment of objector Mehmet Tarhan
Protection of women insufficient
Women's groups continue to lament the lack of women's shelters for
victims of domestic violence. The Prime Minister has however called for
measures to curb domestic violence and stop the so-called "honour
killings". (BIA News Center, May 24, 2007)
La Belgique épinglée par Amnesty pour
la loi anti-terrorisme
Enfermement des mineurs dans les centres fermés, surpopulation
carcérale, vols secrets américains sur le sol belge, loi
anti-terrorisme trop vague, la Belgique n'est pas
épargnée par le
rapport 2007 d'Amnesty sur la situation des droits humains dans le
monde.
"La question de la lutte contre le terrorisme a également des
répercussions chez nous", explique Philippe Hensmans d'Amnesty
Belgique. "La loi anti-terrorisme est beaucoup trop vague et les peines
sont démesurées par rapport aux faits reprochés",
ajoute-t-il. Amnesty
dénonce ainsi les peines lourdes appliquées pour
"appartenance à un
groupe terroriste". En ce qui concerne les militants du DHKP-C, Amnesty
s'inquiète des accusations de mauvais traitements durant la
détention
et se félicite qu'un nouveau procès ait lieu.
Autre point noir mis en avant par Amnesty: la question du droit d'asile
et surtout celle de l'enfermement des mineurs dans les centres
fermés.
"Cela reste une préoccupation importante d'Amnesty", souligne
Philippe
Hensmans.
Par ailleurs, Amnesty met en avant la persistance de violences à
caractère raciste, citant notamment l'assassinat raciste commis
à
Anvers en mai 2006. (Advalvas avec Belga, 23 mai 2007)
Une
explosion fait six morts et près de 80
blessés à Ankara
Six personnes, dont un Pakistanais, ont été tuées
et près de 80 autres
blessées mardi à Ankara à la suite de l'explosion
d'une bombe . Le chef
du gouvernement a indiqué devant les caméras de la
télévision, sur les
lieux de la tragédie, que quatre turcs et un pakistanais avaient
été
tués dans l'explosion. Selon l'agence semi-officielle Anatolie,
un
homme grièvement atteint, a succombé à ses
blessures une heure environ
après l'intervention du Premier ministre.
Citant des sources policières, l'agence a fait état de 79
personnes
blessées par l'explosion, dont huit ont été
hospitalisées dans un état
grave. Huit des blessés seraient des Pakistanais, qui se
trouvaient à
Ankara pour un salon international de l'industrie de la défense,
qui
s'est ouvert mardi matin, selon Anatolie citant l'attaché
militaire du
Pakistan à Ankara. Leurs jours ne seraient pas en danger, selon
ce
responsable.
Le dîner officiel de cette foire de matériel et
d'équipements
militaires, qui accueille près de 500 firmes de 49 pays, devait
débuter
à 19h00 (16h00 GMT) au Musée des civilisations
anatoliennes, qui se
trouve à quelques centaines de mètres du lieu de
l'explosion.
Selon un policier, interrogé par l'AFP, la bombe avait
été "placée à un
arrêt d'autobus" sur l'avenue Anafartalar, située dans un
quartier très
commerçant de la capitale turque, à une heure de grande
affluence.
L'explosion s'est produite vers 18H50 locales (15H50 GMT) devant un
centre commercial d'Ulus.
Des experts en explosifs devaient encore déterminer le type
d'engin
utilisé et enquêtaient sur l'éventuelle implication
d'un kamikaze, ont
indiqué à Anatolie des sources policières. (AFP,
23 mai 2007)
La
conférence de Zarakolu et Özkoray
sur le militarisme
Özkoray, Özgüden,
Zarakolu et Kimyongür
La conférence a été organisée par
l'Association des Arméniens
Démocrates de Belgique, les Associations Assyriennes de
Belgique,
l'Institut Kurde de Bruxelles et la Fondation Info-Türk.
L'interprétation des interventions a été
assurée par Bahar Kimyongür,
qui a lui-même été victime de la violation de la
liberté d'expression
en Belgique sous la préssion du régime militariste turc.
A l'ouverture de la soirée, le président de la Fondation
Info-Türk,
Dogan Özgüden, a attiré l'attention sur l'importance
de la tenue de
cette conférence dans une période où
l'armée turque trompe une fois de
plus l'opinion publique en se présentant comme défenseur
de la laïcité.
Après la présentation de deux orateurs, Ragip Zarakolu a
fait un exposé
historique sur le militarisme dans le monde et plus
particulièrement en
Turquie. Il a mis accent sur le statut dominant de l'Armée non
seulement dans les affaires militaires mais également sur les
plans
politiques, économiques et de relations extérieures.
Attirant l'attention sur le fait que la liberté d'expression a
toujours
été violée en Turquie par l'Armée, soit
directement lors des périodes
de guerre et de loi martiale soit indirectement par l'exercice de la
pression sur les instances politiques, Zarakolu a dit: "L'assassinat de
Hrant Dink est une conséquence directe du militarisme en
Turquie. Il
avait invoqué, dans un de ses écrits récents,
l'origine de la fille
adoptive d'Atatürk. Pour cela, l'Armée a mobilisé
toutes les forces
répressives et subversives contre lui… "
"Le militarisme, à l'heure actuelle, constitue l'obstacle majeur
dans
le processus d'adhésion de la Turquie à l'Union
européenne. Le
militarisme ne veut pas abandonner sa position
hégémonique sur la
société turque. C'est la raison pour laquelle
l'Armée a mobilisé depuis
deux ans toutes les forces ultranationalistes.
"Actuellement la Turquie se trouve dans une crise profonde. La presse
internationale la décrit comme un conflit entre des Islamistes
et des
Laïcs. 'Nous constituons le front de défense de l'Occident
contre le
fondamentalisme et la réaction islamiste,' disent-ils. Dans le
passé,
le militarisme avait utilisé 'la menace communiste' pour
justifier sa
domination. Aujourd'hui, elle parle des menaces islamiste ou
kurde…
"On peut trouver très pessimiste le tableau que je viens de vous
présenter. Quand même il y a une lueur d'espoir aux
élections du 22
juillet. Je pense que face à la mobilisation des forces
ultranationalistes, tous les démocrates, progressistes,
socialistes,
révolutionnaires et tous les citoyens de sensibilités
différentes
doivent se mobiliser. Ainsi les candidats indépendants
démocrates
peuvent faire leur entrée à l'Assemblée nationale.
Depuis vingt ans se
développe en Turquie un potentiel de votes de protestation.
Valoriser
ce potentiel de protestation pour qu'il devienne un véritable
alternatif, c'est un devoir qui incombe aux forces démocrates,
progressistes et socialistes."
Zarakolu, en réponse à une question concernant le
passé et
les
perspectifs de la gauche en Turquie, a mis accent sur le rôle
important
du mouvement national kurde:
"Le militarisme a toujours pris comme cible principale les
révolutionnaires et les intellectuels quelles que soient leurs
origines. C'est la
raison
pour laquelle, à chaque intervention militaire, les
révolutionnaires
et les intellectuels ont été sauvagement
écrasés dans l'oeuf.
Par exemple, l'opération
génocidaire contre le peuple arménien par l'Armée
en 1915 s'est
déclenchée avec l'arrestation des leaders du
mouvement révolutionnaire
arménien et plusieurs intellectuels arméniens. En effet,
dans un document officiel publié en
1916, le
gouvernement ottoman affirmait que le responsable principal des
évènements de 1915 aurait été des
révolutionnaires arméniens.
"Il était le cas aussi dans la justification des coups
d'état de 1971
et 1980. Toutefois, l'Armée turque a subi un echec important
lors
de son régime répressif après le coup
d'état de 1980. Il s'agissait de
la naissance du mouvement de libération kurde en
résistance contre la
répression militaire. Actuellement, la seule force qui pourra
préparer
l'écroulement du régime militariste est l'alliance de
toutes les forces
démocratiques et progressistes du pays avec le mouvement de
libération
kurde."
Erol Özkoray, à son tour, a fait un exposé
précis sur les mécanismes de la domination militariste en
Turquie:
"Le véritable pouvoir en Turquie est l'Armée. Le
gouvernement n'est
qu'un organe pour la gestion des affaires courantes. L'armée
exerce son
pouvoir grâce à plusieurs instruments comme la
Constitution de 1982, le
Conseil national de la Sûreté ou le Document politique
pour la sûreté
nationale, qui est appelée également la constitution
confidentielle de
l'Etat.
"Un autre moyen qu'utilise l'Armée est de provoquer et
déclencher, si
nécessaire, des crises externes ou internes. Le prétexte
de créer une
crise est la nécessité urgente de combattre les ennemis
internes et
externes. Les ennemis internes sont des Kurdes ou des Islamistes. La
crise externe est en général liée à la
Grèce.
"L'Armée, depuis 1908, a fait 31 interventions dans la vie
politique,
soit en forme de coups d'état ou tentatives de coup
d'état soit en
forme d'envoi d'un mémorandum au gouvernement ou en organisant
un
défilé de blindés dans la ville. La
dernière intervention était la
diffusion d'un mémorandum sur le site de l'Etat-major.
"En dehors de ces interventions ponctuelles, la Turquie vit dans un
système de coups d'état permanents. Chaque réunion
du Conseil national
de la Sûreté constitue en soi un nouveau coup
d'état.
"En ce qui concerne la liberté d'expression, l'article 90 de la
Constitution actuelle stipule que les conventions internationales comme
la Convention européenne des droits de l'Homme
prévaillent sur les lois
nationales. Ainsi, tous les articles répressifs comme l'Article
301 du
code pénal turc sont d'office caducs. Malgré cela, ces
articles
répressifs sont pleinement utilisés contre tous les
opposants et aucun
tribunal ne conteste l'application de ces articles. Tant que la
domination militariste sur la société turque se poursuit,
il est
impossible d'attendre une véritable démocratisation et un
respect total
d e la liberté d'expression en Turquie."
Le texte complet des interventions sera prochainement publié par
la Fondation Info-Türk.
*) Voir l'article profond
d'Özkoray sur le militarisme en Turquie: "L'Armée
turque au coeur du pouvoir"
Conférence-Débat
Le journaliste-écrivain
Ragip Zarakolu
Directeur de la maison d’édition Belge
et
Président du Comité de la Liberté de Diffusion
de l’Union des Editeurs de Turquie
Militarisme et
liberté
d’expression
en Turquie
Mercredi 16 mai
2007, à 18h
Ateliers du
Soleil
Rue de Pavie 53 – 1000
Bruxelles
Organisation :
Association des Arméniens Démocrates de Belgique,
Associations Assyriennes de Belgique,
Institut Kurde de Bruxelles,
Fondation Info-Turk
Tél: 02 215 35 76 – 02 736 78 95
E-mail : Collectif1971@scarlet.be
Entretien avec Me Eren Keskin, défenseur
des droits de l'Homme
[Eren Keskin est l’une des avocates les plus connues en Turquie. Ses
clients sont des hommes et des femmes persécutés, des
minorités
opprimées, des Kurdes, des Arméniens, des gays, des
transsexuels. Mme
Keskin s’est engagée aux
côtés des associations pour la défense des droits
de l’homme.]
Que signifie un travail comme le
vôtre en Turquie ?
Cela veut dire que je passe la majeure partie de mon temps à me
défendre. Après chaque intervention, en public ou
à l’université, je me
retrouve accusée, la dernière fois pour avoir
parlé du génocide
arménien. Malgré tout, le lent processus de rapprochement
vers l’Europe
a apporté quelques changements… Dans le système dominant,
rien n’a
changé et de toute façon, à chaque étape
importante, l’armée continue
d’intervenir. Il y a eu des améliorations pour les femmes : le
viol
vient enfin d’être criminalisé et l’amnistie pour les
crimes d’honneur
a été abolie. Sur la torture en revanche, le débat
se poursuit, les
changements sont purement formels. On débat de la liberté
d’expression.
On débat, mais il y a la torture, et pas de droits de l’homme.
Les
juges civils se sont substitués aux militaires, mais leur
mentalité est
militaire. Les prisonniers de gauche continuent à mourir – on
compte
122 victimes – dans les cellules d’isolement des prisons de type F.
L’Europe représente-t-elle
une issue ?
C’est l’état-major des forces armées qui commande et qui
tient d’une
main les armements et de l’autre les capitaux. L’armée est
propriétaire
de 38 usines. Les militaires ne veulent pas perdre le pouvoir, ils ne
passionnent pas pour l’Europe et ce qu’ils demandent à l’Union
Européenne c’est un statut spécial pour la Turquie.
L’Union Européenne
y semble disposée. Si les choses évoluent dans ce sens,
les changements
seront de pure forme. C’est à partir de nous, de la dynamique
sociale
que doit partir un processus de changement. Mais une partie de
l’opinion a intériorisé l’Etat autoritaire.
Il y a une semaine, plus d’un million de personnes ont manifesté
à
Istanbul contre le risque que les islamistes puissent occuper les plus
hautes charges de l’Etat. Il n’y avait pas seulement des partisans des
militaires, mais aussi des membres de la société civile.
Comment
voyez-vous cette protestation ?
C’était une manifestation inspirée par une association
qui se réfère à
la pensée d’Atatürk, et qui est présidée par
un général qui participa
au coup d’Etat du 12 septembre 1980. Son objectif est de renforcer la
militarisation, en propageant la peur de l’islamisme. Naturellement je
n’y ai pas adhéré. Il est vrai que certains membres de la
société
civile étaient présents, mais ce qui dominait,
c’était la turcité, la
patrie et le drapeau national.
Avez-vous participé à
la manifestation du 1er mai ?
Nous étions présents en tant qu’observateurs, nous avons
été témoins et dénoncé la terrible
violence policière.
Vous ne voyez donc qu’une seule
menace, celle des militaires ?
Nous vivons écartelés entre deux menaces :
l’autoritarisme des laïcs et
celui des islamistes. Notre démocratie est prise en étau
sous des
pressions énormes qui nous empêchent même de parler.
Assiste-t-on à une diffusion
et à une radicalisation de l’islamisme en Turquie ?
Le danger existe, comme dans tout le Moyen Orient, mais je ne crois pas
que la Turquie se dirige vers un Etat de type iranien. Ce qui
m’inquiète davantage, c’est cette peur de l’islamisation
propagée par
les militaires, qui en font une arme pour renforcer l’oppression de la
société. Après le coup d’Etat de 1980, l’islamisme
s’est développé, les
cours de religion à l’école sont devenus obligatoires et
de nombreuses
écoles coraniques se sont ouvertes. La réaction à
ce processus a été
instrumentalisée à des fins répressives.
Est-il vrai que ceux qui refusent
de se faire enfermer dans les casernes ou les mosquées n’ont pas
de représentation politique ?
C’est évident, avec une loi électorale qui impose un
seuil de
représentativité de 10 % pour avoir des sièges au
Parlement. Nous
aurions besoin d’une Constitution civile, qui nous libèrerait
enfin de
celle qui fut rédigée suite au coup d’Etat de 1980. Nous
devons faire
émerger cette demande au sein de la société, mais
pour l’heure je ne
vois pas de progrès. (Il Manifesto-yevrobatsi.org, 6 mai 2007,
traduction de l’italien par Georges Festa)
Declaration of 500 Leading Figures against the
Military Ultimatum
500 people issued a declaration against the ultimatum published on the
website of the Chief of Staff of the Army on 27 April. 'Citizens’
Declaration' have been signed by numerous artists, doctors, reps of
civil society including 35 lawyers, 132 academics, 48 professors, 67
journalists. Adalet Agaoglu, Prof. Dr. Eser Karakas, journalist Aydın
Engin and actor Mahir Günşiray are among the signatories:
The declaration states that "The ultimatum of the chief of staff of the
army published on 27 April 2007 damaged our already restricted
democracy".
Declaration said: "The intervention of military bureaucracy to the
political scene, normalisation of politics being run under the shadow
of guns, political life being under military tutelage can not be
accepted. The ultimatum of the chief of staff is an open threat to
democracy and is a crime. We undersigned clearly refuse the ultimatum.
What underlies under today’s problems is the constitution of 1980
military regime. Turkey must get rid of that constitution to get out of
the crisis... We believe that the secular republic can be protected by
more democracy not by military ultimatums. Our answer to those who can
say: 'Those who do not say I am happy to be a Turk are our enemies' is
this: We are sensitive and responsible citizens of this country and we
are not at all happy in this situation. We declare that as citizens
determined to protect a free, democratic and secular Turkey we have the
right to resist all interventions aiming to destroy democracy."
(antenna-tr.org, May 15, 2007)
Explosion sur un marché en Turquie: 1
mort, 14 blessés
Une personne a été tuée et au moins 14
blessées samedi matin par une
explosion apparemment d'origine criminelle sur un marché
à Izmir, dans
l'ouest de la Turquie, selon des sources officielles.
Cette explosion s'est produite la veille d'une grande manifestation en
faveur de la laïcité prévue à Izmir,
troisième plus grande ville de
Turquie.
Les explosifs avaient été cachés dans un sac
laissé sur un vélo qui
avait été garé la veille derrière des
étals du marché, situé dans le
quartier de Bornova, a précisé le gouverneur d'Izmir,
Cahit Kirac.
"Les matériaux utilisés pour la confection de la bombe et
les raisons
pour lesquelles elle a été placée" à cet
endroit "ne sont pas encore
connus", a ajouté le gouverneur.
"Il s'agit d'une attaque visant délibérément
(à tuer) des gens, à faire
un massacre", a estimé le maire de Bornova Sirri Aydogan.
Un homme grièvement blessé a succombé à
l'hôpital, selon des sources
médicales citées par l'agence Anatolie.
L'explosion s'est produite en début de matinée alors que
les vendeurs
préparaient leurs étals, a déclaré un
policier joint au téléphone par
l'AFP. La plupart des blessés sont des vendeurs, a-t-il
précisé.
"Le vélo et le sac ont été réduits en
morceaux. Mais nous n'avons pas
vu celui qui a laissé le sac", a déclaré un
commerçant du marché, Hasan
Bakan.
L'explosion a également provoqué des bris de vitres sur
plusieurs
bâtiments voisins et des voitures, selon Anatolie.
Le gouverneur d'Izmir et le maire de l'arrondissement de Bornova se
sont déclarés persuadés que l'explosion ne
dissuaderait pas les
manifestants de participer au rassemblement prévu dimanche en
faveur de
la laïcité.
Selon le gouverneur, 3.000 policiers seront mobilisés pour la
manifestation. Si besoin est, l'ensemble des forces de
sécurité du
département d'Izmir seront mobilisées, a-t-il
assuré.
Deniz Baykal, dirigeant du Parti républicain du peuple (CHP),
principale formation de l'opposition, ainsi que les présidents
d'autres
partis devraient participer à la manifestation, à
laquelle sont
attendues plusieurs milliers de personnes. (AFP, 12 mai 2007)
Enquête
contre Erdogan pour avoir critiqué la
cour
constitutionnelle
Un procureur turc a ouvert vendredi une enquête
préliminaire contre le
Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan en raison de ses remarques
acerbes après l'invalidation par la cour constitutionnelle du
premier
tour de l'élection présidentielle, a rapporté la
chaîne d'information
CNN-Türk.
L'enquête fait suite à une plainte déposée
par un juriste d'Ankara
estimant que M. Erdogan avait violé plusieurs articles du code
pénal en
désignant lors d'un discours devant son groupe parlementaire
mercredi
le verdict de la cour comme "une balle tirée contre la
démocratie".
Le juriste accuse M. Erdogan d'avoir "créé la peur et la
panique dans
le public", "incité ouvertement au crime", "incité
ouvertement à la
désobéissance civile", "abusé de ses pouvoirs" et
"porté atteinte à la
justice", selon CNN-Türk.
Le procureur en charge de l'enquête devra décider au terme
de cette
enquête préliminaire s'il y a lieu d'ouvrir une
instruction judiciaire
-auquel cas il devrait demander au Parlement la levée de
l'immunité
parlementaire dont bénéficie M. Erdogan.
Dans son discours, M. Erdogan a déclaré: "Nous respectons
la décision
de la Cour constitutionnelle, (mais) elle sera abondamment
débattue du
point de vue légal".
"L'élection d'un président par le Parlement a
été bloquée, l'élection
de présidents par les futurs Parlements a été
désormais rendue presque
impossible. (...) C'est une balle tirée contre la
démocratie", a-t-il
poursuivi.
La Cour constitutionnelle a immédiatement réagi aux
propos de M.
Erdogan en les qualifiant d'"irresponsables" et en estimant qu'elles
"transforment l'institution en une cible".
Peu après, M. Erdogan a affirmé qu'il n'avait pas
utilisé cette
expression contre le verdict de la Cour constitutionnelle, mais pour
qualifier l'attitude du dirigeant du principal parti d'opposition,
Deniz Baykal.
C'est le Parti républicain du peuple (CHP) de M. Baykal qui a
réclamé à
la cour l'annulation du premier tour de l'élection
présidentielle,
vendredi au Parlement, au cours duquel le chef de la diplomatie
Abdullah Gül a manqué à dix voix près
d'être élu.
La cour a annulé mardi l'élection pour vice de
procédure, amenant le
parlement à convoquer des élections législatives
le 22 juillet. (AFP,
4 mai 2007)
La Turquie
condamnée jeudi dans une trentaine
d'affaires
La Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme (CEDH) a
condamné jeudi la
Turquie dans une trentaine d'affaires pour des violations de la
convention européenne des droits de l'Homme, parmi lesquelles
des
violations de la liberté d'expression.
Les juges de Strasbourg ont, entre autres épinglé, la
Turquie pour
avoir condamné à cinq ans et six mois de prison en 1999
les acteurs
d'une troupe de théâtre, jugés coupables
d'"incitation à la haine" à
l'occasion d'une pièce qui n'a été jouée
que huit fois dans différentes
villes de Turquie.
La Cour a notamment observé que la dureté des peines
infligées n'était pas "nécessaire dans une
société démocratique".
La CEDH a également condamné Ankara pour avoir interdit
en 1999 la
pièce d'une troupe kurde en arguant que ses acteurs avaient eu
des
liens avec les séparatistes du Parti des travailleurs du
Kurdistan, ce
qui constitue une ingérence dans leur droit à la
liberté d'expression.
Le rédacteur en chef d'une revue trimestrielle, dont des
exemplaires
critiquant l'intervention des forces de l'ordre dans les prisons
avaient été confisqués et saisis en 2002 par la
justice turque, obtient
également gain de cause devant le CEDH qui y voit encore une
violation
de la liberté d'expression.
Dans de nombreuses autres affaires, la CEDH a notamment relevé
jeudi la
durée excessive ou l'inéquité de procédures
pénales en Turquie. (AFP,
3 mai 2007)
Violente
répression de la manifestation du 1er Mai en Turquie
La police turque a arrêté près de mille personnes
qui tentaient de
manifester dans le centre d’Istanbul à l’occasion du 1er-Mai,
date
marquant en outre le 30e anniversaire d’une fusillade sur la place
Taksim. La police anti-émeutes a affronté des
manifestants à l’aide de
grenades lacrymogènes et de canons à eau. Des milliers de
policiers ont
été déployés mardi dans toute la ville. Des
stations de métro ont été
fermées, des liaisons par ferry et autocar suspendues et la
circulation
entre les deux rives du Bosphore a été limitée.
Des centaines de milliers d’opposants ont manifesté dimanche
à Istanbul
et les célébrations du 1er-Mai pourraient être
l’occasion de nouveaux
rassemblements.
Mardi est aussi le 30e anniversaire d’une fusillade survenue en 1977
sur la place Taksim, lorsqu’un assaillant non identifié avait
tiré sur
la foule, provoquant la mort de 34 personnes, tuées par balles
ou
piétinées dans le mouvement de panique.
Les autorités ont seulement autorisé une poignée
de dirigeants
syndicaux à déposer des gerbes d’oeillets rouges sur les
lieux de la
fusillade. Plusieurs centaines de manifestants se sont par la suite
rassemblés sur la place avant l’intervention de la police.
La direction de la Santé d'Istanbul a fait état de 23
personnes
blessées ou indisposées par du gaz lacrymogène,
dont 22, faiblement
atteintes, ont quitté l'hôpital.
Ces violences surviennent dans un contexte politique tendu, quatre
jours après un premier tour de scrutin présidentiel
marqué par une vive
passe d'armes entre le gouvernement et l'armée.
Mardi, 17.000 policiers avaient été
déployés pour empêcher les
militants syndicaux d'accéder à la place de Taksim,
l'esplanade la plus
fréquentée de la rive européenne d'Istanbul,
interdite aux
manifestations et où ceux-ci voulaient commémorer la mort
de 34 de
leurs camarades 30 ans plus tôt.
Le 1er mai 1977, des tireurs non identifiés (des groupuscules
d'extrême
droite ont été soupçonnés) avaient fait feu
sur la foule venue célébrer
à Taksim la Fête du Travail, provoquant un mouvement de
panique qui
avait causé la mort de 34 d'entre elles.
Après avoir repoussé à coups de canon à eau
et de grenades lacrymogènes
les premiers groupes de militants syndicaux tentant d'approcher la
place de Taksim, la police a négocié avec leurs
dirigeants la
permission pour un petit millier de manifestants d'organiser une petite
cérémonie sur l'esplanade.
Les manifestants ont déposé des oeillets rouges à
l'endroit où de
nombreuses personnes avaient été piétinées
en 1977 et scandé: "Côte à
côte contre le fascisme" et "Longue vie au 1er mai".
Les violences ont cependant repris en d'autres points de la ville,
où des groupes tentaient de forcer les barrages de police.
Dans le quartier de Harbiye, proche de la place de Taksim, des
policiers ont tiré en l'air à plusieurs reprises pour
disperser un
groupe de manifestants qui leur jetaient des pierres.
Plus au nord, dans le quartier populaire d'Okmeydani, où des
groupuscules d'extrême gauche et kurdes défient
régulièrement la
police, un à deux milliers d'agents anti-émeutes ont
affronté un nombre
équivalent de manifestants une heure durant, a constaté
un
correspondant de l'AFP.
Les manifestants, armés de bâtons, de pierres et de
cocktails Molotov
ont été dispersés à l'aide de grenades
lacrymogènes et de canons à eau.
Sur la très passante avenue Istiklal, débouchant sur la
place de
Taksim, les policiers ont chargé à plusieurs reprises sur
un millier de
jeunes manifestants et fait usage de grenades lacrymogènes avant
de
prendre position sur l'artère avec un blindé.
Le gouverneur d'Istanbul Muammer Güler a affirmé que la
police avait saisi des cocktails molotov et des armes à feu.
Guler a été critiqué pour ce renforcement des
mesures de sécurité,
alors que la Turquie est plongée dans une crise politique entre
le
gouvernement issu de la mouvance islamique et l’opposition laïque,
le
tout sous la surveillance de l’armée.
Au moins une personne a été sérieusement
blessée dans les violences, a
indiqué le syndicat d'ouvriers DISK, qui a précisé
dans un communiqué
que six dirigeants syndicaux font partie des personnes
arrêtées.
"Nous ne méritons pas ça, la Turquie ne mérite pas
ça. Vous donnez une
image honteuse de la Turquie: celle des coups d'Etat de 1971 et 1980",
a déclaré devant la presse Dogan Halis, dirigeant d'un
syndicat des
travailleurs de la santé, avant d'être arrêté
par la police.
"Nous n'avons pas vu une telle répression depuis l'époque
de la loi
martiale", a déclaré aux journalistes le président
du DISK Suleyman
Celebi, faisant référence aux routes bloquées, aux
stations de métro et
de ferry-boats fermées par les autorités pour
empêcher les déplacements
des manifestants.
La circulation reprenait ses droits en fin de journée.
Des heurts opposant des groupes de manifestants rivaux ont
été signalés à Ankara et Izmir.
(Reuters-AFP, 1er mai 2007)
"Vive réprobation" des syndicats
européens
La Confédération européenne des syndicats (CES) a
exprimé mercredi "sa
plus vive réprobation" après l'arrestation de dirigeants
syndicaux
turcs et de syndicalistes lors du défilé du 1er mai
à Istanbul.
"Il est inacceptable que la police ait arrêté des
syndicalistes venant
manifester pacifiquement et qu'elle ait dispersé des centaines
d'autres
manifestants à coups de gaz lacrymogène", a
commenté le sécrétaire
général de la CES, John Monks, dans un communiqué.
La CES compte parmi ses affiliés des syndicats turcs et elle
"s'inquiète de l'orientation politique actuelle que prend la
Turquie".
Les célébrations du 1er mai ont donné lieu
à des heurts violents mardi
à Istanbul entre des manifestants de gauche et des policiers qui
s'efforçaient de leur interdire l'accès d'une place
symbolique de la
ville.
Près de 900 personnes ont été placées en
garde à vue, a indiqué le
gouverneur d'Istanbul Muammer Güler. La direction de la
Santé
d'Istanbul a fait état de 23 personnes blessées ou
indisposées par du
gaz lacrymogène. (AFP 2 mai 2007)
Pression
sur les médias / Pressure on the Media
5th
Istanbul Meeting: "No Article 301 Exists in Europe"
Human Rights Association (HRA), Association for Human
Rights and the
rights of the Oppressed (Mazlumder), Turkish Human Rights Foundation
(TIHV), Helsinki Citizens Assembly (HYD), AI- Turkey and Lawyers
Association from Turkey and also representatives of civil society from
Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus (south and north), Iraq, Iran, Armenia and
Georgia introduced issues.
Regional forum was followed by the screening of two documentaries one
by journalist/director Tony Agnastiniotis “Looking for Selden” and the
other by Sergé Avedikian “Return”.
36 guest from 36 countries attended the conference as well as the
representatives of rights defending organisations from Turkey where 12
people appeared as witnesses of rights violations. International PEN,
Human Rights Watch, Swedish PEN, PEN Committee for Writers in Prison,
Freemuse, International Publishers Association and Persian Green Relief
Institute representatives discussed the developments.
The meeting began
with a press briefing at the Maiden Tower in Üsküdar.
Alexis Krikorian, representative of the International Publishers
Association (IPA) Sara Whyatt, Secretary of the PEN Committee for
Writers in Prison, and Andrew Gardner, researcher for the Turkish Desk
of Amnesty International (AI) called for the abolishment of Article 301.
Whyatt said that these kind of laws needed to be abolished everywhere
because of their potential of abuse in periods of instability, while
Krikorian claimed that no publisher in Europe had been taken to court
under an Article similar to 301.
Gardner said that freedom of expression was a problem internationally,
but that Article 301 was a priority.
According to Whyatt, only a few European countries, such as Poland,
Italy and Germany had legislation that foresees punishment for
"insulting ministers, state institutions and the nation", but that
these laws had not been applied for the last 10 years.
She nevertheless called for their abolition, as "today's most modern
countries" may start applying them in periods of instability. In
Turkey, she added, it was not the case of one, but of about a hundred
prosecutions, and the murder of journalist Hrant Dink, who had also
been prosecuted.
Whyatt added that in her time at PEN since 1990 she could not remember
any European court trying anyone under an article similar to Article
301. (BIA News Center, May 28, 2007)
Journalist for "denigrating armed forces" in
article
The weekly magazine "Nokta" was forced to close in April 2007. It now
faces a court case under Article 301 for an interview with security
expert Lale Sariibrahimoglu and a follow-up article, both of which
criticised the involvement of the army in domestic affairs.
Ahmet Sik, the reporter who conducted the interview, and Lale
Sariibrahimoglu are being tried at a penal court in Bakirköy,
Istanbul.
The prosecution is demanding up to three years' imprisonment.
There had been discussions about changing the controversial Article
301, but in the current election fever the government has quietly let
the issue drop, allowing it to continue to serve the purposes of the
armed forces' general staff and the general command of the gendarmerie.
Journalist Ali Bayramoglu from the "Yeni Safak" newspaper commented
that Article 301, (formerly Article 159) allows for the demonstration
of authority in a legal framework. He evaluated the latest trial under
Article 301, saying that as long as the activities of "Nokta"
encountered army antagonism, the army would try to prevent any
questioning of its institutions.
In light of the recent warning to the government, which the armed
forces' general staff published on its website, Bayramoglu considers
this trial a sign of more authoritarian behaviour on the part of the
army.
When journalist Sik appeared in court on 22 May to give a statement, he
was notified by prosecutor Hasan Basri Zamanis that he was being
prosecuted because of a complaint from the general command of the
gendarmerie. He and Sariibrahimoglu are accused of "decreasing the
respect for the army among the people" and "denigrating the state's
armed forces".
In her interview with "Nokta", Sariibrahimoglu commented on the
pictures that emerged in the press after journalist Hrant Dink's
murder, and her comments are being used as the basis for the
prosecution. The young man accused of shooting Dink was photographed as
a hero at the police station, and many police staff and officers wanted
their photos taken with him. Sariibrahimoglu commented that "while the
police were taken off active duty, the soldiers were only transferred
to other places. If we look at this scenario, it is not just a case of
protecting personnel, but of protecting a mentality . The Dink
investigation has shown once more that all three institutions [police,
army and gendarmerie] are in need of cleaning up."
According to the BIA media observation desk, around 100 people have
been tried under Article 301 in the last two years. (BIANET/IFEX, 28
May 2007)
Prix du scénario décerné à
"De l'autre côté" de Fatih Akin
Le prix du scénario du 60e Festival de Cannes a
été décerné au film De
l'autre côté du cinéaste allemand d'origine turque
Fatih Akin. En
recevant son prix, Fatih Akin, 33 ans, a voulu adresser "un message
à
la Turquie" en lançant : "Il faut rester unis, sinon nous
tomberons!".
Au lendemain de nombreuses manifestations pour la défense de la
laïcité
en Turquie, le cinéaste a fait explicitement
référence aux élections
législatives anticipées, programmées le 22 juillet
dans ce pays. La
fameuse interprète des films de Fassbinder, Hanna Schygulla,
mène le
remarquable casting de De l'autre côté, qui mêle
comédiens allemands et
turcs, et constitue le deuxième volet d'une trilogie
entamée avec Head
on, couronné d'un Ours d'or au festival de Berlin en 2004.
Dans son cinquième long-métrage, Fatih Akin, né
à Hambourg en 1973,
montre deux familles, l'une allemande, l'autre turque,
rapprochées par
le deuil et par leur double culture. Chaque personnage reflète
à la
fois un aspect de la personnalité du cinéaste et le
chemin emprunté par
des générations d'immigrants turcs en Allemagne, venus
occuper des
emplois non qualifiés, et dont les enfants font aujourd'hui
partie des
classes moyennes, a expliqué Fatih Akin. Le film avait
déjà obtenu le
prix du jury oecuménique samedi. (7sur7.be, 28 mai 2007)
Number of
Imprisoned Journalists in Turkey: 24
According to data of Solidarity Platform of Imprisoned
Journalists (TGDP), 24 journalists of whom 8
are authors have been imprisoned
in Turkish prisons as of 26 May 2007.
Necati Abay, spokesman of Solidarity Platform with Imprisoned
Journalists, gave the following facts at the 5th Istanbul Meeting For
Freedom of Thought, held on May 26, 2007, at the Bilgi University's
Dolapdere Campus in Istanbul:
"Of 24 journalists, 20 were detained after Anti-Terror Act (TMY) which
was put in to effect on September 2006.
"First hearing of those who were detained according to TMY on 21
September 2006 was held on 13th of April, 7 months after, at Beşiktaş
Judicial Court. 10 people, including Halil Dinç who is the
News
Director of Ozgur Radio, were released. Release of more than half
of
17 people proves arbitrariness of detentions and that the indictment is
feigned.
"Date of first hearing of journalists and opponents against the system
including also İbrahim Çiçek, chief editor of Atılım
Newspaper and
author, Sedat Şenoğlu, vice chief editor of Atılım Newspaper and
author, Ziya Ulusoy, author of Atılım Newspaper and Füsun Erdoğan,
General Broadcasting Manager of Özgür Radyo who were detained
according
to Anti-Terror Law on 8th of September 2006, have not been appeared
yet. And they do not know what they are accused with, and
their
indictments are not prepared yet.
"First hearing of Hasa Cosar, author of Atılım Newspaper, who have been
imprisoned for 8 months since September 2006 shall be held in Ankara
11th Assize Court on 30th of May. We wait your participation to
the
hearing.
"Hearing of Hacı Orman, who is Head of BEKSAV Executive Board and Chief
Editor of Sanat ve Hayat (Art and Life) Magazine in Istanbul Beşiktaş
Judicial Court on 29th of May. We wait your participation to the
hearing.
"Erol Zavar who is the owner of Odak Magazine and author, is bladder
cancer. Despite it has been demanded that he should be treated
outside
of the prison with medical report, he is still detained in F Type
Prison."
List of the journalistes in the prisons of Turkey:
Ibrahim Cicek, Atilim, prison type-F in Tekirdag
Sedat Senoglu, Atilim, prison type-F in Edirne
Füsun Erdogan, Ozgür Radio, special prison in Gebze
Emin Orhan, Atilim, prison type-F N°2 in Tekirdag
Hasan Cosar, Atilim, prison type-F in Sincan
Ziya Ulusoy, Atilim, prison type-F in Tekirdag
Bayram Namaz, Atilim, prison type-F N°1 in Edirne
Hatice Duman, Atilim, special prison in Gebze
Suat Kolca, Ozgür Halk and Genç Bakis, prison type-F in
Edirne
Yasar Duman, Ozgür Halk and Genç Bakis, prison
type-F in Edirne
Selahaddin Sumeli, Ozgür Halk and Genç Bakis, prison
type-F in Edirne
Mahmut Bozdag, Ozgür Halk and Genç Bakis, prison
type-F in Edirne
Cem Sahin, Ozgür Halk and Genç Bakis, prison type-F in
Tekirdag
Sinan Kara, Egenin Sesi, prison of Batman
Kemal Aydeniz, Odak, prison of Bayrampasa
Erol Zavar, Odak, prison type-F in Sincan
Mustafa Gök, Ekmek ve Adalet, prison type-F in Sincan
Baris Acikel, Isci Köylü, prison type-F N°1 in
Kandira
Behdin Tunç, DIHA News Agency, prison type-D in
Diyarbakir
Faysal Tunç, DIHA News Agency, prison type-D
in
Diyarbakir
Sabri Adanır, Journal Gündem, prison type-E in
Diyarbakir
Mehmet Karaaslan, Journal Gündem, prison type-E in Mersin
Ali Bulus, DIHA News Agency, prison type-F in Mersin
Sami Gök, Alinteri, prison type-F in Sincan
The Platform of Solidarity With Imprisoned Journalists (TGDP)
Communication: Necati Abay, Spokesman of TGDP; GSM: +90 0535 929
75 86
e-mail: tutuklugazeteciler@mynet.com
Journalist
Emin Karaca to be Retried Under Article 301
The Supreme Court of Appeals had sentenced journalist Emin Karaca to
five months in prison, later converted to a fine of 900 YTL, for
criticizing the army. Now he is to be retried.
Karaca had written an article in the magazine "Yazin" which appears in
Turkey and Europe, remembering the anniversary of the execution of
three leftist militants, Deniz Gezmis, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin
Inan.
In his article printed in the April 2002 issue of the magazine, Karaca
had written about the execution of the three young men 30 years
earlier. He accused the army of being involved in murders since the
1960s.
Karaca had been tried under Article 301/2, for "insulting and deriding
the armed forces". In the trial, which had begun in November 2002,
editor Mehmet Emin Sert had been acquitted.
However, because of a procedural error (a missing
signature), Karaca
will be retried. The new trial is to start on 20 June, in a penal court
in Istanbul.
Dogan Özgüden, Chief editor of Info-Türk,
was also indicted in the same trial under Article 301 because of his
article criticizing Army generals for their criminal repression after
the 1971 Coup. His trial has not been concluded
because he lives in Belgium, but the court delivered an
arrest warrant against Özgüden with the purpose to take him
to the tribunal if he enters Turkish territories.
Reporters Sans Frontieres had written a letter
to the then-Minister of Justice, Aysel Celikel at the time of the first
trial to protest against the case. (BIA News Center, Erol ONDEROGLU,
May 25, 2007)
RSF
criticizes the new law censoring Internet in Turkey
Reporters Without Borders regrets that a bill passed by parliament on 4
May 2007 allowing the authorities to block websites with content deemed
to have insulted the memory of the Turkish republic's founder, Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk, was signed into law by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
on
22 May.
"Legal restrictions now extend to the Internet," the press freedom
organisation said. "Resorting to criminal penalties to punish Internet
users is excessive. It shows the authorities want to force website
editors to censor themselves. The possible consequences of this law are
very disturbing. Will subversive content also be banned from chat
forums? How far does the government want go to impose its control on
online dissent?"
Article 8 of Law 5651 on the "Prevention of crimes in the computer
domain" calls for content to be blocked if it violates a 1951 law on
"crimes against Atatürk." The article says: "When there is
sufficient
evidence of the improper aspect of content (. . .) access must be
blocked." As well as punishing "crimes against Atatürk," Law 5651
also
punishes "inciting suicide" (article 84), "sexual abuse of children"
(article 103), "prostitution" (article 227) and "inciting drug use"
(article 190).
Internet Service Providers are themselves supposed to take the
initiative to block access to content, which they then show to a judge
who decides whether or not the blocking should continue. It will be the
job of a "Telecommunication Council" to identify those responsible for
the content. A complaint will then be submitted to a "Communication
Presidency," which, like the "Telecommunication Council" is an entity
specially created to ensure the new law's implementation.
An Istanbul court ordered the national telecommunications company Turk
Telecom to block the video-sharing site YouTube on 6 March because of
content regarded as "insulting" to Atatürk. Access was restored
two
days later after YouTube removed the offending video. Reporters Without
Borders put out a release at the time urging the judicial authorities
to act with moderation. (RSF/IFEX, May 24, 2007)
A Writer and Four Journalists on Trial
On 23 May, Fatih Penal Court of First Instance No 2 concluded to hear
the case against writer Mehmet Parmak and publisher Hamza Türkmen
launched in connection with the book of Parmak entitled "Kemalism,
Secularism, Martyrdom (Kemalizm, Laiklik, Sehidlik)"
The court acquitted Hamza Türkmen, but sentenced Mehmet Pamak to
15 months' imprisonment. The sentence was suspended.
On 24 May, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 11 concluded to hear the case
against against former DEP MP Hatip Dicle, Ihsan Dörtkardes,
correspondent with the daily Radikal, editor-in-chief Hasan
Çakkalkurt
and owner of the daily Aydin Dogan launched under the Article 7/2 of
the Law on Fight Against Terrorism (making propaganda of illegal
organization). The court acquitted the defendants.
Dicle was prosecuted in connection with a speech he made in January
2006 during a meeting organised in People's Houses in London under the
title "Turkey Resisting Democracy and Kurds in the Struggle for
Democracy" for making propaganda of an illegal organisation (Article
7/2 of Anti-Terror Law), while the journalists were prosecuted in
connection with the news about Dicle's speech published on 25 January
2006.
Earlier, Public Prosecutor in Bakirköy (Istanbul) launched a court
case
against Ahmet Sik, correspondent with the journal Nokta, and Lale
Sariibrahimoglu in connection with the interview appeared in Nokta on 8
February under the title "The army should not deal with interior
security". The indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced
according to the Article 301 TPC.(Gündem-Atilim-Milliyet-TIHV, May
24,
2007)
Weekly Magazine Nokta Tried Under Article 301
The weekly magazine Nokta was forced to close last month. It now faces
a court case under Article 301 for an interview with security expert
Lale Sariibrahimoglu and a follow-up article, both of which criticised
the involvement of the army in domestic affairs.
Ahmet Sik, the reporter conducting the interview, and Lale
Sariibrahimoglu are being tried at a penal court in Bakirköy,
Istanbul.
The prosecution is demanding up to 3 years imprisonment.
There had been discussions about changing the controversial Article
301, but in the current election fever, the government has quietly let
the issue drop. Thus it still serves the purposes of the Armed Forces'
General Staff and the General Command of the Gendarmerie.
Questioning the army is not
legitimate
Journalist Ali Bayramoglu from the "Yeni Safak" newspaper commented
that Article 301, which was formerly Article 159, allows for the
demonstration of authority in a legal framework. He evaluated the
latest trial under Article 301, saying that as long as the activities
of the Nokta magazine met with army antagonism, the army would try to
prevent the questioning of army institutions.
Particularly in the light of the recent warning to the government which
the General Staff published on its website, Bayramoglu considers this
trial a sign of more authoritarian behaviour on the part of the army.
Prosecution comes as a surprise
When journalist Sik appeared at court today to give a statement, he was
notified by prosecutor Hasan Basri Zamanis that he was being
prosecuted, based on a complaint by the General Command of the
Gendarmerie. He and Sariibrahimoglu are accused of "decreasing the
respect for the army among the people" and "denigrating the state's
armed forces".
Sariibrahimoglu: All institutions
need to be "cleaned"
In her interview, Sariibrahimoglu had commented on the pictures that
emerged in the press after journalist Hrant Dink 's murder, and her
comments are being used as the basis for the prosecution. The young man
accused of shooting Hrant Dink was photographed as a hero at the police
station, and many policemen and officers wanted their photos taken with
him. Sariibrahimoglu had commented that "while the policemen were taken
off active duty, the soldiers were only transferred to other places. If
we look at this scenario, it is not just a case of protecting
personnel, but of protecting a mentality. ...The Dink investigation has
shown once more that all three institutions (here she is referring to
the police, the army and the gendarmerie) are in need of cleaning up".
According to the BIA Medya Observation Desk, around 100 people have
been tried under Article 301 in the last two years. (BIA News Centre,
Erol Onderoglu, May 22, 2007)
President Sezer Endorses Internet Law
Yesterday President Ahmet Necdet Sezer ratified Law No. 5651 on "the
preparation of Internet publications and crimes connected with these
publications"
Under the new law, it will be a punishable offence to provide web space
to encourage suicide, sexual exploitation of children, pornography,
prostitution or gambling, or to facilitate the use of drugs or the
supply of dangerous substances.
The same law will also obstruct internet publications criticising
Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.
Critics have claimed that the law is an unsuccessful patchwork of
former laws which will cause confusion and excessive censorship. (BIA
News Centre, May 23, 2007)
More Trials Under Article 301
The trial of journalist and editor Umur Hozatli, who is in court for
two articles written in the leftist, pro-Kurdish "Ülkede
Özgür Gündem"
newspaper, continued on 16 May.
Hozatli, the former editor-in-chief Irfan Ucar and the journalist Sinan
Kara are being prosecuted in five cases, all under the controversial
Article 301. Awaiting questioning of the newspaper's owner, Hasan
Bayar, the case has been postponed until 29 September.
In another case, the President of the Father Christmas Foundation,
Muammer Karabulut, has been acquitted. He was tried under Article 301
for claiming that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate was being controlled
by the court and by the Regional Directorate of Foundations.
Right to criticise
Attending the hearing of his case at a penal court in Istanbul,
journalist Hozatli explained that he was being accused of degrading the
Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish Police Force.
He said, "It is my right to criticize a state institution which makes
blatant mistakes and which uses double standards in its treatment of
citizens, and I will continue to criticize. This is a responsibility of
humanity and conscience."
Journalist Uçar is being tried for his article "Number 301"
which was
published in "Ülkede Özgür Gündem" in 2005. In the
article, Uçar had
criticised the prosecution of Aram Publications for a book that
discusses the disappearance of journalist Nazim Babaoglu.
Meanwhile, journalist Kara is facing court for writing articles titled
"Cadre of Killers" and "The Party of the Barracks" in 2006.
Acquittal for Karabulut
The President of the Father Christmas Foundation, which had been closed
by court order, has been acquitted. A sentence of up to three years
imprisonment had been demanded for Karabulut. (BIA News Center, Erol
Onderoglu, May 21, 2007)
Press
freedom in a dilemma – the case of Özgür Gündem
For decades Turkish governments have been struggling to balance the
national interest and security on a scale where freedom of speech and
thought are placed on the other side.
This is understandable that in a country that has not yet reached its
100th anniversary and throughout that period has found itself beset
with enemies and potential enemies.
Now that Turkey is faced with having to change its laws and practices
to meet the conditions of the European Union, it also has to solve this
dilemma. How free can speech and thought be against security and the
national interest? Other countries have gone through the same dilemma.
But they have had many more years, decades and even centuries to settle
this issue than Turkey.
No sooner does the Turkish government try to change its law (Article
301 of the Turkish Penal Code), there are many who find fault with it.
In fact it is doubtful whether or not anyone will ever be satisfied
even if all restrictions are removed. There will always be people who
are unhappy with absolute freedom.
Özgür Gündem caught
in a dilemma
Seventeen newspapers in 17 years is the history of one newspaper in
Turkey, Gündem, that has survived closure, suspension,
confiscation,
fines, searches, court cases and the imprisonment and even murder of
one of its staff. Its mistake? The newspaper has taken political
stances that are judged to be pro-Kurdish.
Nurettin Fırat, news editor of Özgür Gündem, said to the
Turkish Daily
News, “One of the sine qua non conditions for the peaceful solution of
the Kurdish problem is announcing policies, opinions, suggestions and
reviews, attitudes and patterns of behavior with a multi-lateral,
objective and realistic news mentality. Our Gündem newspaper has
such a
mentality.”
The editor went on to say that it was unfortunate that his newspaper
was not represented at the general assembly of the International Press
Institute that was being held in Istanbul. He pointed out that some of
the IPI leaders would remember how Yaşar Kaya experienced attacks on
the paper when it was first published in 1992. Kaya had even become a
member of IPI, which was engaged in the fight for press freedom.
“However, Yaşar Kaya who today finds himself in political exile in
Germany could not attend the IPI meeting because Turkey denied him
entry,” Firat concluded.
Özgür Gündem and its past
Censorship was applied to newspapers in 1995 and Ülkede
Gündem (Agenda
in the Country) was shut down by the State Security Court in 1998. In
the case of Özgür Bakış (Free View), the distribution of the
newspaper
in regions under emergency rule was prohibited.
The number of investigations and court cases against newspapers
increased as time went on. Gündem started publishing again on
January
17 of this year and went on for 50 days before being suspended for a
month. Yaşamda Gündem (Agenda in life) came out on March 9 for
three
days and Güncel (Contemporary) made it from March 19 to 31 before
being
suspended for 15 days. The government was able to name three reasons
for the suspensions. Pressure was also put on the distributor, a
company owned by Sabah newspaper, to not circulate Güncel.
There is confusion about the suspensions because in a number of cases,
articles that were criticized were published with impunity in other
newspapers. In another instance, there is the puzzling instance of two
courts delivering two different verdicts over the same case.
Azadiya Welat, the only Kurdish language newspaper in Turkey has again
been suspended, this time for 20 days. The decision was taken on March
23, 2007 by the fifth Serious Crimes Court in Diyarbakir on the grounds
that the newspaper was openly encouraging the Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK) by publishing statements issued by executives of the PKK and
praising crimes it had committed. Gündem newspaper reopened for
publishing on April 7 and was closed down one day later by another
court decision for 15 days. (TDN, May 15, 2007)
Radio Station Contests Closure
According to representatives of the Radio Station "Anatolia's Voice",
which started broadcasting in 1999, the administrative court in Ankara
has not reversed the decision of the Supreme Council of Radio and
Television (RTÜK) to revoke the station's broadcasting license.
The
radio station says that the court has affirmed RTÜK's decision,
and
that financial losses of the station due to closure have been ignored.
In the statement by the radio station, it was said that "the court has
chosen to affirm a decision by RTÜK, which is known for its
injust,
biased and anti-democratic decisions. RTÜK allows a lot of
degenerate,
insulting broadcasts, but the life of dissident radio stations is made
difficult. RTÜK cannot bear to hear alternative voices, and sets
random
limits to democracy and freedom." The radio station had been closed
indefinitely on 9 February.
In 2006, RTÜK had initially decided to close "Anatolia's Voice"
for
thirty days because of broadcasts from 2003. A song by Ahmet Kaya, a
deceased singer who had been outspoken about Kurdish language rights, a
broadcast related to the Kurdish issue, comments on a prison
intervention to stop hungerstrikes, and critical remarks about the then
Minister of Justice, Hikmet Sami Türk, were all shown as
justification
for closure.
"Anatolia's Voice" was closed for a total of three months between 2000
and 2001, and members of the management board have faced numerous
trials. After each closure by RTÜK, the station was taken to court
for
"spreading propaganda of an illegal organisation" and "inciting
hatred". (BIA News Centre, May 18, 2007)
Trial
on E-Mail Threats Sent to Academic
Prof. Dr. Baskin Oran is a former member of the Prime Ministerial Human
Rights Consulting Committee which prepared a "Minority Report" for the
government in 2005. Oran and a co-author, Prof. Dr. Kaboglu, were
subsequently tried, but then acquitted, for "inciting hatred" and
"degrading Turkishness, the Republic, the state and state organs".
Four people from different parts of Turkey have now been charged with
sending e-mails containing insults and threats to Prof. Dr. Oran, and
the trial has begun at a court of peace in Ankara, Turkey's capital.
After Oran had filed a complaint, the culprits were identified through
their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. All four accused deny the
charges.
At yesterday's hearing, Oran, two of the suspects and their lawyer Oya
Aydin were present. One of the accused, Dursun Kaya, is a night
security guard at the General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprise
(TIGEM), while Figen Arslan is an office worker in the Directorate's
Secretariat of the Commercial Ministry. Defense lawyer Aydin rejected
the charges. Two of the accused have yet to make statements.
The accused rejected the court's offer of a settlement, and Prof. Dr.
Oran said: "I cannot settle with people who have threatened me with
death". (BIA News Centre, May 18, 2007)
Government Forgot 301; NGOs became "scapegoats"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan answered the quetions as he left
International Press Institute’s (IPI) Congress. Erdoğan said that
article 301 would not be lifted and blamed non governmental
organisations for lack of reform. Erdoğan said that the article could
be amended but did not say when.
Erdogan held NGOs responsible for “not producing healthy proposals” and
added "If a healthy proposal is made we can work on it." Erdoğan argued
that the similar articles are in force in other countries such as
Poland and Germany and said that he was against the removal of the
article.
In the meanwhile many people are still being prosecuted under article
301
Journalist İrfan Uçar and the responsible editor of "Ülkede
Özgür
Gündem" daily Hasan Bayar will appear in Beyoğlu primary court num
2
over a news report published on 13 December 2005. Another ongoing case
is in Batman Primary Court. The case is over a report prepared by IHD,
Mazlumder and Bar Association on the death of Mizgin Özbek aged 11
due
to fire shot by security forces. (BIA News Centre, May 16, 2007)
IPA
Freedom Prize-Special Award to Hrant Dink
Publisher Ncube of Zimbabwe receives 2007 IPA Freedom Prize for his
exemplary courage in upholding freedom of expression. IPA also awards a
special posthumous prize to Hrant Dink of Turkey and Anna Politkovskaya
of Russia.
During the opening ceremony of the 2nd Cape Town Book Fair on 15 June
2007, Zimbabwean publisher Trevor Ncube will be receiving the 2007 IPA
Freedom Prize in recognition for exemplary courage in upholding freedom
of expression and freedom to publish in his country and internationally.
The board of the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) selected
Trevor Ncube as Prize-winner from among many highly commendable
candidates, nominated by IPA members, individual publishers and human
rights’ organisations.
Ana Maria Cabanellas, President of IPA, declares: “Trevor Ncube’s work
as a publisher and his wholehearted support of freedom of expression
have often brought him into conflict with Zimbabwean authorities and
endangered his personal safety. Despite repeated threats of violence
and attempts to strip him of his Zimbabwean citizenship, Trevor Ncube’s
newspapers have persistently continued to expose corruption and human
rights abuses in Zimbabwe, thus encouraging healthy dissent and
criticism both in the public and private sectors.
We award this Prize to Trevor Ncube in deep respect for his courage as
a publisher and as a salute to the passion, the integrity, and the
steadfastness that he so marvellously demonstrates”.
On the same occasion, IPA will be awarding the “2007 IPA Freedom
Prize—Special Award” to Hrant Dink and Anna Politkovskaya. Hrant Dink,
a Turk of Armenian descent, was the editor-in-chief of the
Armenian-Turkish weekly newspaper Agos, which sought to provide a voice
for the Armenian community and create a dialogue between Turks and
Armenians. In October 2006, he was convicted and given a six-month
suspended sentence for the crime of “insulting Turkishness” under
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. On 19 January 2007, he was shot
dead on the street in front of his Istanbul office at the age of 52.
Anna Politkovskaya was the special correspondent for the Russian
newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, who documented the horrific crimes committed
in the war in Chechnya. She was also an outspoken critic of Vladimir
Putin and of the Kremlin’s role in Chechnya. She was shot and killed in
her apartment building in Moscow on 7, October 2006, the apparent
victim of a contract killing. She was 48.
Bjørn Smith-Simonsen, Chair of IPA’s Freedom to Publish
Committee,
says: “The murders of Dink and Politkovskaya were vile. In giving them
the ‘2007 IPA Freedom Prize—Special Award’, we rise to celebrate their
courage, their humanity, and their witness. We rise to celebrate the
free word in the face of oppressive regimes. We also hope that this
special award will remind the Russian and Turkish authorities that full
light must be shed on all the aspects of these two cases”.
More about Trevor Ncube, recipient of the 2007 IPA Freedom Prize:
Born and educated in and outside Zimbabwe, Trevor Ncube became Lecturer
in Political Science at the University of Zimbabwe. He left to become
Deputy Editor of the financial weekly, 'Financial Gazette' before
joining 'The Zimbabwe Independent' as Editor. He later bought the paper
as well as its sister weekly, 'The Standard'. After a few years he also
acquired the South African based regional weekly, 'The Mail and
Guardian'. Ncube is currently the Chief Executive of the three
independent weeklies, the only private and critical newspapers still
published in Zimbabwe.
More about the IPA Freedom Prize and the Cape Town Book Fair:
Created in 2005, the IPA Freedom Prize is awarded for exemplary courage
in upholding freedom of expression and freedom to publish. It is
intended to honour, normally each year, a person, organisation or
institution that has made a notable contribution to the defence and/
promotion of freedom to publish anywhere in the world. The prize-winner
receives the sum of 5’000 CHF (approximately 3’000 EUR or 4’000 USD).
The IPA Publishers’ Freedom Prize will be presented during the opening
ceremony of the 2nd Cape Town Book Fair on 15 June 2007 by IPA
President Ana Maria Cabanellas. For more on this event, whose theme for
2007 is “More than Black on White”, please see: www.capetownbookfair.com
More about IPA:
The International Publishers Association is the global non-governmental
organisation representing all aspects of book and journal publishing
worldwide. Established in 1896, IPA's mission is to promote and protect
publishing and to raise awareness for publishing as a force for
cultural and political advancement worldwide. It is an industry
association with a human rights mandate. IPA promotes intellectual
property, fights against censorship and
IPA currently has 65 member associations in 53 countries.
For further information, please contact:
Alexis Krikorian
Director, Freedom to Publish
International Publishers Association
3, avenue de Miremont
CH - 1206 Geneva
Tel: +41 22 346 3018
Fax: +41 22 347 5717
E-mail: krikorian@ipa-uie.org
Artist
on Trial for Remarks on Kurdish Issue
Izmir Public Prosecututor's Office filed a case against artist Ferhat
Tunç on allegations of "propagation of the illegal pro-Kurdish
guerilla
group PKK", based on a speech he made during a concert in Alanya last
year.
"Guerillas who loose their lives are sons of this country just as the
soldiers who die. My heart bleeds for each soldier and each guerilla
who gets killed...", he said during a concert on July 22, 2006.
The first sitting of the court is scheduled for June 6, at İzmir 10th
High Criminal Court.
If convicted, Tunc faces between 1,5 and 15 years of imprisonment, as
foreseen at the Prevention of Terrorism Law (TMY).
Tunc still faces two other legal investigations related to an article
he wrote at Ülkede Ozgür Gündem daily and for
participating in the
initiative, which met private Coskun Krandi on his release from the
guerillas who abducted him.
Known for his critical approach regarding the Kurdish issue in turkey,
Tunc has received death threats from radical nationalist groups. He's
also known to be warned by the security forces "to be cautious". (BIA
News Center, May 15, 2007)
“Hostility”
Charge against Eren Keskin for saying “Kurdistan”
İstanbul branch chairwoman of Human Rights Association (HRA) lawyer
Eren Keskin is charged over a speech where she criticised sexual
harassment of women prisoners.
2,5 years after she delivered the speech a case is opened against her
under former TPC 312/2 in Viranşehir Primary Court.
Indictment quotes Keskin’s words: "...Do we react the same way when
same thing happens in İstanbul, İzmir, Usak?... Or why do we call it
honour killing yet we call it custom killing when it happens in
Kurdistan.... If we look at the perpetrators of sexual violence exerted
by officials in Turkey and Kurdistan most of them are soldiers... The
reason is the war in Kurdistan... " (antenna-tr.org, May 15, 2007)
Journalists Organize Despite Entanglement
Three journalists working at the Merkez Media Group -which includes the
Sabah daily and ATV- and have been fired while Turkey's Journalists'
Union (TGS) speeds its organizational efforts at the premises.
The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) had seized the Group in
April, as a secret partnership between its former and current owners
surfaced. As of know, the TMSF is legally bound as employer for workers
contracted to the group.
TGS claimed that the recent firings constitute a breach of Turkish
Criminal law, as it's aimed at intervening with the right to organize.
Sabah editor Cengiz Erdinç and ATV reporters Ozan Pezek and
Burak
Ersemiz were left unemployed on claims of "low performance".
TGS lawyer Güven Ergin told bianet that they would file complaints
against the directors who administrated the firings.
Claims of "low performance" should be based on concrete evidence, he
said and added that will demand the restitution of posts for the three
journalists.
Furthermore, TGS chair Ercan İpekçi condemned the threats by the
media
group's directors which claimed that they have the names of those who
inscribed to the union, implying they would also be sacked.
The union noted that its efforts to organize at the media group in
questioned gained momentum following the change of administrative
structure.
On the other hand, TMSF chair Ahmet Ertürk said he has no
knowledge of
the firings and objected to any efforts to disorganize the workers.
TMSF confiscated 63 firms belonging to the Merkez Media Group on April
3. The fund plans to sell the group and seize the amount given as
payment for its owner's public debts. (BIA News Center, May 10, 2007)
Police
Pressure After Critical Article
Editor-in-chief of the local Emirdag daily, Mustafa Koyuncu is on trial
with regard to claims of "insulting a public officer" in an article.
He criticized police officers on duty at the local station with an
article titled "Should we enter the EU like that? They misuse their
authority", that appeared on the issue of March 12, 2007.
Following its publication, the journalist had been arrested during a
random traffic control and he stayed in prison for a week.
He denoted the incident as follows: "The traffic control stopped our
vehicle and the officer told me to 'vanish for 180 days'".
Koyuncu quoted the incident at his newspaper, adding other claims of
abuse and bad treatment at the local police station
Several police officers complained against Koyuncu and he will face the
court on May 24. (BIA News Center, Erol Onderoglu, May 10, 2007)
Article 301 Makes No Discrimination...
The reform of article 301, the controversial law which has landed
Turkish writers and academics with court cases for "denigrating
Turkishness", is not being tackled by the government in this election
year. Thus, it continues to target people from varied backgrounds, in
this case a journalist, a prosecutor and a politician.
The trial of Osman Tiftikçi, writer of "The Evolution of the
Army from
the Ottoman Empire to Today", and its publisher at Sorun Publications,
Sırrı Oztürk, has been postponed after a decision to summon
Tiftikçi,
who lives abroad.
Oztürk: Government
Slackening on 301
Publisher Oztürk claims that the government has lost its
drive to
reform article 301, and in an evaluation for bianet said that "Just as
the government has slackened on 301, so a change of 301 is not on the
public agenda anymore".
When on duty in the Hazro district of Diyarbakır nine years ago, state
prosecutor Mustafa Turhan was tried because a Kalashnikoff gun in
safekeeping of the court was found in his home. He too is appearing in
court to be tried under article 301.
Mahmut Alinak, the Kars Province President of the Kurdish interest DTP
(Democratic Society Party), has been sentenced to ten months in prison
for a speech made at the opening of the DTP Ardahan Province
headquarters. In his speech he referred to events in Semdinli (province
of Hakkari) in November 2005, when a bookshop was bombed. The bombing
brought to light the involvement of the army's secret military
intelligence unit (JITEM) in illegal partisan activities.
Court Waiting for Tiftikçi,
Oztürk Waiting for Justice
The prosecution of writer Tiftikçi and publisher Oztürk for
"degrading
the army" in accordance with article 301 paragraph 2 was continued
today (8 May) at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court.
After a change of lawyers for the publisher was announced, the case
will be continued on 4 July 2007, 9:30 am.
Publisher Oztürk argues that the judiciary makes decisions
according to
the political situation and says that "as long as we criticize the
legislation, [these kind of court cases are] a reality. Without a
consistent democracy and efforts from the government these kinds of
court cases will always turn against us. The sound of fascism's
footsteps can be heard".
Tried for Saying: "I have Never
Trusted Justice"
