From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Thu Feb 1 15:52:04 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 01 Feb 1996 15:52:04 Subject: Lord Avebury: "Why The Surprise?" Message-ID: From: akin at kurdish.org (American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN)) Why The Surprise? By Lord Eric Avebury The publication in The European of January 11-17 of photographs showing Turkish soldiers gloating over the bodies and severed heads of Kurdish victims, occasioned loud criticisms from some of the MEPs who voted, less than a month before, to admit Turkey to the European customs union. Not only was there voluminous evidence of the atrocities which have been committed by the Turkish armed forces in the Kurdish region, over the eleven years of armed struggle, but on many occasions the Turks have escorted parties of journalists to place where they were invited to take pictures of dead bodies, alleged to be those of PKK guerrillas. The bodies are often mutilated, and decapitated is not particularly remarkable. The MEPs should be more concerned with what they do to living. The war between the Turkish state and the Kurdish armed opposition has claimed the lives of an estimated 20,000 people over the last 11 years. Two and a half million people have been violently uprooted from their homes by the military, to live in the shanty-towns of Diyarbakir, the regional capital, and the poorer quarters of western Turkish cities. Many thousands of civilians have been permanently disabled in the indiscriminate bombardments of their towns and villages. There have been hundreds of unreported Pervomaiskoyes in Kurdistan: three thousand villages, and large areas of bigger towns have been erased from the map. Just as many people in western Europe turned a blind eye to Hitler's preparations for Holocaust in the thirties, the democratic world ignores the evidence of incipient genocide of the Kurds in Turkey today. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch/Helsinki, the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, and the Turkish Human Rights Organization have published many damning reports. The US State Department, though committed to friendship with Turkey for geopolitical reasons, cannot avoid being severely critical in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, published every year. The UN Rapporteur on Torture devotes more space to Turkey than any other country in the world. The Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions and the UN Working Groups on Disappearances and on Arbitrary Detentions all have long and detailed sections on Turkey in their annual reports. For most of the time, however, the Turkish authorities manage to keep this material out of the western media. There are no foreign journalists based in the emergency region, and Ankara-based journalists who go there very infrequently jeopardize their right to stay in the country if they write too plainly about what they see. Foreign journalists may even run the risk of prosecution under the Anti-Terror Law, as happened to the Reuters correspondent Aliza Marcus. Turkish journalists who try to cover the dirty war honestly take even higher risks. Some 15 have been murdered by "unidentified gunmen" or killed in custody. Many have been arrested and tortured, and dozens have been given long sentences of imprisonment for writing about Kurdish issues. The Turkish government made some cosmetic amendments to the Anti-Terror Law, under which many freedom of expression cases were brought, in order to deflect opposition to customs union in the European Parliament. But the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN say this has made little practical difference, and their list of active cases is as long as ever. It was good that The European did publish the evidence of Turkish barbarity, and it was useful that Ankara defended itself by pretending that the photographs had been faked. If there was any doubt, let the Turks invite the human rights NGOs, which are denied entry into Turkey, to come and investigate for themselves. Let them lift the ban on Amnesty International and the Parliamentary Human Rights Organization, and let them invite a delegation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is playing an important role in every other trouble spot in the region, from Bosnia to Latvia and from Chechnya to Tajikistan. The United Nations, and the OSCE, have built up an array of treaties and declarations which are supposed to protect the rights of individuals and of minorities. The Geneva Conventions, which are even older, prohibit the killing of civilians in situations of internal armed conflict. The Turks repeatedly demonstrate their contempt for their obligations under these treaties, and for the lives and safety of their Kurdish citizens. Isn't it time the world indicted the imitators of Mladic and Karadjic in Kurdistan? January 22, 1996 ---- American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) 2309 Calvert Street NW, Suite #3 Washington, DC 20008-2603 Tel: (202) 483-6444 Fax: (202) 483-6476 E-mail: akin at kurdish.org http://burn.ucsd.edu/~akin ---- From kurd-l at burn.UCSD.EDU Thu Feb 1 16:12:44 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.UCSD.EDU (kurd-l at burn.UCSD.EDU) Date: 01 Feb 1996 16:12:44 Subject: WWW Photos of Turkish Army Savagery Message-ID: From: akin at kurdish.org (American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN)) Dear friend, The shocking photos of Turkish army soldiers posing with the decapitated remains of fallen Kurdish guerrillas which were published earlier this month in "The European" and other publications have now been scanned and can been viewed at AKIN's Web Page. Please note that these photos are uncensored and quite graphic. They are located at: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~akin Please help us to expose the war crimes which are being committed in the Kurdish regions of southeastern Turkey so that they may never be repeated in the future. We thank you for your interest in the Kurds. ---- American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) 2309 Calvert Street NW, Suite #3 Washington, DC 20008-2603 Tel: (202) 483-6444 Fax: (202) 483-6476 E-mail: akin at kurdish.org Web: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~akin ---- From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Sat Feb 3 11:32:14 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 03 Feb 1996 11:32:14 Subject: Kurd refugee women on hunger strike Message-ID: From: Arm The Spirit Subject: Kurd refugee women on hunger strike against U.N. ----- Forwarded message from Neighborhood Queen ----- >From riot-l at burn.ucsd.edu Thu Feb 1 19:05:53 1996 Date: Thu, 1 Feb 96 16:07:05 -0800 Message-Id: <9602020006.AA00931 at burn.UCSD.EDU> Errors-To: clyde at burn.ucsd.edu Reply-To: riot-l at burn.ucsd.edu Originator: riot-l at burn Sender: riot-l at burn.ucsd.edu Precedence: bulk From: clyde at burn.ucsd.edu (Neighborhood Queen ) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Kurd refugee women on hunger strike against U.N X-Listserver-Version: 6.0 -- UNIX ListServer by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Status: Kurd refugee women on hunger strike against U.N a0309LBY685reulb r i BC-PAKISTAN-KURDS 01-28 0350 ^BC-PAKISTAN-KURDS (PICTURE)@ ^Kurd refugee women on hunger strike against U.N.@ ISLAMABAD, Jan 28 (Reuter) - Six Iraqi Kurdish refugee women began a seven-day hunger strike outside the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad on Sunday. Hama Azize said she and her five companions wanted to convince UNHCR officials that they could not live in Pakistan permanently and needed repatriation to a safe third country. Fakhir Muhammad, an Iraqi Kurdish refugee spokesman, said 29 men were also on hunger strike at their homes, including five who had been fasting since December 10. The male hunger strikers have spent much of the last seven weeks camped outside the UNHCR office, often being removed by police, only to return. A spokesman for the UNHCR said resettlement applications had already been made on an exceptional basis for all of the 1,116 Iraqi Kurds living in Pakistan, of which 79 had been accepted and 224 were pending. The rest had been rejected. ``We have been bending over backwards to accommodate the Iraqi Kurds, but we have simply reached the end of the line,'' the spokesman, Hugh Hudson, said. He said the refugees were in no danger in Pakistan, despite their complaints that they are subject to hostility from Pakistanis who support Iraqi President Saddam Hussain. ``There was plenty of pro-Iraq sentiment here five years ago when Saddam was seen as a hero, but it is certainly not the case today. No-one gives it a thought these days,'' Hudson said. The UNHCR was unable to bow to the refugees' demand that rejected resettlement applications should be resubmitted elsewhere. ``These countries have told us they won't accept applications that have been rejected by others,'' he said. About 1,500 Iraqi Kurds fled to Pakistan via Iran before or during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis. Some have since returned to Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. The UNHCR says each Iraqi Kurdish family receives a monthly subsistence allowance of 2,000 to 6,000 Pakistan rupees ($59 to $176), as well as other benefits such as full access to medical, educational and vocational training facilities in Pakistan. ^REUTER@ Reut05:35 01-28-96 Reuter N:Copyright 1996, Reuters News Service From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Sat Feb 3 11:32:27 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 03 Feb 1996 11:32:27 Subject: Turkish troops kill leftist guerril Message-ID: From: Arm The Spirit Subject: Turkish troops kill leftist guerrilla leader Turkish Troops Kill Leftist Guerrilla Leader Tunceli, Turkey (Reuter - February 1, 1996) Security forces have killed the number two figure in Turkey's most deadly left-wing guerrilla group, security officials said on Thursday. Nezihi Altinay, the second-in-command of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), was among seven guerrillas killed in a clash in the eastern province of Sivas on Tuesday, they said. Security officials said Altinay had been operating in Sivas for several months since moving from the nearby province of Tunceli. The DHKP-C, an offshoot of the now defunct Dev Sol (Revolutionary Left) urban guerrilla group, is normally active in the cities of western Turkey. It claimed responsibility for the murder of two leading businessmen and their secretary in a daring attack at their offices in Istanbul last month. Little has been heard of DHKP-C leader Dursun Karatas since he was granted bail by a court in France where he was arrested in 1994. Dev Sol killed dozens of Turkish military and civilian officials as well as Western businessmen and military personnel in Turkey in the last two decades before splitting into two rival groups in the early 1990s. From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Sun Feb 4 20:09:45 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 04 Feb 1996 20:09:45 Subject: 60 Minutes: "An American Dilemma" Message-ID: From: Arm The Spirit 60 Minutes "An American Dilemma" VOL. XXVIII, NO. 16, January 14, 1996 ED BRADLEY: Since the end of the cold war and the disappearance of the Soviet threat, the United States probably has no more important ally in NATO than Turkey. And there is probably no other NATO member facing as much turmoil. The Western leaning, Yale educated Prime Minister, Tansu Ciller, was unseated in recent elections in which an Islamic party, whose leader is anti-Western, got the most votes. On top of that, one American Congressman says Turkey, which receives hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid, is engaged in genocide. He's talking about the campaign against the Kurds, an ethnic minority of mostly farmers and sheep herders who have lived with their own language and customs for more than four thousand years. In 1993, when we went to Iraq, just across the border from Turkey, we saw evidence of what Saddam Hussein had done to the very same people, the Kurds. There were mass graves where people had been shot and buried; villages that had been burned, or the people hit with poison gas. After the Gulf War, to protect the Kurds, the United States mounted Operation Provide Comfort, a military-run effort that polices Northern Iraq, providing protection and humanitarian aid at a cost of $130 million a year. But next door in Turkey, Kurds are still being tortured and killed; persecution that human rights organizations charge the U.S. Government actually supports with some of its tax dollars. William Schulz is the Executive Director of Amnesty International, U.S.A. WILLIAM SCHULZ: This year, Turkey will receive $320 million dollars in military loans. That's $320 million dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, which is not going for anything here at home, and it's not going to build democracy or human rights around the world. It's is going to the Turkish Government for the purpose of killing their own citizens. ED BRADLEY: Those citizens are Turkish Kurds, and they've been caught in the crossfire of an eleven-year-old war. There are some 20 million Kurds, the largest ethnic group in the world without their own country. They live in Iraq, Iran and Syria, but most of them are in Turkey. Since 1984, the Turkish military has been fighting this small army of Kurdish guerrillas. They have been seeking to establish an independent Kurdish nation in southeastern Turkey. During the war, both the guerrillas and the Turkish military have been accused of human rights violations against civilians. But Republican Congressman John Porter says there's an important difference; one side -- the Turkish Government, is the third largest recipient of U.S. economic and military aid in the world. JOHN PORTER: We cannot sit on the sidelines while these kinds of abuses are going on, while our ally uses our military equipment to kill and maim innocent people in their society. ED BRADLEY: But reports persist of brutal repression of Kurdish civilians by the U.S.-backed military; reports of torture, murder and the destruction of hundreds of Kurdish villages. Here in the southeastern part of Turkey, there are an estimated 2500 villages like this one, either evacuated or destroyed. People who used to live in them say Turkish army soldiers would come to a village and give them a choice; they either had to join the Village Guard, which meant they'd had to take up arms against Kurdish guerrillas, or they'd be forced out of their homes. Most chose not to fight the guerrillas, who are known as the PKK. As a result, there are some two-million refugees from this part of Turkey. Onur Oyman is the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister. ONUR OYMAN: It is our homeland, Turkey. And we are defending our homeland. ED BRADLEY: Oyman says his government's military operation is a legitimate response to the threat posed by the PKK guerrilla insurgency. ONUR OYMAN: They have killed so many women and children, teachers, professors, judges and religious persons. So it is a pure bloody terror organization. ED BRADLEY: But Congressman Porter says regardless of the PKK threat, the Turkish Government has gone too far. JOHN PORTER: I think what is going against the Kurds in Turkey, approaches government terrorism; state terrorism by the Turkish military. And while any country has the right to fight terrorism and to prevent separatism, the kinds of repressive measures, extra- judicial killings, burning of villages, and the like, is -- is -- goes too far, far beyond reasonable measures to fight terrorism, and amounts -- amounts to genocide against the Kurdish people. ED BRADLEY: Few could argue with scenes like this. German television was documenting this 1992 Kurdish holiday celebration in Cizre, when government troops opened fire. At least four civilians were killed. Yet in the face of mounting evidence of military repression of Kurds, the Turkish Government categorically denies any wrongdoing. ONUR OYMAN: Can you believe, for a moment, that a democratic country can kill its own women and children? ED BRADLEY: It's happened. ONUR OYMAN: Just -- just -- just to -- to accuse terrorists? It's against common sense. It's against our traditions. It's against our way of life. And you cannot find such cases throughout our history. We are not criminals. We are not barbarians in Turkey. ED BRADLEY: But since 1993, there have been more than 4000 official complaints of human rights abuses made by Turkish Kurds against the Turkish Government. In addition to the outright killings, reports of civilians disappearing and systematic torture are widespread. This Kurdish doctor says he was detained and tortured by the Turkish military because he was suspected of treating PKK guerrillas. VESI (TRANSLATOR): They seemed to be aiming for my sides and my back. They were hitting me very hard in my kidneys. They then asked me to undress, and threatened me with a stick, to put the stick inside of me. Then I was soaked with cold water from a high pressure hose. They squeezed my testicles and from time to time they gave me electric shocks. ED BRADLEY: In the U.S. State Department's country report on human rights in Turkey, it says that commonly employed methods of torture include high pressure cold water hoses, electric shocks, beating on the soles of the feet, beating of the genitalia, hanging by the arms, blindfolding, sleep deprivation, taking away of clothes, systematic beatings and vaginal and anal rape with truncheons, and, in some instances, gun barrels. This goes on in your country? ONUR OYMAN: Well, all these are prohibited in Turkey. And punishable -- severely punishable by law. What we hear, what we listen on such reports, or other reports, are allegations. So we cannot accept these general allegations. And we consider that it's -- it's a pity that -- a friendly country can write such reports without proven facts. ED BRADLEY: That friendly country is the United States, and the report was written by the State Department. John Shattuck is the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights. JOHN SHATTUCK: I think the documented cases of human rights issues and problems in Turkey are very clear, and I think we have, in the areas of freedom of expression, and in the areas of torture, and in areas of massive injury to civilians, some very serious problems. JOHN PORTER: This is not an effective way to fight terrorist activity. It only alienates a very large segment of the population, and causes massive human rights abuses. ED BRADLEY: So the PKK murders civilians? JOHN SHATTUCK: Yes. ED BRADLEY: And the Turkish Government murders civilians? JOHN SHATTUCK: Right. ED BRADLEY: So, the people are caught in the middle. JOHN SHATTUCK: People are caught tragically in the middle of this. There's no question about it. ED BRADLEY: And there is increasing evidence that the U.S.- supplied military hardware is contributing to the conflict. U.S.- made equipment is everywhere in southeastern Turkey. F-4 fighter jets, M-60 tanks, helicopters and armored personnel carriers; all part of the $6.9 billion dollars worth of military firepower the U.S. has provided Turkey in the last ten years. In this 1992 offensive, the Turkish military used their U.S.-made F-4 fighters and Cobra helicopters to bomb Kurdish guerrilla strongholds. Abdullah Ocalan is the leader of the PKK guerrilla army. We spoke to him at a safe house in the Middle East. ABDULLAH OCALAN (TRANSLATOR): It is an absolute reality, that without U.S. technology, Turkey could not have prolonged the war against us this long. ED BRADLEY: And have those weapons been used against civilians? ABDULLAH OCALAN: This is very obvious. All the villages have been burned by the American weapons, on an everyday basis. Today, these weapons, F-16's and helicopters, are being sued. ED BRADLEY: In fact, the U.S. State Department did acknowledge, for the first time in a report last spring, that it is "highly likely" U.S.-made equipment has been used in human rights violations against innocent Kurdish civilians. But despite that, the administration's policy is to continue supporting massive military aid for Turkey. John Kornblum helps shape policy as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. JOHN KORNBLUM: It -- it can't be overestimated, how central the role of Turkey is. Ten years ago, Turkey looked to most people as being at the end of the world. All of a sudden, almost overnight, Turkey was put right in the center of an area of the world which is changing rapidly, which is strategic, economically militarily, and which there is the danger of immense and massive conflict. ED BRADLEY: The threat of conflict in the region is why Incirlik air base in Turkey is now the hub for the U.S. military in this part of the world. There are more than 2000 U.S. military personnel, and an arsenal of sophisticated weaponry stationed there. Surrounded by several aggressive fundamentalist regimes, Turkey is now the new front line of NATO. That's why U.S. policy- makers say they have to funnel weapons to the Turkish Government, despite its continued mistreatment of the Kurds. JOHN KORNBLUM: It has a difficult, lamentable situation in its southeastern area, and it is taking measures which we don't support. ED BRADLEY: Well we provide them with about 80 percent of their military equipment. Correct? JOHN KORNBLUM: Yeah. But their military equipment is based on a much different role of Turkey. Their -- their role as a NATO ally, and their very important strategic considerations. ED BRADLEY: Kornblum says the U.S. routinely pressures Turkish officials to clean up their human rights record. But Congressman Porter says the results so far are only promises not kept by the Turkish Government. JOHN PORTER: There is cosmetic progress. But the changes are very, very minimal. Every time there's a budget cycle where anyone threatens to cut their economic aid, they suddenly say, " well, we're going to change things. We're meeting in Parliament, and you'll see some real change occurring." And as soon as we get through the cycle, and -- and the aid is given, then no real change occurs at all. ED BRADLEY: It goes back to what is was? JOHN PORTER: It goes back to what it was. Repression only. ED BRADLEY: Meanwhile, the PKK's Abdullah Ocalan told us that he wants peace now. And he is willing to give up on his wish for an independent Kurdish state, in exchange for negotiations on Kurdish rights. Have you ever approached the Government of Turkey to talk about peaceful negotiations? ABDULLAH OCALAN: I am calling them every day. I am prepared to sign anything that would guarantee some form of democracy. I am prepared to accept it now. ED BRADLEY: So, you don't want to have an independent Kurdistan? ABDULLAH OCALAN: No. The main thing is the freedom of the Kurdish people; political and cultural freedom for the Kurds. ED BRADLEY: Would you consider negotiating a political settlement with the PKK? ONUR OYMAN: Of course not. No governments, no democratic government can negotiate with terrorists. ED BRADLEY: While the war continues between the Turkish Government and the PKK, the U.S. will spend more than $100 million dollars this year on Operation Provide Comfort to protect Kurds right next door in Iraq. But the U.S. will also provide the Turkish Government hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic aid, as Turkish Kurds and their villages continue to disappear. WILLIAM SCHULZ: It's strange, isn't it -- It's schizophrenic -- a schizophrenic policy. Because one would think that if it was in fact the welfare of the Kurds that the U.S. Government had at heart, that the policy would be more consistent. Obviously the U.S. policy is -- is impacted by the foreign policy considerations and strategic considerations with regard to those two countries. ED BRADLEY: Policy and strategic considerations, that even the State Department knows are of little comfort to Kurds in Turkey. How does the destruction of Kurdish villages in Turkey differ from the destruction of Kurdish villages across the border in Iraq, by Saddam Hussein? JEFF KORNBLUM: If you're in the village, there's no difference whatsoever. ED BRADLEY: During our interviews, the State Department told us it is now giving more scrutiny to proposed weapons sales to Turkey, and even canceling some. Since then, however, the Clinton Administration announced yet another shipment to Turkey -- one hundred and thirty-two million dollars worth of sophisticated anti- personnel missiles. ___________________________________________________ ++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++ ++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++ ++++ see http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm ++++ +++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++== Arm The Spirit is an autonomist/anti-imperialist collective based in Toronto, Canada. Our focus includes a wide variety of material, including political prisoners, national liberation struggles, armed communist resistance, anti-fascism, the fight against patriarchy, and more. We regularly publish our writings, research, and translation materials in our magazine and bulletins called Arm The Spirit. For more information, contact: Arm The Spirit P.O. Box 6326, Stn. A Toronto, Ontario M5W 1P7 Canada E-mail: ats at etext.org WWW: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats FTP: ftp.etext.org --> /pub/Politics/Arm.The.Spirit +++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++== From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Sun Feb 4 20:09:52 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 04 Feb 1996 20:09:52 Subject: 60 Minutes: "An American Dilemma" References: Message-ID: From: Arm The Spirit 60 Minutes "An American Dilemma" VOL. XXVIII, NO. 16, January 14, 1996 ED BRADLEY: Since the end of the cold war and the disappearance of the Soviet threat, the United States probably has no more important ally in NATO than Turkey. And there is probably no other NATO member facing as much turmoil. The Western leaning, Yale educated Prime Minister, Tansu Ciller, was unseated in recent elections in which an Islamic party, whose leader is anti-Western, got the most votes. On top of that, one American Congressman says Turkey, which receives hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid, is engaged in genocide. He's talking about the campaign against the Kurds, an ethnic minority of mostly farmers and sheep herders who have lived with their own language and customs for more than four thousand years. In 1993, when we went to Iraq, just across the border from Turkey, we saw evidence of what Saddam Hussein had done to the very same people, the Kurds. There were mass graves where people had been shot and buried; villages that had been burned, or the people hit with poison gas. After the Gulf War, to protect the Kurds, the United States mounted Operation Provide Comfort, a military-run effort that polices Northern Iraq, providing protection and humanitarian aid at a cost of $130 million a year. But next door in Turkey, Kurds are still being tortured and killed; persecution that human rights organizations charge the U.S. Government actually supports with some of its tax dollars. William Schulz is the Executive Director of Amnesty International, U.S.A. WILLIAM SCHULZ: This year, Turkey will receive $320 million dollars in military loans. That's $320 million dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, which is not going for anything here at home, and it's not going to build democracy or human rights around the world. It's is going to the Turkish Government for the purpose of killing their own citizens. ED BRADLEY: Those citizens are Turkish Kurds, and they've been caught in the crossfire of an eleven-year-old war. There are some 20 million Kurds, the largest ethnic group in the world without their own country. They live in Iraq, Iran and Syria, but most of them are in Turkey. Since 1984, the Turkish military has been fighting this small army of Kurdish guerrillas. They have been seeking to establish an independent Kurdish nation in southeastern Turkey. During the war, both the guerrillas and the Turkish military have been accused of human rights violations against civilians. But Republican Congressman John Porter says there's an important difference; one side -- the Turkish Government, is the third largest recipient of U.S. economic and military aid in the world. JOHN PORTER: We cannot sit on the sidelines while these kinds of abuses are going on, while our ally uses our military equipment to kill and maim innocent people in their society. ED BRADLEY: But reports persist of brutal repression of Kurdish civilians by the U.S.-backed military; reports of torture, murder and the destruction of hundreds of Kurdish villages. Here in the southeastern part of Turkey, there are an estimated 2500 villages like this one, either evacuated or destroyed. People who used to live in them say Turkish army soldiers would come to a village and give them a choice; they either had to join the Village Guard, which meant they'd had to take up arms against Kurdish guerrillas, or they'd be forced out of their homes. Most chose not to fight the guerrillas, who are known as the PKK. As a result, there are some two-million refugees from this part of Turkey. Onur Oyman is the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister. ONUR OYMAN: It is our homeland, Turkey. And we are defending our homeland. ED BRADLEY: Oyman says his government's military operation is a legitimate response to the threat posed by the PKK guerrilla insurgency. ONUR OYMAN: They have killed so many women and children, teachers, professors, judges and religious persons. So it is a pure bloody terror organization. ED BRADLEY: But Congressman Porter says regardless of the PKK threat, the Turkish Government has gone too far. JOHN PORTER: I think what is going against the Kurds in Turkey, approaches government terrorism; state terrorism by the Turkish military. And while any country has the right to fight terrorism and to prevent separatism, the kinds of repressive measures, extra- judicial killings, burning of villages, and the like, is -- is -- goes too far, far beyond reasonable measures to fight terrorism, and amounts -- amounts to genocide against the Kurdish people. ED BRADLEY: Few could argue with scenes like this. German television was documenting this 1992 Kurdish holiday celebration in Cizre, when government troops opened fire. At least four civilians were killed. Yet in the face of mounting evidence of military repression of Kurds, the Turkish Government categorically denies any wrongdoing. ONUR OYMAN: Can you believe, for a moment, that a democratic country can kill its own women and children? ED BRADLEY: It's happened. ONUR OYMAN: Just -- just -- just to -- to accuse terrorists? It's against common sense. It's against our traditions. It's against our way of life. And you cannot find such cases throughout our history. We are not criminals. We are not barbarians in Turkey. ED BRADLEY: But since 1993, there have been more than 4000 official complaints of human rights abuses made by Turkish Kurds against the Turkish Government. In addition to the outright killings, reports of civilians disappearing and systematic torture are widespread. This Kurdish doctor says he was detained and tortured by the Turkish military because he was suspected of treating PKK guerrillas. VESI (TRANSLATOR): They seemed to be aiming for my sides and my back. They were hitting me very hard in my kidneys. They then asked me to undress, and threatened me with a stick, to put the stick inside of me. Then I was soaked with cold water from a high pressure hose. They squeezed my testicles and from time to time they gave me electric shocks. ED BRADLEY: In the U.S. State Department's country report on human rights in Turkey, it says that commonly employed methods of torture include high pressure cold water hoses, electric shocks, beating on the soles of the feet, beating of the genitalia, hanging by the arms, blindfolding, sleep deprivation, taking away of clothes, systematic beatings and vaginal and anal rape with truncheons, and, in some instances, gun barrels. This goes on in your country? ONUR OYMAN: Well, all these are prohibited in Turkey. And punishable -- severely punishable by law. What we hear, what we listen on such reports, or other reports, are allegations. So we cannot accept these general allegations. And we consider that it's -- it's a pity that -- a friendly country can write such reports without proven facts. ED BRADLEY: That friendly country is the United States, and the report was written by the State Department. John Shattuck is the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights. JOHN SHATTUCK: I think the documented cases of human rights issues and problems in Turkey are very clear, and I think we have, in the areas of freedom of expression, and in the areas of torture, and in areas of massive injury to civilians, some very serious problems. JOHN PORTER: This is not an effective way to fight terrorist activity. It only alienates a very large segment of the population, and causes massive human rights abuses. ED BRADLEY: So the PKK murders civilians? JOHN SHATTUCK: Yes. ED BRADLEY: And the Turkish Government murders civilians? JOHN SHATTUCK: Right. ED BRADLEY: So, the people are caught in the middle. JOHN SHATTUCK: People are caught tragically in the middle of this. There's no question about it. ED BRADLEY: And there is increasing evidence that the U.S.- supplied military hardware is contributing to the conflict. U.S.- made equipment is everywhere in southeastern Turkey. F-4 fighter jets, M-60 tanks, helicopters and armored personnel carriers; all part of the $6.9 billion dollars worth of military firepower the U.S. has provided Turkey in the last ten years. In this 1992 offensive, the Turkish military used their U.S.-made F-4 fighters and Cobra helicopters to bomb Kurdish guerrilla strongholds. Abdullah Ocalan is the leader of the PKK guerrilla army. We spoke to him at a safe house in the Middle East. ABDULLAH OCALAN (TRANSLATOR): It is an absolute reality, that without U.S. technology, Turkey could not have prolonged the war against us this long. ED BRADLEY: And have those weapons been used against civilians? ABDULLAH OCALAN: This is very obvious. All the villages have been burned by the American weapons, on an everyday basis. Today, these weapons, F-16's and helicopters, are being sued. ED BRADLEY: In fact, the U.S. State Department did acknowledge, for the first time in a report last spring, that it is "highly likely" U.S.-made equipment has been used in human rights violations against innocent Kurdish civilians. But despite that, the administration's policy is to continue supporting massive military aid for Turkey. John Kornblum helps shape policy as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. JOHN KORNBLUM: It -- it can't be overestimated, how central the role of Turkey is. Ten years ago, Turkey looked to most people as being at the end of the world. All of a sudden, almost overnight, Turkey was put right in the center of an area of the world which is changing rapidly, which is strategic, economically militarily, and which there is the danger of immense and massive conflict. ED BRADLEY: The threat of conflict in the region is why Incirlik air base in Turkey is now the hub for the U.S. military in this part of the world. There are more than 2000 U.S. military personnel, and an arsenal of sophisticated weaponry stationed there. Surrounded by several aggressive fundamentalist regimes, Turkey is now the new front line of NATO. That's why U.S. policy- makers say they have to funnel weapons to the Turkish Government, despite its continued mistreatment of the Kurds. JOHN KORNBLUM: It has a difficult, lamentable situation in its southeastern area, and it is taking measures which we don't support. ED BRADLEY: Well we provide them with about 80 percent of their military equipment. Correct? JOHN KORNBLUM: Yeah. But their military equipment is based on a much different role of Turkey. Their -- their role as a NATO ally, and their very important strategic considerations. ED BRADLEY: Kornblum says the U.S. routinely pressures Turkish officials to clean up their human rights record. But Congressman Porter says the results so far are only promises not kept by the Turkish Government. JOHN PORTER: There is cosmetic progress. But the changes are very, very minimal. Every time there's a budget cycle where anyone threatens to cut their economic aid, they suddenly say, " well, we're going to change things. We're meeting in Parliament, and you'll see some real change occurring." And as soon as we get through the cycle, and -- and the aid is given, then no real change occurs at all. ED BRADLEY: It goes back to what is was? JOHN PORTER: It goes back to what it was. Repression only. ED BRADLEY: Meanwhile, the PKK's Abdullah Ocalan told us that he wants peace now. And he is willing to give up on his wish for an independent Kurdish state, in exchange for negotiations on Kurdish rights. Have you ever approached the Government of Turkey to talk about peaceful negotiations? ABDULLAH OCALAN: I am calling them every day. I am prepared to sign anything that would guarantee some form of democracy. I am prepared to accept it now. ED BRADLEY: So, you don't want to have an independent Kurdistan? ABDULLAH OCALAN: No. The main thing is the freedom of the Kurdish people; political and cultural freedom for the Kurds. ED BRADLEY: Would you consider negotiating a political settlement with the PKK? ONUR OYMAN: Of course not. No governments, no democratic government can negotiate with terrorists. ED BRADLEY: While the war continues between the Turkish Government and the PKK, the U.S. will spend more than $100 million dollars this year on Operation Provide Comfort to protect Kurds right next door in Iraq. But the U.S. will also provide the Turkish Government hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic aid, as Turkish Kurds and their villages continue to disappear. WILLIAM SCHULZ: It's strange, isn't it -- It's schizophrenic -- a schizophrenic policy. Because one would think that if it was in fact the welfare of the Kurds that the U.S. Government had at heart, that the policy would be more consistent. Obviously the U.S. policy is -- is impacted by the foreign policy considerations and strategic considerations with regard to those two countries. ED BRADLEY: Policy and strategic considerations, that even the State Department knows are of little comfort to Kurds in Turkey. How does the destruction of Kurdish villages in Turkey differ from the destruction of Kurdish villages across the border in Iraq, by Saddam Hussein? JEFF KORNBLUM: If you're in the village, there's no difference whatsoever. ED BRADLEY: During our interviews, the State Department told us it is now giving more scrutiny to proposed weapons sales to Turkey, and even canceling some. Since then, however, the Clinton Administration announced yet another shipment to Turkey -- one hundred and thirty-two million dollars worth of sophisticated anti- personnel missiles. ___________________________________________________ ++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++ ++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++ ++++ see http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm ++++ +++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++== Arm The Spirit is an autonomist/anti-imperialist collective based in Toronto, Canada. Our focus includes a wide variety of material, including political prisoners, national liberation struggles, armed communist resistance, anti-fascism, the fight against patriarchy, and more. We regularly publish our writings, research, and translation materials in our magazine and bulletins called Arm The Spirit. For more information, contact: Arm The Spirit P.O. Box 6326, Stn. A Toronto, Ontario M5W 1P7 Canada E-mail: ats at etext.org WWW: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats FTP: ftp.etext.org --> /pub/Politics/Arm.The.Spirit +++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++== From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Sun Feb 4 20:09:55 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 04 Feb 1996 20:09:55 Subject: IHD Report for 1995 Message-ID: From: Arm The Spirit Human Rights Association (IHD) Of Turkey: Balance For The First 11 Months Of 1995 Arrests: 12,033 Cases of torture: 225 Deaths from torture: 92 "Disappeared" in custody: 199 Press workers arrested: 421 Persons jailed: 1,637 Civilians killed in the war: 188 Civilians wounded: 291 Attacks by "unknown persons": 98 Number of casualties in these attacks: 1,078 Villages depopulated and burned: 208 Publications, associations, unions closed: 98 Publications confiscated: 269 Raids on publications, associations, unions: 169 Persons imprisoned for thought crimes: 125 Total sentences: 161 years, 10 months Total fines: 15,782,000,000,000 Turkish lira (Source: Kurdistan Rundbrief #1/96) From warresisters at gn.apc.org Mon Feb 5 11:15:44 1996 From: warresisters at gn.apc.org (warresisters at gn.apc.org) Date: 05 Feb 1996 11:15:44 +0000 (GMT) Subject: Turkey: ISKD Jan. Newsletter Message-ID: From: War Resisters International /* Written 6:10 PM Jan 29, 1996 by warresisters in gn:wri.news */ /* ---------- "Turkey: ISKD Jan. Newsletter" ---------- */ ISKD NEWSLETTER 1996 - January 1) ANTIMILITARIST AGENDA 1.1 - ISTANBUL ANTIMILITARIST INITIATIVE (AMI) The Istanbul Antimilitarist Initiative was founded nearly three months ago and would like to act through similar perspectives with ISKD. The following was written by Evrim Sanal from AMI. "Since we had contacts with several magazines, associations and other organizations on the ground of our antimilitarist identity we decided to found an organized structure acting in this area. Istanbul Antimilitarist Initiative is the consequence of this decision. We are not in favour of popular peace politics but radical antimilitarism. Our point of view on conscientious objection is to object not only military service but all compulsory services although there is not civil service yet in Turkey. Since our foundation we discussed the concepts of militarism, violence, conscientious objection etc. in our weekly meetings, joined several actions on the general agenda, issued two posters, started to prepare a monthly radio programme in a leftist radio station in Istanbul and participated panels concerning "Ecology and Peace", "Conscientious Objection" and "Antimilitarism". The number of activists in our group is fifteen to twenty. Most of the activists are anarchist university students and the number of men and women are not balanced at the moment. It seems men are more involved in antimilitarism. Due to the fact that most of our activists are university students, we aim a wider activity in universities in the close future. In addition, we plan to practise common activities with ISKD with which we share the same ethical ground and similar vision of antimilitarism." 1.2 - YEAR PLANNING Year planning meeting of ISKD was held on January 20-21. Four activists from AMI participated in the meeting. We issued decisions concerning the cooperation between ISKD and AMI, political perspectives and action diary. I will first report the projects and decisions and then the calendar. 1.2.1 - DECISIONS a) It was decided to found monthly executive committee that consists of three volunteer activists. The executive committee will be responsible for coordination and the agenda of that month. In the end of the month the committee will organize a general meeting and give the report of activities; the new executive committee will be chosen in the same meeting. Executive committee will choose a spokesman/woman and he/she will be responsible of making statements etc. b) A file including the right of conscientious objection, military jurisprudence, Article 155 (alienating people from military service) of Turkish Penal Code, the militarization of education etc. will be prepared to sent to political parties, trade unions and NGO's those claim they are in favour of the very concepts peace, human rights, labour and freedom. c) CO Working Group: It was proposed to found CO working groups in Izmir and Istanbul. The main duties of the work will be undertaken by men who are not in trouble with conscription and women so that the work of the group will not be damaged when a CO is arrested. The main function of the group is to systematize the present work and campaign preparations. d) A lawyers network will be organized. The aim is to be in close contact with, at least, one lawyer in each city where there is a military court. Ahmet Hur, who came back to Turkey after one year in Greece, is in charge of the coordination of Lawyers Working Group. e) Activists from ISKD and AMI will come together two times in a tear: In January and in August. 1.2.2 - PROJECTS a) Nonviolence Training In the third week of April there will be a nonviolence training in Foca, Izmir. Ten activists from Europe and ten from Turkey will take part. Two to four activists from AMI are expected to participate in the training. b) Cyprus Ahmet Hur proposed to organize a one week programme on Cyprus between July 22 and 28. (July 24 is the anniversary of military intervention of Turkish State to Cyprus in 1974) c) Military Jurisprudence The purpose of the project is to educate lawyers on military jurisprudence. In addition, public panels will be organized in big cities and a book will be published. ISKD Jurisprudence WG will apply to European Union in order to receive financial support. The dead-line for application is September 1996. If EU accepts to give financial aid, the project will start in April 1997. d) International Peace Day There are several action proposals for International Peace Day: - to organize a civil disobedient action in order to break the Article 155 with open air press conferences - to make seminar and panel programme concerning minorities - to organize a peace and solidarity feast in a Kurdish district AMI activists stated that they could work for organizing civil disobedience against Article 155 in Istanbul. I think more than one of these proposals and perhaps some new proposals will be practised on September 1. e) Nonviolent Action & Nonviolent Theory A four to seven days programme concerning nonviolent action and theory is planned to be organized in the end of September (probably September 28 - October 5). The ideas for the programme are: - to show the film "Gandhi" - a seminar on Gandhi's life and ideas (Ossi will prepare) - a seminar on the history of nonviolent movement in Germany (Andreas Speck is in charge of) - a panel on the relation between nationalism and violence - a panel on the relation between human rights, violence and nonviolence The programme may take part in Istanbul, too. This was not decided. f) 60th Anniversary of the Spanish Civil War Due to the year 1996 is the 60th anniversary of the beginning of Spanish Civil War it is planned to organize a programme of four to seven days in which the Civil War will be held in different ways and discussed. The main axis of the idea is to question how the war effects on libertarian movements in Spain. We also plan to make a panel in which anarchist, trotskyist and stalinist approaches will take part. We will ask MOC and KEM whether there are persons who would like to visit Turkey to join such a programme or not. The programme will begin on November 9 (International Action Day Against Fascism) in Izmir and after will take part in Istanbul. The preparation work was shared between AMI and ISKD. 1.2.3 CALENDAR - Feb. 5: The first session of the trial against the former board of ISKD because of the campaign "Don't Let Your Friend Be Touched". The trial will be held in a civil court in Izmir. - Feb. 13: The first session of another trial against the former board because of three different subjects: a) A leaflet distributed on the 1st of May 1994 b) Sending representatives out of Turkey without any legal permission c) Deficiency in official documents - 2nd half of Feb: Sanar Yurdatapan who is a well-known musician and plays an important role in human rights struggle, will give a seminar on civil disobedience in Izmir. He is also interested in the Article 155 of Turkish Penal Code. - Mar. 1: Gurkan Evci who is a lawyer involved in ISKD has a trial in the Military Court of Izmir. He is accused of evading draft. If he is acquitted he will be called up in April. If he is found guilty he will have to join his military unit in two days after the trial. Another possibility is to arrange a medicine report that will postpone his conscription for a few months. In any case he is decided not to perform military service and declare his conscientious objection in March/April or later. - Mar. 8: There is not a concrete proposal for Women's Day yet. - English articles for WRI Special Issue will be probably received in March. ISKD will distribute them for translation. - Apr. 15-22: Nonviolence training in Foca, Izmir. - Apr. 23-29: Political tour in Izmir for European nonviolent activists. - May 15: connection e.V. will organize a politicians delegation to visit Turkey and make a political tour. - Translations for WRI Special Issue should be finished by the end of June. - July. 22-28: One week programme concerning Cyprus. - A general meeting of ISKD and AMI will be made in the 2nd week of August. - WRI Special Issue should be published in Turkish by the end of August. - The project on Military Jurisprudence should be finished and sent to European Union in September. - On September 1 a delegation of German journalists will visit Turkey in order to have contact with ISKD and observe the political situation here. They will have contacts with several organizations and parties. The delegation is expected to be in Izmir during the Peace Week. For other activities on September 1 see "Projects". - Sep. 28 - Oct. 5: Programme on nonviolent action and theory (Dates can change) - 1997 calendar and anti-militarist postcards should be finished by the end of October. - Nov. 9-16: An antimilitaristic approach to Spanish Civil War. - Dec. 1: No decision since we do not know if there will be a peace prisoner or not. 1.3 INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS 1.3.1 - Trip to Germany and France I (Serdar) was in France and Germany between December 17 - January 3. The tour in France was organized by Jeannine Edel-Otte from "France Without Army". We made three public meetings in Colmar, Nancy and Paris and two radio programmes during the trip. In Germany I participated in the Federal Meeting of FoGA (Federation of Nonviolent Action Groups). My participation and fund raising was organized by Andreas Speck. In the meeting we issued decisions on the cooperation between ISKD and FoGA: 1) We will make a seminar in Turkey on the history and experience of nonviolent movement in Germany. Two activists from FoGA will come to Turkey in autumn for the seminar. (In ISKD yearly meeting we placed the seminar in the nonviolent action and theory week between September 28 and October 5, but the dates can change according to the agenda of German activists.) 2) Once a year FoGA Werkstatt will be on duty as the communication centre for international delegations coming to Turkey in order to observe trials. 3) ISKD introduction leaflet will be translated into English and German. 1.3.2 Nonviolent Training in Wustrow ISKD activists Hulya and Fatih took part in a nonviolent training organized by Kurve and DFG-VK in Wustrow. The purpose of the training was to inform and train the volunteers who would like to work in PBI (Peace Brigades International), BPT (Balkan Peace Team) and LTV (Long Term Volunteers). The ISKD activists will work as trainers during the nonviolent training in Foca, Izmir, in the end of April. 1.4 OTHER NEWS * Ayse Tosuner and Nazmiye Zencir who were the board members of former SKD which was closed down by the state in November 1993 were acquitted in the Military Court of General staff on December 29. They had been accused of Article 155, "alienating people from military service". (Source: ISKD) * On January 2 Murat Gnn who was the editor of Bakaya, the magazine of former SKD, was detained when he entered into Turkey from Greece, with the reason that there is an absent in the file of Bakaya trial; shortly, a bureaucratic detail. He was sent to Ankara and released there on January 5. (Source: ISKD) * On January 25 we were informed that The Military Supreme Court of Appeal canceled the verdict of Ossi's acquittal on August 29, 1995. Our lawyers in Ankara are in charge of receiving more detailed information. But that is all for the moment. (Source: ISKD) * Diyarbakir Recruitment Office called up 105 Turkish Republic Citizens living out of country. Those who will not obey to call up will be discharged from citizenship. (Source: Cumhuriyet, January 8) 2) ASSASSINATION IN UMRANIYE PRISON Prepared by: Deniz Yucel (Sources: Evrensel, Cumhuriyet, Demokrasi, Amnesty International UAN Conferences, mass-media) The last example of human rights violations and extra-judicial executions in prisons, was lived in Umraniye Prison, Istanbul. On January 4, four prisoners were murdered in the result of an armed attack by gendarme. The process caused to this attack began with the riot in December 1995. Because of inhuman treatment in prisons there is always a tension between prisoners and security forces. On December 13, due to the visitors were not allowed to see prisoners by gendarme, the tension increased and 12 soldiers and many prisoners were wounded in the clash. Prisoners continued to resist but the resistance was broken in the second intervention by soldiers and police. During this armed intervention 48 prisoners were wounded. Only the wards of DHKP-C prisoners were able to keep on resistance. On December 17, administration of Umraniye Prison accepted the human demands of prisoners. On the days after, the administration increased the repression executions as if the demands of prisoners were not recognized. CHD (Modern Lawyers Association) and HHB (Jurisprudence Office of People) made a series of statements and took attention that the ground of a new attack had been prepared by the state. Lawyers from HHB stated that prisoners who needed medical treatment were not sent to hospitals. Besides the tension between administration and prisoners, the repression of soldiers were kept permanent. On December 25, it was published in Evrensel (a daily left-wing newspaper) that soldiers were prepared to attack in the days after the elections. On the same days five prisoners died one after another as a result of torture and inhuman living conditions in Izmir, Aydn, Ankara and Bursa prisons. In Elbistan and Erzurum prisons though there were hunger strikes continuing more than 40 days and resisters were in danger of dying, administrations refused their demands. The tension in Umraniye, deaths in other prisons and inhuman treatment in general in prisons were not taken into care out of the left-wing media and circles. Contrarily, the mass-media prepared the legitimate ground of an attack by claiming that militant terrorists had been trained in prisons which became terror centres. On this background, the visitors who are the family members of prisoners were not allowed to get in the prison on January 3. On the day after the prisoners refused to come out of their wards for roll-call in order to protest the violation. Then the administration ordered a "general search" in which prison-warders and gendarmes took part. Gendarmes used metal sticks and specially aimed to DHKP-C prisoners and the spokesmen of December resistance. In the consequence of the event 36 prisoners were wounded and three prisoners were murdered. A few days after one more wounded prisoner died in hospital. On January 5, the families and lawyers of prisoners wanted to apply to Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office but were attacked and detained by police. Prison-warders and a few administrators were taken as hostages in several prisons to protest the assassination and demand to give an end to general repression in prisons. In all prisons except for those from PKK, all political prisoners gave a start to solidarity actions. On January 6, 340 demonstrators were detained in Istanbul and a group of demonstrators burnt two municipality buses. On January 8, nearly 1000 people including three activists from AMI were detained before the funeral of two political prisoners who had been murdered at Umraniye prison. Metin Goktepe, journalist for Evrensel newspaper was also detained, though he showed his press card. It was witnessed that he was beaten and dragged away by the police. He was beaten to death in detention and his body was found on the day after. On the same day businessman Ozdemir Sabanci (Sabanci family has one of the main industrial and business companies in Turkey), his secretary and a general manager of their company were murdered. The conspiracy was undertaken by DHKP-C On January 9, Ministry of Justice accepted the demands of prisoners and the actions stopped. This is not the first agreement between the state and those who were imprisoned by the state. END From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Wed Feb 7 17:22:47 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 07 Feb 1996 17:22:47 Subject: "No Time Left" - Ozgur Politika edi Message-ID: From: akin at kurdish.org (American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN)) Subject: "No Time Left" - Ozgur Politika editorial No Time Left Can you think of another people whose whole culture has been shaped by pain, sorrow, and torment, and whose tragic history is etched in its faces? If only this people could tell its bitter story, accumulated over the ages and generations, if only the world could hear, if only all could hear... Did they not say "its name is forbidden, its tongue is banned"? Were they not pleased that "it got what it deserved". Did they not condemn it, saying "it is buried, entombed in concrete, never to rise again". Of course there have been countless instances in history of savagery, but very often just a single instance has shocked the world and made it take notice. Everyone should rake through history, sometimes each step of the adventure of humanity, take note of all examples of savagery and barbarism. We should then turn to Kurdistan and investigate the history of the Kurds. But when doing this, we must not forget to take along a projector, for the lights have been turned off in Kurdistan and everywhere is pitch dark, an entirely different world, an entirely different life. This has been explained and interpreted on countless occasions, so that the deaf and the blind would understand. Parties to the conflict have a responsibility to listen, to see exactly what is going on. In Kurdistan, which was the cradle of civilization, people have been forced to eat excrement. Dead bodies have been raped and then shot to ribbons. Human beings have been chopped to bits, sometimes while still alive. Their brains have been spilled out while soldiers posed by them. We have done our best to denounce this to the world, but the savagery has continued. This monster will not be satiated. Now it has severed Kurdish heads from their bodies and poses, grasping them by their hair, greatly pleased by its "triumph". We ask all who call themselves human: where, in the closing years of the twentieth century, has such a thing occurred? Where are the defenders of human rights, where the advocates of democracy, where the champions of freedom? In the west, animals are stunned before slaughter so they feel no pain. Admirable! But when it comes to Kurds, everything changes! Why do democratic laws not function, why are freedoms forgotten, rights usurped? Who will have the courage to answer these questions? This must be done and done immediately, because humans are being treated in ways considered unacceptable for animals. We call on everyone who claims to be human. This return to barbarism must be stopped immediately, because we have no time to wait. Does humanity no longer care? Let us not forget that this savagery is insatiable, ruthless, and quite capable to destroying humanity. Therefore humanity cannot stand idly by, but must act, do its utmost to consign this savagery to the trash can of history. So we say: may our heads not be severed from our bodies and held aloft by dirty hands. Ozgur Politika January 13, 1996 ---- American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) 2309 Calvert Street NW, Suite #3 Washington, DC 20008-2603 Tel: (202) 483-6444 Fax: (202) 483-6476 E-mail: akin at kurdish.org Web: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~akin ---- The American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) provides a public service to foster Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. From kommag at asco.comlink.apc.org Wed Feb 7 09:48:00 1996 From: kommag at asco.comlink.apc.org (kommag at asco.comlink.apc.org) Date: 07 Feb 1996 09:48:00 Subject: Reuters on Disappearances in Turkey Message-ID: <62ONYLBtibB@kommagp.asco.nev.sub> ISTANBUL, Feb 5 (Reuter) - Every week they sit on a white pavement in front of an Istanbul high school, aged parents and angry friends holding black-bordered photographs. They come for Aysel Malkac, a journalist; Kenan Bilgin, a worker; Faik Candan, a lawyer; Duzgun Tekin, a trade unionist; and dozens of others all over the country. They believe Turkish police kidnapped and probably killed those whose faces in the photos stare mournfully at passers-by. Under the gaze of dozens of police, the more than 100 people who gather each Saturday sit teary-faced. ``I want my son, I want my son back,'' sobbed the mother of Duzgun Tekin, a Kurdish trade union activist who disappeared after leaving his Istanbul workplace on October 21, 1995. ``He was alive when you took him and I want him back alive,'' she said, screaming out to the street. Turkish police deny accusations by human rights groups that security forces are abducting people and ``disappearing'' them, as occurred during Argentina's ``dirty war'' in the 1970s. Many who have ``disappeared'' are Kurdish activists who oppose laws suppressing Kurdish cultural and political identity, or militant leftists. Often, they are suspected of or were previously convicted for ties to illegal organisations. Some later turn up dead on roadsides or in forests, sometimes with hands bound and marks of torture on their body. The independent Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) says the number of ``disappeared'' has been steadily growing in Turkey, where rights monitors say torture is rife in police stations and heavy restrictions curb freedom of expression. HRFT statistics say that in 1992 eight people went missing, in 1993 the number rose to 12 and according to the annual report in 1994, 49 people ``who eyewitnesses or serious proof showed were detained or abducted by security forces, disappeared.'' Although figures for 1995 have not yet been released, HRFT officials said the number was about the same as 1994. ``The disappearances are continuing, the only difference is that more dead bodies are turning up,'' said Fevzi Argun, head of the HRFT Documentation Centre in Ankara. Human rights monitors say ``disappearances'' are aided by insufficient safeguards in the criminal justice system. In some instances, people can be held for up to 30 days without formal charges. Lawyers complain that often they do not get access to people held for political crimes and that detentions are not registered for days. The ``disappearances'' occur against a backdrop of hundreds of mysterious killings each year, mainly in southeast Turkey where separatist Kurdish rebels are battling security forces. Since 1991, victims have included 105 officials of Turkey's Kurdish party, at least 11 journalists from Kurdish newspapers, 11 human rights monitors and at least five lawyers. ``Evidence is emerging to support the view that Turkish security forces commit, or arrange for others to commit, the extrajudicial execution of people they consider to be enemies of the state,'' Amnesty International wrote in February 1995. ``The police are not doing anything like this,'' said Tayfun Bora, spokesman for the Istanbul police. Bora blamed the disappearances on illegal groups, saying they murdered some of their members to keep them from talking. ``Some people who disappear are tied to criminal or terrorist acts. They commit a crime and later...the terrorist group kills them to stop them from giving details to the police,'' he said. Some people just disappear -- like 22-year-old Kurdish journalist Aysel Malkac, who walked out of her newspaper's Istanbul office two years ago and was never seen again. Some disappear and then turn up dead -- like Kurdish lawyer Faik Candan, 30, whose bullet-riddled body with hands and feet bound was found two weeks after he disappeared near his Ankara law office in 1994. And some are kidnapped in front of witnesses who say the abductors either identified themselves as police, or carried equipment common to police, like handguns and walkie-talkies. Take Fehmi Tosun, a 37-year-old Kurdish worker last seen on October 19, 1995, being forced into a white car outside his apartment building on the poverty-ridden outskirts of Istanbul. Tosun had spent almost four years in prison for aiding separatist Kurdish rebels in his village in the Kurdish southeast. When he was released two years ago, the family moved to Istanbul because they felt it was safer. But that was before they heard him scream. ``He was shouting 'They are taking me! They will kill me! Help!' and we all ran down the stairs,'' said his wife, Hanim, 32, curled up against the couch in the family's apartment that overlooks the street where she last saw her husband. ``They put one hand over his mouth to quiet him and then they pulled him into the car and left so fast the car doors were still open,'' she said in a broken Turkish learned from television and shopkeepers. Tosun's 13-year-old daughter Besna saw a walkie-talkie in the hand of one of the men grabbing her father, and a handgun in the other man's hand. A third man waited in the driver's seat. ``I know the police took him. If he is guilty, then put him on trial. But if he is dead, at least let me see his body. He is the father of five children, how can they do this?'' she said, tears falling on the head of her young son lying in her lap. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Please be so kind and check out the URL http://www.xs4all.nl/~ozgurluk For regular information regarding the Peoples Liberation Struggle in Turkey ->email: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Fri Feb 9 07:27:29 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 09 Feb 1996 07:27:29 Subject: How You Can Help The Kurds Message-ID: From: akin at kurdish.org (American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN)) How You Can Help The Kurds We are launching a letter-writing campaign to President Clinton to urge him to support the unilateral Kurdish cease-fire which was announced in December 1995 and which is still being honored by the Kurdish side, despite repeated violations by the Turkish army. As the war in southeastern Turkey rages on, the Kurdish regions are being devastaded. Already more than 2,650 Kurdish villages have been destroyed and more than three million civilians uprooted from their homes. Please take a moment of your time to send a letter to President Clinton. Simply print out the sample letter below and mail one copy to the President and one copy to us. You can also print a copy from our Homepage. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- President William J. Clinton The White House 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Clinton, On January 23, 1996, in your State of the Union address, you said, "...we can and should be the world's very best peacemaker." I am writing this to urge you to honor your pledge relative to the Kurds who are being subjected to a dirty war in southeastern Turkey. Under-reported in our part of the world, this conflict has devastated the Kurdish regions of Turkey. House Concurrent Resolution 136 of the 104th Congress notes that, "... the human toll of this conflict has been great, with the loss of more than 20,000 lives, the displacement of more than 3,000,000 civilians, and the destruction of more than 2,650 Kurdish villages." This war has a chance of coming to a close, Mr. President. Notwithstanding the scorched-earth policies of the Turkish armed forces, the Kurdish side has announced a unilateral cease-fire. On December 15, 1995, the President of PKK, Abdullah Ocalan ordered his fighters to silence their guns. The Turkish side, to date, has not reciprocated. I want you to look into this matter, Mr. President. The gestures of good will by the Kurdish leadership dovetail with your vision of a world immune from major conflicts. In the Kurdish lands, I want the killing to stop, peace to prevail and the civil rights of the Kurds protected. Sincerely yours, On behalf of the three million homeless Kurds in Turkey cc: American Kurdish Information Network 2309 Calvert Street NW #3 Washington, DC 20008-2603 ---- American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) 2309 Calvert Street NW, Suite #3 Washington, DC 20008-2603 Tel: (202) 483-6444 Fax: (202) 483-6476 E-mail: akin at kurdish.org Web: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~akin ---- The American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) provides a public service to foster Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. From kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu Mon Feb 12 20:53:34 1996 From: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu (kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu) Date: 12 Feb 1996 20:53:34 Subject: Despite the Cease-Fire, The Turkish Message-ID: From: akin at kurdish.org (American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN)) Subject: Despite the Cease-Fire, The Turkish Army Continues ... Press Release #5 February 12, 1996 Despite the Cease-Fire, the Turkish Army Continues to Destroy Kurdish Villages The destruction of Kurdish villages in southeastern Turkey which began in the early 1990s continues today, in spite of the unilateral cease-fire by the Kurdish side which started on December 15, 1995. According to reports reaching our office throughout recent weeks, close to 100 villages in and around Divrigi, Zara, Hafik, Imranli and Ulas in Sivas province have been bombarded by the Turkish air force using U.S.-supplied Cobra attack helicopters. The people living in these villages are Kurdish Alewites, followers of a moderate Islamic faith considered too liberal by fundamentalists and too supportive of the Kurdish liberation movement by the Turkish state authorities. Many of these villagers have been harassed to either become "village guards" or face the consequences of forced migration in the middle of winter. Unwilling to become the tools of the Turkish government to fight their kin, these Kurdish villagers have had no choice but to move to the shantytowns of large cities in western Turkey. The plight of these Kurdish villagers was also voiced last Wednesday on February 7, 1996, by three of their representatives from the Republican People's Party (CHP) in the Turkish parliament who raised the issue during a press conference in Ankara. They said: "People are under pressure and abandoning their homes." (Reuters World Report, February 7, 1996.) According to a CHP report, Turkish troops have arrested almost 500 villagers and 75 village leaders in the last four months. These new attacks on the Kurds of Sivas, coming at a time when the PKK has adhered to a unilateral cease-fire, show that the Turkish government is determined to resolve the Kurdish question by way of force alone. ---- American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) 2309 Calvert Street NW, Suite #3 Washington, DC 20008-2603 Tel: (202) 483-6444 Fax: (202) 483-6476 E-mail: akin at kurdish.org Web: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~akin ---- The American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) provides a public service to foster Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. From schism at schism.antenna.nl Wed Feb 14 22:26:00 1996 From: schism at schism.antenna.nl (schism at schism.antenna.nl) Date: 14 Feb 1996 22:26:00 Subject: Kurds arrested in germany after war References: <199602141658.AA26934@xs1.xs4all_> Message-ID: <021496202617Rnf0.77b9@schism.antenna.nl> ------------------------------ forwarded message ----------------------------- "DHKC Informationbureau Amsterdam" writes: - Arrested Kurds released German police have released by noon about 90 Kurds who had been taken into custody in Baden-Wuerttemberg yesterday. This was reported by a spokesman of the Stuttgart Interior Ministry. The Kurds had been preliminary arrested during a police operation in the wake of an expected illegal rally by the outlawed workers' party PKK. An arrest warrant was issued this morning against the PKK representative in south-western Germany. The investigative judge at the Karlsruhe Federal High Court accused her of heading and participating in a terrorist organization. ---------------------------------------------------------- Please be so kind and visit the URL: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ozgurluk For regular information about the Classwar In Turkey and Kurdistan ----------------------------- end forwarded message -------------------------- ************************************************** Infogroup Schism Postbus/P.O. Box 2884 3500 GW Utrecht/The Netherlands schism at schism.antenna.nl ************************************************** From sot at vd.antenna.nl Tue Feb 20 18:18:02 1996 From: sot at vd.antenna.nl (sot at vd.antenna.nl) Date: 20 Feb 1996 18:18:02 Subject: info on turkey 2 Message-ID: Information on Turkey ; no. 2 Published by 'Stop de oorlog in Turkije' (Stop the war in Turkey), February, 1996.; P.O. Box 94802; 1090 GV Amsterdam; Netherlands; (tel.) 31-20-6680999; (fax) 31-20-6652422; E- mail: sot at vd.antenna.nl.; giro 6846311. Home page address: http://huizen.dds.nl/~veedee We have published a report in Dutch titled: 'War in Turkey : military aspects, the Kurdish question and the movement against military service'. It will be available in English by the end of april. Introduction * Democratic opposition and repression The Turkish government makes every effort to depolitize the Kurdish question and to relegate it into the corner terrorism. The rejection of the cease-fire offer of PKK chairman ?calan of 15/12/1995 confirms this. ?calan, of course, made his offer in the light of the parliamentary elections of 24/12/1995. His proposal is that the PKK lays down its arms if the Turkish army relinquishes its aim of destroying the PKK. After this, negotiations for a peaceful solution can start. The Turkish government has flatly rejected his proposals. Developments in 1995 have brought the Turkish state military and diplomatic gains, like membership of the European customs union, without improvements in the situation of human rights; political isolation of the Kurdish parliament in exile in the international community; the failure of the Kurdish HADEP party to enter Turkish parliament; the increased influence of Turkey in autonomous Kurdistan in Nothern Irak; the war be- tween the PKK and KDP from august till december which probably brought severe losses to the PKK; the mass expulsion of the Kurdish population from the countryside in Eastern Turkey without international protest. All this doesn't mean that the democratic opposition is completely wiped out. And there are also other countercur- rents. Conspicously, Turkey's elite is divided. The progressi- ve part of the business world is planning a peace-conference on Kurdistan. This a plan that breaks new ground and the reaction of the Turkish government to it will be very interes- ting. Some members of the American government have criticized Turkish policy regarding the Kurds. Leading German politicians have secretly contacted ?calan. ?calan is skilful in exploi- taing these developments. As a follow-up to the cease-fire of 10/12/1995 between the PKK and the KDP there have been meetings between ?calan and a high KDP delegation. The outcome of these talks has been that both have agreed to work for the pan Kurdish case. If this case indeed has been strenghtened must be awaited, cert- ainly regarding the present political conditions outlined above. The resistance of the Turkish people is shown by such acts as the massive evasion of military service. The Turkish peace- movement is small but showing more activity. In June there will be a large alternative Habitat conference in Istanbul organized in protest against the official UN-conference. >From the West pressure on the Turkish government is still necessary. This means support for a political solution as it is repeatedly brought forward by the Kurds, for independent peace movements in Turkey, and an arms boycott of Turkey by western countries. Section I: GENERAL * Consequences of the abolition of conscription in the Nether- lands The Netherlands has adjourned its military service since 01/02/1996. It will now have an army consisting only of pro- fessional soldiers. The possibility for Turkish and Kurdish men with a double nationality of serving in the Dutch army is therefore gone. Turkey will only give freedom of military service for those who have been called up in their country of residence. Becoming a professional soldier will therefore not help in freeing oneself of the Turkish duty. The Dutch govern- ment has promised to negotiate an understanding in such cases with the Turkish government, but it can do no more, it says. It is doubtful if Turkey is willing to make exemptions even for those who join the Dutch army on a voluntary basis. This means that all the Turkish and Kurdish men will have to choose between military service in Turkey, postponing this or redee- ming it for the amount of 11.000 German marks, or giving up their Turkish nationality. Section II: ARMS TRADE AND ARMS PRODUCTION * Turkey modernising Army's AH-1P Cobra attack copters Turkey has started inplementing a project to upgrade the Army's AH-1P Cobra attack helicopter by providing it with new tactical navigation systems. These systems are supplied by Triton Systes (USA), a prototype was delivered by Canada's Marconi Company, installation is undertaken by IAI Taman in Israel. Turkey plans to install the new navigation systems in all 28 AH-1P Cobras of the Turkish Land Forces' Army Aviation units. Worth 42 million dollars, and covered by an offset arrangement with Triton Sysems. Turkey uses these copters (and 10 AH-W Super Cobras, a more advanced version also built by Bell Helicopter) against the PKK. Turkey scheduled to buy another 10 Super Cobras from Bell in the short term at around 135 million. In the long term Ankara plans to acquire up to 100 advanced attack helicopters. Triton is also involved in a deal for an upgrade of Turkey's F-5 fighter in cooperation with Northrop Grumman. Source: TDN, 9 october 1995 * Turkey expands cooperation with Eurocopter "The European helicopter manufacturers are enlarging their foothold in the busy Turkish market for military helicopters - dominated so far by the US giants - with a likely sale of additional Cougar helicopters produced by the French - German partnership Eurocopter. The new plans include 20 Cougars for the army and 10 for the navy. Also, puchase of 20 Cougars for the Turkish Air force is 'under consideration', Eurocopter representatieves told TDN. The move is seen as part of a concerted effort by Euro- pe's major defense industries to grab a bigger share of the military aviation market, long dominated by American Compa- nies. Eurocopter wants to expand into Truksih domestic milita- ry market. The company has 45% of the civilian market world- wide but only 15% of the military. It produces helicopters weighing between 1,5 to 10 tons. Turkey's army has a total 286 military attack and trans- port helicopters of American origin and around 20 Rusian choppers. Eurocopter wants to heighten Turkish interest in its different models such as Cougars, and the new types being developed, Tigers (attack) and NH-90 (transport and rescue). Eurocopter has sold around 30 helicopters for public and civilian use to Turkey, including 4 Pumas and 18 Alouettes 2s used by police, and three Ecureuils and three Dauphins used by forestry officals. Eurocopter has chosen Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) as its main partner for cooperative projects including the pro- duction of Cougarand Panter components and parts for the newly developed EC-135 search and rescue helicopter. To adress the shortage and vary the sources, the army has already purchased 20 Cougars from Eurocopter for around FF 1,4 billion ($300 million), two of which are special use Super Pumas and the others equipped with special Turkish customized radio transmitters. Turkish defence autorities are considering a new package deal to purchase 20 Eurocopter Cougar transport and rescue helicopters. In fighting the PKK, The Turkish army has basically relied on Sikorsky, "Black Hawk" helicopters to ferry troops and equipment, and on Super Cobra attack helicopters supplied by Bell-Textron. Source: Turkish Daily News, 15 november 1995. * Eurocopter aims: "We treat Turkey as a most favoured nati- on' Jean Francois Bigay chairman of Eurocopter wants to maintain Eurocopters lead in the civilian helicopter market and break America's stranglehold on the military sector. Eurocopter, a merger between the French Aerospatiale (70%) and the German DASA (30%) employs around 10.00 people and serves over 1500 civilian and military clients in 126 countries. Thus Bigay implies, strategies designed to carry Euro- copter into the next millenium are based on identifying which regions and countries are hungry for helicopters. (South Korea, India, Turkey) We simply calculate the factors of development, cooperation and economic growth in those coun- tries. Bigay: " will reject monopolies in the weapons market. It needs to have, due to its geopolitical situation, a power- ful rapid deployment ability. In fact Turkey is using diffe- rent alliances and strategic constellations in the new world to its own benefit.". Turks told him they wanted to buy 50 COUGARS, and after having 20 Cougars ready, they were told to wait. It apparent (Bigay) he wants a total Turkish approach into the European system. Source: Turkish Daily News; November, 15th, 1995. Amnesty International call: stop sale of helicopters to Turkey Amnesty International has called for an immediate stop to the selling of helicopters to Turkey because these arms are used in the forced eviction of Kurdish villages in Turkish Kurdis- tan. Turkey has denied this. Amnesty points out that govern- ments that supply Turkey with arms and military equipment have a responsibility for the use of it. Amnesty asks for a better surveillance of this. In the past the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and Russia have sold military helicopters to Turkey. Source: De Limburger, 15/01/1996 * Turkey buys HARPOON missiles Turkey has requested the purchase of 16 HARPOON missiles at an estimated cost of 28 million. Harpoon missiles are installed on warships and are used against other naval ships. Included in the proposed sale would be missile containers, spare and repair parts, publications, US Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services and other related elements of logistic support. Turkey would use these missiles to augment its current HARPOON inventory and enhance its anti- surface warfare capability. The potential sale would contribu- te to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by improving the military capabilities of Turkey while enhancing weapon system standardisation and interoperability. The missiles, if purchased, would be provided in accordance with, and subject to the limitation on use and transfer provi- ded for under the Arms Export Control Act. It is claimed that this proposed sale will not adversely affect either the mili- tary balance in the region, or US efforts to encourage a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus question. Still, Greece may have a reason to protest and ask for equal support, there- by increasing the arms race between these countries. If pur- chased, the prime contractor would be MC Donnell-Douglas Missile Systems Co., St. Louis, Missouri. Source: Defence Journal, August 1995 (8/95) * Protest against U.S. rocket delivery End of november the Clinton government decided to sell 120 ATACMS rockets (US$ 132 million). They are artillery weapons that explode above their target. Some members of the American Congress, like John Porter (also member of the commission for human rights), and the English chairman of the OVSE have protested against the sale. Source: Kurdistan Rundbrief, 11/01/1996 * Turkey and Norway want to join Trigat project Turkey and Norway have shown interest in joining the $ 3 milliard, five-nation, medium range (MR) Trigat anti-tank guided weapon project. MR Trigat is being developed by France, Germany, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Leading contrac- tor is Euromissile Dynamics Group, a consortium of Aerospatia- le, British Aerospace and Diamler-Benz Aerospace, which is als working on a long-range version. A Dutch Ministry of Defence report on MR TRIGAT said introducing new members like Turkey and Norway would not be easy. "Because of the advanced phase of the project, a new distribution of industrial workshare cannot be implemented easily. If these countries join, a solution will have to be found." Source: Jane's Defence Weekly, 24 January 1996. * Israeli ambassador denies the allegations on F-4 project Allegations implying troubles with the project to upgrade the Turkish fleet of Phantom f-4 fighter planes by Israel's natio- nal aircraft manufacturers have been proven to be false. Zvi Elpepeg ambassador of Israel in Ankara told TDN. Elpeleg explained that Turkey will not only benefit from the modernization project, but will also have the opportunity to obtain technology since the project will be carried out in Turkey. According to an agreement signed by the two countries, Israel Aircraft Industires (IAI) will install the Elta radar system, that was alleged to be technically inferior, on Tur- kish F-4 airplanes. President Demirels visit to Israel (12 -15 November) will improve the ties. During the meeting three agreements will be signed, on trade, protection of investments, and on avoiding double taxation. Asked whether Israel would offer its border monitoring technology to Turkey, Elpeleg said; `We are in an position to offer Turkey what we have achieved in technology and know-how, as we are friends and neighbors.' * News about Turkish arms deals The news on the next pages is about the procurement for the Turkish ministry of defence of all kind of weapon systems, or devices meant for the military. The source is the Turkish ministry of defence. We give it without any comment. If anyone in any country has additional information, about whatever relevant aspect, please let us know. And try to find out something more, for instance at the parliament in your own country. Turkey invites firms to tender 1) 1 set of SA-8 SAM (Surface to Air Missiles) System and three sets 2SU-23/4 AAA (Anti Aircraft Artillary) will be procured for Turkish Air Force Command. The offers are under evaluation. 2) Tank Driver Simulator 1 devices be procured for the Turkish Land Forces Command. Offers are under evaluation. Contracts awarded to Turkish arms industries 1) One snowplough awarded to Koluman A.S. Required by Turkish Land Forces Command. 2) System clearing passageway through mine fields. 40 systems clearing passageway through mine fields. Needed by Land Forces Command. Awarded to MKEK (OMCI). 3) Personnel location systems (PLS). 15 airborne systems and 326 ground systems. Required by Tur- kish Armed Forces. Awarded tot Aselsan AS. 4) ?zadem communication device. 75 pieces procured for Turkish General Staff. Awarded to Inter AS. 5) Data crypto devices. 75 pieces procured for Turkish Airforce. Awarded to Aselsan AS. 6) Tactical land vehicle. Ten vehicles procured for Turkish Generall Staff. Awarded to Ormak AS. 7) Terminal Server devices. Ten pieces needed by Turkish General Staff, awarded to VIS AS. 8) IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) devices. Number unknown, procured for Turkish Armed Forces. Awarded to NETAS AS. 9) G/A/G communications for NAEW Fourteen UHF/AM multichannel radios with (have-quick) remote control capability; 28 UNF antenna systems; 12 antenna towers, 8 HQ timing systems; 4 remote cotnrol consoles, 14 modems and initial spares for Turksih Airforces. Awarded to Aydin Yaz ve Elk. San. AS. Contracts awarded to foreign arms industries 10) 32,355 complete round flare bombs procured for Turkish Air Forces, awarded to Chemring Ltd in England. 11) Cutter, oxygen bottle and aircraft support equipment. 100 Cutter Assy 6 SEC; 100 cutter assy 12 SEC; 25 oxygen bottles and 25 aircraft support equipment. Awarded to Aero Precision Inc. in the USA. 12) 155 mm HE M864 DPICM Ammunition. Procured for the Turkish Armed Forces. Awarded to Day Zimmer- man in the USA. 13) 40 mm Grenade Launcher Cartridge (M79) Procured for Turkish Armed Forces, awarded to Kolon Corp. South Korea. 14) 12.7 mm M85 machine gun ammunition For Turkish Armed Forces. Awarded by TAAS Ind. Israel. 15) 25 mm Ammunition (AMDS, HE-I and TP/T) (types AMDS, HE-I and TP/T) procured for the Turkish Navy, Awarded to Oerlikon Contraves in Italy. 16) Milan Rockets. Twelve pieces of subject material. Procured to the stock level of Turkish Navy. Awarded to Euromissile in France. 17) B-200 Aircraft Spare parts Procured for Ministry of Defence, awarded to Marintel in Germany and Aero Raytheon in the USA. 18) HF Modem 100 HF data modems procured for modernization of Turkish Navy. Awarded to General Atronics Corp. in the USA. Source: Turkish Ministry of Defence Section III: TURKISH PEACEGROUPS AND ANTIMILITARISTS * Alternative Habitat II-conference The Alternative Habitat Platform (AHP; platform of different Turkish grassroot movements) wants to organize a shadow confe- rence in reaction to the Habitat II-conference (H II) from 03 till 14/06/1996 in Istanbul. The aim of H II is the advance- ment of "safe, just, and durable" housing in the cities and villages of the world. The following subjects have been selec- ted: poverty amelioration in the cities and job creation; municipal environment and health, administration, disaster relief, and reconstruction; access to housing and land. The AHP calls onto national and international NGO's not to take part in the H II in a country where a war is going on which has caused the eviction of at least 2,5 million citizens from their homes and villlages. Citizens that now are refugees in their own country, living in camps or in makeshift homes on the outskirts of cities. The H II conference is according to the AHP only meant for the expansion of the market of the rich countries. it will lead to an uninhabitable society with many ecological problems. Sources: ISKD-letter, februari 1996 en fax AHP, 09/02/1996 SECTION IV: WAR IN KURDISTAN * Turkey postpones "collective villages" The Turkish government has shelved plans to set up "collecti- ve villages" as a means of combatting Kurdish Workers Party guerrilla in its 11 south eastern provinces. The new central settlements would provide greater security, better communica- tions and ease problems in marketing agricultural produce. Security aspects were clearly the leading factor in the sche- me. Its first aim was to be the dismantling of 5,000 dispersed settlements in south east Turkey, which security chiefs say have provided the PKK with winter shelter, food, communicati- ons and recruits throuhgout the 11-year war. Turkey's postponement of the scheme (and possibly) its permanent abandonnement results from the European Resettlement Fund's withdrawal of an offer of US $ 277 million which it had earmarked for Turkish resettlement plans. These consists mainly of villages in peacful western Turkey, where rural people have thronged to the cities and created shanty towns. The fund's intention was to help improve Turkey's economic, infrastructure and alleviate poverty, but it balked at paying for part of a counter-insurgency program. The villages were intended to be final phase of a new counter-insurgency strategy consisting of increased air stri- kes, crossborder operations into northern Iraq, driving PKK fighters into the north western corner of the battle area, and winter campaigns in the mountains. Source: International Defense Review, October 1995 * Turkish use of ex-GDR weapons against Kurdish civilians A Kurdish refugee in Germany has declared that tanks used in the former German Democratic Republic are being used by the Turkish Special Forces (?zel Tim) against Kurdish civilians. This happened in the period 1991/1992. After having signed a fifteen-year contract in 1986, the man in question deserted in 1992 en fled to Germany. As a soldier he was stationed in Mardin and served on a BTR 60 tank. They had to shoot guerrilla forces in the mountains and launched attacks at several Kurdish villages. He made his statement to a German court in Bremen which has to decide on a staying permit. Fearing reprisals from the Turkish side, he made his statements with great hesitation. The man was certain it concerned German tanks and not Russian ones. The German government has always denied its weapons are used against the Kurds. Source: Kirk T?fek, 01/12/1995 * Turkish business will hold peace conference According to the Turkish paper Milliyet, businessmen, shaken by the assassination of the well known businessman Sabanci, are putting their weight into efforts aimed at solving the Southeast problem. The "think tank" of the business world, the Turkish Education and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) will stage a "Kurdish peace conference" in Istanbul in March with the participation of businessmen, Kurdish intellectuals and two international organizations which played a role in brin- ging about the Palestinian-Israeli peace. TESEV members inclu- de the chairman of Eczacibasi Holding chairman, B?lent Eczaci- basi; the president of Istanbul's Bogazici University, Ustun Erguder, chairman of the Turkish Industrialists and Busines- smen's Association (TUSIAD). High Consultative Council, Feyyaz Berker; etc... Earlier they put on the agenda Professor Dogu Ergils report on the situation in the East. A TESV member said "We were frightened a lot when Ozdemir Sabanci was killed. But keeping silent will not serve any useful purpose". There is a widely held view among the busi- nessmen that Ozdemir Sabanci was assassinated because of the Southeast report his elder brother Sakip Sabanci prepared and published recently. Dogu Ergil, who has published his report with support of the TOBB (Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce), states that the Turkish state has been blocked by the military coup in 1980. "In stead of productivity and service, the government emphasi- zed inspection and control." Ergil criticizes the war in Kur- distan and the villages guards which can do no good. "The system will have to be completely democratized." Ergil wants a multi-ethnic Turkey. "Turkey is a fit name for the cosmopolitan population living under this state's roof. However, the name "Turk" has been given to everyone in this country. The Turkish race is an ethnic, not a political phenomena. We cannot force everybody to be a Turk. ...Let the people decide upon their own identity. The best policy is to separate politics and culture and make them autonomous. Source: Turkish Daily News, 25 January 1996; Turkish Daily News, 23 June 1995. * Fifty soldiers are dismissed The Turkish Army has dismissed 50 soldiers, including 18 officers, for their islamic Fundamentalist activities. Seven other servicemen were dismissed following accusations of leftist acitivties and links with the PKK. Source: Jane's Defence Weekly, 3 January 1996. * Baykal: "PKK has bases in Syria" Secretary of State, Baykal, states that the PKK has a base in the Syrian area Sam. Syria he said, had always been a friend of Turkey but now was interfering in Turkish affairs. It is not a new fact that the PKK has bases in Syria. But now and then Turkey has to make a scene. Source: Cumhuriyet, 09/01/1996 SECTION V: TURKEY AND THE REGION * Provide Comfort in a change The structure of the Operation Provide Comfort, in which western forces protect Iraqi Kurds is going to be changed. At present, military personnel from four countries are serving under the operation. Since April 5, 1991) 1466 US servicemen dominate the force whose total strength is 1862. Beside the Americans, 183 British soldiers, 139 French and 74 Turks make up the allied force. The force's main punch is an 80 plan mostly American air armada. While barring the north of the 36th parallel to any Iraqi plans, the operation keeps the Iraqi out a 50 kilometer strip running along the Turkish border. The allies have three main bases at Incirlik, Pirinclik near Diyarbakir as well at the border town of Zakho. Hostile action against Iraqi forces is also strictly subject to Turkey's permission, except in self- defense, an excuse used frequently in the past in skirmishes between the US warplanes and the Iraqi anti-aircraft units, causing discomfort to Ankara which is committed to Iraq's territorial unity an trying to normalize ties with Baghdad. Sources said that studies restructuring of Provide Comfort were motivated by certain breaches of the accepted rules by some of the allied planes, as well by the Zakho based Military Coordinated Center. Provide Comfort should have advantaged the PKK to streng- ten positions in Northern Iraq. ...There is a growing feeling among the Turkish military that the allied force helps the emergence of a (political) "Kurdish entity" across the border. Particularly noting that the activities of the British and French personnel of the MCC in Zakho, such as the provision of material for the holding of elections and equipment, and other help for the Iraqi Kurds to organize a security system and a regular army. Coupled with the suspect activities of the NGO's to help Kurds assert their culture, such activities have reportedly caused the strengtening of a movement for altering the present stucture and status of the Provide Comfort opera- tion. The present structure is assisting the evolution of a Kurdish state. The US is therefore willing to give a new outlook to Provide Comfort. It is assumed that the US will help Turkish army to check border crossings by the PKK. Turkey has pressed the US to change it's policy towards Provide Comfort in order to help oppress the PKK using it's bases in Iraq, without abadonning it's policy of pressure towards the regime in Baghdad. Source: Turkish Daily News, November 7th 1995 * Cease-fire and talks in internal Kurdish struggle After three months of fierce and bloody struggles the PKK and KDP have agreed to a cease-fire on 14/12/1995. The prehistory of this conflict lies in the power politics concerning the Irak-Kurdistan free zone. There is an increasingly complex political power struggle in the region involving the USA, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Saddam Hussayn. In 1991 Iraqi-Kurdistan freed itself from the control of Saddam Hussayn. It elected a parliament and a small free state came into being. But it was completely dependent on Western political, military and humanitarian support. Two parties emerged as the strongest in the region: the KDP and the PUK. They both had a provincial power base and were equally strong. The KDP had its roots in the border area with Turkey and the PUK in the southeastern part near the Iranian border. The Turkish Kurd party, PKK, made use this situation and found refuge in the area from the Turkish army. After some years the fragile coalition of Iraqi parties fell apart and a real war erupted between them. Separate KDP and PUK dominated zones came existence. The whole area is dependent on import of goods from Turkey. The KDP is able to levy import duties. This raises about $ 150.000 a day. Between both parties there has constantly been a fight over the share of this income. US sponsored talks led to a cease fire agreement in August. It failed to achieve full settlement. Iran arranged in September peace talks in Tehran between the KDP and its main rival PUK, to end the 18 month old civil war. The Iranians do not want to see an independent Kurdistan emerge and so does Turkey. Turkey took part in these negotiations and gained recognition of its 'legitimate security interests' in North- Irak. With this it silvered its invasion of March 1995 in a political sense. The KDP was caught in her dependence on the financial gain from goods imported via Turkey and was forced to fight the PKK. Thereafter the PKK began the struggle in August. A bloody war was the result and it did not bring any gain. KDP claimed on 23 october that its forces had killed more than 500 PKK guerrila's and had driven them out of the region of Kurdistan bordering Turkey, capturing supply and arms depots and several key bases after some weeks of heavy fighting. The cease-fire of december 1995 brought this strug- gle to an end. As a consequence of the cease-fire there have been talks between ?calan and a high KDP-delegation. These talks were held through the mediation of Davut Baghistani, the OVSE representative with the UN in independent Irak-Kurdistan. Both sides have agreed to work on pan-Kurdish unity. Later, the PUK, the other party in Iraki-Kurdistan, will be involved. Sources: Jane's Intelligence Review, November 4 1995; December 1995; ?zg?r Politika, 09/02/1996 * Turkey and Bosnia sign military training agreement Turkey will provide military training to the Moslim led Bosni- an government army under an agreement signed by generals of the two sides. The agreement covers military training and education, but no futher details were given. "We expect huge aid from Turkey wich had a long military tradition", the Bosnian general Rasim Delic said. "This is only the beginning. Full military trai- ning is expected." Delic' turkish counterpart, general Ersim Yaltsin, said. The military training has the backing of the United States. The Turkish unit in Bosnian Zenica, as part of IFOR which is implementing the Dayton agreement, is raised to a brigade (1500 men). Its weaponry consists of a mechanized infantry company, a tank company, an artillery battery and a munitions team. Source: Turkish Daily News, 24 January 1996. * Israel and Turkey near free trade accord Last month Turkey agreed to lift import duties on most in- dustrial products from Israel, bringing the two sides closer to a free trade agreement. Israeli exports to Turkey are expected to total $ 170 million this year while imports will surpass $250 million. Separately, Israel's and Turkey's export institutes signed a cooperation agreement to promote trade between the two coun- tries. Source: Turkish Daily News, 27 January 1996. From FIC-GAMA at OLN.comlink.apc.org Sun Feb 25 19:56:00 1996 From: FIC-GAMA at OLN.comlink.apc.org (FIC-GAMA at OLN.comlink.apc.org) Date: 25 Feb 1996 19:56:00 Subject: INFO REQUEST: Positions on EU free Message-ID: <63ZWhSKcqWB@oln-07.oln.comlink.apc.org> Dear unknown readers, Late last year the EU member countries and selected mediterranean states signed an agreement paving the road to a common free market zone. However, this document as well as suggestions to even extend EU membership to countries south and east of the mediterranean sea have since remained an issue of controversial debate. The German Green Party will make the European Union's mediterranean policy the topic of the next meeting of its national advisory board on European issues, taking place from March 15-17 in Mainz, Germany. As a member of this board I would like to take this opportunity to invite NGOs, citizen's groups and media from the 'targeted' mediterranean countries to share their points of view on this issue with us. Thereby you will help us to develop a less eurocentric position for ourselves. Key issues of our discussion will be: consequences of free trade for the EU's southern neighbours; direct co-operation with NGO's and other similar groups in the region as an alternative to encourage social and economic development; restrictions to such an approach due to existing repression; cultural communication barriers even between resident groups and 'well-meant' assistance from green and left wing European groups. Please make us aware of additional topics we should focus on. Looking forward to your response, Bernd Schneider Chairmember of FIC ----------------------------------------------------- Foundation for International Communication FIC ------- Post/Mail : Im Moore 26, D-30167 Hannover, Germany Tel./Phone : +49 511 762 506-1,-2,-3,-4 Fax : +49 511 717 441 email : asta.unih at oln.comlink.apc.org ------------------------------------------------------