Members of the European Peace Train are Barred from Entering Diyarba

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## Orig.-Abs. : akin at kurdish.org (akin)


We received the following Press Release from Appell von Hannover.
We thought you sould get a copy of it.

As always, we thank you for your interest in the Kurds.

AKIN

APPELL VON HANNOVER
Postfach 35
61445 Oberursel

tel:  011 49 61 71-98 13 48
fax:  011 49 61 71-98 13 34

PRESS RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 1, 1997


MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PEACE TRAIN "MUSA ANTER"
ARE BARRED FROM ENTERING DIYARBAKIR

60.000 gather in Kadikoy/Istanbul for a peace rally
57 coaches depart from Istanbul to Diyarbakir
Hundreds detained, including 15 leading HADEP and trade union  
officialsDiyarbakir is under siege
A gendarmerie station set up in Diyarbakir Airport

On August 31, at 19.30 about 3,000 people including 200 delegates from  
13European countries and peace activists from the Kurdish and  
Turkishcommunities arrived in Ankara in 57 coaches from Istanbul.  The  
convoywas met by 3,000 people and 3 more coaches joined the peace  
convoy fromAnkara.

70 coaches traveling from Adana, 30 coaches from Mersin were sent back  
bysecurity forces.  News has reached us that people who joined the  
rallyand wanted to participate in the coaches in Adana were threatened  
withmassacre.

The seven coaches carrying the European delegates were stopped  
bysecurity forces in Birecik where delegation met by 3,000 people.   
Afterdirect telephone link with one of the coaches one of the  
delegates hasreported that Turkish security forces had taken down all  
banners and hadburnt them.  Also the material on busses were  
confiscated.

The city of Diyarbakir is under a complete siege.  According to  
Turkishnews-TV channel, NTV, a temporary gendarmerie station has been  
set up atDiyarbakir Airport.  Constant ID controls are being carried  
out andpeople who want to participate in today's rally in Diyarbakir  
are beingset back either to Istanbul or Ankara.  Yesterday (31 August  
1997) wife,daughter and son-in-law of Musa Anter, Dr. Haluk Gerger, ex- 
DEP MPs SirriSakik and Sedat Yurttas, Dr. Kemal Parlak, seven members  
of Italiandelegation were forced back into flights and sent back to  
Istanbul.  Dr.Haluk Gerger confirmed last night that there will be a  
press conferencetoday at 12 midday (local time) in Istanbul.

Today a German MP, Lord Rea from UK, Norwegian MP Erling Folkvord  
andfive other European delegates were turned back from Diyarbakir  
Airport.

At the same time Diyarbakir Police Directorate has distributed a  
leafletin four different languages declaring that "Permission has not  
been givenby our governor for any demonstration or rally.  Any rally  
ordemonstration which is held will constitute an offense according to  
ourlaws.  The laws of the Turkish Republic will be applied to any  
person whoparticipates..."

HADEP's leading officials and various Trade Union leaders are being  
heldin detention since yesterday.  Dozens of incidents of detentions  
arecontinuously being reported from cities of Istanbul, Van, Adana,  
Mersin.

We call on the Turkish government to stop all attempts to hinder  
thepeace convoy and allow them to enter Diyarbakir.  We call on  
allconcerned governments and institutions in the world and Turkey to  
takedetermined action against these threats.
The  September 1st peace rally committee and the European delegates  
alsoreported that tens of thousands of Kurdish people have already  
reachedDiyarbakir and that they are determined to go ahead with the  
rally.



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Home Page: http://www.kurdistan.org
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