Another arm of the Turkish state?

[english at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl]

We don't have any information about this organisation, so we can't say 
anything definit about it, but simular organisations and initiatives
are directed by the Turkish government and used in it's fight against
political oponents all over Europe..


Sept. 11 1997

                                      
              Turks Abroad Assembly moves closer to establishment
   
 _________________________________________________________________

 Turkish Daily News
 
 Istanbul - The Turkish Workers' Associations' Federation of Sweden
 (TWAFS) has announced that it was pleased about the efforts concerning
 the establishment of the "Assembly of Turks Abroad" (ATA). TWAFS
 Chairman Yasar Pektas said it could become an important tool to
 provide solutions for the problems of Turks abroad, should it be
 formulated and organized properly. News which appeared last week in
 Hurriyet, stating that the assembly and technical committee would be
 appointed, showed that the issue had reached a serious stage.
 
 Speaking on behalf of TWAFS, Pektas said that the creation of such
 bodies by appointment was not a healthy way to proceed as it bypassed
 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have been working to solve
 the problems of Turkish citizens abroad for many years.
 
"We have been operating for 20 years"

 "Despite the fact that TWAFS has been operating since 1977 and has
 12,000 members in 25 regions, it was not consulted for its ideas about
 the assembly or the technical board," Pektas complained. "It would be
 a great mistake to think that an assembly of appointed people would
 represent the Turks abroad, excluding the NGOs that are experienced in
 dealing with Turkish ex-pats' problems," he added.
 
 Pektas said the operational principles, authority, responsibilities
 and aims of the assembly and the technical board should be identified
 clearly and the NGOs must be consulted. He added that it was not too
 late to correct the mistake at this stage because such an important
 project would come to an end before it ever started if the assembly
 and the technical board were formed by appointment.

-- 
Press Agency Ozgurluk
The Struggle for justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan
http://www.ozgurluk.org                          
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