From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 1 06:50:24 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 01 Apr 1998 06:50:24 Subject: Turk minister rejects jail rioters Message-ID: FOCUS-Turk minister rejects jail rioters' demands 08:38 a.m. Apr 01, 1998 Eastern ANKARA, April 1 (Reuters) - The Turkish government on Wednesday dismissed demands by left-wing prisoners holding more than 50 guards hostage as part of a nationwide protest over jail transfers. ``There are no just reasons for their protest. This is an unjust protest,'' state-run Anatolian agency quoted Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu as saying. ``There is no public support.'' Police were in a standoff for the second day with dozens of inmates holding 55 guards at 10 jails around the country. The inmates, affiliated to the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and other leftist urban guerrilla groups, demand an end to transfers to other jails. They are also protesting at a plan to replace open dormitories with individual cells. The government says the ward system helps to prevent illegal political groups from flourishing in jails. Witnesses said a police armoured car and a bus carrying members of an crack security team stood in readiness outside Ankara jail. A group of relatives gathered at Umraniye prison in Istanbul, anxious for news from inside. Sungurlu said authorities did not favour police storming the jails -- often antiquated, maze-like buildings. ``You know the problems that interventions can bring,'' he said. Seven people died last year when baton-wielding police put down a riot at an Istanbul prison. Ten Kurdish rebel inmates died in a similar incident the year before at a high-security jail in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. A dozen leftists died in a hunger strike over prison conditions in 1996 that brought European criticism of Turkey's rights record. The prisoners freed one hostage at Bursa jail in western Turkey overnight because he had fallen ill. There has been no word of injuries since the inmates began seizing guards early on Tuesday to force a halt to transfers of inmates from a jail in the western district of Buca. The minister said some prisoners had been taken from Buca but that no other similar transfers were planned. ``There are no transfers anyway. They cannot go wherever they want,'' he said. Guerrillas from DHKP-C have been involved in rocket attacks and killings of security force members in Turkey's major cities. Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said action needed to be taken to prevent such groups organising in jail. ``Measures must be tightened up in prisons. There are close communication links among them,'' he was quoted by Anatolian as telling reporters. Prisoners' relatives complained of a lack of information from the jails. ``We are waiting and worried about what is going on. We do not know what is happening,'' said one of them, Guler Elmas, waiting outside Umraniye jail. A senior official at the jail said the families of the hostages were being kept informed on the situation. ``Of course relatives of the guards are anxious, but we inform them time to time. According to the information we got from inside they (the hostage guards) are well,'' the official told Reuters. Prison officials said prisoners at Buca pressed on with their protest on Wednesday morning, refusing to attend a roll call. The prisoners chanted slogans and banged on the dormitory doors every hour, Anatolian said. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Thu Apr 2 06:04:14 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 02 Apr 1998 06:04:14 Subject: Victory for Turkish POW's Message-ID: The DHKP-C prisoners were victorieus! They got the Turkish state on its knees! The abducted prisoners are allowed to go to a jail of their choice. Here is some mainstream news about the confrontation. [INLINE] Third day of prison action * After leftist prisoners initiated actions on Tuesday at Buca Prison, the movement spread to 10 other prisons. A number of prison officials and guards are being held hostage _________________________________________________________________ Istanbul - Turkish Daily News The actions carried out by prisoners at Buca Prison at midnight on Tuesday have spread to Istanbul's Umraniye Prison as well as to Canakkale and Ankara. The tension, which started when members of the outlawed Dev Sol group protested penalties given to their friends who had been newly imprisoned, turned into a full-scale action around the country. At Ankara Central Closed Prison and at Istanbul's Umraniye Prison, the prisoners took many wardens and prison administrators as hostages. While these events were going on, Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu finally issued a statement evaluating the situation. Noting that action was being carried out in 10 prisons around the country, Sungurlu said that 55 members of prison staff were being held hostage. Defending the idea that these actions had no justifiable basis, Sungurlu called on the prisoners to set the hostages free at once. Sungurlu said that it was estimated that 350 of the 751 members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front\Party (DHKC\P, previously known as Dev Sol) participated the protest. He stated that the ministry has allowed nongovernmental organizations negotiate with prisoners. While the reasons behind the actions, which started simultaneously in 10 separate prisons, could not easily be understood, it is thought that the prisoners had been in contact with each other. Sungurlu gave some comfort to the protesting prisoners and to the families of prisoners who were waiting outside the prisons by saying that at the moment, the gendarmerie and the police were not going to move against those involved in the actions. It is thought that an attack on the prisoners would result in bloodshed, and that many prisoners could be killed. It is further said that plans to open prisons for visitation during the approaching Holiday of Sacrifice would not benefit the prisoners in the event that their action continues. Under these circumstances, it is expected that the prisoners will put an end to their action either today or Friday. In a statement issued by Medeni Ayhan, chairman of the Association for the Assistance and Support of Arrested and Convicted Persons, it was said that the basic actions in other prisons were in support of actions being carried on at Buca and Sagmalcilar prisons. Stressing that the action would come to an end if those under arrest at Buca Prison were sent to the prisons of their choice, Ayhan requested Justice Ministry officials' assistance for them. Chairman of the Human Rights Association's (IHD) Izmir branch, Ercan Demir, stated after he had met with prisoners that the ministry should consider the preferences of prisoners in their allocation among prisons. Some Hostages Freed in Turkey By Suzan Fraser Associated Press Writer Wednesday, April 1, 1998; 12:45 p.m. EST ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Inmates at two prisons released 15 hostage prison officials today after government concessions aimed at ending uprisings at seven prisons nationwide, Turkish news media said. Hostages were released and the protests ended at Istanbul and Ankara prisons, Anatolia News Agency and private Star television reported. In the other prisons, 40 hostages remained in inmates' hands, but officials said they were close to reaching an agreement. Leftist inmates in seven prisons around the country took 55 guards and officials hostage Tuesday to pressure officials to return 10 newly transferred comrades to a jail in Buca in western Turkey. About 350 inmates are taking part in the uprising. Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu ruled out the 10, convicted prisoners' return to Buca prison, saying it is a jail solely used to hold suspects awaiting trial. In a compromise, however, the government agreed to send the 10 to prisons closer to their families. The prisoners are members of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Salvation Party-Front, which has taken responsibility for several killings and bombings in Turkey. Turkish Prisoners Free Hostages By Suzan Fraser Associated Press Writer Wednesday, April 1, 1998; 5:01 p.m. EST ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- A two-day-old prison standoff ended peacefully Wednesday when prisoners at seven Turkish jails released the 55 officials they had taken hostage. Protests at Istanbul and Ankara prisons halted after the government agreed to a compromise that sent 10 inmates -- whose transfers from Buca jail in western Turkey sparked the action -- to prisons close to their families, the Anatolia news agency and the private Star television reported. Lawyer Behic Asci, who was mediating between the inmates and government, said the rioters were pleased with the decision as well as other government pledges to consult prisoners before transfers, to investigate officials at Buca for possible improper conduct and not to punish the inmates for the riot. Inmates in seven prisons around the country took 55 guards and officials hostage Tuesday to pressure officials to return the 10 newly transferred comrades. About 350 inmates are taking part in the uprising. Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu ruled out returning the 10 convicted prisoners to Buca, saying it was a jail solely to hold suspects awaiting trial. In a compromise, however, the government agreed to send the 10 to prisons closer to their families. The prisoners are members of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Salvation Party-Front, which has taken responsibility for several killings and bombings in Turkey. Tukey Makes Offer to Prisoners By Suzan Fraser Associated Press Writer Wednesday, April 1, 1998; 11:45 a.m. EST ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Trying to end a two-day hostage standoff, Turkish officials promised today to send 10 inmates to prisons closer to their families. Leftist inmates in seven prisons around the country took 55 guards and officials hostage Tuesday to pressure officials to return their comrades to a jail in Buca in western Turkey. About 350 inmates are taking part in the uprising. The government's compromise offer to send inmates closer to home instead of Buca fell short of the prisoners' demands, but government officials seemed confident the compromise would work. Relatives of both the hostages and the prisoners stood outside the prisons, where police and military units kept watch. Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu ruled out the return of the 10 convicted prisoners to Buca prison, saying it is a jail solely used to hold suspects awaiting trial. The prisoners are members of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Salvation Party-Front, which has taken responsibility for several killings and bombings in Turkey. Turkish inmates often riot, stage hunger strikes or take guards hostage to demand improved conditions. The latest standoff intensified doubts about overall prison security. Currently, prisoners are often grouped together in large wards, and prison authorities lose control. The inmates often smuggle in cellular phones to communicate with comrades outside. ``In the short term, we will step up existing measures,'' Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said. ``But the real solution is to build new and modern prisons.'' -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Thu Apr 2 09:19:14 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 02 Apr 1998 09:19:14 Subject: Stetement: Victory for Turkish Political Prisoners Message-ID: We publish a press statement about latest developments in the prisoners' resistance in Turkey. We want to thank everybody who supported the resistance and helped to bring it to a favourable conclusion. PRISON WATCH INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE'S LAW BUREAU ISTANBUL INFORMATION CENTRE FOR FREE PEOPLES April 1, 1998 TO THE PRESS AND PUBLIC OPINION POLITICAL PRISONERS WON NEW RIGHTS FOR THEMSELVES THROUGH RESISTANCE THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT EXPECT, RESISTANCE THAT SPREAD TO 11 PRISONS WITHIN A SHORT TIME On the evening of March 30, 10 prisoners of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) who were being held in investigative detention were dragged away by force from the remand prison in Buca. In response, DHKP-C prisoners in Buca put up barricades in their cells and set their beds on fire. They demanded the immediate and unconditional return of the prisoners who had been abducted and mistreated. That very same day this resistance spread to seven prisons in Turkey, in which all the members of the organisation participated. Umraniye Prison: 1 prison director and 1 warder were taken as hostages by prisoners. Ankara Central Closed Prison: 1 deputy prison director and 3 warders were taken hostage. Bergama Prison: 12 warders were taken hostage. Canakkale Prison: Barricades were set up in the prison corridor. Sakarya Prison: 1 senior warder and 5 warders were taken as hostages and barricades were set up in the prison corridor. Bartin Prison: The prisoners refused to allow the prison staff to count them. Consequently the prison authorities withdrew the whole of their staff from the prison. Bayrampasa Prison: Refusal to permit counting. By the time the resistance ended, several hundred prisoners from a total of 11 prisons had taken part. In addition, prisoners belonging to other organisations showed solidarity. Here we publish the declaration by the Central Coordination of the Prisons: OUR RESISTANCE IN THE PRISONS ENDS IN VICTORY As the public knows, on March 30, 1998, 10 DHKP-C prisoners were abducted from the remand prison at Buca. During the visiting hour they were driven out of the visiting room by blows from clubs, in full view of their families . Against their will they were taken to the prisons of Amasya, Yozgat, Burdur and Nevsehir. We prisoners have reacted against these bandit methods from the very first moment. For us it is not particularly important in what prison we are confined. However, we will not silently tolerate attacks on our human dignity and attacks on our political identity. And nobody can expect that we will silently put up with this bandit behaviour in Buca. The resistance, which we carried out in many different prisons with the seizing of hostages, the occupation of cells, barricades and refusal to permit counting, was ended by us on April 1, that is, today. This followed talks with Ferzan Citici, the attorney of the Republic of Turkey for Istanbul, who had been sent by Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu, talks which achieved results. The results of the talks are as follows: 1) Our friends who have been dragged away are to be transferred, with their own agreement, to prisons where they have friends or to prisons located in the parts of the country where their families are. 2) All transfers which are carried out from today are only to apply to prisoners who have been sentenced and are to take place with their own agreement; these are to be to prisons where they either have friends or their families live in the area. 3) There are to be no investigative procedures initiated against prisoners in Buca who took part in protest actions against the bandit methods. 4) An investigative procedure is to be opened against the director and attorney of Buca Prison because of the use of bandit methods. All prisoners who at this moment are resisting in various prisons will end their resistance after our representatives (lawyers) have read out this statement. LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE, LONG LIVE THE VICTORY Central Coordination of the Prisons (DHKP-C, TKP/ML, TIKB, TKP(ML), TKEP-Leninist, HKG, Direnis Hareketi, MLKP) Prisoners in the THKP-C/HDO Trial in Bayrampasa Prison April 1, 1998 In the name of all political prisoners we would like to cordially thank those who have stood up for their security. We have no information that anyone has been seriously injured. Kalkarer Str. 2, 50733 Cologne , Tel 0221 760 7656 Fax 0221 760 2887 Information Centre for Free Peoples, c/o Prison Watch International -------------------------------------------------- DHKC Front Revolutionnare de Liberation du Peuple Bureau d' Information Leuvensensteenstraat 323 1030 Brussel Tel/Fax: 32 2 73 37281 e-mail: dhkc at xs4all.be www: http://www.xs4all.be/~dhkc -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de Thu Apr 2 15:12:00 1998 From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de) Date: 02 Apr 1998 15:12:00 Subject: Freiheit fuer Dino Frisullo Message-ID: <6r6QC5F6.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de> Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Regionalb?ro Friedenszug "Musa Anter" und Internationale Menschenrechtsdelegation 1998 Freiheit f?r Dino Frisullo und alle anderen politischen H?ftlinge in t?rkischen Gef?ngnissen Am Samstag, dem 21. M?rz 1998 wurde der italienische Journalist und Fraktionsmitarbeiter im italienischen Parlament, Damiano Frisullo (Rom), in Diyarbakir festgenommen. Seitdem wird er im Gef?ngnis von Diyarbakir gefangengehalten. Frisullo war mit einer Menschenrechtsdelegation anl??lich des Newroz-Festes als Beobachter in die T?rkei gereist. An Newroz war die italienische Delegation Teil der 80 000 friedlich feiernden Menschen auf dem Batikent-Platz. Doch Polizei und Milit?r verwandelten das Fest und die nachfolgende Demonstration in eine Menschenjagd, bei der ca. 200 TeilnehmerInnen verhaftet und mehr als 25 schwer verletzt wurden. Eine Verletzte liegt bis zum heutigen Tag im Koma. Die internationalen Delegationen reihten sich ein in die Demonstrantinnen und Demonstranten, fl?chteten mit ihnen vor Schlagst?cken, R?umpanzern und Wasserwerfern. Menschen mit aufgeplatzten Wunden und gebrochenen Knochen versuchten, sich in Seitenstra?en in Sicherheit zu bringen, w?hrend die Polizei auf Frauen und Kinder einschlug, die bereits verletzt auf dem Boden lagen. Auch zwei deutsche Delegationsmitglieder, die Bundestagsagsabgeordnete Ulla Jelpke und ihre Mitarbeiterin G?lten Sahin, wurden w?hrend der Demonstration eingekesselt und zusammengeschlagen. Sie konnten den Kessel nur durch ein Spalier von Polizisten verlassen, die mit Kn?ppeln auf ihre K?pfe und K?rper einschlugen. Zwei gemeinsam mit Damiano Frisullo festgenommene italienische Delegierte wurden nach wenigen Tagen freigelassen und des Landes verwiesen. Allen Dreien wird vorgeworfen gegen ? 312 des Strafrechtes versto?en und auf der Demonstration Kinder zum Werfen von Steinen aufgewiegelt zu haben. Dar?ber hinaus wird Frisullo - gemeinsam mit zwei nicht festgenommenen Italienern - die Vorbereitung eines Komplotts der italienischen Rifondazione Comunista gegen die Regierung der T?rkei zur Last gelegt. Frisullo befindet sich weiterhin in Haft. Er wurde bereits im vergangenen Jahr als Teilnehmer des Friedenszuges "Musa Anter" anl??lich einer Pressekonferenz zum ersten Mal verhaftet und angeklagt. Wegen dieser Anklage weigert sich die Staatsanwaltschaft bis heute, ihn nach seiner erneuten Festnahme wie die anderen verhafteten ItalienerInnen freizulassen. Rechtlich sind die Vorw?rfe gegen Frisullo unhaltbar. Alle in beiden Verfahren mit ihm Angeklagten befinden sich auf freiem Fu?. Dennoch beabsichtigt die Staatsanwaltschaft nach Informationen aus Diyarbakir, den Journalisten bis zur Er?ffnung seines n?chsten Prozesses weiter in Einzelhaft zu halten. Nach Ansicht der Anw?lte Frisullos kann dies bis Anfang Mai dauern. Ein Auslieferungsbegehren der italienischen Regierung wurde von t?rkischer Seite abgelehnt. Dino Frisullo ist ein Freund, der f?hlt was er sieht und sich mit Herz und Verstand f?r Freiheit die Menschenrechte, Frieden und eine menschenw?rdige Zukunft in Kurdistan und der T?rkei einsetzt. Er hat dieses Ziel stets mit friedlichen Mitteln verfolgt. Wir fordern die T?rkei mit aller Sch?rfe auf, ihn - ebenso wie alle politischen Gefangenen, die noch in t?rkischen Kn?sten sitzen - unverz?glich freizulassen. Bitte fordern Sie gemeinsam mit uns die unverz?gliche Freilassung Damiano Frisullos in Protestbriefen und -faxen an t?rkische Konsulate sowie offizielle Stellen der T?rkei und unterschreiben Sie beiliegende Erkl?rung. Ihren Protest k?nnen Sie richten an: Staatspr?sident S?leyman Demirel Fax. 0090-312-4685012 (oder -4271330) Ministerpr?sident Mesut Yilmaz Fax. 0090-312-4170476 Aussenminister Ismail Cem Fax. 0090-312-4172799 (oder -2128936) Innenministerium Fax. 0090-312-4172390 Justizministerium Fax. 0090-312-4173954 T?rkische Botschaft Bonn Tel. 0228-3460-52 (-54) Fax. 0228-348877 Eine Unterschriftenliste findet sich in der Binaerdatei "ulstdino.doc". Sie kann nach dem extrahieren in Winword 6.0 eingelesen werden. F?r weitere Ausk?nfte ist Herr Rauchfuss durchg?ngig unter der Mobiltelefonnummer 0171-7127375 erreichbar. From K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de Thu Apr 2 15:12:00 1998 From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de) Date: 02 Apr 1998 15:12:00 Subject: ULSTDINO.DOC Message-ID: <6r6QCIxr.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de> Content-type: application/octet-stream; name="ulstdino.doc" Content-Transfer-Encoding: X-uuencode begin 644 ulstdino.doc MT,\1X*&Q&N$`````````````````````.P`#`/[_"0`&```````````````! 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M105M`>D``44%;0'\``'0!6T!_``!VPUM`?P``=X(;0'\``%%!6T!Z0`!105M M`?P``=`%;0'\``';#6T!_``!W at AM`?P``44%;0'I``%%!6T!Y@`!<".+`.8` M`7`CY@#F``%P(^8````````````````````````````````````````````` M```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` M```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` M```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` M``````````````````(```4#`!(``!@!&0&X1@"["@`*``H`"@`)``D`O at P` M!+K_&`9]%.<=MR,``P``!0,8`1D.``\`"``!`$L`#P``````'```0/'_`@`< M``A3=&%N9&%R9``"`````P!A!P0`````````````````````````)@!!0/+_ MH0`F`!E!8G-A='HM4W1A;F1A"AL1KA`````````````````````#L``P#^ M_PD`!@```````````````0````$``````````!````(````!````_O___P`` M````````____________________________________________________ M____________________________________________________________ M____________________________________________________________ M____________________________________________________________ )____________ `` end From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Fri Apr 3 09:08:15 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 03 Apr 1998 09:08:15 Subject: AI: TURKEY Fear for prisoner safety as gendarmes brought to prison Message-ID: * News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty * International * AI INDEX: EUR 44/15/98 1 April 1998 PUBLIC STATEMENT TURKEY Fear for prisoner safety as gendarmes brought to prison gate The Justice Minister should ensure that gendarmes and police are not used to quell the crisis at Buca Prison and other disturbances developing in prisons throughout Turkey, Amnesty International said in a letter to the minister yesterday. In view of the many fatalities which have occurred in the past as a result of using police and gendarmes to suppress such prison unrest, the organization is concerned that gendarmes have been brought to quell disturbances in Ward 7 at Buca Prison, near Izmir, and have attempted to enter the ward. Disturbances have also been reported at Bergama Prison, Ankara Closed Prison and U[:]mraniye Special Type Prison in Istanbul. Amnesty International has written to the Turkish authorities on several past occasions, urging that sufficient resources be allocated so that prison services are not required to call upon Interior Ministry security forces -- police and gendarmes -- to handle such crises. The letter drew attention to the history of ill-treatment and fatalities which have occurred during such crises. When entering wards on previous occasions, police and gendarmes have consistently used excessive force to restore order, and have subsequently "punished" convicted members of illegal armed organizations who have participated in disturbances by dealing out severe beatings with sticks. In September 1995 when prisoners in Ward 6 at Buca Prison refused to appear for roll-call in protest at brutal treatment by gendarmes while being taken to and from court, a large group of gendarmes forced entry into Ward 6. After subduing the prisoners, the gendarmes allegedly brought them into the courtyard one by one and beat them with chains, iron bars, sticks and truncheons. Three prisoners, Yusuf Bag , Ugur Sariaslan and Turan Kilinc[,], were beaten to death. The injuries documented in Turan Kilinc[,]'s autopsy report suggested a ferocious attack: "general body trauma, broken skull, subdural and subarachnoidal haemorrhage, broken ribs, laceration and haemorrhage of the left lung." A few months after this incident, in January 1996, Orhan O[:]zen, Riza Boybas and Abdu[:]lmecit Sec[,]kin were beaten to death, and Gu[:]ltekin Beyhan died later in hospital from head injuries, after police and gendarmes entered U[:]mraniye Special Type Prison to subdue a prisoners' protest action. ENDS.../ List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Sun Apr 5 14:18:16 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 05 Apr 1998 14:18:16 Subject: [omct@iprolink.ch] Urgent Hospital treatment for prisoner in Turkey Message-ID: President Suleyman Demirel, Office of the President, Cumhur Baskanligi, 06100 Ankara. Fax : + 90 312 427 13 30 Geneva, 1st April 1998 Mr President, The International Secretariat of the World Organisations Against Torture (OMCT)- the world's largest network of human rights organisation would like to express its grave concerns over information that has come into its possession regarding the health of Resut Kayran, a remand prisoner of Ankara Central Closed Prison. According to the information received from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Mr Resut Kayran is suffering from colon cancer, Hepatitis C (resulting from the insanitary conditions of the prison) and other additional physical complications. He is also suffering psychological problems resulting from his physical health. Despite these grave medical conditions, we understand that he has been denied access to non penal medical treatment. Given his medical state of health, we are gravely concerned that he may be given every access to appropriate treatment die. Penal treatment has been clearly ruled out by the Turkish Medical Association, who in their report of 14th January commented that he needed cheomotherapy, that his treatment could not be conducted in a penal establishment and that he should immediately be taken to hospital. Another medical report, issued by the Ankara Oncology Hospital in May 1997, said that the Hepatitis may lead to cirrhosis in his case and that he had to be discharged to hospital in order that he be given appropriate treatment. Both recommendations are allowed by Turkish law under article 399 of the Turkish Penal Code. We understand that despite these independent assessments, the ward for Prisoners in Nummune Hospital issued a report that there were sufficient medical facilities in Prison for appropriate treatment. We are concerned by this view, particularly given the death of Osman Das on 27 December 1997, who had been diagnosed as suffering from, amongst others, colon cancer and was treated in that same ward. Mr President, Resut Kayran is still awaiting sentence by the Supreme Court under article 168 of the Penal code, we are gravely concerned that he be given access to the medical treatment that his condition merits. We would urge you to take the appropriate steps to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr Kayran and release him under article 399 of the Penal Code. Within this context we would similarly urge you to take immediate steps to improve the health conditions of Turkish Jails generally. Mr President, I thank you for giving this matter your immediate attention and remain, Yours Sincerely, Eric Sottas Director bs/bs/appealsEnglish/bilateralinterventions/TUR010498 The World Organisation Against Torture Case Postale 119 37-39 Rue de Vermont CH1211 Geneva 20 CIC Switzerland Fax 4122 733 1051 Ph 4122 733 3140 OMCT is: l'Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture The World Organisation Against Torture OMCT at IPROLINK.CH http://www.omct.org/ OMCT - The World Organisation Against Torture is the Worlds largest network of human rights organisations fighting against all forms of torture, cruel inhuman or degrading treatment, forced disappearances summary execution or other more subtle forms of violent repression. OMCT has consultative status with the UN, The ILO and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 6 10:20:58 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 06 Apr 1998 10:20:58 Subject: European Parliament Resolution On Dino Frisullo Message-ID: April 2, 1998 B4-0409, 0411, 0412 and 0420/98 Resolution On The Arrest Of Italian Citizen Dino Frisullo In Turkey The European Parliament, - having regard to its previous resolutions on the human rights situation in Turkey, A. whereas Dino Frisullo, an Italian citizen, was arrested on 21 March 1998 in Diyarbakir for taking part in celebrations to mark the Kurdish New Year ('Newroz') and for demonstrating in support of the fundamental rights of the Kurdish people, B. whereas the charge brought of "incitement to violence" is not warranted by Dino Frisullo's behavior, which involved the exercise of the fundamental rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, C. whereas many Community citizens, including politicians and members of parliament, took part in the 'Newroz' celebrations, D. outraged by the behavior of the Turkish police who, during the celebrations, arrested a large number of people indiscriminately, in many instances after having subjected them to arbitrary beatings, E. having regard to the diplomatic steps taken by the Italian Government to secure the immediate release of its national, F. reminding the Turkish authorities of the obligations they entered into by signing the European and international conventions on human rights, 1. Calls on the Turkish authorities to release the Italian citizen Dino Frisullo immediately, and supports the request to this effect made by the Italian Government; 2. Deplores the actions of the Turkish security forces during the peaceful 'Newroz' celebrations; 3. Calls on the Turkish Government to show respect for fundamental human rights, as required by the international conventions that Turkey has signed, and in particular to guarantee the rights of freedom of opinion and freedom of expression; 4. Points out that closer cooperation between the European Union and Turkey is conditional, first and foremost, upon full respect for human rights; 5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government and Parliament of Italy and the Government of Turkey. (Source: AKIN) ---- For A Free And Independent Kurdistan! KURD-L Archives - http://burn.ucsd.edu/archives/kurd-l List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de Tue Apr 7 19:02:00 1998 From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de) Date: 07 Apr 1998 19:02:00 Subject: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Freiheit_f=FCr_Dino_Frisullo?= Message-ID: <6rUR0Gl6.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de> Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Freiheit f?r Dino Frisullo und alle anderen politischen H?ftlinge in t?rkischen Gef?ngnissen Am Samstag, dem 21. M?rz 1998 wurde der italienische Journalist und Fraktionsmitarbeiter im italienischen Parlament, Damiano Frisullo (Rom), in Diyarbakir festgenommen. Seitdem wird er im Gef?ngnis von Diyarbakir gefangengehalten. Frisullo war mit einer Menschenrechtsdelegation anl??lich des Newroz-Festes als Beobachter in die T?rkei gereist. An Newroz war die italienische Delegation Teil der 80 000 friedlich feiernden Menschen auf dem Batikent-Platz. Doch Polizei und Milit?r verwandelten das Fest und die nachfolgende Demonstration in eine Menschenjagd, bei der ca. 200 TeilnehmerInnen verhaftet und mehr als 25 schwer verletzt wurden. BeobachterInnen berichteten, da? Menschen mit aufgeplatzten Wunden und gebrochenen Knochen versuchten, sich in Seitenstra?en in Sicherheit zu bringen, w?hrend die Polizei auf Frauen und Kinder einschlug, die bereits verletzt auf dem Boden lagen. Auch zwei deutsche Delegationsmitglieder wurden w?hrend der Demonstration eingekesselt und zusammengeschlagen. Damiano Frisullo wird vorgeworfen gegen ? 312 des Strafrechtes versto?en und auf der Demonstration Kinder zum Werfen von Steinen aufgewiegelt zu haben. Diese Vorw?rfe sind frei erfunden. Damiano Frisullo hat sich nach Aussagen der deutschen Delegation mit ausschlie?lich gewaltfreien Mitteln als internationaler Menschenrechtsbeobachter in der Demonstration aufgehalten. Rechtlich sind die Vorw?rfe gegen Frisullo unhaltbar. Da? sich die Staatsanwaltschaft bis heute weigert, ihn freizulassen entbehrt jeder juristischen Handhabe und steht in unmittelbarem Zusammenhang mit der Kriminalisierung des Friedenszuges "Musa Anter" vom vergangenen Jahr. Als Teilnehmer des Friedenszuges war Damiano Frisullo auch damals verhaftet worden und steht derzeit deswegen zus?tzlich unter Anklage. Alle in beiden Verfahren mit ihm Angeklagten befinden sich jedoch auf freiem Fu?. Wir fordern daher die T?rkei mit aller Sch?rfe auf, Damiano Frisullo und alle weiteren politischen Gefangenen, die menschenrechtswidrig in t?rkischen Gef?ngnissen gefangengehalten werden unverz?glich freizulassen. Ich unterst?tze den Aufruf "Freiheit f?r Dino Frisullo und alle anderen politischen H?ftlinge in t?rkischen Gef?ngnissen": Name: Adresse: Funktion / Beruf: Unterschrift: Bitte zur?cksenden an: Knut Rauchfuss, Medizinische Fl?chtlingshilfe Bochum, c/o Bahnhof Langendreer, Wallbaumweg108, 44894 Bochum oder an Fax Nummer 0234-9270338 From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 8 13:23:20 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 08 Apr 1998 13:23:20 Subject: WWW: political prisoners in Turkey Message-ID: To all who are interested: The last victory of the political prisoners in Turkey was our inspiration for creating a web-page about the struggle from p[olitical prisoners in Turkey. http://www.ozgurluk.org/prison Turkey has more than 10.000 political prisoners. They are trade-unionists, human rights activists, democrats, artists, writers, revolutionaries, kurdish patriots, socialists, etc. Their live in prison is a permanent struggle for minimal human rights. Very often they have to face brutal attacks by the fascist forces of the Turkish state. These pages are ment to keep the public opinion in the world informed about this daily ongoing fight for human dignity, revolutionary-, patriotic- or democratic identity and minimal human rights in the dungeons of the Turkish jails. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Tue Apr 14 05:48:25 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 14 Apr 1998 05:48:25 Subject: Bad month for Turkish press Message-ID: 14 April 1998 Bad month for Turkish press _________________________________________________________________ Ankara - Turkish Daily News The Turkish Journalists' Association (TGC) declared that 12 Turkish journalists were sentenced to various penalties in March. The most significant of these was the decision to imprison famous poet and journalist Can Yucel for 14 months on charges that he insulted President Suleyman Demirel. In addition, 19 journalists were taken into custody during investigations carried out at a number of leftist newspapers. Fourteen journalists were attacked last month and ten newspapers and two books were seized following court orders. The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) temporarily closed 17 radio and television stations for varying lengths of time in March. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de Tue Apr 14 19:48:00 1998 From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de) Date: 14 Apr 1998 19:48:00 Subject: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Proze=DFtermin_gegen_Dino_Frisullo?= Message-ID: <6rvRwnAb.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de> Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Regionalb?ro Friedenszug "Musa Anter" & Internationale Menschenrechtsdelegation 1998 Proze?termin gegen Dino Frisullo - Delegation reist nach Diyarbakir Am Samstag, dem 21. M?rz 1998 wurde der italienische Journalist und Fraktionsmitarbeiter im italienischen Parlament, Damiano Frisullo (Rom), in Diyarbakir festgenommen. Seitdem wird er im Gef?ngnis von Diyarbakir gefangengehalten. Frisullo war mit einer Menschenrechtsdelegation anl??lich des Newroz-Festes als Beobachter in die T?rkei gereist. An Newroz war die italienische Delegation Teil der 80 000 friedlich feiernden Menschen auf dem Batikent-Platz. Doch Polizei und Milit?r verwandelten das Fest und die nachfolgende Demonstration in eine Menschenjagd. BeobachterInnen berichteten, da? Menschen mit aufgeplatzten Wunden und gebrochenen Knochen versuchten, sich in Seitenstra?en in Sicherheit zu bringen, w?hrend die Polizei auf Frauen und Kinder einschlug, die bereits verletzt auf dem Boden lagen. Damiano Frisullo wird vorgeworfen gegen $ 312 des Strafrechtes versto?en, d.h. die Bev?lkerung aufgewiegelt zu haben. Nach Aussagen der deutschen Delegation hat sich er sich lediglich gewaltfrei in der Demonstration aufgehalten und ein Ank?ndigungsplakat des Festes getragen. Da? sich die Staatsanwaltschaft bis heute weigert, ihn freizulassen entbehrt jeder juristischen Handhabe und steht in unmittelbarem Zusammenhang mit der Kriminalisierung des Friedenszuges "Musa Anter" vom vergangenen Jahr. Als Teilnehmer des Friedenszuges war Damiano Frisullo auch damals verhaftet worden und steht derzeit deswegen zus?tzlich unter Anklage. Alle in beiden Verfahren mit ihm Angeklagten befinden sich jedoch auf freiem Fu?. Der Prozess gegen Dino Frisullo wird am 28.4.1998 in Diyarbakir stattfinden. InteressentInnen, die sich an einer Delegation zur Proze?beobachtung teilnehmen m?chten k?nnen sich an Knut Rauchfuss wenden. Wir bitten um die R?cksendung unterschriebener Listen des Appells "Freiheit f?r Dino Frisullo und alle anderen politischen H?ftlinge in t?rkischen Gef?ngnissen" bis zum 23.4.1998. Die Unterschriften sollen dort von der Delegation dem Richter ?bergeben werden. F?r weitere Ausk?nfte ist Herr Rauchfuss durchg?ngig unter der Mobiltelefonnummer 0171-7127375 erreichbar. ## CrossPoint v3.1 ## From onnik at clicks.co.uk Sat Apr 18 06:10:06 1998 From: onnik at clicks.co.uk (onnik at clicks.co.uk) Date: 18 Apr 1998 06:10:06 Subject: KHRP Publications Online Message-ID: A N N O U N C E M E N T: KURDISH HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT The Kurdish Human Rights Project, an independent non-governmental organisation based in London, England, is pleased to inform those interested in the human rights situation within the Republics of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and the former Soviet Union of the avilability of its annual report for its activities during 1997. The Annual Report, available for downloading and printing in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, is available from the KHRP web site at: http://www.khrp.org/annual97/annual97.htm KHRP NEWSLINE KHRP is also pleased to announce the availability of "Newsline", a bi-monthly publication, again avilable as a Adobe Acrobat PDF file, keeping interested parties up to date on news and reports of the organisation's activities in the two months prior to publication. In Issue One (Jan/Feb 1998) KHRP are specially pleased to be able to bring the news of two rulings in favour of two cases brought by KHRP against the Republic of Turkey at the European Human Court of Human Rights (Mentes,Turhalli,Turhalli v Turkey, and Sirri Sakik, Ahmet Turk, Mahmut Alinak, Mehmet Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Leyla Zana v Turkey). "Newsline" is available from the KHRP web site at: http://www.khrp.org/newsline/newsline.htm For more information on KHRP, and its activities, projects and publications concerning the Kurdish populations of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and the former Soviet Union please access: http://www.khrp.org List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 22 06:54:11 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 22 Apr 1998 06:54:11 Subject: Turkey: Student "suicided" after arrest by anti-terror-police Message-ID: Autopsy report strengthens doubts in Serkan's death _________________________________________________________________ Izmir - Turkish Daily News Four months after the suspicious death of 19-year-old university student Ali Serkan Eroglu, who was found hanging by the belt of his bag in a toilet cubicle at Ege University, a post-mortem report issued by the Medical Jurisprudence Group presidency in Istanbul brought a new dimension to the case. The first and provisional autopsy report -- issued by the Izmir Medical Jurisprudence Group -- had testified that he had been dead for 24 hours at the time he was found and asserted that Eroglu committed suicide. Yet the second autopsy report sent from Istanbul indicated that the cause of death was "anesthetization and hanging." The mourning father of the journalism student, Ahmet Eroglu, who has never accepted the "suicide" claim, held a press conference on Monday at the Izmir Chamber of Medicine with participation by representatives of various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Speaking at the conference, Eroglu family lawyer Ercan Demir explained that Serkan was taken into custody on November 27, 1997, by civil police officers and taken to the anti-terrorism branch, where he was threatened and beaten. Emphasizing that as soon as he was released, Serkan applied to the Izmir branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Demir argued that this is a case of murder and that the latest report proves that claim. It is also known that Serkan had earlier submitted a petition to the Izmir Attorney General, in which he stated that should anything happen to him, those "responsible" would be the security forces. Three weeks after this incident, he was found dead. "Suspicions that fueled the debate until now have disappeared with the latest post-mortem report. The report states that chloroform, a chemical substance used as an anaesthetic, was found in Serkan's blood. The report also says that Serkan was murdered by hanging, after he fainted due to the effects of this substance, which is available everywhere. If there hadn't been any public pressure following his death, the file wouldn't have been sent to Istanbul and the truth would never have surfaced," said Suat Kaptaner, the chairman of the Izmir Chamber of Medicine. The Inquiry continues Meanwhile, Bornova Public Prosecutor Seyit Erdonmez, who is investigating the case, said that they will further clarify the report sent from Istanbul. "First of all, we should establish when the chloroform was given to Serkan. We should also determine whether Serkan was hung before or after his death. Considering the place wherein this incident occurred, an extraordinary place for a murder, it is not thought at the first glance that it could be manslaughter, since this is a part of the university where plenty of people are always around," said Erdonmez. He further stated that they will scrutinize Serkan's close relationships and demand detailed information from those who prepared the second autopsy report. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 22 06:55:52 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 22 Apr 1998 06:55:52 Subject: Leftists in Italy blast Turkey for journalist's jailing Message-ID: 22-04-98 Italy's Frisullo case turning into row * Leftists in Italy blast Turkey for journalist's jailing _________________________________________________________________ Ankara - Turkish Daily News The row between Italy and Turkey concerning the jailing of an Italian citizen who engaged in pro-Kurdish demonstrations further escalated when the Communist Refoundation (RC) party of Italy suggested that the Italian president refuse the credentials of Turkey's newly posted ambassador to Italy. Head of the Senate's Foreign Affairs Commission and RC deputy Giovanni Russo Spena asked President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro to refuse Turkey's ambassador, former Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Inal Batu. The Anatolia news agency reported Spena as saying that all the leftist members of Parliament also protest the Italian journalist's sentence. Batu, on the other hand, said his statements on the issue had been distorted and blown out of proportion by the ERNK, the political wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Following the statements, Batu was targeted by the leftist daily Manifesto and the RC. On the same issue, Foreign Ministry said Ankara trusted the judgement of the independent courts and that they were monitoring the situation until the trial to be held on April 28. The largest party in Italy's ruling coalition on Monday had called for the immediate release of the Italian journalist held in a Turkish jail, saying his detention was damaging relations between the two countries. "The prolonged detention of Dino Frisullo in a Turkish prison is unacceptable from every point of view," stated Umberto Ranieri, foreign affairs spokesman for the Democrats of the Left. "The charges against him appear unfounded. He must be released immediately," Ranieri said in a statement. Frisullo has been accused of provoking "hatred and enmity among people" after being detained by police last month at a march to mark the Newroz spring holiday, a traditional time of Kurdish protest, in Diyarbakir in southeastern Turkey. He could be jailed for up to three years if convicted of links to Kurdish guerrillas. "The [action] on the part of the Turkish authorities increases the international community's disquiet over the methods and conduct of the Turkish government and harms the positive development of relations between Turkey and Italy," Ranieri said. The European Parliament has said Frisullo's case could further damage Turkey's bid to join the European Union (EU), which the bloc -- citing concerns over the country's human rights performance -- put on hold in December. Frisullo last week began a hunger strike that his lawyer said would continue until his trial began on April 28. Police originally had detained Frisullo along with two other Italians, but Turkey deported the others after the first hearing. Spena and a delegation of Italian parliamentarians will be coming to Turkey to attend Frisullo's trial. More than 27,000 people have been killed in 13 years of conflict between security forces and the PKK, who are fighting for Kurdish self-rule in southeast Turkey. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 22 13:39:48 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 22 Apr 1998 13:39:48 Subject: Turkey/Press: Kurtulus trial Message-ID: AN APPEAL TO MONITOR THE TRIAL AGAINST THE KURTULUS MAGAZINE IN ISTANBUL To the INTERNATIONAL PRESS and the PUBLIC We appeal to the international public, especially the lawyers who see themselves as democrats, to join an international delegation to monitor the trial against the weekly magazine Kurtulus. We would like to present you this detailed statement of the "People's Lawyers Office", HALKIN HUKUK BUEROSU. "KURTULUS for the people" is a socialist weekly. During the time it has been published till now, again and again editions of the paper were confiscated by the State Security Court in Istanbul. According to the figures of the Press Council, 2 co-workers are imprisoned at the time, according to Reporters without Borders 17 are in jail at present. Last January, the paper's representative in Adana, Mehmet Topaloglu was murdered in the house of his uncle, two years ago the 17 year old Irfan Agdas was murdered when he distributed the paper in Alibeykoey/Istanbul. Both were murdered by the police. The correspondents of the weekly have been arrested and detained countless times. The owners and chief editors have been sentenced to dozens of years imprisonment and billions in fines. On February 17, 1998, the central offices of the paper in Cagaloglu were searched on orders of the 1. State Security Court. Two reasons were given. 1. Supposedly there were persons inside the building against whom warrants had been issued by the State Security Court. 2. The many press organs inside the office rooms were to be confiscated. On that day, a large number of plainclothes policemen, uniformed police and Special Units were gathered in front of the building. Without referring to the court order, they tried to break in through the entrance of the paper's office. The co-workers of the paper asked for the reason why the door was broken open, and they were answered by insults and threats. Only after the co-workers in the editorial offices tried to protect themselves by building barricades, the policemen declared they had to "carry out a search". The co-workers of the paper pointed to their rights: "If you are in the possession of a search warrant, and if the state prosecutor and our lawyers are present, then you can carry out a search." The police, unable to break through the door, decided to wait for the lawyers. After they arrived, the following was agreed: "Only 4 police officers are to enter to check the identity papers. A proper search, without damaging or messing up the inventory in any way, is to be carried out in mutual agreement." After this was agreed, the persons inside the offices opened the door. However, dozens of policemen stormed into the editorial offices, identity checks were carried out and 7 persons were arrested after being beaten, pushed down the stairs and pulled by their hair. One co-worker of the paper, Zehra Kurtay, fell into a coma as a result of this severe attack. After this, the remaining people pushed the policemen out of the offices, barricades were set up again behind a door, and then they began to wait. The Special Operation Unit was then strengthened to more than 500 officers. To overpower the persons inside the rooms, they carried gas grenades. The deputy chief of police, and chief of the Security Department, Hueseyin Arpaci, talked with the co-workers inside the building and stated: "I promise you'll be released immediately after your identity has been checked in the Security Department, nobody will be handed over to the Political Department. This is a promise by Hueseyin Arpaci." Later, 32 persons in total, including some people who came to the building to express their solidarity, were brought to the Security Department. The next day, 24 of these persons were handed over to the Political Department. JUDICIAL STEPS AND REQUESTS: Claiming there was "a suspicion of an organization", the state prosecutor of the State Security Court in Istanbul gave the permission to keep 24 arrested people in police custody for 4 days. The 8 persons who had been arrested in front of the building on February 18, were brought to court for carrying out a "unlawfull action". They were released after they had been heard by the state prosecutor. On February 20, 1998, the lawyers of the arrested journalists appealed against the methods of arrest and against the 4 days police custody. On February 21, 1998, the state prosecutor of the State Security Court asked for an extensions of police custody. The judges of the State Security Court, after considering both motions, decided to extend police custody for 2 days, arguing that "because of the number of accused, the identification and the confrontation protocols have not been finished yet". After the trial was opened, it became clear that not a single confrontation protocol was in the files. It was clear from the first moment that a confrontation had not been necessary regarding the co-workers of the paper because they were all known to the police. On February 23, 1998, 15 of the 24 people who had been brought to court were released after being heard by the state prosecutor. Custody in jail was requested for 9 people. The requests of the assigned lawyers of the "Baro CMUK Service" to see the files, the speak to the detained and the participate during the interrogation by the state prosecutor were all rejected. When the 9 persons were interrogated by the judge, the presence of the lawyers was allowed. The request to "remove the officers from the court who have carried out the arrests and who participated in the interrogation in the police stations, using torture", was rejected by the judge, arguing that the "policemen are present for the security of the accused, respectively to prevent their escape, therefore the request is not in order." After this kind of proceedings, the co-workers of the paper Hamdi Kaysi, Banu Guedenoglu, Zehra Kurtay and Ecevit Uluvar, the owner of the magazine TAVIR who was in the Kurtulus office at the time - Aynur Cihan -, and Cem Kilic, arrested in front of Bayrampasa Prison, were officially detained and sent to Umraniye Prison. Among the detained is also the Kurtulus co-worker Senguel Akkurt against whom a detention order existed from the State Security Court in Malatya. The appeal against the detention order of February 24 was rejected by the 4. State Security Court. As a result of the investigations, the trial against the 9 persons who had been shown to the judge, as well as against the later detained and released again owner and chief editor of the paper, was opened on March 10, 1998. The indictment is "supporting the organization DHKP/C". According to the indictment, a computer which had been confiscated in the office was considered to be a "organization computer". As a reason for opening a trial because of support for an organization, it was stated that "coded documents of the DHKP/C and the `Draft of a People's Constitution'" had been found. The mentioned `Draft of a People's Constitution', published by the Platform for Rights and Freedom, and confiscated on orders of the State Security Court, is a proposal for a new constitution. The co-workers of the paper refused all statements to the police. This was interpreted in the interrogation protocol as follows: "The persons refused statements, acting in an organized manner, to cover their own actions and activities and to protect the other militants of the organization with whom they are in contact from being exposed." The first trial session against the co-workers of the paper, arrested on February 17, 1998, will take place on May 15, 1998 at 10.40 a.m. before the 6. State Security Court in Istanbul. People's Law Office The lawyers of the People's Law Office not only expect long prison terms for the accused, although there is no evidence. Because the Kurtulus is a opposition paper, and therefore subject to severe oppression by the state, the lawyers think there is a possibility that they will try to ban the paper altogether. To prevent a justice of political arbitrariness, it's necessary that foreign watchers monitor the trial. We ask for your participation in a delegation, organized for this purpose by the Information and Prison Watch International. In case you have any questions, please address Sandra Bakutz at the address below. There's the possibility to ask for a brochure with background information about the Kurtulus. We'll send you this brochure in exchange for 1,50 DM postage costs. For further information, please contact: DHKC Information Bureau, telephone and fax: ++32 - 2 - 733 72 81 -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From dhkc at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl Thu Apr 23 12:51:04 1998 From: dhkc at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl (dhkc at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl) Date: 23 Apr 1998 12:51:04 Subject: Book on the political situation in Turkey online Message-ID: To all who are interested: The DHKC informationbureau's recently published a book called "The people on the road to power" about the politiccal developments in Turkey The full text of the book can be found at the following URL RETAILERS WANTED!!!! http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc/people The People on the Road to Power Political development in Turkey Presented by the DHKC Informationbureau's FOREWORD THE PEOPLE'S COUNCILS The history of the People's Committees The People's Committees and People's Councils The founding of the People's Council in Gazi and the Z?beyde Hanim neighbourhood the regulations of the People's Council The voice of the people Interviews with members of the Gazi People's Council Okmeydani Sarigazi Samandira Bergama POLITICAL SITUATION OF TURKEY and the DHKP-C on the struggle for the people's movement Building the People's movement We must unite the democratic opposition The Front will be developed further Fascism can only be beaten by revolution Our present task: we must enlarge the opposition front The army, the parties and the september 12 coup From THKP-C to DEVRIMCI SOL to DHKP-C What kind of a world do we live in? Turkey's position in the world today -- Devrimci Halk Kurtulus Parti-Cephesi Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) mailto:dhkc at ozgurluk.org http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Fri Apr 24 11:10:13 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 24 Apr 1998 11:10:13 Subject: Turkey/Int. solidarity: "tourists" in Gazi Message-ID: TOURISTS IN GAZI A delegation from the Labor Party from Belgium was in Gazi to join the March 12 commemoration. It was a militant march. It started with a couple of hundred people, but the group grew, and kept growing to 10.000, 20.000 people. We passed the cemetery and slogans were yelled in front of the houses of the martyrs, there were songs to commemorate the martyrs and to support their families. Most of the people marched in the block of the People's Council. They were carrying the signs with the slogans. Justice for the People! The Susurluk State will have to account to the people! They were yelling the slogans of the Party-Front. Everybody could see they were people from Gazi. They were their signs, their slogans, their people, their Cephe. Even the Belgian friends, in Turkey for the first time, saw this. At the end of the manifestation, there were groups of other parties, the PKK, MLKP and TIKB. They were masked, carrying huge flags of their parties. A group of mothers was watching them. I asked: "Who are they?" They answered: "We don't know. They're not from here. They don't have martyrs here." It was like there were two manifestations: the commemoration of the People's Council and the Cephe, and the demonstration of the masked. This was not the right occasion to walk in a masked block. The question is who is rooted in the people, and who's not. The next day, we visited the cemetery. The tombstones of the young martyrs were surrounded with crying and singing relatives. We didn't dare to take pictures. Deep in our hearts, we felt like tourists. Our chauffeur wouldn't let us leave before we took some pictures. Before the families left, they brought us fruit and biscuits. We felt being caught as tourists. Of course, we had to take pictures. We couldn't do anything in Belgium without pictures. When we don't share in their grief, we can't share in their life and in their struggle. I also met a new friend. Yusuf is a slender boy, 11 years old. He tried his best English, I tried my best Turkish. When he heard we were friends of the Cephe, we were allowed to put his flowers on the grave. He beamed when he said he was Cephe too. His slender body suddenly took the appearance of a guerrilla who is going to move mountains. The future of the Cephe is secured. The reception of foreigners is always an impressive experience. We left Belgium with a few visits on our agenda because we didn't want to be a burden for the families. But that's not the way it works in Turkey. The protection and the hospitality is so warm, we just had to adjust to it. "The People's Council told me to accompany you", "the People's Council told me to arrange transport for you". We were protected like princesses, while our hosts took great risks for us. We stayed with the family of one of the martyrs. After we left, the police raided the house to punish them. We could not visit them anymore, but we were kept informed through our friends. We were called "tourists". When we asked how we could get rid of that label, the answer was: "Come to Gazi. You're friends of the Cephe, you are visiting us in solidarity and when you are here, you're Cephe too." We also did something concrete. The Labor Party has 10 medical centers in Belgium, "Health Care for the People". One of those wants to fraternize with the People's Council and participated in our delegation. Initially we wanted to set up a support campaign to help the Health Committee of the People's Council. But we saw that this was not enough, The People's Council is a source of inspiration for our own work in Belgium, how we can address the problems in our own neighborhoods, how we can improve our work among the masses. We had school utensils with us for the children in Gazi. The girls of the Cultural Committee were very glad with these. For a time they had walked around with plans to set up a People's School so the children can receive a good and affordable education. Hopefully it can start now permanently. If every foreign delegation from Belgium or Europe would take some things with them, there would be a constant supply. And we can explain in our country that these goods are meant for the People's Council in Gazi. The girls of the Cultural Committee also asked if our youngsters were willing to come to Gazi this summer for a month to teach English to the youngsters of Gazi. The organization of the People's Councils also has another special meaning to us. For two years now, the resistance in Belgium is growing against the bosses and the government. There is the movement for jobs, against the child pornography networks, against racism. More and more, the state grows fascist, resembling the state model in Turkey. The people's uprisings of a few months ago, when a Moroccan boy was shot dead by the police in Brussels, poses the question of how we are going to organize the movements of struggle and the people's uprisings into one mass movement against the capitalist state. The masses are gaining self-confidence and the strength to take their fate into their own hands. They are organizing to be victorious. That's what we learn from the People's Councils and the Party-Cephe who patiently do their revolutionary work to achieve victory. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Fri Apr 24 13:54:26 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 24 Apr 1998 13:54:26 Subject: Inmates stage hunger strike in eastern Turkish prison Message-ID: ANKARA, April 24 (AFP) - Some 180 inmates from the Kurdistan Workers' Party and from various leftist groups began a hunger strike Friday at a prison in the eastern Turkish province of Erzurum, the Anatolia news agency reported. The inmates are protesting measures calling for their mail to be opened and checked by prison officials before it is handed over to them. About a hundred inmates in January also staged a hunger strike by relaying each other for 55 days to protest against prison conditions. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan! Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From dhkc at ozgurluk.org Sat Apr 25 09:24:44 1998 From: dhkc at ozgurluk.org (dhkc at ozgurluk.org) Date: 25 Apr 1998 09:24:44 Subject: three new books online about the revolutionary struggle in Turkey Message-ID: Recently the DHKC informationbureau's produced three books in english about the revolutionary struggle in Turkey. They are placed online at our homepage at: http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc. Retailers Wanted! 1. THE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD TO POWER Political development in Turkey Presented by the DHKC Informationbureau's FOREWORD THE PEOPLE'S COUNCILS The history of the People's Committees The People's Committees and People's Councils The founding of the People's Council in Gazi and the Zobeyde Hanim neighbourhood the regulations of the People's Council The voice of the people Interviews with members of the Gazi People's Council Okmeydani Sarigazi Samandira Bergama POLITICAL SITUATION OF TURKEY and the DHKP-C on the struggle for the people's movement Building the People's movement We must unite the democratic opposition The Front will be developed further Fascism can only be beaten by revolution Our present task: we must enlarge the opposition front The army, the parties and the september 12 coup From THKP-C to DEVRIMCI SOL to DHKP-C What kind of a world do we live in? Turkey's position in the world today 2. WE ARE RIGHT AND WE WILL WIN In the years following the September 12, 1980 military coup in Turkey, large numbers of revolutionaries and leftists were arrested and put on trial as a part of the state crackdown. The trials sometimes involved hudreds od defedants. One of these mass trials was the Devrimci Sol Main Trial, which went on for much of the 1980s. The defendants belonged to Devrimci Sol (Revolutionary Left), one of the principle revolutionary organisations in the country. In the cource of the trial, the defendants became the accusers of the system, through their defiant behaviour in court and through their speeches and declarations, such as those of the organisation's leader Dursun Karatas are presented here in "We Are Right, We will Win". This is more than a record of courtroom proceedings; it is a chart of Turkey's road to revolution and an important historical document for socialists and Marxists the world over. Everybody else has spoken, Now it's our turn The road of the revolution in Turkey The process of nation building of the Kurds, the national opression and the platform of solutions for this problem Pronounce your verdict! 3. LEGEND AFTER LEGEND An epic of revolutionary struggle This booklet tells the story of the revolutionaries in Turkey who fought for the independence and freedom of their land and fell as martyrs. They do not need to be commemorated. They live in every part, in every moment of the struggle in Turkey and Kurdistan. This modest booklet seeks to acquaint its readers with these martyrs and the struggle of which they are a part. It was a few people fighting against hundreds. Our banner is written with blood The tillili on the road to death In the resistance at 16, a heroine at 18 "Dersim will be the grave of fascism" -- Devrimci Halk Kurtulus Parti-Cephesi Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) mailto:dhkc at ozgurluk.org http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 29 10:17:36 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 29 Apr 1998 10:17:36 Subject: ] ERNK-statement on Olof Palme Message-ID: TO THE PRESS AND PUBLIC TURKEY'S CAMPAIGN OF LIES CONTINUE Turkey is continuing to step up its psychological war against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the people of Kurdistan. Its latest smears and libels include the absurd allegation attributed to PKK defector Semdin Sakik, to the effect that the PKK murdered Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986. This is a claim that is repeatedly brought up from time to time by Turkey and not taken seriously by anyone else. The latest flurry of allegations coincides with massive military operations in Kurdistan involving tens of thousands of troops, where the Turkish General Staff claims to have achieved significant victories, whereas in reality the Turkish army lost 5 helicopters and a warplane in the first 20 days of the operation. Turkey hopes that by escalating the psychological war, using disinformation it can deceive both its own public opinion and the international one. In fact concerning the murder of Olof Palme, it is Turkey that is anxious not to be implicated, in the same way as it does not want the assassination attempt against the Pope to be investigated too closely. Who did murder Olof Palme? Who carried out the attempted assassination of the Pope? Who are the people who planted a bomb at the Armenian monument in France? Who started forest fires in Greece? Who attempted to commit murders in Britain, Denmark, and Germany and murdered a friend of the Kurds in Cyprus? And who does not hesitate to flood Europe with drugs and poison the school children? European public opinion and legal and media circles should investigate these realities. Sweden must also question itself. It is Sweden that has encouraged Turkey, smeared the PKK and even today is cautious about accepting the PKK's hand of friendship. Sweden must not forget that it has the responsibility of lifting the cloud of mystery that surrounds the Palme killing. Who is accusing who of murder? It is in fact us that want all the facts about the Olof Palme case to be published. We are prepared to appear in a international tribunal at which Turkey should also be present and where all the facts and documents would be made public. The statements of the Swedish police and prosecutors following Turkey's shameless lies are encouraging, in that they lend no credibility to these falsehoods. Turkey's psychological warfare is not limited to this disinformation campaign. It is continuing to held elected Kurdish MPs in prison, to carry out a reign of terror toward HADEP and other political organisations and to bombard the Kurdish countryside. The world must call Turkey to account for these violations of basic human rights, not listen to its campaign of disinformation and smears. ERNK European Section 29 April 1998 ********************************************************* Kurdistan Informatie Centrum Nederland Postbus 58092 1040 HB Amsterdam tel: 020-681 01 01 fax: 020-488 82 82 e-mail: kicadam at xs4all.nl url KIC: http://www.xs4all.nl/~kicadam/index.html url 'Kurdistan: http://www.xs4all.nl/~kicadam/colofon.htm ********************************************************* List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Thu Apr 30 15:02:21 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 30 Apr 1998 15:02:21 Subject: Two Turkish journalists suspended after Kurdish ex-rebel's allegatio Message-ID: ANKARA, April 28 (AFP) - Two prominent Turkish journalists were suspended by their newspaper after a Kurdish former rebel commander was reported to have said they sympathised with his separatist movement, the paper said Tuesday. Mehmet Ali Birand and Cengiz Candar, columnists for the mass-circulation Sabah and known for their liberal views, were asked "to stop writing for a time," a close aide of Birand, Cuneyt Ozdemir, confirmed. Birand refused and quit Sabah immediately, while Candar went on holiday, Ozdemir said. Turkish newspapers last week quoted Semdin Sakik, a former commander of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) nabbed by Turkish troops in northern Iraq on April 13, as saying that Birand, Candar and several other Turkish journalists had agreed not to write negative things about the PKK. Birand, one of Turkey's most respected journalists, rejected the claims in a press statement on Tuesday and said he would call for an inquiry. "My contacts with the terrorist organisation PKK do not go further than two interviews I conducted with the organization's chief in the context of my profession, the same as other journalists have done," Birand said in his statement. "I have never written a single line in praise or support of this organization." No comment was immediately available from Candar on the suspension. But in a statement to the daily Zaman, Candar had rejected the PKK charges as "mud that cannot smear me". The press reports on Sakik's testimony under interrogation had also targeted several Turkish human rights activists and opposition deputies, charging that they were in the PKK's pay. The charges were angrily rejected by those named in the reports. Sabah reported Tuesday that Sakik had also told Turkish authorities that the PKK was behind the killing of Sweden's former prime minister Olof Palme in Stockholm on February 28, 1986. Turkey is waging a bitter war against the PKK, which has been fighting for a Kurdish homeland in the south-east of the country since 1984. More than 29,000 people have died in the fighting. List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From tabe at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl Thu Apr 30 16:47:07 1998 From: tabe at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl (tabe at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl) Date: 30 Apr 1998 16:47:07 Subject: An old article from the Electronic Telegraph: "This country's leade Message-ID: Thursday 1 February 1996 World News Young Turks who never return Turkish dissidents all too often disappear while in custody. Amberin Zaman in Galatasaray, Istanbul, reports on their families' struggle for justice THREE months ago Duzgun Tekin left home as usual for his job in a textile factory in Istanbul's Ikitelli industrial zone. He never came back - and most probably never will. Mr Tekin has joined the ranks of some 400 Turks who are believed to have disappeared since 1980 while in police custody. His mother, Elif, a gaunt Kurd from the eastern province of Tunceli, who at 56 already looks 70, cannot accept that she may never see her son again. "Tell Ciller [the Turkish Prime Minister] to give me back my son; please help me get my son back," she pleaded in broken Turkish before breaking down in a torrent of tears. "If he committed a crime, why don't they try him in court. What kind of Muslims are these?" The story is depressingly familiar, according to officials at the Human Rights Association (IHD). Most of the missing are either Kurdish dissidents or, like Duzgun Tekin, Left-wing radicals with trade union links. "Usually they are followed around by security agents in civilian clothes for several days before they disappear," says Ercan Kanar, who is in charge of the IHD's Istanbul branch. "The police deny all knowledge of the affair because the victim has been tortured to death during interrogation." "This country's leaders are no different from the Nazis" Most cases go unreported, Mr Kanar says, because families are too scared to speak up for fear of reprisals from the Turkish authorities. But Baba and Emine Ocak, whose son, Hasan, disappeared in March last year, decided they were not going to suffer their fate in silence. After a two-month battle with Turkish officialdom (during their search, the family say, they were beaten up by the police, taken in for questioning and Mrs Ocak was jailed for a month) records at the Centre for Forensic Medicine led the Ocaks to an unmarked grave in the cemetery for the homeless in Istanbul. "This country's leaders are no different from the Nazis," said Mr Ocak, shaking with quiet rage as he recounted what ensued. "For weeks they refused to give us his body and kept directing us to the wrong grave. "When I finally dug up my son on May 19, his face was so badly disfigured by torture marks that I could barely recognise him." Mr Ocak headed straight for the gates of the Galatasaray Lisesi, the French lyc?e for boys in the heart of the city's historic Pera district, to stage the country's first sit-in for the missing. Following the Ocaks' lead, an increasing number of Turks bearing pictures of their missing relatives have, for the past year and a half, been gathering in front of the Galatasaray every Saturday to protest against the government's indifference to their plight. Last Saturday's sit-in threatened to turn ugly after a Turkish intelligence agent, posing as a cameramen for the private ATV television, was attacked by the crowd. "The state believes it can get away with anything" Many had come to condemn the killing of Metin Goktepe, a young Turkish journalist who was beaten to death by the police during a demonstration in Istanbul earier this month. Teoman Unusan, the Turkish Interior Minister, initially claimed that Mr Goktepe had fallen off a wall. But as witnesses told of seeing Mr Goktepe being clubbed to death, he was forced to apologise and the government announced an inquiry. The move has been seen as significant progress by Western diplomats, but it has failed to impress Mr Kanar and his colleagues. He believes the European Union made a big mistake in finalising a free trade agreement with Turkey last December. "Now they [the EU] have no carrot to extend and no stick to wield, so the state believes it can get away with anything," he says. An undeterred Baba Ocak says he will not give up his fight until the people who killed his son are brought to justice. "I'm not doing this for myself but for the thousands of people in this country, who share our plight and pain," he says. Mr Ocak is now engaged in a fresh battle with the authorities over the stone he wants placed on Hasan's grave. The marble slab, which was confiscated by the police a few days ago, read: "What started in Argentina, continued in Chile and came to Turkey, befell you, our beloved son." List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl