From echap at eng.gla.ac.uk Fri Dec 4 08:11:39 1998 From: echap at eng.gla.ac.uk (echap at eng.gla.ac.uk) Date: 04 Dec 1998 08:11:39 Subject: Time to protest against Iran Message-ID: It is time to protest against Iran's Islamic Republic Faced with rising discontent especially amongst workers and government employees who have not been paid any salary for the last 6 months, freightened by increasing demands for political freedom , the Iranian regime is once more resorting to arrest, murder and execution of its political oponents. In less than one week , four openents of the regime have been brutally assassinated. Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar , leaders of the Pepple's party were stabbed to death in their home in Tehran, "Majid Sharif" , writer and translator and "Firouz Foghaha Davani" publisher have been killed and Hezbollahi groups in Iran are warning the regime's oponents that dissent will not be tolerated. Two student demonstrations, organised to protest against the assassination of Forouhar and his wife, have been brutally supressed. No wonder many in Iran are beginning to call the clerical regime, Iran's Taleban. The Coordinating Committee of Workers Left Unity has accepted a call by the Committee organising the International tribunal of the Iranian regime to make 10th of Dec ,the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, a day of protest against the Islamic Republic regime. We support the Tribunal's call for sending an independent International commission to investigate all "suspicious recent murders" in Iran. This call has now been taken up by Amnesty International, however we need more support. Please help us raise attention to the attrocities commited in Iran . Support the day of action on the 10th Dec 1998 Currently protests are planned in Germany, France, Britain, Sweden. For a more up to date list please contact us by email: hh at etehadchap.com fax: 44 141 330 4316( Britain , France) 46 31 139897 ( Scandinavia) Etehad Chap Kargari- Workers Left Unity Alliance of Political Groups of the Iranian Left Etehad Chap Kargari is an alliance of nine Iranian political groups and organisations set up in 1994 in response to a clear need to create and organise an alliance of radical organisations of the left . We are seeking your help to set up an active campaign In defence of the struggles of the Iranian working class In defence of Iranian political prisoners and political refugees In defence of the struggles and the rights of Iranian women Workers Left Unity is an alliance of the following groups and organisations Etehad Kargaran Enghelabi ( Unity of Revolutionary workers of Iran) Hezb Ranjbaran (Proletarian Party of Iran) Sazman Kargaran Enghelabi Iran -Rahe Kargar (Organistation of Revolutionary Workers of Iran ) Haste Aghaliat (Minority Cell) Etehad Fadayin Communist (Union of Communist Fedayin) Project for Revolutionary socialist Debate Cadres of Fedaii Minority Independent activists of the left Workers Left unity has branches in the following cities: London, Hannover, Hamburg, Kholn, Stokholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Malmo, Gotenberg, Sydney and Vancouver web page: www.etehadchap.com email : hh at etehadchap.com Coordinating Committee Fax numbers: UK : 44 141 330 4316 Sweden: 46 31 139897 From K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.comlink.apc.org Sun Dec 6 17:57:00 1998 From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.comlink.apc.org (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.comlink.apc.org) Date: 06 Dec 1998 17:57:00 Subject: Unser Ziel muss Frieden sein Message-ID: <76R8tqEr$RB@walker.link-do.soli_> Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Der folgende Artikel erscheint in SoZ Nr. 24/98 "Unser Ziel mu? Frieden sein !" T?rkei reagiert mit Massenverhaftungen auf Friedensangebot Seit der Ankunft des Vorsitzenden der Arbeiterpartei Kurdistans, Abdullah ?calan, in Rom ist die Frage einer politischen L?sung des Krieges in Kurdistan auf der europ?ischen Tagesordnung. Nach einigen Wochen des Tauziehens zwischen T?rkei, Italien, Deutschland und den USA, hat zumindest die Bundesregierung mit ihrem Verzicht auf die Auslieferung ?calans ein Zeichen gesetzt, das Anerkennung verdient. Da? in der ?ffentlichen Diskussion der Verzicht als Inkonsequenz kritisiert wurde, hat sie sich jedoch selbst zuzuschreiben. Zu sehr hatten ihre Repr?sentantInnen sogenannte "Sicherheitsbedenken" ins Zentrum der Begr?ndung gestellt und damit dem alten Kriminalisierungsklischee von den gewaltt?tigen KurdInnen neue Nahrung verschafft. Bis ins Unertr?gliche steigerte sich die Rethorik der Kriminalisierung in den Kommentaren der S?ddeutschen Zeitung und der taz. Dort verh?hnen die Autoren Joffe und Pickert, die ?calan wahlweise mit Diktatoren, Tyrannen oder Kriegsverbrechern wie Pinochet oder Karadzic gleichsetzen, nicht nur die Opfer in Chile, in Bosnien, in Kurdisten und in der T?rkei, sie gie?en auch ?l ins Feuer der KriegstreiberInnen in Ankara. Ob wohlgesonnen oder feindselig, die internationale Diskussion kreist vorwiegend um die D?monisierung oder Entzauberung der Person ?calan. Nur schwer k?nnen sich Stimmen, die den sogenannten Fall ?calan als Fall Kurdistan thematisieren m?chten Geh?r verschaffen. Die Chance, die die Entscheidung f?r die Initialisierung einer politischen L?sung bietet, tritt dabei fast v?llig in den Hintergrund. Unterdessen hat die t?rkische Regierung im Einklang mit den staatstragenden Medien die Jagd auf die Bef?rworterInnen eines Friedensprozesses er?ffnet. Ununterbrochen kombiniert die Fernsehpropaganda die Bilder weinender schreiender Angeh?riger auf Begr?bnissen von Soldaten, mit den Hinweisen auf die hohe Anzahl von zivilen Unterst?tzerInnen der PKK. So werden z.B. die Vizevorsitzenden des Menschenrechtsvereines IHD, Eren Keskin und Osman Baydemir systematisch als verl?ngerter Arm der PKK denunziert, und laufen st?ndig Gefahr, ebenfalls Opfer von ?bergriffen und Anschl?gen zu werden, ahnlich wie ihr Vorsitzender Akin Birdal, der im Mai schwer verletzt nur um Haaresbreite ein Attentat ?berlebte. Seit sich abzeichnet, da? ?calan nicht an die T?rkei ausgeliefert wird, erfassen Ausschreitungen das gesamte Land. Gruppen von ?ber tausend Zivilfaschisten ziehen vor kurdischen Einrichtungen auf, dringen dort ein, verpr?geln die Anwesenden, zerst?ren die Einrichtungen und lassen die B?ros zuweilen in Flammen aufgehen. "Wie auf ein Zeichen st?rzten sich Unmengen von Leuten auf die kleine Gruppe und begannen alle, die sie in die H?nde bekammen, brutal zu verpr?geln. Viele wurden blutig geschlagen und lagen verletzt auf der Stra?e - erst dann kam auf einmal Polizei. Doch statt die Angreifer festzunehmen, nahmen sie die verletzten Kurden fest und f?hrten sie zu Polizeibussen. Obwohl sich die Verletzten schon in den H?nden der Polizei befanden, wurde die Menge nicht daran gehindert, weiter auf sie einzuschlagen. In den Polizeifahrzeugen schlug auch die Polizei auf die Festgenommenen ein. [...] In s?mtlichen neun Stockwerken des Geb?udes begannen Personalkontrollen. Ich konnte beobachten, da? sie Menschen unter Schl?gen abf?hrten, die nichts mit der Sache zu tun hatten, nur weil ihr Geburtsort im Ausweis ein kurdischer ist. Neben mir wurden drei kurdische Jugendliche festgenommen. [...] Sie f?hrten sie ab und ketteten sie dann mit Handschellen von au?en an die Gitter des Passageneinganges. So ?berlie?en sie sie der weiter tobenden Menge, die begann, die Jugendlichen unter Parolen wie 'Die T?rkei ist gro?, es lebe Atat?rk', zusammenzuschlagen. Sie schrien um Hilfe und baten die Polizei, sie zu den Polizeibussen zu bringen," hei?t es in einem Augenzeugenbericht. W?hrend in den Stra?en der gr??eren St?dte Anh?ngerInnen der faschistischen Grauen W?lfe italienische Fahnen und Waren in Flammen aufgehen lassen, italienische Einrichtungen belagern und zerst?ren, so da? Angestellte der Botschaft das Geb?ude nur noch durch den Hintereingang verlassen k?nnen, werden italienische Gesch?fte geschlossen italienischer Sprachunterricht vom Stundenplan gestrichen und der Fernsehsender RAI an der Ausstrahlung gehindert. Die Pogrome werden im Fernsehen wiederum als "Demonstrationen der nationalen Einheit" gepriesen. Gleichzeitig brechen die Verhaftungswellen s?mtliche Rekorde seit dem Milit?rputsch von 1980. Nach Angaben des Menschenrechtsvereins war Ende November die Zahl der festgenommenen Mitglieder der noch immer legalen Demokratischen Partei des Volkes, HADEP, bereits auf 3.064 Personen angewachsen. Fast alle HADEP-B?ros, ebenso wie die Redaktion der prokurdischen Tageszeitung ?lkede G?ndem, sind heute zerst?rt oder geschlossen. Zwei der Inhaftierten, Hamit Cakir und Metin Yurtsever, wurden im Zuge ihrer Verhaftung von der Polizei totgeschlagen. Haftbefehl erlassen wurde auch gegen den Vorsitzenden der Partei, Murat Bozlak, der bereits einen gro?en Teil dieses Jahres hinter Gittern verbracht hat. Gegen ihn sind Verfahren anh?ngig, die ihn bis zu 22 Jahren hinter Gitter bringen k?nnen. Bozlaks erneute Inhaftierung geht auf einen Aufruf unter dem Titel "Unser Ziel mu? Frieden sein!" zur?ck, mit dem er Mitte November ?ffentlich erkl?rte: "Das kurdische Problem ist ein Problem aller, die in der T?rkei leben. Es ist das Problem von uns allen. Eine friedliche und demokratische L?sung dieses Problems ist eine Notwendigkeit. Wir m?ssen Anstrengungen unternehmen, jegliches weitere Leiden zu verhindern, und jene Bedingungen schaffen, die n?tig sind, da? 62 Millionen Menschen gleichberechtigt und frei zusammenleben k?nnen." Ganz Kurdistan, insbesondere die Provinz Dersim wird von t?rkischen Jagdflugzeugen systematisch bombardiert. Allein dort sind mittlerweile mehr Soldaten stationiert, als der Provinz EinwohnerInnen verblieben sind. Jeden Tag mehren sich die Meldungen ?ber Tote und Verletzte. Doch die ?ffentlichkeit besch?ftigt der sogenannte "Fall ?calan" als handle es sich lediglich um einen Gerichtsthriller. In dieser Situation haben die Au?enminister Italiens und Deutschlands den Auftrag erhalten, f?r die Europ?ische Union eine Probleml?sung herbeizuf?hren. Sollte es nicht gelingen, sie dazu zu bringen, die Kriegssituation, die Menschenrechtsverletzungen und die Verbrechen der t?rkischen Machthaber als das eigentliche Problem wahrzunehmen und dieses einer demokratischen Verhandlungsl?sung zuzuf?hren, wird der "Fall ?calan" nichts weiter als eine erneute Bankrotterkl?rung Europas in Menschenrechtsfragen charakterisieren. Knut Rauchfuss ## CrossPoint v3.1 ## From tabe at big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl Mon Dec 7 07:34:04 1998 From: tabe at big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl (tabe at big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl) Date: 07 Dec 1998 07:34:04 Subject: Increasing nationalism in Turkey Message-ID: 29 November, 1998, Turkish Probe issue 307 The Rise of the Nationalistic Wave Racism: The events of the last week or so are racist in nature. The ultranationalists have been allowed to implement their racist ideology behind the cover of respectable parents of those who lost their lives at a very young age during armed clashes in the Southeast. These events are showing a tendency of becoming a campaign that targets all Kurds Looking backward: The timing of the latest developments that have had a direct impact on domestic policy, somewhat coinciding with the recent flirting of the 'newly-nationalist' Motherland Party with the True Path Party, a party known for its harsh approach to the Kurdish issue New face: Leaving behind the archaic communist or the 'terrorist organization from the Middle East' image, through the dropping of the Leninist party model and the elimination of the hammer and sickle insignia from its flag, the PKK has made the impression that its approach to social democracy is not any different to that of an average social democrat in Europe Ineptitude: Military success achieved against the PKK is being neutralized by inefficiency perpetually demonstrated by civilian governments. The doors closed upon the Kurdish problem in Turkey are being opened abroad by others Failures: By following their familiar pattern of a counterproductive approach towards the Kurdish problem, the civilian authorities have again displayed incompetence in their pursuit for Ocalan's extradition to Turkey The ugly right: It has been observed that the police and the ultranationalists have jointly raided HADEP buildings and beat those inside. In some districts of Istanbul, the ultranationalist groups have asked people for their ID's and then rough up those of Kurdish origin MUSTAFA ERDOGAN Ankara - Turkish Daily News The process that started with Italy providing support to Abdullah Ocalan (Apo) has created an environment in which the military success achieved against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is being transformed into a fiasco by the civilians. Rather than conducting sensible policies and trying to seek a solution, the ruling Motherland Party (ANAP) is displaying an inclination to escalate the political tension through the actions demonstrated by the prime minister who applied an embargo against Italy and has got involved in activities that promote instability. The announcements made with emotional instincts, without a least bit of common sense, have led to physical aggression against the Kurdish institutions, with primary target being the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HADEP). ANAP suddenly changed its stance at its recent party congress, which coincided with current developments, and declared itself as the party of the nationalist Turkey as opposed to its previous "leftist liberal" party program decided upon at earlier congresses. In summary, as a countermeasure against the spotlight being focused on this historic dispute with Italy, which has placed Turkey in a difficult position, a domestic crackdown on pro-Kurdish groups has been organized to attract attention to the internal politics. With Ocalan's appearance in Italy, the agenda in Turkey has become extremely complex. By following their familiar pattern of a counterproductive approach towards the Kurdish problem, the civilian authorities have again displayed an inability in their pursuit for Ocalan's extradition to Turkey. The government authorities have transformed the issue into a crisis with Italy and are now just observing the progress of their dangerous campaign, with people on the streets escalating political tension by burning Italian flags, trampling on Italian fruit and vegetables and dropping blood on spaghetti. What makes the situation even worse is the fact that, other than a few sensible journalists, no one seems to be bothered with this development. The diplomacy pursued for many years by some sub-organizations of the PKK and the issues brought forward by many international organizations that have influence over Turkey, particularly the European Union (EU) paying more attention to the Kurdish problem than to Turkey itself, has long given the signal that the PKK was trying to turn itself into a political rather than terrorist organization. Since 1995, with support from other Kurdish organizations, the PKK has openly declared that it would abandon terrorism and initiate a politicization process. This new attitude naturally attracted a great deal of attention from the leftist social-democrat wave sweeping over Europe. Leaving behind the archaic communist or the "terrorist organization from the Middle East" image, through the dropping of the Leninist party model and the elimination of the hammer and sickle insignia from its flag, the PKK has made the impression that its approach to social democracy is not any different to that of an average social democrat in Europe. As a result of this development, countries such as Greece, Syria, Armenia and Russia, countries that all have historical problems with Turkey, as well as Italy, which has no problems with Turkey and moreover wishes Turkey to become a member of the EU, have all provided support to the PKK. A domestic attitude to external problems It seems that Italy's volunteering to provide support for the Kurds and subsequently receiving support from the Socialist International resulted in Turkey adopting dangerous foreign policy preferences. Degeneration of ties with the European Union, due to the attitude displayed by the ruling Motherleft-D minority coalition, coupled with the recently developing events, has probably been detrimental for those who want Turkey to become an EU member. The timing of these aforementioned developments, developments that have had a direct impact on domestic policy, somewhat coincides with the recent flirting of the "newly-nationalist" ANAP and the True Path Party (DYP), a party known for its harsh approach to the Kurdish issue. In other words, Turkey will try to find a solution to these new and very significant problems with two old and previously used political programs. At this critical point, it is to our advantage to compare the domestic reaction displayed by ANAP, the party of nationalist Turkey, against the recent crisis with Italy. After numerous statements aimed at Italy, it is obvious that Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has been gradually increasing the harsh tone of his speech towards that country. Yilmaz is developing a new style of protest by loudly sounding the horn of his official vehicle while passing by the Italian Embassy and, furthermore, by including threats in his speeches aimed at Italy. This attitude displayed by the prime minister has obviously motivated people as well. The protest rallies often broadcast on all TV stations indicate a trend of expansion. Relatives of those who died in the line of duty, those who lost their children during the armed struggles in the Southeast, are organizing protest rallies and calling for Apo to be extradited to Turkey, laying black wreaths at embassies, boycotting Italian products, burning Apo effigies and Italian flags. This resentment is developing into aggression against HADEP facilities. HADEP offices are being raided by police and subsequently by ultranationalist organizations. It is observed that sometimes the police and the ultranationalists jointly raid the party buildings and beat those resident. In some districts of Istanbul, the ultranationalist groups have asked people for their ID's and then rough up those of Kurdish origin. Police squads who raided HADEP offices have arrested hundreds of HADEP members and administrators for going on a hunger strike. Hamit Cakir in Diyarbakir and Metin Yurtsever in Kocaeli have lost their lives under police detention. While it is claimed by the security representatives that these people died of heart failure, HADEP administrators have alleged that both have died as a result of torment and torture. It have been further stated that four HADEP administrators are currently being treated for serious injuries that occurred while they were in detention. The offices of Ulkede Gundem newspaper, which was recently closed by a court order and the Kurdish-language Azadiya Welad newspaper have also been raided and many journalists working for these newspapers have been taken into custody. A number of journalists with official press cards who work for Ulkede Gundem were kept in custody for several days. A number of them were later released but others were formally charged. Press release by Bozlak In reality, the crackdown began with a press statement released by HADEP Chairman Murat Bozlak that was released the day following Ocalan's appearance in Italy. Bozlak said that Ocalan's appearance in Italy was a great opportunity and called on the Turkish authorities to carefully evaluate the peaceful solution proposed by the Italian government. This announcement was followed by a number of unscheduled meetings in Istanbul supporting Ocalan that were disrupted by the security forces. A number of the demonstrators were roughed up by ultranationalist groups and it was the police who saved them from being lynched. These demonstrations were followed by a series of hunger strikes in support of Ocalan, which were staged in many HADEP offices, particularly in Diyarbakir. At that point, it was announced that Ocalan had been released from custody and moved into a villa. Subsequently, many HADEP facilities, including the Ankara headquarters, 50 city offices, 460 branch offices located in the townships, and 500 regional offices were all raided and approximately 700 HADEP representatives, including Murat Bozlak and Deputy Chairman Bahattin Gunel, were taken into custody. During these arrests, HADEP representatives were beaten up by some ultranationalist groups that entered the facilities with the police. State Security Court (DGM) prosecutors brought charges against Bozlak and called for him to be sentenced to 22.5 years in prison in accordance with article 168/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for being a member of an illegal organization i.e. the PKK. In summary, the events of the last week or so are racist in nature. The ultranationalists have been allowed to implement their racist ideology behind the cover of respectable parents of those who lost their lives at a very young age during armed clashes in the Southeast. These events are showing a tendency of becoming a campaign that targets all Kurds. Similar behaviour was demonstrated during 1994. The hatred against the PKK was directed to the Democracy Party (DEP) deputies who were legally participating in politics. The augmented nationalistic wave resulted in the DEP deputies being sent to jail. The door which was closed upon the Kurdish problem by Turkey has been opened in a different country by different people under different circumstances. -- 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 Dec 8 11:09:30 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 08 Dec 1998 11:09:30 Subject: Turkish mafia leader held in France threatens to expose politicians Message-ID: ANKARA, Dec 8 (AFP) - A Turkish mafia leader held in a French jail threatened to reveal his links with Turkish political and business leaders, in an interview with the daily Hurriyet published Tuesday. "If I go back to Turkey, it will be the turn of political and business leaders and bureaucrats to get worried. I am not completely innocent, but I have a greater sense of honour than certain Turkish leaders," said Alaattin Cakici from his prison cell in Marseille, southern France. "I am happy to have been arrested in France, the most developed country in terms of democracy and human rights," Cakici said, adding that he would not appeal against a French court decision to extradite him to Turkey on condition a death sentence on him was not carried out. Aged 45, Cakici, who has been on the run for 12 years, was arrested on August 17 in Nice by French police acting on two arrest warrants issued by the Turkish authorities. His arrest sent tremors through Turkish political circles after he reportedly told police interrogators he had links with the Turkish intelligence service, the MIT. In his interview with Hurriyet, however, he denied any links with the MIT or the Turkish state, or that he said any such thing during questioning. Cakici was convicted in Turkey for attempted murder and wounding a bank manager and a journalist. He was also accused of ordering the murder of his wife. The Cakici affair brought down the government of Mesut Yilmaz on November 25 on charges of mafia links. In September a minister of state without portfolio, Eyup Asik, resigned after press allegations he had links with Cakici. List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Dec 9 09:19:51 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 09 Dec 1998 09:19:51 Subject: Turkey: Police detain around 100 HADEP hunger strikers Message-ID: 8 December, 1998, Police detain around 100 HADEP hunger strikers Ankara - TDN with wire dispatches Police in Istanbul rounded up around 100 members of the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HADEP) who had begun a three-day hunger strike across Turkey in protest of a police crackdown on the party last month. &127; The strikers were taking part in a nationwide protest by the HADEP to denounce police raids on party buildings and the arrest of their leader, Murat Bozlak, according to party official Mehmet Nuri Gunes. Police were keeping HADEP buildings in the city under close observation, according to a report by the Anatolia news agency, which did not say on what charges the hunger strikers had been detained. The protestors were carried off by police during hunger strikes in Istanbul, the northwestern city of Tekirdag and in three southeastern cities, Gunes said. Police have been tough on the party since the detention in Rome last month of outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Thousands of HADEP members protesting Turkish demands for Ocalan's extradition were taken into custody in the past few weeks. Most were later released, but around 300 of them, including Bozlak, have been formally arrested on charges of separatist propaganda. -- 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 echap at eng.gla.ac.uk Tue Dec 15 02:41:31 1998 From: echap at eng.gla.ac.uk (echap at eng.gla.ac.uk) Date: 15 Dec 1998 02:41:31 Subject: Appeal Message-ID: URGENT APPEAL In less than three weeks , five opponents of the regime have been brutally assassinated. Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar , leaders of the People's party were stabbed to death in their home in Tehran, "Majid Sharif" , writer and translator and "Mohamad Mokhtari" writer and translator have been killed, publisher Pirouz Davani has disappeared , writer Mohamad Pouyandeh is missing , it is assumed that he has been abducted by one of the regimes' death squads and Hezbollahi groups in Iran are warning the regime's opponents that dissent will not be tolerate. The body of Iran's dissident poet Mohamad Mokhtari, who was missing since last thursday, was identified on Wed 9th Dec by his son in a Tehran morgue. Mokhtari left his house on thursday afternoon and disappeared amongst rumours that he had been arrested . Mokhtari , Pouyandeh and a number of other writers were recently involved in attempts to set up Iran's writers Association. Mokhtari was arrested and questioned in October and warned to give up attempts of relaunching the writers' association. He was also amongst the 134 writers, poets who signed a letter calling for an end to censorship in 1994. He was an expert on Ferdowsi and a relentless campaigner for an end to censorship. According to his son, Siavosh, Mr Mokhtaris' body had a number of bruises and recent burns, cable marks were seen around his neck, and the cause of death could have been strangulation. Workers Left Unity has also learnt of the death of another writer and human rights activist Mohamad Pouyandeh, who was reported missing on wed 9th Dec. According to Mr Pouyandeh's wife her husband was on his way home , when he disappeared. His body was found in a Tehran suburb on friday. Pouyandeh had translated a number of books from French including , Sociology of Litterature by Lucien Goldman, books from Lucas and recently a book on Human Rights . Most secular writers , poets in Iran have gone into hinding, fearing for their lives. The Coordinating Committee of Workers Left Unity blames the Iranian regime for this fifth murder in less than two weeks. Every dissident life is in danger in Iran, every member of the opposition is in danger as the Islamic regime is adamant to silence all opposition. Iran's Writers Association in Exile , Pen International , the Committee to prepare an International tribunal of the Iranian regime have all called for an independent International commission to be sent to Iran to investigate all "suspicious recent murders". Please support their call and send messages of support to the Coordinating Committee of Workers Left Unity email: hh at etehadchap.com fax: 44 141 330 4316( Britain , France) fax: 46 31 139897 ( Scandinavia) From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Wed Dec 16 06:57:37 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 16 Dec 1998 06:57:37 Subject: Turkey: IHD protests conditions in prisons Message-ID: 15 December,1998, Copyright ? Turkish Daily News IHD protests conditions in prisons In a press release, the Human Rights Association states that instances of maltreatment behind the walls of prisons have marked the agenda of Turkey for many years Ankara - Turkish Daily News Members of the Human Rights Association (IHD) and others gathered in front of the Ankara Central Closed Prison on Monday as part of activities organized for Human Rights Week. In a press release issued by the IHD, it was stated that instances of maltreatment behind the walls of prisons have marked the agenda of Turkey for many years. The press release went on to give figures of the current situation of prisons in Turkey. The statement said there are currently 637 prisons with a total of 63,472 prisoners (including 2,058 children) and human rights violations are continuing, including violations of prisoners' legal rights and oppressive measures directed at the relatives of the prisoners. "Today, those under arrest and prisoners are not provided with humane living conditions, which are among everyone's basic rights. Basic needs like shelter, heating, nutrition and clean conditions are either insufficient or nonexistent." The statement also asserted that threats to people's lives were continuing in prisons, and many prisoners were either dying or were brutally injured. "Since the beginning of 1998, 399 prisoners were either injured or became handicapped because of these reasons," the statement asserted. The statement also listed what it asserts has become routine practice in prisons: arbitrary limitations on people's right to communicate or see guests during the visiting hours; letters that are never delivered to whom they are addressed; attitudes that humiliate the families and even the lawyers of prisoners; and the denial of prisoners' requests for prison transfers for arbitrary reasons. The IHD went on to assert that as a result of this approach, 63 people have died in prisons after being attacked by security officials in prisons, the poor conditions present in prisons and because of withheld medical treatment. The statement also stated that prisons in Turkey are still being administrated by issued circulars, rather than by established rules and regulations, engendering an arbitrariness in the way in which prisons are run. The statement said: "Some of the current regulations cause unequal treatment between criminals of conscience and ordinary criminals." The IHD further asserted that no legal proceedings were underway against administrators and security officers in prisons responsible for many violations. The IHD ended its statement calling for a general amnesty that would be guided by universal human rights and principals of law. The IHD indicated that in Turkey, where there are severe crises in the structure and the functioning of the legislative, judiciary, and the executive organs, general amnesty was a "right" and a "necessity," rather than a "favor." -- 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 Dec 16 17:19:42 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 16 Dec 1998 17:19:42 Subject: Earthquake at Istanbul police headquarter Message-ID: 16 December, 1998 Earthquake at Istanbul police headquarters Istanbul Narcotics Bureau Chief Ferruh Tankus, known as the most successful police officer of recent times, was discharged from his position Tuesday. Following the announcement, Tankus made certain statements that fell like a bomb on the police headquarters. Istanbul - Turkish Daily News Istanbul Narcotics Bureau Chief Ferruh Tankus, who played the lead role in the capture of tons of narcotics, was appointed Beyoglu district police chief through a sudden decision yesterday, after which he was discharged from his position. Tankus made some shocking statements yesterday morning following the initial decision of demotion. During a press conference at Istanbul Police Headquarters, Tankus said that he had been discharged from his position as a result of pressure from drug smugglers. Tankus stated that Sultan Dogan, the owner of the 375 kilograms of heroin that were captured in Mersin, had bribed police officers with four million dollars to have him transferred to another position. Tankus accused the deputy Istanbul Police Chief Ercument Ozbeyli, saying that Sultan Dogan and his partner, drug smuggler Yasin Umo, had used his official car for their own affairs. Tankus stated that Police Chief Necati Bilican had honored the brother of a drugs smuggler by giving him a plaque during a recent police ball, and that he had been sold for four million dollars. Noting that during his one-year long tenure, five tons of narcotics were captured in Istanbul, Tankus said that a successful police officer like himself did not deserve thhis behavior. The accusation of one police officer by others was a "first" in the history of the Turkish police force. After this event, deep silent covered police headquarters. The head of the Istanbul police force, Hasan Ozdemir, had an urgent meeting with the governor. Following Tankus's latest statements, an investigation was opened at police headquarters. The governor's statement Istanbul Governor Erol Cakir has said that Tankus had connections with criminal gangs and that he could provide documentation of this. He declined to answer when asked why, if he had this kind of documentation, he demoted Tankus rather than firing him. Istanbul Police Chief Ozdemir at a press conference with the governor, seemed tense. When Ozdemir readied himself to answer the questions, the governor would not allow him to talk. The remarkable behavior of the two officials was attributed to their being extremely tense. Tankus removed from post Following the investigation, Ferruh Tankus was removed from his position in the police administration later in the day on Tuesday. The decision to discharge Tankus was based on the Eighth Article of the Disciplinary Regulations of the police administration. This decision was conveyed to Tankus at 16:00, after which Tankus handed his police identity card and weapon to Istanbul Police Chief Deputy Director Hayriye Aktas. -- 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 Dec 17 08:32:04 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 17 Dec 1998 08:32:04 Subject: Tension in Turkish prison continues Message-ID: HALKIN HUKUK BUROSU Tel/Fax 0090 212 631 36 94 - 531 77 65 - 532 63 99 Millet Caddesi Dedepasa Sokak 5/1 Findikzade/Aksaray Date: December 15, 1998 ISTANBUL/TURKEY THE TENSION FOMENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF SAKARYA PRISON IS CONTINUING The tension in Sakarya prison, which began when soldiers who were let into prison on the pretext that they were "transferring the social prisoners" and who then headed for the cells of the political prisoners, is continuing. After a dispute which arose when soldiers, who were allegedly commanded to enter the cells of social prisoners in order to empty them, tried to get into the cells of political prisoners, the political prisoners whose "lives were in danger" responded by setting up barricades in front of their cells. The state attorney who talked to the political prisoners after the barricades were set up, said the provocations would continue: "It's not surprising, it has happened because the soldiers became a little bit angry with you." The gendarmes who were let into the prison are still there. Yesterday, on the visiting day for the families of DHKP-C inmates, the relatives of the prisoners were removed from the prison by force and were then beaten by members of fascist groups outside the prison. The physical assaults continued outside the bus station with the police also taking part in the attacks. As a result, eight of the relatives had to be treated in the Sakarya state hospital. As a result of the tension which has been whipped up by the administration of Sakarya prison, inmates in Bayrampasa, ?mraniye and Bursa prisons carried out actions such as refusing to be counted and occupying the corridor. In Bayrampasa, the administration ordered C Block's entitlement to receive visits to be suspended on the pretext that the prisoners there had "refused to be counted". In Sakarya prison, the barricade action is still going on. HALKIN HUKUK BUROSU People's Law Bureau -- 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 Dec 17 15:12:01 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 17 Dec 1998 15:12:01 Subject: DHKC: The vanguard of the revolution is in the mountains of the Aege Message-ID: DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULUS CEPHESI Press Office Date: December 2, 1998 Declaration: 78 THE VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION IS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE AEGEAN Since the 1970s there has never been a time when the vanguard of the revolution, the Party-Front's supporters, have been absent from the cities and mountains of our country. At times when fascism least expected it, hundreds of actions were carried out. While fascism tries to convince itself that no revolutionaries can live here, they have shown the entire world that the Party-Front's supporters can live and be vanguard fighters of the revolution in every place where the people are, on every piece of Anatolia's land which we see as our native land. They have won, they have been defeated , they have died, they have killed. At the very moment that they said they had annihilated and wiped us out, our existence was confirmed. They have written the history of the revolution in blood - not with empty words, but with actions and readiness for sacrifice. THE MOUNTAINS AND CITIES OF OUR LAND BELONG TO US NOW WE ARE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE AEGEAN The mountains of the Aegean were quiet and peaceful. They were a place where fascism could arm itself and live. Everything was under its control, it said . But with soft and modest steps, the supporters of the Party-Front climbed onto the mountains of the Aegean once again. The war which began in the cities spread into the major metropolitan centres . While the struggle developed again in numerous cities in Anatolia, it spread to Kurdistan in Turkey, to central Anatolia, the Black Sea region, the Taurus and the Aegean. The Aegean, the land of revolutions, bears witness to the vanguard of the Party-Front supporters who follow the uprisings by the B?RKL?CES (translator's note: rebels in the Aegean who rose up against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Ages). It can be said that in the revolutionary history of the Aegean the Party-Front supporters are the heirs of the B?rkl?ces. Following the legendary acts of resistance created by the urban guerrillas Faruk, Olcay, Kahraman, Hamiyet and Ali Riza Kurt (translator's note: Devrimci Sol and Party-Front martyrs in the area in the first half of the 1990s), the war has spread to the mountains of the Aegean. IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE AEGEAN THE WEAPONS OF THE PARTY-FRONT ARE NOT SILENT The existence of the Party-Front in the mountains of the Aegean was a profound shock for the Susurluk state. For ten days they were in a great panic. A small guerrilla unit caused fear and trembling among the state. The G?lgeli mountains were surrounded by thousands of soldiers and special team members from the adjacent Denizli area who were equipped with tanks, armoured cars and all kinds of heavy weapons. Deep down, what they feared was not the existence of a small guerilla unit, but the strength of the demand for revolution and the Party-Front, which under no circumstances will back off from making this demand for revolution. The existence of a revolutionary organisation which, in all corners of the country, in the cities, in the mountains, seeks to unite and bring into the struggle all our peoples without regard to nationality or creed, is the most dangerous force as far as the state is concerned. Now the Party-Front, which it could not erase through annihilation and repression, is also to be found in the mountains of the Aegean. The enemy concentrated its forces here in the mountains of the Aegean too - its army, police, media, armoured vehicles, cannons and mendacious news items. Now the people's war against the oligarchy would continue here. TWO PARTY-FRONT SUPPORTERS AND A LEGEND OF RESISTANCE FOR OUR PEOPLE The history of the Aegean is full of uprisings. The history of the Aegean is the history of heroism. In this history there was no betrayal of the people. It contained within it heroic martyrdom and resistance. But there was no talk of capitulation and submission. Our fighters Erhan Yilmaz and Mehmet Yildirim, who were surrrounded at the foot of the G?lgeli mountains in Balkica village on November 29, remained true to this history. Hostile forces, thousands of soldiers and police with heavy weapons surrounded them. The fighter is connected to life. This connection with life is the connection with his or her people and organisation. In order to achieve the revolution, he will live and fight for his people. But he is conscious that surrendering without fighting would mean not living but betraying the revolution and his people. Basically it is this moment when against a thousand enemies the justice of the people, the voice of the people comes most to the fore, if necessary by putting one's own life at stake. They did not hesitate in the slightest. The enemy surrounded them with thousands of soldiers. In this moment the countryside dwelling in Balkica was the Party- Front. The Party-Front and the revolution were reflected in the personalities of Erhan and Mehmet. The eyes of the whole people were turned on them. The seeds of the revolution in the mountains of the Aegean were sown. The seeds would ripen and grow. They were to show that the guerrillas can exist in the mountains of the Aegean and that the Party-Front cannot be defeated. "Surrender", shouted the Susurluk generals with their thousands of soldiers, armoured vehicles, cannons, believing themselves to be strong. The guerrillas answered with their weapons. The little rural dwelling in Balkica bore witness to the heroic resistance of the two Party-Front supporters in the mountains of the Aegean amid thousands of bullets, rockets and mortar bombs. The Aegean, with its Turkmens, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Cherkess, Georgians, Alevis, Sunnis and Christians, which is a forest of fraternity, had never seen such resistance. Two supporters of the Party-Front challenged the enemy army amid the thousands of bullets and explosive projectiles. They called out "We are the Party-Front, we are DHKP-C, we do not surrender, you cannot make us surrender. Supporters of the Party-Front do not die." For precisely twenty hours it was not possible for the enemy to silence two Party-Front supporters in a rural dwelling. Precisely twenty hours. Twenty hours of sleeplessness, hunger and cold. The two fighters of the Party-Front never let their slogans, marches, revolutionary agitation and their weapons fall silent. The enemy was confused, the people were confused. The people of the Aegean got to know the Party-Front in the mountains of the Aegean with their heroic resistance during the enemy encirclement. From now on, the Aegean will talk of this resistance. The enemy was powerless, immoral and without a way out. With thousands of soldiers and heavy weapons it could not make two supporters of the Party-Front surrender. For all its thousands of soldiers it could not even get close to the country dwelling where the two Party-Front supporters were located. Moreover, they suffered losses. Under a hail of bullets and shells two fighters of the Party-Front killed one of the enemy and wounded two others. In the face of the creativity of the two Party -Front supporters, the enemy, who trusted in using thousands of soldiers in an encirclement, suffered a complete defeat.The enemy was nevertheless weak and condemned to defeat, for despite its thousands of soldiers and heavy weapons it stands for exploitation, tyranny and immorality. They can murder thousands of our fighters but those who are in the wrong historically and politically, those who are the enemies of the people will sooner or later be defeated. They were defeated at the very moment they claimed to be victors. The rural dwelling in Balkica was burned to the ground with mortars and rockets before the eyes of the entire world. The fire which lit up the G lgeli moutains in Balkica is not the fire of a rural dwelling, but rather the fire of resistance which will spread in the mountains of the Aegean. The fire lit by two supporters of the Party-Front will never be extinguished by any force. All the enemy got were the charred corpses of the two Party-Front supporters. Who won, and who was defeated? Their thousands of soldiers and tonnes of heavy weapons were still not enough to make the fighters give in. For exactly 20 hours. Those who surrounded the Party-Front fighters experienced defeat, minute for minute, hour for hour, before the eyes of the entire world. They were afraid, were egoistic and devoid of all conviction. The two fighters of the Party-Front added another link to the chain of their victory and their tradition. For exactly 20 hours. They resisted an army, showed their connection to their belief and in the mountains of the Aegean wrote a history with their blood that can never be expunged. They have called for the Party-Front, the people and justice and for an independent, democratic and socialist Turkey. They had won. All the enemy got was their burnt corpses. From this moment on there were fighters of the Party-Front in the mountains of the Aegean. What Seyh Bedrettin (translator's note: rebel leader in western Anatolia in the Middle Ages who set up an egalitarian state which for a time held out against the attacks of the Ottoman army) said centuries ago is now told in the mountains of the Aegean by Erhan and Mehmet: "You people are witnesses of how, if not today then tomorrow, all the wheels of exploitation will be ripped from their moorings and all those who exploit people will disappear from this earth no matter how hard they try to defend themselves..." OUR MARTYRS Erhan YILMAZ (Kenan): He was born in 1976 in Bismil district near the city of Diyarbakir as the son of a poor Turkmen family. (Translator's note: the Turkmen of Anatolia are a distinct Turkic ethnic group, who were nomadic until the 19th century and who often played an important role in rebellions against Ottoman authority. They are not the same people as the Turkmen who live in the former USSR republic of Turkmenistan, northeastern Iran and northwestern Afghanistan.) He spent his childhood in the village. Since his family was poor, he had to work at various trades in order to be able to continue through middle school and high school. In his high school years he came into contact with revolutionary ideas because of his anti-system attitudes, since he had personally experienced the system's injustice and tyranny. While in the beginning he already sympathised with the revolutionaries in a general way, the resistance of April 16-17, 1992 influenced him deeply. He got to know the ideas of Devrimci Sol. When he began his studies in Balikesir in 1993, he belonged to Devrimci Sol. With his activities among the students he developed quickly. He began to take on various forms of responsibility. Besides his activities in the university, he was also active as someone holding responsibilities in the areas around Balikesir, Bandirma and Susurluk. He took a direct part in in organising and building various mass activities. Sometimes he was an ordinary militant, sometimes he had specific areas of responsibility. While he was getting to know the Party-Front and the revolution, he was taken captive. Imprisonment was a turning point for Erhan. During his three and a half years in prison he settled accounts with the system. He got to know the Party-Front at a very young age. He experienced heroism and betrayal. In every fibre of his being he sensed that an honourable life was one in which the struggle was waged. He said: "For me the most beautiful and valuable work in the world is to be a revolutionary, a supporter of the Party-Front, and to fight for the freedom of our homeland and our people. For this reason I swear to belong to the Party-Front until my death. For this means to be proud and honourable , so I will safeguard it..." At the end of his imprisonment, he remained true to his oath. He rushed to fight for his homeland and his people. He was full of anger and rage. He expressed his thoughts with the words, ?I have a great urge to fight." He had begun his life inside the Party-Front and he said, "I am proud of every moment of my life I spent within the Party-Front. " He was ready to be sent to operate in every area. With his thoughts, his feelings, indeed every fibre of his being. But he wanted to fight, gun in hand. The Party sent him to command the rural guerrilla unit in the Aegean. And with pride in every moment of his life spent inside the Party-Front, on November 30, 1998 he kept his oath until the last breath passed from his body. Now in the mountains of the Aegean, the legends of resistance by Erhan and his comrade Mehmet have been written. Erhan's life is an honourable past , an honourable history of how he stayed true to his word up to his last breath without betraying the Party. Before he went into the mountains of the Aegean, he said: "The days are near in which we will sing the march 'We are falcons who will beat our wings in the mountains'". The Party taught him the revolution and a revolutionary personality. He became immortal by holding aloft the Party with his struggle, his life, his resistance, and he sowed the seed of guerrilla warfare in the mountains of the Aegean. Mehmet YILDIRIM (Necati): He was born in 1964 in Oluklu village in Kagizman district of Kars city, as the child of a poor Kurdish peasant family. Because of poverty he could not continue his education after elementary school. He began to do various kinds of work to earn a living. During his life as a worker he experienced the most typical forms of exploitation and injustice. When in 1993 he got to know the revolutionaries, he very quickly assimilated revolutionary ideas. He carried out various activities in Alibeyk?y/Istanbul as a Devrimci Sol sympathiser. For Mehmet, being a revolutionary was something different from his previous life. He wanted to learn all aspects of this life and be a modest soldier of the organisation. He had not come into contact with the dirt and filth of the system. It was his great passion to learn to be a revolutionary and to live that way. The diligence he had already shown in life was now put into service with the revolution. Without making a distinction between major and minor activities, he eagerly carried out all tasks. A little later he came to know imprisonment. This came at an early point for him but it was a school in which he got to know the revolution in all its aspects. He had the self- confidence to say "I can also do what others do". He was older than many of his other comrades. But he was highly enthusiastic in seeking to learn from his younger comrades and to fight under their direction. He came late to the revolution.He wanted to make up for the years he had wasted outside the revolution. When he was freed he said, "Now I am a fighter and at the service of my Party". He wanted to dedicate every hour of his life to the Party. For a short time he was in an urban guerrilla unit. In 1995 he was part of a rural guerrilla unit in the Black Sea region. While he was fighting there, he developed severe frostbite and had to be brought to the city to be treated for it. For him being a revolutionary and the struggle was not a short-term thing. It had to last one's entire life. When he recovered his health, he waited for the order to be sent back to the struggle. He was sent to be deputy commander of the Aegean rural guerrilla unit. When he went into the mountains, he said, "It is our task to keep all the martyrs of the revolution alive, to take their place and to hold their banner even higher and fix it above the fortresses of the oligarchy. I will carry out this proud task to the last drop of my blood as a fighter of the Party-Front..." And he did this. Until the last drop of his blood he shouted out his support of the revolution, the legitimate struggle of the people and the Party-Front. He challenged the enemy. When he drew his last breath along with his comrade Kenan, the fire of resistance burned in the mountains of the Aegean. This fire was lit by them. We give our word that it will grow larger and never be extinguished. THE FIRE LIT BY ERHAN AND MEHMET IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE AEGEAN WILL NEVER BE EXTINGUISHED! REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLE'S LIBERATION FRONT -- -------------------------------------------------- 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 ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Sun Dec 20 12:00:55 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 20 Dec 1998 12:00:55 Subject: DHKC Press Office Declaration 79 Message-ID: DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULUS CEPHESI PRESS OFFICE Date: December 18, 1998=20 Declaration 79 IMPERIALISM IS BOMBARDING THE OPPRESSED IRAQI PEOPLE Before the eyes of the entire world, a massacre is being committed against the Iraqi people. Allegedly, military bases are being attacked: actually, everything, from hospitals to stockpiles of foodstuffs to population centres are being targetted by the bombs and missiles. Nor is this cruelty something new. In 1991 the world was witness to cruelty on an even wider scale. The imperialists attack any country whenever they feel like it. They burn, destroy, murder and issue one command after another.84This is how we want your economic and social situation to be." It takes decisions and issues bans. An embargo affects everything the people need, from medicine to food. And because of this tens of thousands of the Iraqi people must die because of lack of medicine and food. The Iraqi people who are still resisting in spite of this hunger and tyranny, are today being murdered once more. What is the guilt of the Iraqi people and its government? Have they attacked any of the peoples of the world? Have they invaded any of the imperialist countries and rained bombs down on them? No... Nothing like that. They are subject to attacks by the imperialists for sayingThis is our country, we will rule it with our own power and not let it be surrendered to your New World Order." Among the imperialists, with the USA at their head, there is no conflict over the needs of the peoples. All the imperialists, the European Union, Japan, Russia and above all the USA use the New World Order in order to prevent even the smallest action by oppressed peoples which is independent, of their own volition and carried out without imperialist consent. "Anyone behaving differently will be punished." This mentality leads to countries like Iraq being brutally punished with no time being wasted, even though it is actually tied to imperialism and its government is not really acting in an independent manner, but had merely taken some steps which were partly based on national interest. Certainly the imperialists also intend to overthrow the Saddam government or co-opt it for their own purposes. But in the meantime the imperialists are showing the entire world their power and are sending the message, "We crush everyone who comes out against our system." All the imperialists are agreed on this point. If somebody stands up to the New World Order he must be taken in hand and shown the error of his ways. All means towards this end are deemed legitimate. Justice, freedom, democracy, human, indeed, minority rights are pretexts for their bombs, missiles and occupations. THEY ARE LYING. They lie without even blushing about it. No imperialist will ever defend any benefits for any people. This has never happened. Their history of injustice and tyranny has been only for their own benefit. They are the ones who have turned the world into a bloodbath, and done this over a period of centuries. Colonialism, neo-colonialism, occupation, plunder, all this is their work. And now they are trying to make fools of the peoples of the world. While they are the ones murdering the people, they declare that the Iraqi government is harming the peoples of the Middle East. The greatest terror of the imperialists is that the peoples will raise the banner of independence and socialism and set up their own power. Today the greatest fear of the USA, NATO and the EU is the struggle of the peoples which is developing once more. To suppress this struggle they ignore every precept of justice and rightfulness. Governments of countries like ours, whose development they have hindered, are reduced to the status of servants and are thus economically, politically and militarily under imperialist control. The soil of our country is used by the imperialists, with its collaborationist governments acting as middlemen. All kinds of military bases and installations are in the service of the imperialists and are used as headquarters for war against our fraternal peoples. Today, the base at Incirlik (translator's note: in southern Turkey) is also used by the imperialists for their warplanes to rain bombs upon the Iraqi people. The Susurluk State, the collaborator of the USA which allows this to happen, is an accomplice. OUR LAND WILL NOT BE A HEADQUARTERS FOR IMPERIALISM TO WAGE WAR! How? The imperialists have made our country - its soldiers, its economy, its technology and politics - completely dependent upon them. The absolute domination by the imperialists cannot be destroyed without bursting asunder the chains of dependency by waging the liberation struggle. Without independence our national honour, our natural resources, our labour do not truly belong to us. All our property has been pilfered from us by the imperialists and their collaborationist governments. In order to be able to get it back, there is no alternative to struggle and setting up people's power to achieve a COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT AND DEMOCRATIC TURKEY. Those who claim the imperialists have changed and claim that they would defend the interests of the peoples are lying. Today like yesterday, imperialism uses every kind of tyranny in order to exploit the people yet further. For the benefit of those who have forgotten the reality of imperialism and have lost their memory, imperialism is announcing loud and clear through its moves against the people of Iraq: "re I am, and I have not changed in the slightest!" The imperialists' attack on the Iraqi people is a reminder to all the world's peoples and it is instructing them as follows:"Either wage war and establish power for yourselves, or else surrender to my system. In that case I will be the one who makes the decisions for you, today and tomorrow." To our people The tyranny and the massacre perpetrated by the imperialists against the Iraqi people also involves us. If we do not take a stand against the tyranny practised on the Iraqi people, then that means we support this cruelty of imperialism. Whichever people is affected, if we are against this cruelty we must stand alongside the oppressed peoples. We must struggle to drive imperialism from our land. No government will come out against the imperialist policies and the treaties that have made them dependent. For they too are beneficiaries from them. Waging war on imperialism means waging war on the Susurluk State. THE ATTACK ON THE IRAQI PEOPLE IS AN ATTACK ON ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD; LET US DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST IT; LET US PROTEST! SOONER OR LATER; THE IMPERIALISTS WILL LOSE AND THE OPPRESSED PEOPLES WILL TRIUMPH! LET US TAKE PART IN THE STRUGGLE; LET US DO THIS BY RAISING A BANNER WITH THE INSCRIPTION: DOWN WITH IMPERIALISM AND ITS COLLABORATORS"! REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLE'S LIBERATION FRONT -- Devrimci Halk Kurtulus Cephesi (Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Front) DHKC Informationbureau Amsterdam http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl Tue Dec 29 12:05:02 1998 From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl) Date: 29 Dec 1998 12:05:02 Subject: Drug dealer's prison death raises storm in Turkey Message-ID: ISTANBUL, Dec 29 (AFP) - The mysterious suicide of a drug trafficker who had accused the police of links to organised crime sparked a storm of questions in the Turkish press on Tuesday. An official inquiry into the death of Huseyin Uzun, found hanged on Saturday in the toilets at the Organised Crime Bureau in Istanbul, ruled on Monday that the jailed drugs trafficker had committed suicide. Huseyin gave himself up to police last week and the press said he had made a lengthy confession accusing high-ranking Istanbul police officials of taking bribes from drugs barons. His accusations focused on the former chief of the anti-drugs squad Ferruh Tankus, who was sacked from his post last week. Tankus, who was demoted to the rank of local police station chief, accused his superiors of taking four million dollars in bribes from mafia bosses in return for his dismissal after his crackdown on the drugs trade. Uzun's lawyer disputed the suicide verdict, arguing that his 180- centimetres (six foot) tall client could not have hanged himself in the alleged space, which was only 150 centimetres (five feet) high. He said: "A suicide should look like a suicide." The Turkish press asked Tuesday whether Uzun had been silenced by the men he had accused or by his police questioners. The press also mooted the idea that he had been killed by the mafia. The popular daily Sabah said: "Scandals which can overthrow a government in a civilised country are accepted in our country as ordinary events." The government of outgoing premier Mesut Yilmaz collapsed last month amid allegations of the premier's links with organised crime. List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl