Turkey: Assinationattempt on Akin Birdal

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

Assassination attempt against 
Turkey's leading human rights activist

Turkey- Democracy at gunpoint

Akin Birdal, President of Turkey's Human Rights Association was 
attacked today, 12 May 1998, by two armed men in his office in 
Ankara. He is reported to have been seriously injured and received 
six bullets, two to his chest, to his body and currently being kept 
under intensive care in a hospital in Ankara.  We categorically 
condemn this attack. 

Akin Birdal has been a long standing human rights advocate in Turkey. He
was particularly active on promoting the Kurdish rights in Turkey. Turkish
state has recently portrait Mr Birdal as the Turkish State's enemy. Turkish
officials claimed that Akin Birdal, a respected human rights activist, was
working for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey accused him of
"putting Turkey in difficult position abroad".

Birdal participated at several international platforms on Turkey and
Kurdish question and particularly assisted individual cases to the European
Court of Human Rigths. 

It is clear that Turkish authorities deliberately prepared the ground for
an attack against him. The assassins of Birdal are appointed by the state
to carry out their jobs. The assassins of Birdal are the Susurluk forces.
Turkish sate is clearly determined to repress any democratic opposition to
its policy of extermination on the Kurdish question. 

Turkey's allies, the West, must see this reality and put a stop to this
regime of oppression. 

Democracy has always been in gun point in Turkey. Progressive forces have
sacrificed numerous activists in the name of democracy and human rights.
Kurdish issue is the heart of democracy and human rights problems in
Turkey. The Kurdish people and their friends will not stop their struggle
for freedom and democracy.

We demand from the international community to act immediately. Silence has
always meant the approval of Turkey's state policy.

*********************************************************
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
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-- 
Press Agency Ozgurluk
For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan!
Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org                          
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