Turkish activist in French jail in Hungerstrike

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

Hereby we send you the letters that were delivered at the French
Consulat in The Netherlands.

Turkish friends have been imprisoned there since Sept. 1997 and are
threathed like animals. Ali Ayyildiz went on a hungersstrike
protesting his prison conditions he describes as "turkish"

To the Minister of Home Affairs

Ali Ayyildiz and twelve of his friends are being detained in your
country since September 16, 1997. These are all people who fight the
present fascist regime in Turkey. They have been fighting for
democracy and human rights in Turkey and in this struggle they
respected the limits of the law in the European countries. All the
countries, including France, are very well aware of what is going on
in Turkey at present. Innocent people are being murdered, torture is
legal, opponents of the system "disappear", entire villages are
bombed. The whole world knows about the irrefutable proof. However,
the attitude you choose in your country against the Turkish
revolutionaries and democrats shows the entire world that France, a
democratic European country, overtly and objectively supports the
fascist regime in Turkey. The family members in Turkey of the detained
are being arrested, their houses are being ransacked by the police who
legally practice torture. All this is just one more proof of how you
share the political views of Turkey. Our friends are being held in a
unjust manner in your country, France. And even more, the conditions
they are being held in are no better than those in the prisons of
Turkey. Except for the fact that they are not allowed to buy
newspapers and books, they even can't receive the money which is sent
by their close ones. Despite the bad health condition of Ali Ayyildiz,
he hasn't received medical treatment for a long time. Where are the
human rights France is so proud of?
 We, the Turks who live in the European countries, express our protest
 against this anti-democratic attitude of France which plays a double
 role. 
We demand that our friends, imprisoned for nothing, are being released
immediately. France should leave people in peace who are fighting for
human rights and it should prosecute the real delinquents!

We would like to ask you, the minister of Home Affairs, to accept this
expression of our respectful sentiments. 

Rotterdam, 1e 3 avril 1998. 
Monsieur le Ministre de l'Interieur,  

Ali Ayyildiz et ses douze amis sont detenus en prison dans votre pays
depuis le 16 septembre 1997. Ces personnes luttent contre le regime
fasciste de la Turquie actuelle. Ces meme personnes luttent pour la
democratie et les droits de l'Homme en Turquie. Cette lutte, ils la
menent dans les limites des lois des pays Europeennes.  Y compris la
France, tous les pays du monde savent tres bien ce qui se passe
actuellement en Turquie.

Des personnes innocents y sont assassines, la torture y est legale, on
fait disparaitre les opposants au regime, des villages entiers sont
bombardees. De ces crimes, tout le monde a des preuves
incontestables. Mais, malheureusement, le comportement que vous optez
contre les revolutionaires et les democrates turques habitants en
votre pays nous montre aux yeux du monde entier que la France, pays
democratique europeen, soutient ouvertement et objectivement le regime
fasciste de la Turquie. Les familles des detenus habitantes en Turquie
ont ete arretes, leurs maisons devastes par la police qui pratique
toujours legalement la torture. Tout ceci n'est qu'une preuve de plus
que vous partagez les opinions politiques avec la Turquie.

Nos amis sont detenus de facon injuste dans votre pays, la France. Par
ailleurs, la condition de leur detention n'est pas mieux que dans les
maisons d'arret en Turquie. Hors le fait de ne pas pouvoir acheter des
journaux ni des livres, ils ne peuvent meme pas recevoir l'argent que
leurs proches leurs envoient.  Malgre l'etat de sante deplorable d'
Ali Ayyildiz, il ne pouvait pendant longtemps pas avoir d'aide
medicale. Ou sont donc les droits de l'Homme dont la France est
tellement fiere?

Nous, les Turques habitants dans les pays europeens, nous protestons
contre cette attitude anti-democratique de la France qui joue ici un
jeu double.

Nous exigeons la mise en liberte immediate de nos amis detenus pour
rien.

La France doit laisser en paix les personnes luttant pour les droits
de l'Homme et doit commencer a poursuivre les vrais coupables!

Nous vous prions, Monsieur le Ministre de l'Interieur, d'agreer
l'expression de nos sentiments respectueuses.

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