Disappearances in Turkey

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

NO NEWS ABOUT FOUR REVOLUTIONARIES

The Susurluk state continues to make people disappear, a police which
it started in 1980 when Hayri Eren "went lost". On March 31, Neslihan
Uslu, Metin Andac, Hasan Aydogan and Mehmet Mandal were arrested in
Izmir and nothing has been heard from them since although inquiries
were made at all the police stations in Izmir and the cities and
regions in the area. Neslihan Uslu was chief editor of the magazine
Devrimci Genclik (Revolutionary Youth) in 1994-1995. Hasan Aydogan is
24 years old and was born in Tokat/Almus. Metin Andac stems from
Bergama and Mehmet Mandal is 40 years old. With this information,
TAYAD, the Solidarity Association of the Prisoners' Relatives,
protested against the disappearances and massacres with a press
statement on April 19. TAYAD stated to fear that these four people
have been made "disappeared" after they were arrested. This new
incident, a new case of disappearance after countless others, led to a
reaction of the TAYAD members. They stated: "Our four friends, missing
now for 18 days, participated in the struggle for democracy and were
known to the police. Therefore our fear." After the press statement,
Behic Asci, lawyer of the People's Lawyers Office, spoke. He said:
"All our questions have been unanswered till now. We asked at all the
police stations". Furthermore he stated that the police in Izmir have
been known for disappearances in the past and that the lawyers know
about their methods and would not let go.

Documentation

The fascist regime in Turkey continues the "disappearances"

FOUR NEW DISAPPEARANCES

Let's hold them accountable, don't let them be murdered

Committee "End the Disappearances"

During the 70's and 80's, disappearances were a reality in the Latin
American countries. Tens of thousands of people disappeared in
Guatemala since 1966. After the military took over power there,
thousands of people were made "disappeared". In September of that same
year, now in Chile, tens of thousands of revolutionaries and
opposition members were massacred or made disappeared by the
Pinochet-government. Thousands of people were subjected to severe
torture and then thrown out of helicopters into the ocean during the
junta of Videla. According to the official numbers, 3.000 people dies
in Nicaragua in 1979. The situation in El Salvador isn't any
different.

Since 1990, the number of disappearances in Turkey has risen to more
than 600. The policy of disappearances increases together with the
people's opposition. Exact numbers aren't possible. But people are
being arrested quite openly, subjected to torture, massacred, and
their bodies are destroyed. By this, Turkey tries to keep up its rule
of terror. 

DISAPPEARANCES ARE PART OF THE POLITICS OF THE FASCIST STATE OF TURKEY

This policy has been applied since decades, but it's real increase
started after 1990. The people's opposition is growing and the fascist
state tries to prevent this. Tens of thousands of people break through
the de-politicisation since the coup of September 12, 1980, and take
to the streets. Revolutionary organizations are rapidly gaining
strength. In such a phase, all the state institutions are organized
according to the needs of the contra-guerrilla. Torturers are given
medals, the liberty of the state to murder is secured. When there is a
trial the torturers are acquitted and later given a promotion. There
isn't a single police chief or prison director in the country now who
hasn't been on trial yet. 

TORTURE, MURDER, RAPE, MASSACRES AND DISAPPEARANCES ARE THE NEVER
CHANGING FACE OF PRESENT TURKEY

"Will you talk, you pimp?"

"Boy, we'll bring your mother and father here."

"His girlfriend is here, let's finish her first."
"Well, bring her in then."

One or two people leave the room. The shackles at my feet are loosened
and I'm put on a chair after I'm handcuffed.

"Now listen carefully boy, you couldn't find this is a porn."

"Here she is, chief."

One of them lifts the blindfold. I see Fikriye standing in the door
between two policemen. 

"Okay, start", says the one they call the chief. 

Shortly after voices are heard: "Undress". Among the screaming, a
female voice is heard: "Don't do it, stop." They have to undress her
with violence. I even forget to breath and it seems I'm suffocating.

"I'm above all of you, I'll be first."

"You're always doing the same thing, how would it be if we would get a
taste for it", another one says. The poor girl begs them: "Don't do
it". 

These are the words of a man who's girlfriend was raped by the police
because he refused to speak. The same person was threatened with death
and disappearance. However, he refused to give a statement and later
he was detained by the court because he showed a "organization
attitude". 

Neither torture, nor rape, murder, massacres and disappearances can be
seen as merely exceptions. Nowadays all the prisons are equipped with
torture instruments. The reality, exposed last year, shows that the
state has a budged for this and orders the instrument at international
firms.

THE CREATIVITY OF THE TORTURERS

The most known methods of torture are: beating up people, the Falaka
(beating of the footsoles and the palms of the hands), pushing around,
beating the head against the wall (in 1981, the Devrimci Sol member
Ahmet Karlangac was massacred in this way), the Palestinian swing
(hanging up backward), normal hanging, electroshocks while standing,
hanging are tied down, applying weights to the feet while hanging,
crushing the testicles, beating with a sandbag, sexual abuse, rape (of
women and men), rape with police truncheons, bottles et cetera,
burning the skin with cigarettes, cutting with razor blades, tearing
out fingernails and teeth, tearing out the hair and the mustache,
high-pressure waterhoses, keeping the head under water, laid down on a
pile of ice, pushing people into car tires, putting soaked people in
front of fans, forcing them to eat shit, pushing the head into the
sewer, throwing them from a rise, letting people stand for hours and
hours, keeping them from sleeping. Sometimes the nails and toes are
crushed, but this isn't applied widely because it leaves traces. The
torture tries to inflict pain without leaving traces. It's his goal to
break the will of the victim. 

A PSYCHOLOGY OF UNCERTAINTY

That's their aim: everybody should live in fear, trust nobody,
thinking something can happen anytime. A society without resistance is
to be created. Therefore torture, execution and massacres are
something every opposition member should be prepared for, it's a price
which has to be paid, whether people are organized or not. Whenever
people are not satisfied with the system, they are potentially guilty.
When the resistance among society is not organized against this policy
of disappearances, the state will be able to push through its will
without effort. 

WE HAVE TO ORGANIZE THIS RESISTANCE

This is not just the task of the revolutionaries and democrats in
Turkey. It's also the task of the progressives and the intellectuals
in the rest of the world. It's a must for being human. The fascist
regime in Turkey is supported by the imperialist states. The
imperialist states, including the European states, are behind the
fascist regime politically, military and economically. We have to
break this support and we have to show the character of the fascist
regime in Turkey to Europe and the entire world. The more we succeed
in doing so, the fascist regime will be forced to take international
public opinion seriously. This means it's also in our hands to stop
the bloodshed. 

SINCE HAYRETTIN EREN

Hayrettin Eren was a member of Devrimci Sol. He was arrested in 1980,
shortly after the fascist coup. His arrest wasn't documented. He was
massacred under torture. His body disappeared. Several inquiries were
met with "He isn't with us". In this way the state freed itself from
its responsibility without leaving a trace. 18 years have past since
then. More than 600 people were made disappeared by the state since
then. On March 31, 1998, Neslihan Uslu, Metin Andac, Hasan Aydogan and
Mehmet Ali Mandal were arrested in Izmir. All state institutions deny
to have arrested them. Their lawyers and families addressed the state
prosecutors, all the police headquarters in the region, the courts,
the soldiers and the policemen. Their response was: "We didn't arrest
them, we know nothing". They want to destroy them. The state, until
now making mostly individual arrested people disappear, now tries to
get rid of four revolutionaries at the same time. This also show the
character of the fascist state.

NESLIHAN USLU

Started her studies at the Law Faculty at the University of Istanbul
in 1986. During that time she joined Dev-Genc (Revolutionary Youth).
In 1988 she was expelled from university because of the political
activities on the campus. One year later she enrolled again, now at
the Literature Faculty. In 1989 she was one of the founders of IYOE-DER
(Association of the Istanbul High School Youth). She worked in the
commissions for culture, law, relatives and finances. She participated
in all the youth actions at the University of Istanbul. She was a
person who dedicated her life to the struggle. She organized actions,
designed leaflets, pasted posters, published brochures... One can say
she had just enough money in her pocket to pay for the bus ticket.
Besides that, she worked for the magazine Devrimci Genclik. She called
the youth to the struggle. During Newroz 1992, she was among the
people who occupied the building of the government party Dogy Yol in
Besiktas to demand accountability for the massacres against the Kurds.
She was brutally beaten up and wounded. After she was in hospital for
a short while, she was arrested. When she was released, she continued
her work. While working for Devrimci Genclik, she received fines and
prison sentences several times. She had to let go of her task when a
prison sentence almost became inevitable. When this sentence was
changed into a fine, she started to work for the Kurtulus magazine.
When she was wanted in 1995, she took other tasks and responsibilities
upon herself. When she was arrested in Izmir on March 31, 1998, she
had 10 revolutionary years behind her. Now they want to make her
disappear. 

METIN ANDAC

64 years old, a farmer. Born in the village of Narlica near the city
of Bergama. Held in custody numerous times. Prior to the coup of
September 12, 1980, he worked in Izmir. He participated in the TARIS
resistance which marked those years. He was an union representative.
When the firm Eurogold came to Bergama in 1998, he was one of the
first opponents. In the beginning, the people were happy because of
the "new jobs". But soon the first cases of cyanide poisoning
occurred. Metin Andac took water and soil samples and had them tested.
The technicians in the first laboratory he went to said they couldn't
find anything after they were bribed by Eurogold. But Metin Andac
didn't give up. Again and again he had samples tested. In the end it
was proven that the water was poisoned. Thereupon he began to organize
meeting, at first in his own village, but later in neighboring
villages as well. That's how the first resistance started. Joint
decisions were taken by the people. This was the core of the People's
Council which was established later. During that phase he became the
representative of the magazine Isci Hareketi (Workers' Movement). He
was tortured in Manissa as well, the city which became known worldwide
for torturing 16 and 17 year old youngsters. He was tortured by the
same people. He was arrested and started hunger strikes. When he was
released, he initiated a referendum and the people decided: "Eurogold,
get out". A court decision quickly followed. But Eurogold wasn't
closed. Thereupon the farmers, led by Metin Andac, destroyed the pits.
In response, the gendarmes spread terror in the villages. Metin Andac
was tortured in his own house, together with his children, his wife
and his grandchildren. Andac was released again and applauded by 3.000
people. But shortly after detention was ordered again. Metin Andac
didn't surrender. The real culprit was the state, supporting Eurogold.
He was among the people all his life. When he was arrested on March
31, 1998, together with three of his friends who were at least 30
years younger, he took the sympathies of the people with him. He was
part of the people. 

MEHMET ALI MANDAL

Born in Menemen - Izmir. From a poor family. He began to work at a
very young age. When his family went to Germany in 1974 to work, he
went with them. He was deported after a while and returned to Turkey.
Again he became a worker. Shortly after the September 12 coup, he went
to Greece. He participated in all the demonstrations, every campaign,
and every protest against fascism. He participated in all the work,
from writing leaflets to distributing them. While he worked in
construction, he spent days and night with translations for the
magazine. He was married and had two children. But he was a
revolutionary. He was arrested on March 31, on his way to Izmir to
carry out a task. Since then we've not heard from him again.

HASAN AYDOGAN

Born in 1974 in Central-Anatolia, in Tokat. Because of the poverty of
his family he had to leave school as a child. He sold Simit (a kind of
pastry) in the street and worked in plastic and brick factories. When
he was 16, he got to know the revolutionaries. He was in prison for a
while. After he was released, a detention order was issued immediately
and he was wanted. He was arrested in Izmir on March 31 where he took
care of the security of his friends. Now they try to make him
disappear. 

THE FASCIST REGIME IN TURKEY CONTINUES ITS POLICY OF DISAPPEARANCES
AND MASSACRES

The state of Turkey, guilty of human rights violations, has committed
a new crime. The Susurluk state increases its attacks against the
growing revolutionary struggle. It doesn't keep to its own laws, nor
to international treaties. It tries to legitimize disappearances
during custody. They try to make 4 revolutionaries disappear. Neslihan
Uslu, Metin Andac, Hasan Aydogan and Mehmet Ali Mandal, 5
revolutionaries we have not heard from since March 31. These 4
revolutionaries were last seen when they were arrested. 

They try to make them disappear.

Neslihan was chief editor and proprietor of the magazine
"Revolutionary Youth in the struggle for independence, democracy and
socialism" for a long time. Furthermore she worked as a editor for the
Kurtulus magazine. Uslu, working as a journalist quite some time, was
arrested dozens of times, subjected to all kinds of torture and
threatened with death. With the accusation that she had ties to the
DHKP-C (Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front), she was
sentenced and was wanted by the police. Metin Andac was a
revolutionary, known by name to the people of Bergama. Together with
the people of Bergama, he fought against the imperialist firm Eurogold
which digs for gold, using cyanide. He protected the soil in his land.
He was arrested several times by the state and tortured. Hasan Aydogan
was sentenced by the State Security Court of Kaysen to 3 years and 9
months imprisonment for being a member of the DHKP-C. He spent 1 .5
year in prison. He is still wanted by the police. Mehmet Ali Mandal
lived in Greece for a long time and was a worker in this country. He
lives in Izmir-Menemen. 

Although it is known that they have been arrested, all the judicial
inquiries at the justice department, the department of home affairs,
and many other state institutions have been without result. It was
"They are not with us" every time. The only exception was the police
headquarters in Izmir who admitted: "We arrested them and after taking
their statements, we've handed them over to the state prosecution at
the State Security Council where they were released". But later they
denied this statement again. The fascist government in our country has
transformed Turkey into a country of disappearances and massacres.
This last outrage shows the measure of brutality in Turkey and
Kurdistan once  again. Our people are to "disappear" because they
stood up against exploitation, the torture and injustice in the
country and because they were fighting for an independent and
democratic country and a life in honor and dignity. 

LET US TAKE CARE OF THEM!

Supporting these 4 revolutionaries means supporting mankind and honor.
It means standing up against a regime which commits crimes against
humanity. We call upon all who see themselves as democrats and
progressives to inquire to the whereabouts of the 4 revolutionaries. 

THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE FOUR REVOLUTIONARIES WHO THEY WANT TO HAVE
DISAPPEARED MUST BE REVEALED! THEY WERE ARRESTED IN GOOD HEALTH, WE
WANT THEM BACK WITH US IN GOOD HEALTH AS WELL! STOP THE DISAPPEARANCES
IN TURKEY

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