From theorganizer at labornet.org  Thu Feb  4 16:54:34 1999
From: theorganizer at labornet.org (theorganizer at labornet.org)
Date: 04 Feb 1999 16:54:34
Subject: SUPPORT STRIKING MEXICAN MINEWORKERS!
Message-ID: <bac1c849.199902050038.QAA07948@igc2.igc.apc.org>

SUPPORT STRIKING MEXICAN MINEWORKERS!

[PLEASE RE-POST and circulate widely. Excuse us if this is a duplicate 
copy. A version of the appeal in Spanish follows the English 
version. Por favor vean abajo, al final del Llamamiento en ingles, la 
version en espanol de este Llamamiento en apoyo a los mineros en 
huelga en Cananea (Sonora, Mexico).

[ALSO if you live in Northern California and would like to be on our
local WHC e-mail list (to learn about events such as the March 13
AFTA-NAFTA conference, organized together with the United Steelworkers
of America), please send us a note and we will add you to our list.]

************


Dear Sisters and Brothers:

We received a few days ago a copy of an appeal in support of the 
striking mineworkers in Cananea, Sonora (Mexico). The appeal and 
cover letter were sent to us by Gemma Lopez Limon, a researcher 
on child labor at the University of Mexicali (Baja California) who 
was a delegate and panelist at the Western Hemisphere Workers? 
Conference Against NAFTA and Privatizations, which took place in 
San Francisco in November 1997.

Sister Lopez Limon has urged our WHC Continuations Committee 
to forward this appeal to the international labor movement. She 
points out that the situation the mineworkers face is growing more 
difficult by the day and that they need to know they are being 
supported by the labor movement the world over.

The Cananea mineworkers have fanned out across Northern Mexico 
seeking solidarity for their struggle. In Mexicali a broad-based labor 
committee has been set up. The appeal below was issued by this 
committee.

Sister Lopez Limon recalls in her cover letter that the Mineworkers 
of Cananea held a conference against NAFTA in 1994 to which 
workers and trade union officials in various industries from 
throughout the northern region attended. At the time they warned 
that the privatization onslaught would be deepened if NAFTA were 
not overturned. Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened, as 
you will read in this appeal.

We call on all supporters of labor and democratic rights to endorse 
this appeal and to distribute copies of this statement widely among 
your coworkers and within your trade union bodies or 
organizations. 

If you can, please send your letters or statement of support for the 
mineworkers directly to Mexican President Zedillo or Sonora State 
Governor Armando Lopez Nogales [see below]. Please send copies of 
your statements to the WHC Continuations Committee, c/o San 
Francisco Labor Council (AFL-CIO), 1188 Franklin St. #203, San 
Francisco, CA 94109 or fax (415) 440-9297.

If you prefer, you can add your name to this sign-on letter. You can 
do this by e-mailing your endorsement directly to Gemma Lopez 
Limon, "Ricardo Flores Magon" Human Rights Committee, 
Mexicali (Mexico). Her e-mail address is 
<glopez at faro.ens.uabc.mx>. Your statements will be forwarded to 
the Mexican authorities. Please include your organization and title, if 
possible and tell us if these are to be listed for identification 
purposes only. Also, please send a copy of your e-mail endorsement 
to <theorganizer at igc.org>.

You can also send your statement of support to Manuel Ernesto 
Romero Reyes, General Secretary, Section 65 of the Mineworkers 
Union of the Mexican Republic (Cananea) to (fax) 011-663-66-73-
92.

Thank your in advance for your support to this important struggle.

In Solidarity,

Alan Benjamin,
for the WHC Continuations Committee

*****************


Appeal in Support of the Striking Mineworkers
in Cananea, Sonora (Mexico)

Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon
President of Mexico
Fax: 011-525-516-5762

Lic. Armando Lopez Nogales
Governor of the State of Sonora
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Fax: 011-562-17-41-26

Dear Sirs:

Cananea, Sonora, remains alive in the memories of the Mexican 
people. The historic strike of the Cananea mineworkers in 1906, 
which was brutally repressed by the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, 
heralded the outburst of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. It was the 
tenacious struggle of the mineworkers and their families that resulted 
in the nationalization of the Cananea copper mines -- the largest in 
Mexico and third largest in the world.

In 1989, Cananea was invaded by the Mexican Army: Five thousand 
soldiers occupied the town to prevent any resistance from the 
mineworkers to the impending closure of the mines, based on the 
fraudulent claim of bankruptcy. The mines are vital to the 
community; 90% of the people depend on the mines for their 
livelihood. It took the protracted fight of the mineworkers and the 
Women's Front of Cananea to force the authorities to reopen the 
mines.

In 1990, the Mexican government privatized the mines, selling them 
for US$450 million to Jorge Larrea, one of the richest men in 
Mexico. The real value of the mines was estimated at US$3 billion. 
>From that moment on, the problems began to mount for the 
workers. Within months, close to 40% of the workforce ? that is, 
1200 workers ? were laid off. Today only 2070 workers are left, 
and the threats of more job losses continue.

Larrea, a close friend of former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, 
now in exile in Ireland, is the principal shareholder of the recently 
privatized Sonora railway system. Soon after he bought the 
company, Larrea laid off 700 workers in Empalme and a similar 
number in Benjamin Hill, both of which are ghost towns today. 
Today Larrea is seeking to buy the entire port of Guaymas.

In recent months, the company escalated its assault upon the 
mineworkers and the community. It began by openly violating 
fundamental aspects of the collective-bargaining agreement ? all in 
the name of cost-cutting. But that was not all. The company then 
closed down the treatment plant, where the industrial waste from the 
processing plant was treated before flowing into the local river. The 
employer also closed the smelting and storage plants, announcing 
that 800 more workers (out of the remaining 2070) would be laid 
off. These decisions represented a death sentence to the people of 
Cananea.

It is for all these reasons that the mineworkers' union (Section 65 of 
the National Mineworkers Union of the Mexican Republic) went out 
on strike on November 18, 1998. Close to three months have now 
gone by, and there is still no end in sight to this conflict.

We, the undersigned, have just learned that the state authorities are 
harassing and repressing the strikers, whose actions of seeking 
widespread solidarity from other workers in neighboring 
communities is totally legal. Arrest warrants have been issued 
against leaders of the union. In mid-January, the Judicial Police of 
Sonora illegally entered the homes of two workers ? Rene 
Enriquez and Reynaldo Palomino ? causing damage to the homes 
and terrorizing the families. Their goal is to terrorize the population, 
who have stood strong in defense of the strike. These illegal acts 
constitute a violation of all human, labor and democratic rights. We 
hereby declare that the authorities of the state of Sonora are 
responsible in any harm is caused to the workers or their families.

Given this situation, we, the undersigned, who are convinced of the 
righteousness of the minerworkers' cause, support the union's 
demands for the respect of their collective-bargaining agreement and 
a halt to the closure of the treatment, smelting and storage facilities. 
We demand an end to the harassment and repression of the strikers 
and all those who support their just cause. We call on the company 
and the authorities to resolve this conflict based on the respect for 
the collective-bargaining agreement and the democratic and trade 
union rights of the mineworkers of Cananea.

Sincerely,

First signatories:

Carlos Maya Quevedo, general secretary, Sindicato Unificado de 
Trabajadores de ISSSTECALLI; Aida Canett L, Central 
Independiente de Obreros Agricolas y Campesinos; Jose Moreno, 
Centro de Derechos Humanos y Educacion Civica; Enrique Priego 
Mendoza; Leticia Figueroa Ramirez, Margarita Barajas Tinoco, 
Nicole Diesbach Rochefort; Julieta Curiel Llamas, researchers at the 
Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la Universidad Autonoma de 
Baja California; Teresa Hernandez Luna, Sergio Villareal, Carlos 
Salas, Placido Maldonado, Oralia Lopez, Ignacio Gastelum, Mario 
Alcazar, teacher unionists of Sections 2 and 37 of the SNTE; 
Silverio Lopez Lozano, Organizing Committee for a Democratic 
Workers Party; M. Gemma Lopez Limo, Comite Fronterizo de 
Derechos Humanso "Ricardo Flores Magon"; Federico Garcia 
Estrada, assistant District Attorned of Mexicali; Rosa Arreguin, 
Manuel Guillen, Baja California Human Rights Committee.

Mexicali, Mexico
January 19th, 1999



CARTA ABIERTA EN APOYO A LOS MINEROS DE CANANEA 
(MEXICO)

Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Fax (5) 516 5762 y 515 4783
P r e s e n t e.

Lic. Armando Lopez Nogales
Gobernador del Estado de Sonora
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Fax  (62) 17 41 26
   

Cananea, Sonora est? presente en la memoria de los mexicanos. La 
hist?rica huelga de sus mineros en 1906, brutalmente reprimida por 
Porfirio D?az, anunci? el estallido de la revoluci?n de 1910. Fueron 
las luchas tenaces de esos trabajadores las que lograron que la mina, 
la m?s importante de M?xico y la tercera en el mundo, se 
nacionalizara.

En 1989, Cananea sufri? la afrenta de ser invadida por el ej?rcito: 5 
mil soldados la ocuparon para frenar cualquier resistencia de los 
trabajadores al cierre de la mina, pretextando una quiebra 
fraudulenta. La mina es vital en la vida del pueblo, el 90 por ciento 
depende de ella. S?lo con la lucha constante de los mineros y el 
Frente Femenil de Cananea se logr? que se reabriera. 

En 1990, el gobierno la privatiz?, vendi?ndola en 450 millones de 
d?lares al empresario Jorge Larrea, uno de los hombres m?s ricos 
del pa?s, cuando su valor era superior a los 3 mil millones. Desde 
esa fecha crecieron los problemas para los trabajadores: casi el 40 
por ciento de su planta laboral, 1 200 trabajadores fue despedida. 
Hoy quedan 2 070 y la amenaza sigue.

Recientemente, adem?s de realizar continuas violaciones al contrato 
colectivo de trabajo, la empresa tom? la determinaci?n  de cerrar los 
departamentos de represo (donde se tratan las aguas residuales que 
desecha la mina), el de fundici?n y el almac?n, lo que se traduce en 
el despido de 800 trabajadores (el 38 por ciento de los actuales), eso 
ser?a la liquidaci?n del pueblo de Cananea.  Por estos motivos, el 
sindicato emplaz? a huelga, que estall? el 18 de noviembre pasado. 
Han transcurrido ya dos meses y el conflicto no se soluciona.

Nos hemos enterado de que las autoridades gubernamentales han 
estado hostigando y reprimiendo a los trabajadores en sus acciones 
totalmente legales de difusi?n de su problema y solicitud de 
solidaridad. Existen ?rdenes de aprehensi?n contra varios de los 
representantes y comisionados del sindicato. En d?as pasados, la 
polic?a judicial del estado entr? ilegalmente a los domicilios de los 
obreros, miembros de la comisi?n de difusi?n que est?n fuera de 
Cananea, Ren? Enr?quez y Reynaldo Palomino, causando destrozos 
y atemorizando a sus familiares, y con ello, creando un clima de 
terror e intimidaci?n entre los pobladores del mineral. Esto es una 
violaci?n total a sus derechos humanos, laborales y democr?ticos. 
Responsabilizamos a las autoridades de cualquier da?o a la 
integridad de trabajadores, familiares y poblaci?n en general

Ante esta situaci?n, las personas que firmamos este escrito, 
dirigentes y miembros de organizaciones sindicales, sociales y 
pol?ticas y  de manera individual, convencidos de la justeza de la 
lucha de los mineros, apoyamos su exigencia de respeto a su 
contrato colectivo de trabajo y respaldamos su rechazo al cierre de 
los departamentos de represo, fundici?n y almac?n, que significa el 
despido de 800 trabajadores. Exigimos el alto a la represi?n en 
contra de quienes apoyan la huelga y el respeto a sus derechos 
humanos. Demandamos que las autoridades resuelvan este conflicto 
laboral  respetando los derechos laborales y democr?ticos de los 
mineros de  Cananea

A T E N T A M E N T E
Mexicali, Baja California, 19 de Enero de 1999.

PRIMEROS FIRMANTES: Carlos Maya Quevedo, secretario 
general del Sindicato Unificado de Trabajadores de ISSSTECALI, 
A?da Canett L., Central Independiente de Obreros Agr?colas y 
Campesinos,  Jos? Moreno Mena, Centro de Derechos Humanos y 
Educaci?n C?vica, Enrique Priego Mendoza, Leticia Figueroa 
Ram?rez, Margarita Barajas Tinoco, Nicole Diesbach Rochefort,  
Julieta Curiel Llamas, investigadores del Instituto de Investigaciones 
Sociales de la Universidad Aut?noma de Baja California, Teresa 
Hern?ndez Luna, Sergio Villarreal, Carlos Salas, Pl?cido 
Maldonado, Oralia L?pez, Ignacio Gast?lum, Mario Alcaraz, 
maestros democr?ticos de la Secci?n 2 y 37 del SNTE, Silverio 
L?pez Lozano, Comit? promotor por un Partido Democr?tico de 
Trabajadores, Raymundo Blas, M. Gemma L?pez Lim?n, Comit? 
Fronterizo de Derechos Humanos "Ricardo Flores Mag?n", 
Federico Garc?a Estrada, subprocurador, Rosa Arregu?n , Manuel 
Guill?n, Procuradur?a de Derechos Humanos y Protecci?n 
Ciudadana de Baja California


Con copia para. Isauro Jerez.    Radiodifusora XEFQ  Fax (633)  2 
39 00   ---Secci?n 65 del Sindicato Nacional de Mineros de la 
Rep?blica Mexicana. Cananea, Sonora. Favor de difundir entre los 
medios de comunicaci?n a su alcance.

Responsable MGLL  Tel. 66 73 92.




From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Sat Feb  6 06:13:42 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 06 Feb 1999 06:13:42
Subject: Monitor the DHKP-C trial in Hamburg!
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3lnibvcfv.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>


Monitor the DHKP-C process!
Art. 129a cannot prevent the struggle against fascism in Turkey!

The people's liberation movement of Turkey, the DHKP-C, the
Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, is to be banned by
means of the present 129a-trial before the High Court in Hamburg as a
terrorist association which threatens the constitution. Three persons
in this trial, among them the supposed DHKP-C responsible for Europe
Serafettin G, and two others, Erdogan C. and Ali E., accused of being
members of the organization, have been in jail for the past 15 months.
Another person, Mesut D., was arrested after being accused of being
the substitute responsible for Europe. It is expected that another 30
people will be charged with being a "member of a terrorist
association", with or without a detention order. The State Security
Senat has now, for the first time, issued a intermediate report of
this trial which now lasts for already 10 months. According to this, a
terrorist association exists within the DHKP-C since 1995, and in the
best possible case, the main accused might be served with a 9-11 year
jail sentence, the second and third with 4-6 years. While the proof
during the first months of the trial only existed of tapped telephone
conversations, now, in the last phase of the trial, the statements of
Ali B, who has been co-operating with State Security, and those of
another crown witness, Huseyin E, have been submitted to the court.
Ergin will give his statement to the court on January 26-27. In the
meantime, investigations which were stopped will be opened again. To
increase the number of spies and traitors, the German police makes use
of all kinds of dirty tricks. They try to win over persons who have
problems with their permits or papers and who withdrew as
sympathisers, and former sympathisers with debts or weaknesses as
gambling, money and  women, as CROWN WITNESSES, making all kinds of
promises. 
To protest against the blackmailing attitude of the Court, the
prisoners have boycotted the trial for the last 3 sessions where they
did not show up. Thereupon the court declared that they prisoners did
not show up, not because as a protest, but because they had been
excluded from the sessions. Three spectators, who protested against
the Senate by clapping their hands, were sentenced to 1 (2 persons)
and 2 (1 person) detention and directly brought over to the
Holstenglacis.

It must be the duty of all politically aware people to monitor this
trial. The ban does not only concern the liberation movement from
Turkey, it concerns the entire left which is threatened with art.
129a. We believe people will watch this trial with much attention.

On January 26 and 27, crown witness Huseyin E. gave his statement.
After questions of the defence lawyers, the following picture emerged:
Huseyin E. was made the following promises: payment of his debts to
the Austrian state because of smuggling cigarettes in the past, no
extradition to Austria, a possible German passport, and payment of all
his costs. "We will see what we can do", the officers told him during
the interrogation. Because none of these promises have materialised
till now, the traitor E. is still under pressure and has great
expectations. The present situation is therefore extremely suited for
manipulations and influencing. Because of this, the defence lawyers
stated it was of no use to question this person any further. At the
beginning of his testimony, on Wednesday, the traitor Huseyin E.
claimed that his wife in Turkey was being "threatened by the
organization". It is most likely that E. tries to get his wife to
Germany as soon as possible with these kind of lies. On February 2 and
3, the prisoners will give their political statements. Then there will
be the pleas of the State Prosecution and then, possible on Wednesday,
those of the defence.

Trial Monitoring Group, February 1, 1999

Contact numbers: Hamburg: 040/386 132 39 - Cologne: 0221/760 76 56 -
Dortmund: 0231/165 55 90 - Kaiserslautern: 0171/549 25 75 - Bielefeld:
0521/23 368 - Berlin: 030/612 14 88

The information brochure of the DHKP-C Trial Monitoring Group is also
available through these numbers  (for further information about the
DHKP-C: http://www.ozgurluk.org/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  Tue Feb  9 12:33:40 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 09 Feb 1999 12:33:40
Subject: Award-winning Turkish film opens in Turkey -- after 17 years
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3ogn3xnzv.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>

  	  				 
   ISTANBUL, Feb 9 (AFP) - Seventeen years after winning the Palme  
d'Or at the Cannes film festival, Turkish filmmaker Yilmaz Guney's 
masterpiece "Yol" (Road) is coming home, but is even now unlikely to 
meet with a universal welcome in Turkey. 
   "'Yol' in its own country," the event is being advertised by the  
private foundation which is sponsoring the film in an effort to 
reconcile Turks with the leftist writer, actor and filmmaker who was 
stripped of his citizenship in 1983 and died in exile in France a 
year later. 
   "He would have loved to see the film screened in Turkey,"  
Guney's widow Fatos Guney, who has spearheaded the effort and put up 
much of the 300,000 dollars needed to remaster the movie for modern 
screens, told AFP. 
   But the film, which examines various forms of social and  
political oppression in Turkish society and deals with Kurdish 
nationalism, touches a nerve that is still sufficiently sensitive in 
Turkey today to make the premiere in cinemas across the country on 
Friday a highly political event. 
   "This may not be the best time," Fatos Guney admitted, alluding  
to Turkey's international hunt for Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah 
Ocalan and the recent move by the judiciary to close a pro-Kurdish 
party. 
   But the timing, she maintained, is coincidental, a result of the  
long years of fundraising and persuasion needed to bring the film to 
Turkish screens seven years after the ban on Yilmaz Guney's works 
was lifted. 
   As a precaution against fresh censorship of "separatist  
propaganda" the foundation has had one scene, in which a setting in 
southeastern Turkey is identified as "Kurdistan" in bold red 
letters, edited out of the film. 
   "We had to sacrifice it," Fatos Guney said. "Otherwise the film  
could not be shown in Turkey for another 17 years." 
   Guney's complete works -- books, articles and films -- were  
banned in Turkey in 1982 under military rule and the negatives of 
more than 100 of the films he acted in or directed were destroyed. 
   Only 11 films remain, because they were abroad at the time of  
the ban, and Fatos Guney has taken care to leave the negatives there 
even after her return to Turkey in 1992, when the ban was lifted. 
   Her Yilmaz Guney Foundation for Culture and Arts is dedicated to  
saving from oblivion the work of an artist who was wildly popular in 
Turkey in the 1960s and '70s. 
   In and out of jail in those troubled decades for his leftist  
writings, Guney wrote many of his screenplays behind bars and 
directed the films through an intermediary. 
   "Yol" too was shot by director Serif Goren while Guney was  
serving a 19-year sentence for a controversial murder conviction. 
   Guney escaped from Turkey while on leave from prison in 1981,  
after a life sentence for writings published from jail had been 
tacked on to his term, and completed the film in Switzerland. 
   Ironically, it is the fate of five prisoners on a week's leave  
that "Yol" traces to examine political, cultural and economic 
pressures on ordinary Turks. 
   "I never intended to depict it as though the government alone  
were to blame," Yilmaz Guney defended the film against Turkish 
criticism when it was released in Europe in 1982. 
   "Oppression arises not only from the government, but also from  
the fact that in their lives people are ruthless among each other." 
   "Yol" deals not only with the Kurdish issue, but also with  
honour killings and the treatment of women as well as the trials of 
urban migration. 
   Although of Kurdish origin, Guney felt himself a part of the  
Turkish people, his widow said. 
   "He was deeply hurt when he was stripped of his Turkish  
citizenship and denounced as an enemy of the Turks," she said. "We 
are bringing the film to the screen so the youth of Turkey will 
understand who he really was and so that he will remain in the heart 
of the people." 
  	   	


-- 
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 escape6 at hotmail.com  Wed Feb 10 07:54:20 1999
From: escape6 at hotmail.com (escape6 at hotmail.com)
Date: 10 Feb 1999 07:54:20
Subject: Critique, RTS & other Marxist conferences 3
Message-ID: <bac1c849.19990210155254.26327.qmail@hotmail.com>

cbasset at sussex.ac.uk, fox at sox.u/net.com, fox at sox.u-net.com, 
mic at aber.ac.uk, joseph at indigo.ie, yousufr at aol.com, RRassool at Tribune.com, 
david.hollis at mail.erlangen.netsurf.de, yasmine at mech.gla.ac.uk, 
9011731o at student.gla.ac.uk, BSTPK at ABERTAY.AC.UK, 
entelechy at dial.pipex.com, entelecty at dial.pipex.com, SB264 at CAM.AC.UK, 
100071.3600 at compuserve.com, SB264 at CAM.AC.UK, 100071.3600 at compuserve.com, 
gkfa02 at udcf.gla.ac.uk sandy.smith at port.ac.uk, smithg at pbs.port.ac.uk, 
IHS at arts.gla.ac.uk, ta2586 at qmw.ac.uk, andrew at burgin.freeserve.co.uk, 
g.barr at exeter.ac.uk, smpirani at compuserve.com,  a.chitty at sussex.ac.uk, 
cyrilsmith at cix.co.uk,  Paul.Flewers at virgin.net, etehad at eng.gla.ac.uk, 
Digital_postmodernist at BTinternet.com,  
marxism-news at jefferson.village.virginia.edu, 
mideast.general at conf.gn.apc.org,  mideast.kurds at conf.gn.apc.org, 
jfp at sprynet.com, thorpe at lgu.ac.uk,  hmet.eur-mide at conf.gn.apc.org, 
his082 at abdn.ac.uk, 100533.1116 at compuserve.com,  bisd at centaur.co.uk, 
theorganizer at pop.igc.org, tomcondit at igc.apc.org,  
sha6jlb at forest.cf.ac.uk, wpc at faraday.org, lvpsf at igc.apc.org, 
sulinet639 at szolnok.sulinet.hu,  yasmine at eng.gla.ac.uk, 
ihr at eng.gla.ac.uk, 

<html><b><A 
HREF="http://cbs.gcal.ac.uk/\depts\eco\critique\critique.htm">CRITIQUE 
CONFERENCE</A></b> on 'The political economy of post cold war 
capitalism'. Sessions on the crises of: social control, intellectuals 
and the economy, plus workshops. With Bertell Ollman, David Harvie, 
Hillel Ticktin, William Dixon. Sat. 20 Feb. 10am-5pm. Conway Hall, <A 
HREF="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?tile2map?TQ38SW13&Street+Map+for+Red+Lion+Square,+WC1&~&~&~">Red 
Lion Sq.</A>(Holborn tube), London. ?10waged / ?5unwaged. ph. 0141 330 
4377.<p>

BRISTOL Revolutionary Socialist Network conference. Sessions on: mental 
health / unions in Europe. Sat. 20 Feb. 10.30am -6pm. Great Western 
Staff Assoc. Club, Station Approach, Bristol. ph. 01392 431352.<p>

WARWICK conference on 'The labour debate', with Harry Cleaver, Simon 
Clarke, John Holloway. Wed. 24 Feb. Warwick University. E-mail <A 
HREF="mailto:m.neary at warwick.ac.uk">here</A>, ph. 01203 524 675. <p>

 <b>JUNE 18 / RECLAIM THE STREETS CONFERENCE</b> on 'What is capitalism 
and how to get rid of it'. Discussion on the issues behind the June 18 
international day of protest against financial centres. Sessions on 
capital and the City - with introductions by speakers from Radical 
Chains, Aufheben and Smash Hits. Plus a social. Sat. 27 Feb.10am-6pm, 
United Reform Church, 73A <A 
HREF="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map2?X=533250&Y=186750&arrow=N&zoom=2">Church 
St.</A>(opp. fire station), Stoke Newington, London N16. Manor House 
tube (buses 141/171A south). Free.<p>

 <A HREF="http://www.isf.org.uk/">International Socialist Forum</A> 
dayschool on 'Marx and Philosophy'. Sun. 7 March 11-5pm, Conway Hall. <A 
HREF="mailto:isf at isf.org.uk">isf at isf.org.uk</A><p>

<A HREF="http://wkweb4.cableinet.co.uk/muirhse/counterinfo/">Glasgow 
conference</A> on 'Global capitalism & effective opposition'</A>. 
Sessions on capitalism and UK break up. Sat./Sun. 3-4 April. <A 
HREF="mailto:radfest at yahoo.com">radfest at yahoo.com</A>, ph. 0131 
5576242.<p>

 <A HREF="http://www.gn.apc.org/june18/">JUNE 18 / G8</A> demonstration 
- City of London and world-wide. Fri. 18 June. phone Reclaim the Streets 
on 0171 2814621.<p>

 <b>ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR</b> - anarchist and libertarian Marxist 
bookstalls. Sat. 16 Oct. 10am. . <A 
HREF="mailto:m.peacock at unl.ac.uk">m.peacock at unl.ac.uk</A>, ph.0171 
2479249.<p>

 To receive any more notices please contact <A 
HREF="mailto:escape6 at hotmail.com">escape6 at hotmail.com</A> or Escape c/o 
PO Box 2474, London N8 OHW. Donations for postage costs are welcome, 
payable to the 'Haringey Solidarity Group'. Check the 
<AHREF="http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/guest/radical/LINKS.HTM">Escape Left 
Links site</A> for event updates.<p>

 <A 
HREF="http://lists.village.virginia.edu/~spoons/aut_html/auf1edit.htm"><I>Aufheben</I></A> 
7, Social democracy, US struggles, Nature of the USSR, Anti-fascism. ?2 
from Brighton Unemployed Centre, PO Box 2536, Rottingdean, Brighton.<br> 
<A 
HREF="http://cbs.gcal.ac.uk/\depts\eco\critique\critique.htm">Critique</A>30-1, 
Crisis theory, Central America, Dockers, CLR James. ?10 from H Ticktin, 
29 Bute Gdns, Glasgow G12 8RS.<br> <A 
HREF="http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/guest/radical/RADCHAIN.HTM">radical 
chains</A> 5, James Kelman, Situationists, Class War. ?3.50 - BM Radical 
Chains, London WC1N 3XX.<br> <A 
HREF="http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/guest/radical/LINKS.HTM">Beyond 
Kronstadt - the Bolsheviks in power / Escaping the 20th century</A> 
pamphlet. Free from Escape.<p> <br>

                                                      



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com


From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Wed Feb 10 14:57:46 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 10 Feb 1999 14:57:46
Subject: AI: TURKEY: Trial undermines human rights defenders' work
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3pv7hlsol.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>

* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *
News Service: 029/99
AI INDEX: EUR 44/11/99
8 FEBRUARY 1999

PUBLIC STATEMENT

TURKEY

Trial undermines human rights defenders' work

Amnesty International today condemned the resumption of a trial against
10 executives of the Diyarbakir branch of the Turkish Human Rights
Association (HRA), describing the proceedings as "a shameful attempt to
sabotage the work of a courageous human rights organization."

The 10 HRA executives are due to return to Diyarbakir State Security
Court on 9 February, charged under Article 7(2) of the Anti-Terror Law
with producing propaganda for the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). If found
guilty, they face up to 10 years  imprisonment. The prosecution is also
calling for the permanent closure of the Diyarbakir branch of the HRA.

As no serious evidence has been produced to support the allegation that
these HRA officers engaged in illegal or inappropriate activities,
Amnesty International believes that they should not be standing trial.

The 10 human rights defenders are not accused of violent offences.
Therefore, should they be imprisoned as a result of the current trial,
Amnesty International will adopt them as prisoners of conscience.
Amnesty International members worldwide will campaign for their
immediate and unconditional release.

Dr Heidi Wedel, a representative of Amnesty International's German
section, will be in Diyarbakir to observe the proceedings, to convey
Amnesty International's concern to the Turkish authorities and to
demonstrate Amnesty International's solidarity with the defendants.

Background
The HRA is Turkey's largest independent human rights organization, with
offices throughout the country. It carries out its work against the
backdrop of a bitter conflict between the state and the PKK in Turkey's
southeastern provinces. As one of the key HRA offices in the southeast,
Diyarbakir has had a prominent role in investigating and reporting on
human rights abuses committed in the region.

The HRA has openly condemned human rights violations committed by both
the state and the PKK, but its work is often presented by the government
as undermining Turkey's reputation and damaging public confidence in the
country s security forces. In such a highly-charged context, the HRA has
been repeatedly targeted for attack. Its officials have been threatened,
arrested, prosecuted, abducted and killed, and its offices have been
ransacked and bombed.

In May 1998 the Turkish authorities began ordering the closure of branch
after branch of the HRA in an apparent bid to stifle its activities
permanently. The Diyarbakir branch -- as several others -- remains
closed, and its archives were confiscated by the police.

The Turkish authorities have used a range of pretexts to justify these
closures. The Diyarbakir branch was closed on the grounds that "its
activities threaten the unity of the state". Other branches were closed
because they were "acting outside their authority" or because "illegal
publications" had been found during police searches.

Alongside these closures, national and regional HRA officials face a
string of prosecutions under repressive legislation which restricts
peaceful freedom of expression. Amnesty International has repeatedly
condemned the closures of HRA offices and the prosecution of HRA staff.
ENDS.../
Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street,
WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
****************************************************************
You may repost this message onto other sources provided the main
text is not altered in any way and both the header crediting
Amnesty International and this footer remain intact. Only the
list subscription message may be removed.
****************************************************************
To subscribe to amnesty-L, send a message to <majordomo at oil.ca> with
"subscribe amnesty-L" in the message body. To unsubscribe, send a
message to <majordomo at oil.ca> with "unsubscribe amnesty-L" in the message
body. If you have problem signing off, contact <owner-amnesty-L at oil.ca>
Past and current Amnesty news services can be found at
http://www.amnesty.org/news/
List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl


From otherisr at actcom.co.il  Wed Feb 17 12:15:20 1999
From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr at actcom.co.il)
Date: 17 Feb 1999 12:15:20
Subject: Tel Aviv: tomorrow, at 4, silent vigil at Turkish Embassy
Message-ID: <bac1c849.19990217200507.3443.rocketmail@send203.yahoomail.com>




In Tel Aviv ,members of different groups called for a silent vigil
tomorrow, Thursday February 18, between 4 and 5 in front of the
Turkish Embassy, Yarkon 202, Tel-Aviv. 

The organizers state: 

In spite of everything the Turkish Embassy is the place where we can
express our shock and concern about the tragedy which took place today
in Berlin,
inside the Israeli Embassy, and our sympathy for the Turkish Kurds'
struggle for recognition of their cultural identity and national
aspirations.

As long as the Turkish Kurdish problem is not solved peacefully we
reject any Israeli-Turkish security cooperation. Not only would it be
against Israeli 
interests to take part in the oppression of the Kurds, it would be
totally contradicting the wide-felt sympathy which the Kurdish cause
receives in 
broad circles of Israeli society.

We call upon the Turkish government - instead of imprisoning Abdullah
Ocalan, to start negotiations with him. However high the mutual hate
has risen, in
the end also this conflict will [have to] be solved by negotiations. 

Beate Zilversmidt
phone: 03-5565804









==
NB: If you don't want to receive anymore our bi-weekly briefings 
    simply send us a "no more" reply.

The Other Israel on site - http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/
Gush Shalom on site - http://www.gush-shalom.org (Hebrew & English)
                                                + a lot of interesting links!

_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com


From theorganizer at labornet.org  Wed Feb 17 17:08:27 1999
From: theorganizer at labornet.org (theorganizer at labornet.org)
Date: 17 Feb 1999 17:08:27
Subject: INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS TO SAVE MUMIA ON APRIL 24!
Message-ID: <bac1c849.199902180058.QAA29759@igc2.igc.apc.org>

INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS TO SAVE MUMIA ON APRIL 24!

[Please re-post and distribute widely. Please excuse all
duplicate postings. If you wish to be removed from this email
list, please contact us at <theorganizer at igc.org>.]

***

In This Message:

1) Cover letter by OWC organizers
2) Appeal by Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
3) Letter from ILC Coordinator Daniel Gluckstein to all ILC 
   affiliates
4) Report on Feb. 11 meeting in Paris, France.

***


1) COVER LETTER BY OWC ORGANIZERS

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Please find below a call issued by the Labor Action Committee to 
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, in Oakland, California. It is an urgent 
appeal to mobilize massive support on April 24, 1999, in 
Philadelphia and San Francisco ? as well as cities around the world 
? around two central demands: (1) Stop the Execution of Mumia 
Abu-Jamal and (2) For a Fair Trial Now!

The Organizing Committee of the Open World Conference in 
Defense of Trade Union Independence and Democratic Rights 
(OWC) joins its voice in support of the call for the April 24 mass 
actions. We call upon all supporters of labor and democratic rights 
the world over to mobilize your unions and organizations on this 
date around the two demands stated above.

Already, unions and organizations around the world are 
responding to the appeal issued by the Labor Action Committee. We 
are reprinting below the letter sent by Daniel Gluckstein, coordinator 
of the International Liaison Committee for a Workers? International 
(ILC), to the ILC-affiliated unions and political organizations in 
more than 80 countries. The ILC is a co-convener, along with the 
WHC Continuations Committee, of the Open World Conference of 
the Year 2000.

Also included below is a report on the rally held Feb. 11 at the 
Labor Hall in Paris, France, which concluded with a resolution to 
mobilize broad-based support for a Free Mumia rally in front of the 
U.S. Embassy in Paris on April 24.
 
For more information on these actions, or to obtain sample 
resolutions adopted by trade union bodies across the United States, 
please contact the Labor Action Committee at ckinder at hotmail.com 
or at the address and numbers listed in the appeal below. Please 
send copies of all correspondence to our OWC Organizing 
Committee at owc at igc.org so that we can inform our supporters of 
the actions being organized the world over.

For more information about the Mumia case, please contact the 
Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal at 
donharmon at earthlink.net. or call (415) 821-0459 (fax: 415-821-
0166).

You can also access an excellent Mumia web site at:
     www.aspenlinx.com/mumia

Thank you for your support to this extremely important struggle.

In Solidarity,
Ed Rosario, Mya Shone and Alan Benjamin,
on behalf of the OWC Organizing Committee

***


2) APPEAL BY LABOR ACTION COMMITTEE TO FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL


Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
P.O. Box 16222 ? Oakland, CA. 94610 ? U.S.A.

-- JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO SAVE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL!
-- BUILD MASS PROTEST ACTIONS ON APRIL 24, 1999!

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

We are writing to you on behalf of the Labor Action Committee to 
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal in the United States.

We request you to propose to your union or organization to 
support the international campaign of working people on behalf of 
noted African-American journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who faces 
execution in the United States.

We urge you to join in the worldwide actions called by the U.S. 
National Coalition to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. This is a broad-based 
coalition of unionists and supporters of labor and human rights that 
met in New York City on January 20, 1998. The protest actions are 
scheduled to take place on April 24, 1999, in Philadelphia and San 
Francisco. The U.S. National Coalition is urging similar actions in 
cities around the world. 

The protest actions are centered on the two principal demands 
adopted by the U.S. National Coalition to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. 
These demands are (1) Stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal, and 
(2) A new and fair trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal.

In addition, many trade unions and their elected leaders in the 
United States have joined the national call to free Mumia. The Labor 
Action Committee was formed specifically to mobilize worker 
support and actions nationally and internationally for this noted 
leader of the oppressed who has been targeted for death by state 
power.

Among union supporters in the United States are the United Farm 
Workers (UFW), Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), International 
Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Hotel and Restaurant 
Employees Union (HERE Local 2), American Federation of State, 
County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME Local 829) and the 
South San Francisco Teachers Association (CTA).
 
Most recently, activists in the Oakland Educational Association 
(OEA) won official support for citywide teach-ins in the Oakland 
school system in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal and in opposition to 
the death penalty and its use as a tool of racial oppression in the 
United States, despite hysterical opposition from the established 
press and from the school board. Teachers? unions in other areas are 
being encouraged to follow Oakland?s example. 

Labor councils, such as the Alameda County Central Labor 
Council and the San Francisco Labor Council, have added their 
voices to our efforts to defend Mumia.

Mumia Abu-Jamal is one of the most eloquent African-American 
fighters against injustice. He exposed the government?s role in the 
murderous police fire bombing of an entire Black neighborhood in 
Philadelphia and was a leading opponent of the official violence 
against Black, Latino and working class communities in the city of 
Philadelphia. 

Known as "the voice of the voiceless," Abu-Jamal was the 
recipient of national awards for his radio journalism. At the time of 
his arrest in 1981 he was president of the Philadelphia Black 
Journalists? Association. Even from prison, his radio commentaries 
on National Public Radio received such attention that recent 
presidential candidate Robert Dole was enlisted by the Philadelphia 
police to intervene in the U.S. Senate in order to censor the 
commentaries sent from Mumia?s cell on death row.

Mumia Abu-Jamal has been the target of governmental 
surveillance and attack since his youthful membership in the Black 
Panthers. His broadcasts and writings over the years earned him the 
particular hostility of police and governmental authority.
This was the context of his arbitrary arrest for the presumptive 
murder of a Philadelphia police officer. The arrest and trial had all 
the characteristics of  a government-orchestrated show trial.

Government "witnesses" later confessed that they had been 
coerced by the police to lie about the role of Abu-Jamal under threat 
of imprisonment and the forced removal of their children. 
The trial of Mumia Abu-Jamal took place in a predominantly 
African-American city but most African-Americans were excluded 
from the jury.  A false oral confession, attributed to Abu-Jamal by a 
police officer, was introduced belatedly.  Mumia was denied the 
right to defend himself and forced to accept an unprepared defense 
lawyer against his will. He himself was excluded forcibly from the 
court room for much of the trial.

The "judge," Albert Sabo, was a member of Philadelphia?s 
Fraternal Order of Police. This judge, moreover, had sentenced 
more people to death, a preponderance  of them African-Americans, 
than any other judge in the entire United States. 

In 1995, fourteen years after his imprisonment, the suppressed 
truth about the Philadelphia police burst into national limelight and 
the front pages of newspapers across the nation. Police files were 
exposed finally, revealing that African-Americans, minorities and 
poor working people had been framed routinely by the Philadelphia 
police.

False confessions, planted evidence and witnesses terrorized into 
fake identifications of targeted victims were disclosed in hundreds of 
cases. Over 300 convictions had to be reversed and the innocent 
victims set free.
 
This was the fruit of Abu-Jamal?s labors for years before his own 
false conviction and imprisonment. It was precisely Abu-Jamal?s 
courageous and often solitary voice exposing state terror in 
Philadelphia against working people that caused Abu-Jamal to 
become, himself, an example of the victimization he had long sought 
to bring to national attention.

Yet, when the police and governmental terror in Philadelphia 
became national news, this "voice of the voiceless," Mumia Abu-
Jamal, a leading opponent of police brutality and corruption, was 
not even mentioned ? and his own false conviction was not 
included among the hundreds of convictions which, consequently, 
were overturned.

Mumia Abu-Jamal faces imminent execution. He remains under 
death sentence and in the hands of courts that have refused to allow 
him a new trial despite the admission by prosecution witnesses that 
they had accused Abu-Jamal deliberately and falsely at the behest of 
the police and prosecution.

Despite his jeopardy, Abu-Jamal turned down the opportunity to 
address a national audience recently on ABC Television?s program 
"20/20." Mumia explained that the ABC television network had 
locked out its camera operators and technical workers, all members 
of NABET/CWA, on strike against ABC?s arbitrary anti-labor 
practices.

Abu-Jamal declared  that to accept being interviewed in these 
circumstances was the equivalent of crossing the picket line of the 
striking and locked-out ABC TV workers.

Mumia Abu-Jamal raised his own voice, as well, in defense of the 
locked-out Liverpool dockworkers and the International Longshore 
and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in the United States. He defended 
our Neptune Jade solidarity picket and our struggle against the 
employers? punitive lawsuit.

On October 26-27, 1996, the International Dockworkers? 
Conference, held in Paris, passed a resolution unanimously to  
"condemn Pennsylvania?s unjust imprisonment on death row of 
Black militant Mumia Abu-Jamal" and to send this resolution to 
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.
 
We appeal to you and to working people everywhere to rise in 
support of this worker militant and African-American leader.
We call upon the international labor movement to defend one of 
our own.

Let us build together the necessary international labor solidarity 
and action to save the life of our brother, Mumia Abu-Jamal. All out 
for April 24!

For the Labor Action Committee to Free  Mumia Abu-Jamal:

signed/
- Jack Heyman, Executive Board, Local 10, International 
Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 10.	
- Chris Kinder, Organizer, Labor Action Committee to Free 
Mumia Abu-Jamal
- Ralph Schoenman, U.S. representative, International 
Committee Against Repression, International Liaison 
Committee for a Workers? International

***

3) LETTER FROM ILC COORDINATOR DANIEL GLUCKSTEIN TO 
   ALL ILC AFFILIATES

Dear Friends,

As ILC coordinator, I have received an urgent appeal from the 
"Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal."

Mumia Abu-Jamal is a worker militant and African-American 
leader in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). He was arrested in 
1981, sentenced to death, and imprisoned on sinister "death row." 
He faces imminent execution.

At the initiative of this Labor Action Committee, based in Oakland, 
California, many trade unions and union leaders have joined the call 
to free this well-known militant.

This Committee is urging the ILC to join worldwide action 
scheduled on April 24, 1999. These actions will be centered on two 
demands: 1) No to the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal; and 2) A 
new and fair trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal.

The Committee ends the letter it sent us with these words: "We 
appeal to you and to working people everywhere to rise in support 
of this worker militant and Afro-American leader. We call upon the 
international labor movement to defend one of our own. Let us build 
together the necessary international labor solidarity and action to 
save the life of our brother, Mumia Abu-Jamal."

The report they sent us shows that Mumia Abu-Jamal is 
undoubtedly an innocent victim of the system he himself has been 
fighting against for so many years. This system is one police 
brutality, of class "justice" devoted to ensure ? by the worst means 
? the domination of multinational corporations, of Big Business 
and of institutions at their service over the oppressed, denying them 
the right to independent expression and organization.

As the Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal puts it: 
"The working class, and especially militant Black workers, have 
always been the chief target of the bosses? political repression 
against. The Haymarket martyrs were victimized in an effort to stop 
the movement for the 8-hour day, while Joe Hill was executed at the 
peak of the imperialist war fever in 1915. Sacco and Vanzetti were 
framed and executed for a crime they did not commit in the 1920s as 
part of an anti-"red" and anti-immigrant campaign. In the early 
1930s, thousands demonstrated and managed to save nine victims of 
a racist frame-up ? the Scottsboro Boys ? from a legal lynching. 
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were victims of the post-World War II 
McCarthyite witchhunt that targeted leftists and labor unions. And in 
the 1980s, Mumia Abu-Jamal was the victim of a racist crackdown 
on Black militancy in the wake of the humiliating defeat of the US in 
the Vietnam War."

In my opinion, the ILC, which is co-organizing the Open World 
Conference of Workers "in defense of trade union independence and 
democratic rights" with large sectors of the American labor 
movement, should answer this call.

Here is my proposal: Is it possible for us all to plan, on April 24, 
1999, demonstrations and delegations to U.S. embassies and 
consulates in our countries?

In Solidarity,
Daniel Gluckstein

***

4) REPORT ON FEBRUARY 11 MEETING IN PARIS, FRANCE

On February 11, at "La Bourse du Travail" in Paris, 200 worker 
militants, trade unionists, and political militants met ? answering 
the appeal of the Manifesto of 500 Movement for trade union 
independence. They listened to a report from Enrique Hernandez, 
general secretary of the independent trade union "October 6" in 
Tijuana, Mexico, and with Mary Tong, organizer of the Support 
Committee for Maquiladora Workers, based in San Diego.

The trade unionists in attendance decided to submit to their 
respective organizations a protest letter to the Mexican president 
against the repressive measures targeted against the "October 6" 
trade union and the Han Young workers. This campaign is 
important, both Hernandez and Tong said, because a "free trade" 
treaty is being negotiated between Mexico and the European Union, 
in preparation of a new wave of delocalization by European 
companies.

During the meeting, International Liaison Committee Coordinator 
Daniel Gluckstein presented information regarding recent 
developments in the international campaign for the truth about the 
assassination of two landless militants in Brazil, Jurandir Dos 
Santos and Roberto Duarte de Oliveira. 

A letter from the Labor Action Committee to Free Abu-Jamal, based 
in California, was read, inviting workers from all over the world to 
join the international day of action on April 24, 1999, for freedom 
for Black leader and worker militant Mumia Abu-Jamal, condemned 
to death for a crime he did not commit. Those present widely 
endorsed the appeal for a demonstration on April 24 at the U.S. 
Embassy in Paris against the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal and for 
a new fair trial.

As one militant underlined, "These three campaigns have the same 
objectives: democracy, justice, and the defense of workers? rights." 

? YAN LEGOFF



From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Sun Feb 21 08:41:19 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 21 Feb 1999 08:41:19
Subject: (fwd) Turkey accused of torturing Kurds
Message-ID: <bac1c849.199902211456.PAA04026@xs2.xs4all.nl>

  	  				 
   LONDON, Feb 19 (AFP) - Kurds are being subjected to electric  
shock treatment and other sophisticated tortures by the Turkish 
authorities, according to a report by a British medical charity, it 
was reported Friday. 
   Men and women are being suspended naked from the ceiling, hosed  
with cold water, beaten on the soles of their feet and administered 
with electric shocks, a two-year study has found, London's 
Independent daily said. 
   The report, to be published next month by British-based Medical  
Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, is based on a study 
of 78 Turkish patients examined in London by the organisation 
between January 1997 and March 1998. 
   All but two of the patients were of Kurdish origin.  
   A source at the foundation told the Independent: "Clients have  
said that when they were tortured it was done in a sophisticated 
fashion. Those carrying out the practices were clearly aware of how 
far they could go and when they should stop for fear of causing 
death." 
   Of the 70 male and eight female patients whose cases were  
studied, only 15 were charged with an offence and only three 
convicted. Most had political affiliations. All had fled to Britain 
as refugees. 
   One of the alleged victims, Sirwan, 27, who is from a Kurdish  
village in eastern Turkey, was arrested after she took part in a 
pro-democracy May Day parade in Istanbul in 1996, said the 
Independent. 
   She said she was taken to a police station, blindfolded,  
stripped and beaten when she refused to give the names of other 
demonstators. 
   Sirwan said her arms were tied with rope, and she was suspended  
from the ceiling in what is called a "Palestinian hanging" 
   "While I was suspended they applied wires to the my left foot  
and fingers and gave me electric shocks. They then put wires on my 
breasts and my genitals and threw cold water on my body to make the 
electric shock treatment more effective," she told the newspaper. 
   She said a doctor had been present during the torture to see she  
was kept alive. Now living in London, Sirwan said: "I was released 
by the courts after 14 days and I knew I could never look at the 
world with the same eyes again." 
   The Foundation source told the Independent: "Clearly the concern  
must be that the treatment meted out in general to the Kurds will 
only be intensified in the case of Mr Ocalan," the Kurdish rebel 
leader now in Turkey's custody. 
   Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party  
(PKK), was snatched Tuesday by Turkish agents in Kenya and taken 
back to an island prison in Turkey where he was wanted on terrorism 
charges. 
  	   	

List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl


From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Sun Feb 21 08:42:08 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 21 Feb 1999 08:42:08
Subject: Thousands arrested in Turkey since capture of Ocalan: rights group
Message-ID: <bac1c849.199902211458.PAA04192@xs2.xs4all.nl>

  	  				 
   ISTANBUL, Feb 20 (AFP) - Some 2,000 pro-Kurdish activists have  
been rounded up by police in Turkey since the capture of Kurdish 
rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan earlier this week, the Turkish Human 
Rights Association (IHD) said Saturday. 
   In a written statement issued in Istanbul, the IHD said three  
people had been shot by security forces in protests against the 
arrest. 
   Security forces on Friday confirmed the death of a 17-year-old  
boy in the southeastern province of Mardin, where police opened fire 
on a demonstration. 
   There was no official confirmation of the two other shootings,  
which the IHD said occurred in Batman in the southeast and in Mersin 
in the south. 
   The IHD also said that twelve people had set themselves on fire  
to protest the arrest, and that two had died as a result. 
   The association said a curfew had been imposed on the  
southeastern town of Cizre, but local authorities denied this. 
   Most of the arrests targeted members of the pro-Kurdish People's  
Democracy Party (HADEP), the independent rights association said. 
   HADEP on Friday said 1,500 of its members had been arrested  
since Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), was 
brought to Turkey on Tuesday. 
   The Sabah daily on Saturday said another 230 HADEP members were  
hauled in during a police raid on party offices in Istanbul late 
Friday. 
   The Turkish Bar Association on Saturday also complained of  
increasing arrests of lawyers in the past few days. 
   The IHD protested against an order to shoot which was issued to  
police in Istanbul earlier this week to deal with demonstrations in 
support of Ocalan. 
   "In this dark situation, we pledge to continue to oppose the  
politics of violence and to defend peace and fraternity," the 
association said. 
   "And we repeat once again that the Kurdish question has not been  
solved by repression and will not be solved by repression." 
  	   	

List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl


From M.Merlin at TBX.berlinet.de  Mon Feb 22 16:55:00 1999
From: M.Merlin at TBX.berlinet.de (M.Merlin at TBX.berlinet.de)
Date: 22 Feb 1999 16:55:00
Subject: tohav: Aufruf an die Weltoeffentlichkeit
Message-ID: <7BNTsfvb$RB@walker.link-do.soli_>

Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

## Nachricht zur Information/Dokumentation weitergeleitet
## From: Kurdistan Informatie Centrum Nederland (KIC)


   Im folgenden dokumentieren das KIC die Erkl?rung von Rechtsanwalt Edip
  Yildiz, Vorsitzender der Stiftung der juristischen Gesellschaftsstudien
                       (TOHAV), vom 17. Februar 1999

                      Aufruf an die Welt?ffentlichkeit

Nachdem Abdullah ?calan, Vorsitzender der PKK, in die T?rkei gebracht
worden war, hat die Unterdr?ckung ziviler Pers?nlichkeiten und
Gesellschaftsorganisationen seitens der Sicherheitskr?fte zugenommen.
Nach dieser politischen Eskalation sind am 16.02.1999 folgende
Rechtsanw?lte, Mitglieder der Stiftung der juristischen
Gesellschaftsstudien (TOHAV), festgenommen worden:

1. Rechtsanwalt Feridun ?elik (Vorsitzender der Demokratischen
   Volkspartei - HADEP in Diyarbakir)
2. Rechtsanwalt M. Selim Kurbanoglu (HADEP Diyarbakir)
3. Rechtsanwalt Sinan Tanrikulu (Diyarbakir)
4. Rechtsanwalt Abdullah Akin (ehemaliger Vorsitzender der HADEP in
   Diyarbakir, Mitglied der Parteizentrale der HADEP)
5. Rechtsanwalt Mansur Resitoglu (Delegierter der HADEP, Vorstand des
   Menschenrechtsvereins IHD)
6. Rechtsanwalt Mahmut Vefa (Mitglied von TOHAV)
7. Rechtsanwalt Yusuf Tosun (Vorstandsmitglied der HADEP in Diyarbakir)

Die Versuche, im nationalen Rahmen Informationen ?ber ihren Verbleib
zu erhalten sind alle gescheitert. Aufgrund der angespannten Lage
f?rchten wir um ihr Leben. Wir bef?rchten, da? sie antidemokratischen
Methoden ausgesetzt sind. Aufgrund der Gefahr, der unsere
Institutionen ausgesetzt sind, rufen wir auf, sich mit dem t?rkischen
Staat auseinanderzusetzen. Wie wir beobachten k?nnen, sind die
Repressionen gegen die demokratischen Institutionen massiv verst?rkt
worden. Deswegen rufen wir dazu auf, da? vor Ort in der T?rkei
Beobachtungsdelegationen aktiv werden

## CrossPoint v3.1 ##

From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Mon Feb 22 18:04:54 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 22 Feb 1999 18:04:54
Subject: Revolutionary Peoples Liberation in Turkey - DHKC: unity
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3yalpygjk.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>



LET US CROSS THE ATTACKS AND PROVOCATIONS OF THE OLIGARCHY

TO OUR PEOPLE, THE TURKS, KURDS, AND ALL OTHER NATIONALITIES: 
THE POLICY OF THE OLIGARCHY IS: DIVIDE AND RULE.
WE WILL NOT BE DIVIDED FOR THE OLIGARCHY'S POLICY, LET US UNITE, LET
US FIGHT TOGETHER, DO NOT LET THEM GOVERN US, LET US FIGHT FOR OUR OWN
POWER!

FRATERNITY, UNITY AND THE JOINT STRUGGLE OF THE TURKISH AND THE
KURDISH PEOPLES WILL DEFEAT THE SUSURLUK-STATE!

The history of setting people up against each other, alienating them,
on a religious and ethnic basis by the ruling class to maintain their
regime of exploitation, is older than the history of the
Susurluk-state.

The emperors, sultans, aga's, and feudal lords who lived on this soil,
and now the oligarchy, that is to say all the enemies of the people,
they all carried out the same policy: DIVIDE AND RULE...

The rulers see, besides the policy of repression and violence, lasting
for centuries, it as a basic policy to incite the peoples against each
other and, when this is achieved, to urge them to massacre each
other. Because this is the shortest possible road to weakening the
peoples.

The oligarchy in Turkey has started this policy, this "art of ruling",
taken over from the Ottomans, and also carried out by the Kemalist
powers, with even more clever tactics at every opportunity.

The attacks and provocations, carried out by the state itself, are and
expression of this policy.

The development, starting with the arrival of PKK-leader Abdullah
OEcalan in Italy on November 12, was a new "reason" for the oligarchy
to continue its chauvinist wave and its attacks. When one looks back,
almost no reactions occurred during the first couple of days. After
the contra-guerrilla used chauvinism in the present situation to for
incitement, it tried to make forget, cover up, the developments in the
economical and political crisis it is in, by mobilizing the civic
fascists and the government. 

But their strength was not even sufficient for that. Together with the
government, several institutions of the oligarchy (starting with the
state institutions, the capitalists, the representatives of the
monopoly-bourgeoisie, the MGK-unions, ending with many more who call
themselves "civic organizations", but in reality collaborators of the
contra-guerrilla) began to move, as could be seen during the attacks
against Syria, as if someone pushed a central button somewhere, and
they began to issue aggressive statements. At the same time the police
of the oligarchy increased its attacks, aimed against the people. When
one understands the programming of this policy and its reasons, one
can see even more clearly what they want to achieve with it. Now there
is a relentless war going on between the oligarchy and our people. It
is the nature of war to aim at dividing the ranks of the enemy, to
make the slaughter each other, thus strengthening the own side. The
oligarchy, who knows this universal law, has started the "divide and
rule" policy during the phases where it lost its authority towards the
people, during the phases of this war in which they were pushed
back. Moslems, non-Moslems, Kurds, Turks, ... in short all ethnic and
religious differences between the peoples are used to set them up them
against each other. 

In our recent past, during the sixties, when the revolutionary
struggle developed, provocations were carried out against the
revolutionaries, using the religious feelings of some segments of the
population. The reactionary circles were set up against the masses who
strengthened the struggle against imperialism with the slogan of
independence, using demagogic phrases like "they are taking away our
religion" and "the godless communists", and we witnessed the attack
and the massacre of "Bloody Sunday".

During the period of 1975-1980, it was attempted to strangle the
increasing revolutionary struggle by using the religious differences,
dividing the people in Alevites and Sunni, and we saw the massacres of
Sivas and Maras. In 1984, the year of the development of the national
movement and the guerrilla war, the oligarchy consciously set up Turks
and Kurds against each other. In the nineties, the chauvinistic
division between Kurdish and Turkish was systematically propagated,
aimed at dragging the Turkish people along with the fascist policy,
mobilizing it against the national struggle. This propaganda was
spread to all the corners of the country by the media. The main
contradiction of our peoples, of all nationalities, is imperialism and
the oligarchy. Because those who exploit our people and oppress it are
the oligarchy and imperialism. 

Now the people's masses are going through a rapid politicization in
the context of this contradiction, they are dissolving themselves from
the system and begin to gather in the ranks of the revolutionaries,
against the oligarchy. Even if it wouldn't be sufficient when the
revolutionary movement as a whole channels this dissolution to its own
ranks, this does not change the character of the process we are going
through. This process, as we have often said before, is a process in
which the war is gathering a mass process. This is the essential
danger for the oligarchy. In other words, the fear for the revolution
which the oligarchy is now clearly feeling, seen as an immediate
threat. 

What the ranks of the rulers are going through is panic, the risk of
losing power which cannot be overcome, neither with the MGK, nor with
new elections and a new government. When its power is in danger, the
oligarchy, with the notion that everything is justified, will use
every single method to intimidate the people, the divide it and weaken
it. The repression and the terror, going on for months now and
increasing day by day, is now being supplemented with the provocations
which serve the policy of DIVIDE AND RULE. The first step of this
policy is incitement. When this succeeds, the second step is to
alienate the peoples from each other, transforming the division into
real confrontations. 

The third step, finally, is to calm down the fighting people, playing
the role of a "judge". Thus the "despotic state", now with the image
of the "Father State", as a judge during the confrontations, will
establish its rule once again. The essence is to secure the shattered
authority, its exploitation and oppression regime, overcoming the
crisis of ingovernability, at least for a while. Its rule will be
secured by inciting the masses, dissatisfied with the regime, against
each other, making them fight each other. 

The Susurluk-state, unable to stop the revolutionary struggle of the
people with their means of attack like the MIT and JITEM, sees the
"divide and rule" as a hope as a result of its
desperation. Furthermore the state, by using national differences,
counts on dragging along people which can be used as a hitting force
against the people's forces and the revolutionaries. At present, it is
attempted to incite the Turkish people against the Kurdish people by
using several demagogies in order to oppress the reactions, the
dissatisfaction, and the struggle against the Susurluk-state. The
Susurluk-state is powerless against the slogan "WE WANT JUSTICE". The
reason for this lack of power is, just like the legitimacy and the
justice of this demand, that the oligarchy cannot fulfil it. Now the
demand for justice in our country has the same meaning as the one for
the revolution. 

The Susurluk-state is powerless when confronted with the guerrilla,
fighting for the Kurdish national liberation, as it is powerless
against the guerrilla which is fighting for the revolution.  For
decades, its military strength was not sufficient enough to destroy
the revolutionaries, the national liberation movement, or the
guerrilla. The oligarchy, despite its many attacks and massacres,
unable to strangle the mass struggle of the people on a national and
class basis, unable to strangle the guerrilla war, wants, through
encouraging the division between Turkish and Kurdish, to make the
Turkish and Kurdish people attack each other. Despite the propaganda
which has been spread till now, they could move nobody except for the
reactionary circles, incited by the civic fascists, the relatives of
soldiers and policemen. However, it is clear that this policy will be
continued in a provocative fashion. The attackers are not the people,
they are the fascist gangs. The civic fascists, who had to withdraw
because of their ties with the gangs, unmasked after Susurluk,
embraced the chauvinist policy of the oligarchy to step forward again,
to give themselves a cleaner image and to legitimize themselves.
Because the oligarchy does not possess another supporting force for
such a campaign, it cleared the way for the civic fascists and
embraced them. 

The police, together with the fascists, has carried out attacks
against the Kurdish people in many places, and there were numerous
lynching attempts. During the raid against the HADEP-building in
UEmraniye, they joined forces to besiege the building, and everybody
who left the building, including old women and small children, was
attacked. The building was destroyed. Actions were carried out in many
places in which the relatives of deceased soldiers were used. Of
course, the co-operation between the civic fascists and the police
state is nothing new. For a long time now, the police has been trying
to put the civic fascists forward, legitimizing it, and calling it
"people's support". At funerals of soldiers, in front of the bases
where revolutionaries were murdered, and in the neighbourhoods where
the civic fascists show themselves as "people's support", they had to
stay in the background because of the accident in Susurluk when the
connections between the Mafia, gangs and the state were unmasked, and
because of the dog fights among each other. But because of the latest
developments and the election atmosphere, they begin to push forward
again as the "people's support" for the oligarchy. It is their goal to
become the legitimate force of the regime again, keeping down the
growing people's movements. In countries like ours, the civic-fascist
movement has, except for the direct use against the people and the
revolutionaries, the task to create a mass basis for fascism,
developed from top to bottom. However, it does not possess a mass
basis at all. 

The correctness of this conclusion can be seen quite clearly during
the latest developments. The "mass basis" of the Susurluk-state
consists of parties like the MHP and the BBP (Great Unity
Party). Despite its demands (in the sense of demotivations), the
regime was unable to bring other parties on to the streets in order to
mobilize the attack against the Kurds. The attackers are the fascists
of the MHP and those of the BBP. They have shown this clearly by
carrying their flags. The journalists of the bourgeois media try to
present the "people" as the aggressors but felt disturbed because of
the flags which contradicted their claim. As we have said, they will
expand their propaganda that the "people" are the aggressors in order
to win broader segments of the population fro their chauvinist policy
and their attacks.  

They will use all the enemies of the people, the system parties, state
officials, official and civic fascists, provokers and the bourgeois
press. All the enemies of the people, hand in hand, are used to incite
the Turkish people against the Kurdish people. This provocation policy
is aimed at strangling the struggle of the Kurdish, Turkish, Laz,
Georgian and other peoples, that is to say, the people of all
nationalities in our country which are fighting for their democratic,
economical, national and political rights and liberties are to be
strangled. With this policy, the oligarchy wants to leave this phase
behind, the phase of the Susurluk scandal where a lot of dirt has come
up. They want to intimidate the people by pushing back their
fundamental demands.  

The events have clearly shown again who is the enemy of the
peoples. 

These peoples, living together for centuries, have made the attempts
of the oligarchy and a handful of fascists useless. 

The right road for the peoples is the road of fraternity, of unity and
the joint struggle of the peoples.




-- 
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 Feb 22 18:07:04 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 22 Feb 1999 18:07:04
Subject: Revolutionary Peoples Liberation in Turkey - DHKC: unity
References: <bac1c849.m3yalpygjk.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3yalpygjk.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>



LET US CROSS THE ATTACKS AND PROVOCATIONS OF THE OLIGARCHY

TO OUR PEOPLE, THE TURKS, KURDS, AND ALL OTHER NATIONALITIES: 
THE POLICY OF THE OLIGARCHY IS: DIVIDE AND RULE.
WE WILL NOT BE DIVIDED FOR THE OLIGARCHY'S POLICY, LET US UNITE, LET
US FIGHT TOGETHER, DO NOT LET THEM GOVERN US, LET US FIGHT FOR OUR OWN
POWER!

FRATERNITY, UNITY AND THE JOINT STRUGGLE OF THE TURKISH AND THE
KURDISH PEOPLES WILL DEFEAT THE SUSURLUK-STATE!

The history of setting people up against each other, alienating them,
on a religious and ethnic basis by the ruling class to maintain their
regime of exploitation, is older than the history of the
Susurluk-state.

The emperors, sultans, aga's, and feudal lords who lived on this soil,
and now the oligarchy, that is to say all the enemies of the people,
they all carried out the same policy: DIVIDE AND RULE...

The rulers see, besides the policy of repression and violence, lasting
for centuries, it as a basic policy to incite the peoples against each
other and, when this is achieved, to urge them to massacre each
other. Because this is the shortest possible road to weakening the
peoples.

The oligarchy in Turkey has started this policy, this "art of ruling",
taken over from the Ottomans, and also carried out by the Kemalist
powers, with even more clever tactics at every opportunity.

The attacks and provocations, carried out by the state itself, are and
expression of this policy.

The development, starting with the arrival of PKK-leader Abdullah
OEcalan in Italy on November 12, was a new "reason" for the oligarchy
to continue its chauvinist wave and its attacks. When one looks back,
almost no reactions occurred during the first couple of days. After
the contra-guerrilla used chauvinism in the present situation to for
incitement, it tried to make forget, cover up, the developments in the
economical and political crisis it is in, by mobilizing the civic
fascists and the government. 

But their strength was not even sufficient for that. Together with the
government, several institutions of the oligarchy (starting with the
state institutions, the capitalists, the representatives of the
monopoly-bourgeoisie, the MGK-unions, ending with many more who call
themselves "civic organizations", but in reality collaborators of the
contra-guerrilla) began to move, as could be seen during the attacks
against Syria, as if someone pushed a central button somewhere, and
they began to issue aggressive statements. At the same time the police
of the oligarchy increased its attacks, aimed against the people. When
one understands the programming of this policy and its reasons, one
can see even more clearly what they want to achieve with it. Now there
is a relentless war going on between the oligarchy and our people. It
is the nature of war to aim at dividing the ranks of the enemy, to
make the slaughter each other, thus strengthening the own side. The
oligarchy, who knows this universal law, has started the "divide and
rule" policy during the phases where it lost its authority towards the
people, during the phases of this war in which they were pushed
back. Moslems, non-Moslems, Kurds, Turks, ... in short all ethnic and
religious differences between the peoples are used to set them up them
against each other. 

In our recent past, during the sixties, when the revolutionary
struggle developed, provocations were carried out against the
revolutionaries, using the religious feelings of some segments of the
population. The reactionary circles were set up against the masses who
strengthened the struggle against imperialism with the slogan of
independence, using demagogic phrases like "they are taking away our
religion" and "the godless communists", and we witnessed the attack
and the massacre of "Bloody Sunday".

During the period of 1975-1980, it was attempted to strangle the
increasing revolutionary struggle by using the religious differences,
dividing the people in Alevites and Sunni, and we saw the massacres of
Sivas and Maras. In 1984, the year of the development of the national
movement and the guerrilla war, the oligarchy consciously set up Turks
and Kurds against each other. In the nineties, the chauvinistic
division between Kurdish and Turkish was systematically propagated,
aimed at dragging the Turkish people along with the fascist policy,
mobilizing it against the national struggle. This propaganda was
spread to all the corners of the country by the media. The main
contradiction of our peoples, of all nationalities, is imperialism and
the oligarchy. Because those who exploit our people and oppress it are
the oligarchy and imperialism. 

Now the people's masses are going through a rapid politicization in
the context of this contradiction, they are dissolving themselves from
the system and begin to gather in the ranks of the revolutionaries,
against the oligarchy. Even if it wouldn't be sufficient when the
revolutionary movement as a whole channels this dissolution to its own
ranks, this does not change the character of the process we are going
through. This process, as we have often said before, is a process in
which the war is gathering a mass process. This is the essential
danger for the oligarchy. In other words, the fear for the revolution
which the oligarchy is now clearly feeling, seen as an immediate
threat. 

What the ranks of the rulers are going through is panic, the risk of
losing power which cannot be overcome, neither with the MGK, nor with
new elections and a new government. When its power is in danger, the
oligarchy, with the notion that everything is justified, will use
every single method to intimidate the people, the divide it and weaken
it. The repression and the terror, going on for months now and
increasing day by day, is now being supplemented with the provocations
which serve the policy of DIVIDE AND RULE. The first step of this
policy is incitement. When this succeeds, the second step is to
alienate the peoples from each other, transforming the division into
real confrontations. 

The third step, finally, is to calm down the fighting people, playing
the role of a "judge". Thus the "despotic state", now with the image
of the "Father State", as a judge during the confrontations, will
establish its rule once again. The essence is to secure the shattered
authority, its exploitation and oppression regime, overcoming the
crisis of ingovernability, at least for a while. Its rule will be
secured by inciting the masses, dissatisfied with the regime, against
each other, making them fight each other. 

The Susurluk-state, unable to stop the revolutionary struggle of the
people with their means of attack like the MIT and JITEM, sees the
"divide and rule" as a hope as a result of its
desperation. Furthermore the state, by using national differences,
counts on dragging along people which can be used as a hitting force
against the people's forces and the revolutionaries. At present, it is
attempted to incite the Turkish people against the Kurdish people by
using several demagogies in order to oppress the reactions, the
dissatisfaction, and the struggle against the Susurluk-state. The
Susurluk-state is powerless against the slogan "WE WANT JUSTICE". The
reason for this lack of power is, just like the legitimacy and the
justice of this demand, that the oligarchy cannot fulfil it. Now the
demand for justice in our country has the same meaning as the one for
the revolution. 

The Susurluk-state is powerless when confronted with the guerrilla,
fighting for the Kurdish national liberation, as it is powerless
against the guerrilla which is fighting for the revolution.  For
decades, its military strength was not sufficient enough to destroy
the revolutionaries, the national liberation movement, or the
guerrilla. The oligarchy, despite its many attacks and massacres,
unable to strangle the mass struggle of the people on a national and
class basis, unable to strangle the guerrilla war, wants, through
encouraging the division between Turkish and Kurdish, to make the
Turkish and Kurdish people attack each other. Despite the propaganda
which has been spread till now, they could move nobody except for the
reactionary circles, incited by the civic fascists, the relatives of
soldiers and policemen. However, it is clear that this policy will be
continued in a provocative fashion. The attackers are not the people,
they are the fascist gangs. The civic fascists, who had to withdraw
because of their ties with the gangs, unmasked after Susurluk,
embraced the chauvinist policy of the oligarchy to step forward again,
to give themselves a cleaner image and to legitimize themselves.
Because the oligarchy does not possess another supporting force for
such a campaign, it cleared the way for the civic fascists and
embraced them. 

The police, together with the fascists, has carried out attacks
against the Kurdish people in many places, and there were numerous
lynching attempts. During the raid against the HADEP-building in
UEmraniye, they joined forces to besiege the building, and everybody
who left the building, including old women and small children, was
attacked. The building was destroyed. Actions were carried out in many
places in which the relatives of deceased soldiers were used. Of
course, the co-operation between the civic fascists and the police
state is nothing new. For a long time now, the police has been trying
to put the civic fascists forward, legitimizing it, and calling it
"people's support". At funerals of soldiers, in front of the bases
where revolutionaries were murdered, and in the neighbourhoods where
the civic fascists show themselves as "people's support", they had to
stay in the background because of the accident in Susurluk when the
connections between the Mafia, gangs and the state were unmasked, and
because of the dog fights among each other. But because of the latest
developments and the election atmosphere, they begin to push forward
again as the "people's support" for the oligarchy. It is their goal to
become the legitimate force of the regime again, keeping down the
growing people's movements. In countries like ours, the civic-fascist
movement has, except for the direct use against the people and the
revolutionaries, the task to create a mass basis for fascism,
developed from top to bottom. However, it does not possess a mass
basis at all. 

The correctness of this conclusion can be seen quite clearly during
the latest developments. The "mass basis" of the Susurluk-state
consists of parties like the MHP and the BBP (Great Unity
Party). Despite its demands (in the sense of demotivations), the
regime was unable to bring other parties on to the streets in order to
mobilize the attack against the Kurds. The attackers are the fascists
of the MHP and those of the BBP. They have shown this clearly by
carrying their flags. The journalists of the bourgeois media try to
present the "people" as the aggressors but felt disturbed because of
the flags which contradicted their claim. As we have said, they will
expand their propaganda that the "people" are the aggressors in order
to win broader segments of the population fro their chauvinist policy
and their attacks.  

They will use all the enemies of the people, the system parties, state
officials, official and civic fascists, provokers and the bourgeois
press. All the enemies of the people, hand in hand, are used to incite
the Turkish people against the Kurdish people. This provocation policy
is aimed at strangling the struggle of the Kurdish, Turkish, Laz,
Georgian and other peoples, that is to say, the people of all
nationalities in our country which are fighting for their democratic,
economical, national and political rights and liberties are to be
strangled. With this policy, the oligarchy wants to leave this phase
behind, the phase of the Susurluk scandal where a lot of dirt has come
up. They want to intimidate the people by pushing back their
fundamental demands.  

The events have clearly shown again who is the enemy of the
peoples. 

These peoples, living together for centuries, have made the attempts
of the oligarchy and a handful of fascists useless. 

The right road for the peoples is the road of fraternity, of unity and
the joint struggle of the peoples.




-- 
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 Feb 22 18:06:03 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 22 Feb 1999 18:06:03
Subject: DHKC - statement 81: THE REAL TERRORISTS ARE US-IMPERIALISM AND THE
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3u2wdygab.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>

THE REAL TERRORISTS ARE US-IMPERIALISM AND THE OLIGARCHY IN TURKEY

The kidnapping of PKK-leader Abdullah OEcalan from Kenya to Turkey has
shown once again how much law, a state of justice and human rights of
imperialism are based on misconception. No imperialist and fascist
force can be a true friend of the oppressed people in their liberation
struggle. Behind their mask of friendship they hide their aim of
increasing profits and getting the liberation movements under control.
They cannot refrain for one single moment to agitate for the
disadvantage of the people, applying their experience of oppression
and exploitation, gathered in centuries, and using every trick in the
book. The friends of the oppressed peoples are, once again, the
oppressed peoples themselves. No imperialist force and collaborating
government can really support a liberation movement without neglecting
their own profits. In the moment they promise their support, they lie,
and they already calculate how to sell the people for their own
interests. The class character of imperialism and its collaborators
and the history of struggle of the peoples in the world have taught us
so.

The abduction of Abdullah OEcalan is a world class example of banditry.
The true architects of this banditry are US-imperialism and the
oligarchy in Turkey. Without doubt, the accessory to this crime is not
limited to the US and the oligarchy in Turkey, on the contrary, all
the NATO countries of the imperialist coalition are included. Because
of their own class specific interests, US-imperialism and NATO never
represented the interests of the Kurdish people, nor any other
oppressed people, and they never will. Because of this, the
imperialists and all its collaborating governments are the enemies of
the oppressed peoples.

THE OLIGARCHY'S FLUSH OF VICTORY WILL NOT BE LONG LASTING
The peoples of the world, and ours, got to know the imperialists and
the fascist governments through massacres, murder, theft, hunger and
humiliation. Their leaders were often cheated, massacred, arrested,
they won and were defeated, but the justified struggle of the
oppressed could never be wiped out completely. For those reasons, the
joy of the murdering generals of the Susurluk-state, who are now
holding celebrations of victory, will not be long lasting. They will
have to recognize that they have not achieved victory in the least,
and that the struggle of the oppressed peoples will have become even
more stronger and more conscious. With their abduction of OEcalan,
US-imperialism and its collaborator, the Susurluk-state, have shown
the peoples of the world once again that they themselves are the
biggest terrorists of the world and now neither law, nor rules. Our
people will not forget this banditry, it will draw the necessary
lessons and demand accountability. There is only one aim behind all
this repression, tyranny and cruelty: destroying the confidence of the
people in the struggle, destroying their hopes. The abduction of
OEcalan is also part of the operation to make the Kurdish people give
up their hope. 

Therefore we will oppose the entire policy of imperialism and the
Susurluk-state, directed against the Kurdish national movement, and we
will stand side by side with the Kurdish national movement. - Abdullah
OEcalan's life must be ensured, the repression and torture must be
ended. - All repression against the Kurdish people must be ended, and
conditions must be created for its freedom of expression. The
obstacles for its organizing must be removed. - The racist-fascist
attacks against the Kurdish people must be stopped. The state of
emergency must be abolished and the official and the civic armed
forces of the state must be withdrawn from Turkey/Kurdistan. - As with
all other peoples, the right of self-determination of the Kurdish
nation must be recognized as well. - All those who are guilty of
crimes against the people, who carried out massacres, burned down and 
evacuated villages, must be punished. Conditions must be created for
the people to return to the evacuated villages. 

These demands are just the most urgent and most current demands of the
Kurdish people. It is the inalienable and legitimate right of the
peoples, using all methods, to resist governments which, not seeing
these justified demands, continue their repression and oppression. The
Kurdish people will continue its struggle together with the Turkish,
Arab, Laz, Cherkessian, Bosnian, Georgian and Syrian peoples, with all
the nationalities, religions and creeds, and sooner or later, it will
win. 

DOWN WITH US-IMPERIALISM AND ITS COLLABORATORS!
LONG LIVE THE FRATERNITY BETWEEN THE OPPRESSED PEOPLES, LONG LIVE
THEIR JOINT STRUGGLE! THOSE WHO OPPRESS OUR PEOPLES WILL NOT REMAIN
UNPUNISHED!


REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLE'S LIBERATION FRONT
February 16 1999




List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl


From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Tue Feb 23 11:51:15 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 23 Feb 1999 11:51:15
Subject: Turkey:  Central Prison Co-ordination statement
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m31zjgyi4r.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>


February 10, 1999

To the public,

The prisons are once again on the agenda of the MGK (National Security
Council). During the last MGK-meeting, on January 30, methods to
subjugate the revolutionary prisoners were discussed. Plans were made
and programs developed. And only a few days after this meeting, the
fascist bourgeois press aimed at the prisons again. The luxury life in
prison of the fascist Sedat Peker filled the headlines. The MGK chose
Tuncay OEzkan, whom they believed best suited, for the job. The
headline "Republic Bayrampasa" conveyed the message that the state has
lost control over the prisons. The MGK plan is being realized step by
step. The next day the judicial representatives of the fascist state
once again put the prisons on the agenda by saying "if this is the
problem, there is a solution as well". This solution will not be a new
one. The ideological, psychological and physical attacks by the
fascists have been beaten back by revolutionary prisoners who were
willing to pay the price. Fascism has been trying for a while to
realize its "cell" attacks. Although the attempted attack in the
Ceyhan prison was beaten back recently, they now once again talk of
individual cells. And now they try to cover up their cell attack by
using phrases like "F-type prison", "a system between a community room
and an individual room" or "a room system for 3-4 persons". The
fascist state knows very well that the revolutionary prisoners will
resist these attacks. And it knows that the resistance inside the
prisons will sweep over to the streets and the squares, that our
peoples will not abandon the revolutionary prisoners and that the
attacks will not remain unanswered. For that reason, the state uses
the theme of gangs, a sensitive issue among the people, in order to
prevent the reactions of the people, and to legitimize its attacks.
The decisions to attack are presented as if they are directed against
the fascist gangs. While the Ecevit-government acts like this on the
one hand, it states on the other that the attacks in the past
constituted severe repression against the revolutionary prisoners
which are now being abandoned. It thus tries to make people believe
that we are not the target. Everybody knows very well that Sedat Peker
and similar gangs were supported and used by the state itself. In the
prisons where visitors are being searched numerous times, it is the
state itself which supplies these gangs with weapons, drugs and
telephones. The statement that "the F-type prison is directed against
the gangs" is therefore nothing but a lie, sheer demagogy. The
decision to attack was taken by the MGK. During its first cabinet
meeting, the Ecevit-government, following the MGK orders, took the
decision to build prisons of the "F-type". With the support of the
fascist bourgeois press, it is attempted to legitimize isolation
prisons. But in reality this attack is directed against the
revolutionary prisoners. The decree, issued at the last moment by
Hasan Denizkurdu, and the statements of the new justice minister
Selcuk OEztek, are concrete proof. The fascist state, carrying out all
kinds of attacks, is now preparing for new attacks after the previous
ones were beaten back by the revolutionary prisoners. One again they
try to force the revolutionary prisoners to capitulate. And this,
despite all the lies and the demagogy, is a truth which cannot be
hidden. 

We call upon all our peoples, the democratic organizations and
institutions, to show themselves sensitive towards these attacks. 

We, the revolutionary-patriotic  prisoners, one again loudly declare
that we will resist this devious and planned attack as well, like all
those before, whatever the price, including death. 

Together with our peoples we will resist this "cell type" which
represents part of the attack against all our peoples, and we will
force fascism to its knees once again.

CMK (Central Prison Co-ordination) (DHKP-C, TKP(ML), TKP-ML, MLKP,
TIKB, TKEP-Leninist, Direnis Hareketi). On behalf of the prisoners:
Sadi OEZBOLAT, Cigdem KAZAN, Nil Pinar ARIN, Akif HAN, Can Ali TUERKMEN,
Serif KARTOGLU, Ramazan SADIKOGULLARI. From the Bayrampasa-prison:
TDP, TDKP, DY. On behalf of the prisoners: Adnan HALIS, Ermin
GOEKTURNA, Nizam Dogan.

-- 
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 Feb 25 12:48:00 1999
From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de)
Date: 25 Feb 1999 12:48:00
Subject: Erste Erklaerung der AnwaeltInnen Oecalans
Message-ID: <7BZWDsRM.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de>

Statement From Abdullah Ocalan's Lawyers

February 22, 1999

We have taken on the task of defending Abdullah Ocalan, who was
flown in from Kenya and who is being detained on Imranli Island.
The family of Abdullah Ocalan contacted us by phone and asked us
personally to take on this task.

Today, we filed a request under Article 144 of the Turkish Trial
Code with the State Security Court in Istanbul in order to visit
Abdullah Ocalan, who is imprisoned on Imranli Island.

We would like to inform the public in Turkey and internationally
that we have accepted the request from Ocalan's family to take on
his defense because we believe in his
inalienable right to a defense and due to our convictions as
lawyers.

A legal trial depends greatly on the manner and length of the
interrogations as well as the possibilities for the defense to
visit their client. Also, the type of court and its
independence are important factors.

In order for a legal trial not to be made impossible from the
start, it is urgent that our request be granted. Support from the
Justice Ministry and other officials would be very helpful. The
geographic location of the island prison and the heightened
sensibilities at the moment must also be kept in mind.

Our discussions in the prison will be conducted in the spirit of
the laws, including international law.

We expect solidarity from our colleagues in national and
international judicial institutions and bar associations.

Sincerely,

The lawyers for Abdullah Ocalan: 
Gul Altay; Ahmet Avsar; Medeni Ayhan; Osman Baydemir; Derya Bayir; Cihan Erbas; Dowan Erbas;
Eren Keskin; Filiz Kostak; Hatice Korkut; M. Selim Okcuoglu;
Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu; Xmam Sahin; Mukrime Tepe; Aysel Tugluk;
Immihan Yasar.

P.S. It has since become known that one lawyer from the defense
team was able to visit Abdullah Ocalan. Four other lawyers, who
are presently in Mudanya (near the island), were threatened by
members of the fascist gang the Grey Wolves. A request from the
lawyers for police protection was ignored by the authorities. It
must be taken into consideration that the lives of the defense
team members are in danger. The international public opinion
should pay close attention to this case.

## CrossPoint v3.1 ##

From ozgurluk at xs4all.nl  Fri Feb 26 00:49:17 1999
From: ozgurluk at xs4all.nl (ozgurluk at xs4all.nl)
Date: 26 Feb 1999 00:49:17
Subject: Preperations against the prisoners: Gangs in control of prisons
Message-ID: <bac1c849.m3n222umqv.fsf@big.ozgurluk.xs4all.nl>

17 February, 1999, Copyright ) Turkish Daily News 

Gangs in control of prisons 

The rebellion in Afyon Prison, which ended with the murder of Mustafa
Duyar and the injury of Selcuk Parsadan, turned all eyes on the
prisons.  Who is there behind the iron bars, where the state is
totally absent?

    HAKAN ASLANELI 

    Istanbul - Turkish
Daily News 

The gang members who, on the instructions of Nuri Ergin, head of the
Karagumruk gang, killed Mustafa Duyar, the main suspect in the murder
of Ozdemir Sabanci, and wounded Selcuk Parsadan were transferred to
jails in the Black Sea region. The following questions are now being
asked: Will the gang members who were transferred to other prisons for
security reasons not cause violence again? Is the state in control of
the prisons? Who is behind the Afyon uprising, which sent a shock wave
through Turkey? Did Nuri Ergin organize this action to become "the new
Cakici"? Or did the dark forces in Turkey enter the scene, instructing
Ergin to give the death order?

In looking for an answer to these questions, the Turkish Daily News
talked with a prisoner who was formerly involved in some of the
terrorist events that once wrought havoc in Turkey. In this way, we
wanted to shed some light on the reality of prisons.  According to the
ex-convict, who wishes to remain anonymous, there is no trace of the
state in Turkish prisons. In every prison a different group is in
charge. These groups have the last word on everything, including the
appointments of prison directors. Since Turkey's inability to solve
the prison problem is a major reason for its denial of admission to
the European Union, the country is now determined to resolve this
problem.

Prison reality 

There is a total of 565 prisons in Turkey. There are 100 large prisons
for serious crimes, another 60 large prisons for less serious crimes
and small, regional prisons for 50-60 people. A prison prosecutor
resides over the larger prisons, while the rest are governed by
regional or city prosecutors. The directors and their deputies are
responsible for life inside the prisons.

The Prisons General Directorate of the Ministry of Justice is the
highest institution exercising authority over the prisoners. Ali Suat
Ertosun, a Ministry of Justice inspector who was a researcher at
Bayrampasa Prison last year, was later brought to the head of this
institution. In looking into allegations about Necati Ozdemir,
ex-prosecutor at Bayrampasa Prison, Ertosun had said, "If I had been
in charge, not a single event would have happened." But after Ertosun
assumed his new position there were a number of rebellions, escapes
and, most recently, the bloody Afyon events. In Turkish prisons, which
house 68,700 people, there is no trace of the state and the mafia, and
the gangs are completely in control.

Bayrampasa, Turkey's largest prison, houses 3,620 individuals. It is
comprised of three parts, called the legal, political and special
sections. Famous bullyboy Sedat Peker and his men are currently in
charge of the legal section. Peker, who has the final say in all the
activities of the 1,500 prisoners, from food to clothing, can enter
whichever ward he wants and "supervise" people. There are claims that
most recently he has smuggled cell phones, computers and drugs into
prisons.

The control of Bayrampasa's special section is in the hands of a
bullyboy called Burhanettin and of drug smuggler Yakup Sut. These
people have the right to take the people whom they choose to their
section and to send those they do not want to other parts.

In Bayrampasa's political section, members of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) and the Revolutionary Peoples Liberation
Party/Front (DHKP/C) are in charge. In the political section, where
the conditions are worse than the legal and special sections, no cell
phones are allowed. Luxury items coming from outside are usually
destined for the legal section.

Istanbul's second largest (in terms of area) prison is Metris.  There
are 900 prisoners there. Drug smuggler Yasar Oz, known as a "state
supporter," is in charge of Metris, together with his men. For people
who are not ultranationalists, life in Metris is hard.  The walls of
the wards are full of paintings of the gray wolf and three crescents,
symbols of the ultranationalists.

Istanbul's third major prison is Umraniye. In this prison, which
houses a total of 2,400 individuals, political prisoners, most of whom
are members of the outlawed DHKP/C and other left-wing organizations,
are in the majority. It is alleged that there are a number of tunnels
beneath Umraniye Prison. And this is the prison from which the most
escapes have taken place.

Here is a list of the other well-known prisons and the groups in
charge.

Buca: Ahmet Tekin. Tekin, a drug smuggler, is incarcerated in this
prison. Most of his men were transferred to Mugla Prison. He controls
both prisons through his cell phone.

Zonguldak: Sedat Peker is in charge of this prison, also through
remote control. Peker has approximately 50 men. Instructions for money
extortion and for bodyguards are conveyed by cell phone.

Afyon: Nuri Ergin's gang, known as the "Karagumruk gang," and drug
smuggler Ilhami Toklu are in charge of this prison. The Ergin gang has
now been sent to other prisons in the Black Sea region.

Nazilli: It is controlled by drug smugglers, including retired
soldiers, who are dubbed the "Kocaeli gang" and by 12 people convicted
of taking ransoms.

Manisa: Ibrahim Cici, murderer of the owner of the Gunaydin newspaper,
is in charge of this prison, together with his eight men. Cici
received a life sentence. It is known that this person controls drug
smuggling and ransom from his prison cell.

Burdur: The group of Kursat Yilmaz, who fled from prison not so long
ago, is in charge here. When Yilmaz was captured in Bulgaria and his
extradition to Turkey was requested, preparations got under way in
this prison. It is expected that Yilmaz will be brought back to Burdur
Prison. It is known that there are luxury rooms with jacuzzis waiting
for him here.

Maras Elbistan: Drug smuggler Aydin Cetinkaya and his men have been in
control of this prison for many years.

Bilecik: Mehmet Oktem, one-time ultranationalist convicted of murder,
extortion, wounding and asking for ransom, serves a jail sentence
here, where he is said to have made himself at home.

Erzurum: The DHKP/C is in control here. They threaten the prison
administration with rebellion and get all that they want.

Ankara Ulucanlar: It is one of Turkey's largest prisons. There are
approximately 2,000 convicts here. The person in charge is Umit
Olmez. While Olmez is alleged to be the biggest mafia boss after
Cakici, he is little known by the public.  It is known that Olmez has
extorted money from big businessmen in Turkey, becoming one of the
wealthiest people in the country. Olmez is able to smuggle a number of
prohibited items into the prison, including drugs.

If we exclude these major prisons where the gangs are in charge, we
still cannot say that the state has control over the rest. It is
usually a murder suspect who wields control in the regional prisons,
which house an average of 100-200 people. These people extort money in
prisons and control the whole system by exerting pressure on the
administration.

Drugs and weapons are usually smuggled into prisons in flour sacks.
These sacks, which are brought in at dawn in quantities needed for the
prison, are not searched with metal detectors. The convicts who are in
on this secret are able to get drugs and weapons by threatening or
bribing the wardens or the rest of the staff.

The Ministry of Justice and related organizations are aware of these
facts. Successive ministers of justice have bitterly complained that
"they cannot control the prisons," but none of them have been able to
change the facts on the ground.

-- 
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 Feb 25 12:49:00 1999
From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de)
Date: 25 Feb 1999 12:49:00
Subject: First Declaration of the lawyers of Ocalan
Message-ID: <7BZWF8Hr.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de>

Statement From Abdullah Ocalan's Lawyers

February 22, 1999

We have taken on the task of defending Abdullah Ocalan, who was
flown in from Kenya and who is being detained on Imranli Island.
The family of Abdullah Ocalan contacted us by phone and asked us
personally to take on this task.

Today, we filed a request under Article 144 of the Turkish Trial
Code with the State Security Court in Istanbul in order to visit
Abdullah Ocalan, who is imprisoned on Imranli Island.

We would like to inform the public in Turkey and internationally
that we have accepted the request from Ocalan's family to take on
his defense because we believe in his
inalienable right to a defense and due to our convictions as
lawyers.

A legal trial depends greatly on the manner and length of the
interrogations as well as the possibilities for the defense to
visit their client. Also, the type of court and its
independence are important factors.

In order for a legal trial not to be made impossible from the
start, it is urgent that our request be granted. Support from the
Justice Ministry and other officials would be very helpful. The
geographic location of the island prison and the heightened
sensibilities at the moment must also be kept in mind.

Our discussions in the prison will be conducted in the spirit of
the laws, including international law.

We expect solidarity from our colleagues in national and
international judicial institutions and bar associations.

Sincerely,

The lawyers for Abdullah Ocalan: 
Gul Altay; Ahmet Avsar; Medeni Ayhan; Osman Baydemir; Derya Bayir; Cihan Erbas; Dowan Erbas;
Eren Keskin; Filiz Kostak; Hatice Korkut; M. Selim Okcuoglu;
Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu; Xmam Sahin; Mukrime Tepe; Aysel Tugluk;
Immihan Yasar.

P.S. It has since become known that one lawyer from the defense
team was able to visit Abdullah Ocalan. Four other lawyers, who
are presently in Mudanya (near the island), were threatened by
members of the fascist gang the Grey Wolves. A request from the
lawyers for police protection was ignored by the authorities. It
must be taken into consideration that the lives of the defense
team members are in danger. The international public opinion
should pay close attention to this case.

## CrossPoint v3.1 ##

From K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de  Thu Feb 25 15:33:00 1999
From: K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de (K.RAUCHFUSS at LINK-DO.soli.de)
Date: 25 Feb 1999 15:33:00
Subject: Anwaelte besuchten Oecalan
Message-ID: <7BZWbddM.RB@walker.link-do.soli.de>

Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Lawyers meet briefly with Ocalan in prison

Ocalan is photographed by his captors, February 16
?ALSO:Post your opinion on the Kurdish issue ?



February 25, 1999
Web posted at: 2:44 p.m. EST (1944 GMT)

ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- Two lawyers for jailed Kurdish rebel leader
Abdulla Ocalan were allowed to meet with him briefly Thursday on a
prison island -- their first visit since his capture 10 days ago.

A judge was present during the 20-minute meeting and questions were
restricted to Ocalan's health, another member of the legal team said.

A stone-throwing crowd of 200 demonstrators saw off the attorneys from
the Turkish mainland port of Mudanya, chanting slogans against Ocalan's
Kurdish rebel army, the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. He has been
charged with treason and could face the death penalty.

Lawyer Iman Sahin, who was not present for the session, said his
colleagues were told beforehand they could ask Ocalan only about his
physical condition. They had no time alone with him, Sahin said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish governor responsible for the Imrali prison island
where Ocalan is being held warned Ocalan's lawyers not to step beyond
the boundaries of their legal duties to defend him.
Two of Ocalan's lawyers visit him at the Imrali prison fortress where he
is being held ?
"The lawyers should not abandon their legal role and take on another,"
the Anatolian news agency quoted Bursa governor Orhan Tasanlar as
saying.

Public passions in Turkey run high against Ocalan, reviled by the
government as being responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the
PKK's 15-year battle for a homeland in southeast Turkey.

Authorities had rebuffed lawyers' attempts to see Ocalan in the days
since Turkish commandos seized him in Kenya and spirited him back to
Turkey.

The Ocalan case has sharply raised military tensions with Turkey's
traditional rival Greece, which sheltered the Kurdish rebel leader while
he was on the run.

Greece evacuated three women aides to Ocalan from its embassy in Kenya
on Thursday and was bringing them to Athens, Foreign Minister George
Papandreou said. The three women, all Kurds, had been afraid to leave
the embassy without assurances for their safety.

Scattered violence continued in response to Ocalan's capture. In
Istanbul, a neighborhood branch of Turkey's far-right Nationalist Action
Party was firebombed overnight. The party is a staunch opponent of any
Kurdish rights.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
RELATED STORIES:
Lawyers granted permission to meet with Ocalan
February 24, 1999
A Terrorist's Bitter End
TIME February 22, 1999
Kurd protests of Ocalan capture continue in Iraq, Iran, Germany
February 22, 1999
Turkish leader rules out Kurdish autonomy
February 21, 1999
Turkish prime minister offers amnesty to Kurdish rebels
February 20, 1999


------------------------------------------------------------------------
RELATED SITES:
TIME Daily: Ocalan, Turkey and the Kurds
Kurdistan Workers Party Information
The Republic of Turkey
President of the Turkish Republic
The Center for Kurdish Political Studies
Terrorist acts by the PKK


Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

## CrossPoint v3.1 ##