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INFO-TURK

A non-government information center on Turkey

Un centre d'information non-gouvernemental sur la Turquie

38th Year / 38e Année
Décembre
 
2011 December
N° 400
53 rue de Pavie - 1000 Bruxelles
Tél: (32-2) 215 35 76 - Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60
Chief Editor /Rédacteur en chef: 
Dogan Ozgüden

Responsible editor/Editrice responsable:

Inci Tugsavul
Human Rights
Pressures on  media
Kurdish Question
Minorities
Interior politics
Armed Forces
Religious affairs
Socio-economics
Turkey-Europe
Turkey-USA
Regional Relations
Cyprus and Greece
Migration


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Titres des évènements du mois
Titles of this month's events



Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights

Stop au bain de sang commis par le pouvoir militaro-islamiste en Turquie!

Les Kurdes, en colère, enterrent les victimes d'un raid aérien
35 Kurds slaughtered by Turkish army's warplanes
Gross Rights Violations Continue in F-Type Prisons
International call for lawyers’ release
The longest trial ever: Dev-Yol (Revolutionary Way)
Avocat, profession à hauts risques, en Turquie
 "Revolting" Students Rely on Legal Rights
Thousands of Arrests, Dozens of Deaths in Prisons
Policeman convicted to 4 years in death of refugee
Turkey top of list on rights violations in EU
22 Releases in Hopa Trial
 Scary picture of human rights violations in Turkey
 UN Rapporteur: "Judicial Practice is Problematic in Turkey"
Gov’t under fire for bill on financing terrorism
Blame on former police chief Ağar for extrajudicial killings
Journalist Mater talked of murders by unknown people
Students released by court as protests simmer
Country-Wide Protests of Workers, Architects, Engineers, Doctors...
Towards unveiling notorious rulings of Courts of Independence
Mass arrests of trade unionists in Turkey
Newspaper for Detained Students

Pression sur les médias / Pressure on the Media

Shame on AKP: 96 journalists in Turkish Prisons
CPJ condemns journalist arrests in Turkey
Saga of reporter trial resumes on 299th day
TRT Director Insulted Kurdish Singer Rojin
 Strong Reaction to Journalists' Arrest
EU strongly reacts to Turkey about detained journalists
Réactions européennes à l'arrestation des journalistes
Photographe détenu à Istanbul en Turquie: "vive préoccupation" de l'AFP
Nouvelle rafle contre les médias pro-kurde
Journalists in Police Custody - Crackdowns on Homes and Offices
A new scandal: Printer convicted instead of writer and publisher
One Artist, Seven Investigations, Two Trials
Crucial Problems: Detained Journalists and Censorship
"Additional Information" Landed Journalist in Jail
TGDP: The number of imprisoned journalist rises to 66
Darwin Sites Banned - Survival of the Fittest?
Nedim Şener Acquitted of Charges on "Interesting Scheme"
Owner of daily newspaper detained in Ergenekon probe
Many arrests, including DIHA reporter
Anti Terror Law on the Job - Journalists in the Streets
Le Soir: Le « modèle turc » est déjà écorné
Une politique de censure masquée en Turquie
Blockade on the OdaTV Trial

Ragip Zarakolu's Arrest / Arrestation de Zarakolu

Zarakolu to be reunited with son behind bars
 Le prix 2012 "Pour la liberté" de la Fondation Info-Türk à Ragip Zarakolu
Info-Türk Foundation's 2012 Freedom Award Granted to Ragip Zarakolu
Appeal for Solidarity: Choose a Belge Book as Seasons Gift
Police's Ridiculous Visit to Zarakolu's Publishing House
 RSF Campaign in solidarity with Ragip Zarakolu
PEN Sweden ask to release Erbey and Zarakolu
Création en Turquie d’un comité de soutien à Ragip Zarakolu

A committee in solidarity with Ragip Zarakolu set up in Turkey

Dossier Zarakolu VAN:

http://www.collectifvan.org/article.php?r=9&id=58378


Articles sur Zarakolu NAM:

La "maladresse" anti-arménienne de Juppé à Ankara
Ara Toranyan: Le contre modèle Erdogan
Erol Özkoray: L'étau se referme sur l'éditeur des minorités

Cliquez ici pour les articles et campagnes Zarakolu
en novembre 2011


Kurdish Question / Question kurde

Une députée kurde demande un référendum sur l'avenir des Kurdes

 21 rebelles kurdes tués lors de six jours de combats
 Military Operation in Diyarbakır
Young boy killed for asking a song in Kurdish
 Fourty four people detained in KCK operation
Turquie: un tournant autoritaire et agressif
International Initiative: "Free the Lawyers - End the Isolation"
Le Barreau de Paris soutient 33 avocats incarcérés à Istanbul
Final resolutions from the 8th international conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds
Kurdish Politician Alınak Back to Prison
Evidence in Kurdish, Court in Turkish
Deceased HPG members’ family cannot recognize bodies since they burnt
 Des milliers de manifestants à Istanbul et à Diyarbakir
Kurds, Turkey and Europe conference at European Parliament
 Siirt mayor given two years, one month over PKK propaganda
Intense atmosphere in Tokat after racist attack on Kurdish workers

Minorités / Minorities

Le leader serbe pour la répression de la négation du génocide arménien

Les menaces contre la députée Boyer suscitent l'indignation
Aznavour exprime sa reconnaissance dans une lettre à Sarkozy
Des députés israéliens débattent d'une reconnaissance du génocide arménien
Erdogan accuse Sarkozy d'attiser l'islamophobie
Pénalisation du négationnisme et électoralisme en Belgique
La proposition sur le génocide arménien votée
Ankara gèle sa coopération militaire et politique avec Paris
Malgré les menaces d'Ankara, la répression de la négation à l'ordre du jour
 Erdogan appelle Paris à renoncer à une loi, et menace
Les industriels français mis en garde par Ankara
Ankara menace de rappeller son ambassadeur en cas de vote sur la négation
No progress made in cleric’s murder
L’infinitude du crime et de la demande de pardon
NGOs in Dersim say they don’t accept PM’s apology
Génocide arménien: Ankara appelle Paris à ne pas commettre l'"irréparable"
 Dink Family's Lawyers: "Your Court will go down in History"
 Court of Appeals: "No Defamation of Hrant Dink"
Syriac Organizations condemn Turkish Ministry of Education
Upper and Lower Fountains Re-opened

Politique intérieure/Interior Politics

Politicians pay final respects to Menderes in widely attended funeral

Hike in MP salaries stirs controversy
 Opposition parties insist President Gül’s tenure is five years
Turkish Prime Minister cancels Qatar trip after sugery
CHP starts bid to free jailed MPs
La Turquie se dirigerait-elle vers le fascisme?

Forces armées/Armed Forces

Turkish defense and security budgets on rise

 "Our New-Born Babies did not Wear Uniforms"
Turkish Parliament drops the ball on oversight of defense budget
Turkish Government Convicted for Death at Military Post
L’objection de conscience en ligne de mire
Conscientious Objector Inan Süver Free
TAYAD: Turkish Armed Forces lying about chemical weapons
Criminal Complaint due to Chemical Weapons
 Parliament approves bill on military service exemption


Affaires religieuses / Religious Affairs
 

Conflict at the 33th anniversary of Maraş Genocide

Turkey attracts students from all over world for Islamic studies
Project to employ religious figures triggers reactions
 Religious community leader detained in İstanbul gang operation
Les alaouites de Turquie n'approuvent pas la politique syrienne d'Ankara
 Alevi activist: Alevis to challenge legacy of Kemalism


Socio-économique / Socio-economic

La construction du gazoduc South Stream doit débuter fin 2012

 Doctors and Public Workers Strike Against Government Policies
Dirty liaisons behind match-rigging law
Croissance de l''économie turque de 8,2% au 3e trimestre
Report shows inequality between sexes in Turkey
Brawl overshadows first day of Türk-İş congress
IMF says Turkey's economic growth to slow to 2 percent
KESK to go on strike on Winter Solstice
Gül vetoes law reducing prison terms for match-fixing


Relations turco-européennes / Turkey-Europe Relations

Turkey gets EU advice as Croatia gets assent

Turkey's EU minister attacked by egg-throwing protestors
2014 crucial for both EU and Turkey
La "maladresse" anti-arménienne de Juppé à Ankara
Communiqué contre la proposition du Quai d’Orsay



Turquie-USA/ Turkey-USA

Bill chiding Turkey passed with 2 votes

Un an après une crise, la coopération va bon train entre Ankara et Washington
Turkey given possession of nuclear warheads, report says
"21 Turks killed in US drone attack on the Pakistan-Afghan border"


Relations régionales / Regional Relations

Israël a annulé un contrat sur des systèmes radars à la Turquie

La Turquie poursuit son offensive de charme en direction de l'Afrique
 Le commerce entre la Turquie et le Proche-Orient victime de la crise syrienne
 Contre-mesures syriennes visant la Turquie
Government under fire for Syria policies
Cracks appear in Turkey-Iran ties
Attaque au coeur d'Istanbul : deux blessés, l'assaillant libyen abattu
La Turquie annonce un train de sanctions contre la Syrie "dans l'impasse"


Chypre et la Grèce / Cyprus and Greece

Cyprus Controversy in Parliament


Immigration / Migration

BDP European Representative arrested in Germany

 Armencom critique le CECLR
YSK agrees to put ballot boxes in Turkish diplomatic missions


Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights

Stop au bain de sang commis par le pouvoir militaro-islamiste en Turquie!

C'en est assez.

Assez des manipulations et des machinations du pouvoir militaro-islamiste qui, tout en donnant des leçons de démocratie aux pays arabes, continue sans cesse de massacrer les enfants des civilisations plus anciennes de la Mésopotamie !

Après les Arméniens et les Assyriens il y a un siècle, Ankara continue aujourd'hui la persécution des Kurdes.

Trente-cinq villageois kurdes ont été tués mercredi soir à la frontière turco-irakienne par l’armée turque lors de raids aériens à Uludere.

"Ils nous ont délibérément massacrés. Pourquoi tout ce sang a été versé? Ils doivent nous répondre": les larmes aux yeux, Kitan Encu, qui a perdu onze parents durant les bombardements près de son village kurde orchestré par l’armée aérienne turque, ne cache pas sa révolte.

Selahattin Demirtas, co-président du BDP, principale formation pro-kurde de Turquie, a dénoncé un “carnage”, assurant que l’ensemble des victimes étaient des civils.

C'en est assez.

Il ne s'agit pas d'une simple bavure. C’est un nouvel épisode des opérations meurtrières déclenchées par le chef islamiste Tayyip Erdogan et par ses généraux qui siègent au Conseil de la sûreté nationale.

Sous ce nouveau régime militaro-islamiste, des milliers de dirigeants kurdes, des centaines de journalistes et juristes vont célébrer le nouvel an derrière les barreaux simplement pour avoir revendiqué les droits et les libertés du peuple kurde ainsi que des minorités nationales et religieuses d'Anatolie à l'instar des pays européens dont la Belgique.

Les intellectuels, écrivains, éditeurs brillants du pays croupissent actuellement dans les prisons turques.

En guise de contrecarrer un projet de loi relatif à la pénalisation du négationnisme en France, tous les partis politiques turcs confirment leur opposition honteuse à la reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens perpétué en 1915.

La plupart des médias écrits et audio-visuels turcs, sous le contrôle du régime, continuent d’accuser les opposants de haute trahison à la patrie et à la suprématie turco-islamique tout en ignorant les violations des droits de l'Homme.

C'en est assez.

Ses crimes de longue date n'empêchent pas le pouvoir militaro-islamiste de donner des leçons de démocratie à la Syrie en la sommant d’engager des réformes démocratiques et à mettre fin à la répression.

Assez de l'hypocrisie des dirigeants des puissances occidentales qui se taisent devant les crimes odieux commis sans cesse par l'armée, la police et la justice de leur allié stratégique et géopolitique qu'ils imposent comme un modèle sur mesure aux millions  d’opprimés ???? du Moyen-Orient de l'Afrique du nord.

Quant aux médias occidentaux, ils passent sous silence les crimes perpétuels de ce pouvoir assoiffé de sang ou en parlent dans quelques lignes comme de simples faits divers.

C'en est assez.

Il faut mettre fin à cette mascarade et réagir tout de suite face aux crimes commis par le pouvoir militaro-islamiste.

En tant qu'organisations issues de l'émigration politique et en provenance de Turquie, nous appelons les dirigeants et médias belges et européens à ne plus rester complices d'Ankara et à prendre des positions fermes dans toutes les instances gouvernementales et parlementaires contre les atrocités et violations des droits de l'Homme commis dans ce pays candidat à l'Union européenne.

Bruxelles, le 30 décembre 2011

L'Association des Arméniens Démocrates de Belgique
L'Institut Assyrien de Belgique
L'Institut Kurde de Bruxelles
La Fondation Info-Türk

E-mail: collectif1971@scarlet.be

Les Kurdes, en colère, enterrent les victimes d'un raid aérien

Des milliers de Kurdes courroucés ont enterré vendredi dans le Sud-Est anatolien 35 civils tués mercredi soir par erreur au cours d'un raid aérien turc et ont conspué le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan, le qualifiant de meurtrier.

La foule endeuillée a accompagné dans un long convoi de voitures et d'ambulances les cercueils des victimes du bombardement depuis la bourgade d'Uludere, où les corps ont été autopsiés et où un service funèbre a été célébré à la mosquée, jusqu'au cimetière du village de Gülyazi, près de la frontière irakienne.

Après le défilé des véhicules, au son des avertisseurs, les chauffeurs faisant le V de la victoire, l'assemblée funèbre a scandé "Erdogan est un assassin".

"C'était une jeune pousse, nous n'avons pas pu la cultiver", se lamente la mère de Vedat Encu, âgé de 13 ans.

"Je veux dire au chef d'état-major que mon fils est un martyr et qu'il ne portait aucune arme", hurle le père de l'adolescent, alors que le corps est porté en terre.

M. Erdogan a présenté vendredi ses condoléances aux familles des victimes, évoquant un incident "malheureux et affligeant".

"Selon les images (de drones) un groupe de 40 personnes se trouvait dans la zone. Impossible de dire de qui il s'agissait (...) Après, il a été déterminé qu'il s'agissait de contrebandiers transportant des cigarettes, et du carburant à dos de mules", a-t-il expliqué, assurant qu'"aucun Etat ne bombarde son peuple délibérément".

M. Erdogan a également tenté de justifier le raid mené par des F-16 par le fait que dans le passé des rebelles du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK), visés par le raid, empruntaient le même chemin avec des mules pour le transport de leurs armes afin d'attaquer des postes militaires à la frontière irakienne.

A Gülyazi, ces explications ne convainquent pas.

"Il est impossible qu'il aient été tués par erreur. Les soldats étaient à 150 mètres de là et à portée de vue", a déclaré Mehmet, 20 ans, du village d'Ortasu, d'où étaient originaires avec celui de Gülyazi la plupart des victimes.

"J'aurais pu être une des (victimes)", ajoute le jeune homme, qui admet vivre de la contrebande avec l'Irak.

Une jeune femme est en pleurs après la mort d'un de ses cousins.

"Ce n'était pas une erreur. Ils ont tué volontairement des gens qui s'efforçaient de gagner leur croûte", accuse-t-elle.

L'armée turque, qui bombarde régulièrement les repaires du PKK dans le Kurdistan irakien, fait face depuis l'été à une flambée de violence des rebelles qui utilisent leur bases arrières en Irak pour lancer des attaques contre des objectifs dans le Sud-Est anatolien, peuplé en majorité de Kurdes. 
(AFP, 30 déc 2011)

35 Kurds slaughtered by Turkish army's warplanes

Following the MGK (National Security Council) meeting on 28 December, the Turkish army has made a slaughter with warplanes. At least 35 burnt bodies have been reached so far. The number of casualties is feared to increase.  Around 50 civilians, some of them believed to be borders smugglers, were targeted by F-16 warplanes on Wednesday night at around 21.20 local time. Among the dead are young boys.

According to the information received, wounded survivor Servet Encü came to the village and informed villagers after the assault. Encü said the followings; “We were bombed on our way back to the village. A bitter smell spread during the bombardment, people all at once died burning. Around five people escaped from the bombing and hid themselves amidst rocks but the warplanes dropped bombs on them as well.

Among the dead are border smugglers, youngsters between 15 and 20 years of age as well as village guards and their kids.

Here are the names of the 36 people so far identified:

Seyit Enç, Özcan Uysal, M. Ali Tosun, Yüksel Ürek, Salih Ürek, Nadir Alma, Mehmet Encü, Nevzat Encü, Hamza Encü, Şervan Enmcü, Cemal Encü, Osman Encü, Şıvan Encü, Bilal Encü, Mahsum Encü, Salih Encü, Haki Encü, Serhat Encü, Adem And, Savaş Encü, Çetin Encü, Selahattin Encü, Bedran Encü, Hüseyin Encü, Aslan Encü, Cevat Encü, Erkan Encü, Selman Encü, Zeydin Encü, Orhan Encü, Fadıl Encü, Vedat Encü, Cihan Encü, Fikret Encü, Hüsnü Encü, Erkan Encü.

Soon after being informed about the event, BDP Şırnak Provincial Chair Baki Sondak and BDP administrators went to the scene.

Şırnak City Council Deputy Chair Erşet Ediş said the followings from the scene; “The bodies were burnt to a crisp. Vehicles cannot go into the area due to severe snow. People are trying to reach the area by their own means.”

Remarking that soldiers acted as if nothing had happened and didn’t interfere in the event, BDP Şırnak Provincial Chair Baki Sondak said the followings; “Villagers were bombarded after passing the border with the supplies they bought from the border. It is possible that napalm bombs were used in the assault. There are still some bodies between rocks. We can’t reach the bodies and casualties.”

Mothers cry out: they killed my sons

Mercan Encü is the mother of Şervan and Nevzat Encü. The two kids lost their life in the bombing by the Turkish army on Wednesday night. Mercan Encü is devastated by pain and sorrow. She cries and says "My children went to the border to buy fuel but the Turkish government mercilessly killed them. For which of my sons should I mourn now? They burnt my children."

Zahide Encü, mother of 12-year old victim Aslan Encü also lost her son: “My elder son lost his foot seven years ago when he stepped on a mine while doing this work. - she says - My 12-year old son was smuggling also to get the money for a prosthesis leg for his elder brother. He went there to buy two bins of fuel. However, the state confronted them and sent warplanes against them. The children who died in the bombing - she adds - were all aged 12, some were 14. We have to smuggle because we don’t have any other opportunity". The devastated mother cries out to the killers, the culprits of this massacre. She said they "are not God believers, not Muslims because Islam wouldn’t allow people to kill people with warplanes. All victims were burnt and their bodies torn apart beyond recognition. I wasn’t able to recognize the bodies of my children."

Halit Encü, a relative of a victim of the bombardment, underlined that the state also knew that these people were smuggling. Smuggling – he added - is the only source of living of the people living in the area. Encü remarked that the state purposely prevented and killed them with bombs.

Relative of another victim, Ayaz Encü reported that they faced with a slaughter at the scene and showed the piece of a bomb in his hand. Encü said : “Our relatives were slaughtered savagely and mercilessly. The whole world needs to see that this is the real face of Turkey and the AKP. I call on the world public opinion to show awareness and the Turkish public opinion to be here.”

Responding to the request for the bodies to be transferred to Malatya Forensic Medicine Institute, villagers ask to bury their relatives in their village following an autopsy at Gülyazı village clinic.

BDP:
a horrifying massacre

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Chairman Selahattin Demirtaş said that what took place in Uludere was "a horrifying massacre" and added that all of the victims were villagers, including children and high school students. He also pointed out that the villagers were living on smuggling and that the officials in the region also knew that.

Demirtaş recalled the remarks of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who said a government which kills its own people loses its legitimacy in reference to embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. "I am using these exact words with respect to Erdoğan," the BDP leader said.

The BDP had declared a three-day period of mourning for the victims.

In the meantime the Turkish General Staff has been trying to "justify" the horrifying massacre in Uludere by claiming that it would have been impossible to know whether the civilians killed by warplanes were actually villagers or PKK guerrillas, as the PKK often used this area to cross the border. Somehow it is an appalling justification, made even worse by the assumption that the victims were "border smugglers" so to a certain degree lesser people.

"As a result of intelligence received from various sources and technical analyses carried out, - reads the General Staff statement - we understood that terrorist groups, which also included senior leaders, gathered in the region and that they were readying to stage attacks on our outposts and bases along the border; the relevant troops were warned."

The General Staff statement adds that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detected a group heading towards the Turkish border with northern Iraq at 6:39 p.m. on Wednesday. "Considering that the area where the group was spotted was a region frequently used by terrorists - reads the statement - and that there was overnight activity towards our borders, we decided the group should be fired upon and the target was hit between 9:37 and 10:24 p.m."

Gross Rights Violations Continue in F-Type Prisons

Maltreatment, torture and rights violations are still widespread in the so-called high-security F-type prisons, after 11 years of their bloody introduction, Ankara branch of Turkey's Progressive Lawyers' Association (ÇHD) says.

20 lawyers have visited and interviewed inmates at Sincan F-type prisons no 1 and 2, as well as the women's ward. Here are some examples of rights violations from the report:

*Circular 45/1 of the Ministry of Justice, circulated on 22 January 2007 accepts "social contact" as a fundamental right and secures its implementation in prisons. Yet, it has not been implemented in Ankara prisons until November 2011.

* Isolating some prisoners in single cell units that has ventilation area for only one person, and limiting daily ventilation time to 1-4 hours, is a gross rights violation.

* Detainees are forcefully stripped naked upon their arrival at the prison facility. Those who oppose this treatment are condemned to solitary confinement on grounds of "insulting and resisting officials".

* Number of suicides at F-type prisons reveals isolation's detrimental effects as well as that the psychological care is not sufficient. Ill patients can wait for months to get checked by doctors. A doctor is present only for 1,5 days a week at Sincan F-type prison no 1. Journalist Erol Zavar, who has cancer and is kept here, has not been released despite numerous applications.

* Besna Özer, 60, had been denied medical care twice, on grounds that she doesn't speak Turkish. Her demand for diet food has been rejected.

* Although the phone conversions of inmates are recorded at Sincan no 1, they are also required to announce name and phone number of the person they are speaking to at the beginning of the call. Those who oppose the practice are denied the rights to phone calls since January 4th, 2011.

* During cell searches, even photographs and art work are confiscated. ,

* Legally published books and publications can be restricted. Among them are the "Communist Manifesto", Server Tanilli's "History of Civilization" and columnist and writer Ece Temelkuran's books. (BIA, Ayça SÖYLEMEZ, 21 December 2011) 

International call for lawyers’ release

Six international organizations have sent a letter to President Abdullah Gül and Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin to protest the arrest of lawyers in Turkey.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-International Association of Lawyers), the Conférence internationale des barreaux (CIB), Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) and the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (Front Line) expressed their “deepest concern about the frequent use of arbitrary detention and judicial harassment against a significant number of lawyers for merely defending their clients’ rights in politically sensitive cases,” in a letter addressed to Gül and Engin.

The appeal referred to the recent arrests of 39 lawyers and one legal worker in the scope of an operation against the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), the alleged urban branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Since 2009, about 700 people have been arrested over their alleged links to the KCK, according to government figures, although the BDP puts the figure at more than 3,500.

Five parliamentarians and two prominent intellectuals, publisher Ragıp Zarakolu and academic Büşra Ersanlı, are in custody on similar charges.

All the suspects mentioned in the letter are either current or former lawyers of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned PKK leader serving a life sentence on İmralı Island.

“Our organizations deplore that cases of judicial harassment against lawyers for exercising their mission to provide a defense are not new and that, worse, they are becoming frequent,” read the letter. “These arrests are contrary to human rights standards which bind Turkey. Furthermore, these arrests contravene the “Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers” [Havana Rules] as adopted at the United Nations in Havana, Cuba in 1990.”

The organizations voiced their concern that lawyers in Turkey were being prosecuted under the terrorism law.

The letter called on Gül and Ergin “to ensure that lawyers in the Republic of Turkey do not face any act of harassment.” (Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 20, 2011)

The longest trial ever: Dev-Yol (Revolutionary Way)

The trial of 29 year old "Dev-Yol" case, whose first accusation was prepared in 1982, has resumed yesterday at the Penal Department No. 9 of the Supreme Court of Ankara.

The trial on 14 December was attended by nine defendants and lawyers Mehdi Bektaş, Şenal Sarıhan and Ömer Kavili.

The trial was adjourned to 18 January 2012 upon the demand of lawyers for extension of time for defense. Lawyers remarked that some documents of the case file are missing since the decision of Supreme Court’s General Board of Criminal Department hasn’t been conveyed to some lawyers and defendants yet.

Speaking to bianet after the trial, defense lawyer Mehdi Bektaş reminded that Dev-Yol main case had been concluded in 1995. Remarking that some of the defendants had been convicted in that process, Bektaş noted that the current trial was held for other defendants who weren’t convicted then due to prescription and those in whose favor the Court made a decision at that time.

The Penal Department No. 11 of the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of military commission which in 1995 demanded 15 years imprisonment for each of 21 defendants. The Penal Department considered the sentences insufficient and defended that the accused needed to be judged in accordance with the 146/1 Article of the Turkish Penal Code.

In the defense during the trial, Bektaş stated that the case should be dropped because of prescription.

Defendant Cahit Akçam noted that the Supreme Court’s General Board of Criminal Department grounded on the dates of defendants’ detentions while considering the demands for prescription.
(ANF, 15 December 2011)

Avocat, profession à hauts risques, en Turquie

par  Amitiés kurdes de Bretagne

Selon nos informations, venant confirmer celles qui circulent en Turquie mais que la presse française omet de diffuser, le nombre des arrestations et incarcérations ne cessent d’augmenter en Turquie, notamment dans les régions kurdes du sud-est anatolien : les avocats sont particulièrement visés. Après la rafle de ces dernières semaines qui a concerné 37 des leurs, "tous mes amis avocats sont tous sur les nerfs et me disent que bientôt leur tour arrivera" me confie une source sûre.

Le barreau de Diyarbakir a apprécié la résolution du Conseil de l’Ordre des avocats de Paris. Il appréciera l’envoi d’une mission, dans les semaines à venir, à l’initiative des barreaux de Genève, de Bruxelles, de Paris et de barreaux américains, suite à la lettre ouverte signée par la Fédération internationale des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), l’Organisation Mondiale contre la torture(OMCT), l’Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA), la Conférence internationale des barreaux (CIB), Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC), la Fondation Internationale pour la Protection des Défenseurs des Doits de l’Homme (Front Line), et adressée au président turc, Abdullah Gül, et à son ministre de la Justice.

Les Amitiés kurdes de Bretagne, pour leur part, lancent un appel à tous les avocats de France, et notamment à ceux de Bretagne, pour qu’ils élèvent eux aussi une puissante protestation. Tous les candidats à la présidence de la République doivent être interpellés pour leur demander de se démarquer nettement de la politique liberticide du gouvernement turc.

Ajournement du procès des "151" jusqu’au 26 décembre

Le procès de Diyarbakir, dit des "151", qui concerne principalement 151 élus politiques et associatifs, dont le maire de Diyarbakir, a bien repris le 6 décembre, avec la présentation, par l’accusation, des prétendues preuves de culpabilité des prévenus. Interdits de s’exprimer dans leur langue maternelle, les accusés ne furent pas autorisés à prendre la parole pour assurer leur défense.

Le tribunal, aux ordres d’un gouvernement autoritaire, jouant une fois de plus "la montre" a ajourné les débats. Les audiences devraient reprendre le 26 décembre pour une session dont la durée prévue ne devrait pas excédée un mois, si toutefois, de nouveaux ajournements ne viennent pas perdurer cette scandaleuse situation. Le prolongement excessif d’une détention provisoire est en soi une atteinte aux libertés individuelles et une torture physique, psychique et morale. C’est aussi une atteinte à la démocratie quant il s’agit de mettre des élus dans l’impossibilité d’exercer leur mandat. Le ministère de la justice commence à anticiper les décisions du tribunal en procédant à des destitutions et à la mise en place d’administrateurs nommés par le pouvoir. C’est déjà le cas pour Etem Şahin, Maire de Suruç (région de Urfa).

Dernière minute : coup de force contre la mairie de Kurtulan (région de Siirt) : locaux perquisitionnés, 18 personnes, dont le maire, en garde à vue.
Ce matin, 16 décembre 2011, les locaux de la mairie de Kurtulan et le domicile du maire ont été perquisitionnés. Le Maire, Necat Yilmaz, a été interpellé et placé en garde à vue, ainsi que cinq conseillers municipaux, 10 militants du BDP dont l’ancien président de la section locale, un conseiller régional de Siirt et un journaliste, correspondant de l’agence de presse DIHA. (André Métayer, 17 déc 2011)


"Revolting" Students Rely on Legal Rights

The second hearing against students who participated in the "We are revolting" ('Başkaldırıyoruz') protest action at the renowned Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) on 5 January was held on Wednesday (14 December). A total of 117 students are being tried by reason of attending the protest action and alleged resistance to the police. The trial will be continued on 16 March.

The students had protested the Higher Education Council (YÖK) and the government during a meeting of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the rectors. The police intervened with tear gas and water cannons against the students.

117 students are facing prison terms of between one year and nine months and ten years. They are charged with "opposing Law No.2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations", "resistance to the police" and "harming public property".

"I was sitting an exam - what basis was I arrested on?"

Only 34 of the indicted students attended the hearing at the Ankara 24th Criminal Court of First Instance. Defendant Akın Can stated that he was sitting an exam on 5 January during the time of the protest action. Can presented an according document to the judge and added, "I do not know on what basis I was arrested on".

Defendant Kazım Laço claimed that he went to the place of the press release because he had been directed accordingly by the police. "Why was I directed to go there when they were going to attack us like that?" he questioned.

Several students claimed to their defence that it was their democratic right to attend the press release. Thus, they rejected all charges pressed against them.

The judge decided to have an expert examine the CD submitted to court by the Ankara Governorship in order to determine the persons on the video and to decide whether the footage constituted a legal basis or not. The trial was postponed to 16 March 2012 to hear the defendants who did not attend the hearing. (BIA, Serhat KORKMAZ, 15 December 2011)

Thousands of Arrests, Dozens of Deaths in Prisons

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and the Human Rights Association (İHD) issued a joint press statement on the occasion of the Human Rights Week from 10 to 17 December. Both human rights organizations drew attention to mass arrests in Turkey in 2011.

The statement marked the 63rd anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. It was said that significant violations occurred against people who wanted to make use of their rights to freedom of thought, expression and association in Turkey in 2011. "We do not want to give a statement but express ourselves", the organizations claimed.

"In Turkey, continuous judicial pressure is being applied to political parties carrying out legal political activities and to organizations of social opposition. They are treated as armed organizations".

Right to association violated

The joint statement referred to examples such as trials opened against political parties and institutions like the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), the Social Freedom Platform (TÖP), the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Community Centres organization and executives and members of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK).

"25 members of KESK, including the organization's president, were sentenced on the grounds of arbitrary and unjust charges of membership of an illegal organization. Members and executives of the Community Centres organization and the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) are facing trial by reason of the incidents related to Hopa. These are examples of heavy violations of the right to association", it was announced.

The statement also comprised sections on other human rights violations, i.e. mass arrests related to the KCK trial (Union of Kurdish Communities; the outlawed armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is affiliated with the KCK); purported zero tolerance to torture; impunity for torturers and casualties as the result of tear gas.

2,057 arrests in KCK investigation in 7 months

* Crucial obstructions before the right to freedom of expression and opinion and a fair trial are caused by the facilitation of arrests by provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law, regulations on secret witnesses and applications of telephone interception and technical surveillance.

* The number of custodies and arrests with regard to investigations into Ergenekon, the KCK or the Hopa incidents has reached massive dimensions. In the context of the "KCK Investigation" for instance, a total of 4,815 people were taken into custody, most of them BDP members and executives, during the past seven months from March to November 2011. 2,057 of these people were arrested. The rush of custodies and arrests is still going on, the statement underlined.

Zero tolerance to torture remained an empty promise

* Deaths caused by violence of police forces continued in 2011. 19 people lost their lives till 28 November due to extrajudicial killings, ignoring a stop warning and as the result of random gun fire. At the same time, 9 unsolved murders were committed. 35 people died in prisons, four persons at detention centres, the rights organizations revealed.

Impunity for torturers

* Also the term "zero tolerance to torture" remained mere rhetoric in 2011. 473 people applied to the TİHV until the end of November due to experienced torture or ill-treatment.

* The frequency of torture and ill-treatment applied in locations outside officially registered places (streets, vehicles, meetings and demonstrations) has increased. Impunity encourages the torturers. Trials against people who applied torture are not opened ex officio. Prosecution periods are very long and result in acquittals or the minimum penalty.

6 People killed with tear gas

* 2011 saw serious interventions against the right to meetings and demonstrations. Six people died in the course of police interventions and 271 were injured. All events of death were caused by the effect of tear gas or hits by gas bomb capsules.

* The number of violations in the field of press freedom increased as well in 2011. 71 journalists are still being imprisoned. According to the data compiled by TİHV and İHD, a total of seven newspapers and magazines were suspended from publication. The number access bans to websites amounted to 15,506. (BIA, Ayça SÖYLEMEZ, 13 December 2011)

Policeman convicted to 4 years in death of refugee

Turkish court yesterday sentenced a police to 50 months imprisonment for “involuntary manslaughter” in the 2007 fatal shooting of Nigerian refugee Festus Okey.

Okey was detained in 2007 for not carrying identification and died from a wound that was caused by a police officer’s bullet. Okey’s case could not proceed until yesterday because the court could not certify his identity.

“I am here because I did what my duty requires,” police officer Cengiz Yıldız told the court.

Yıldız’s lawyer, Vehbi Kahveci, said the deficiencies in the police institution, particularly the lack of closets for storing guns, caused the incident; Yıldız kept his gun in his pocket and a sudden move between him and Okey might have caused the shooting, he added.

“We were expecting an acquittal,” Kahveci said.

Yıldız was sentenced to four years and two months imprisonment, although chief judge
İshak Eren opposed the court’s decision and demanded that Yıldız be fined. The court initially handed down a higher sentence before making a reduction.

Meanwhile, the court rejected the demands from Okey’s brother’s lawyers, Alptekin Ocak and Can Atalay, to intervene in the case on the grounds that the relationship between Totuchugvu Gameliah Ogvu and Okey was “unverified.”

“We wanted to get involved in the case to find all the responsible parties,” Ocak said, adding that if the court had accepted their investigation demands at the police station, they could have found more culpable people.

In addition to journalists watching the trial, there were representatives from several nongovernmental organizations, such as the Migration Solidarity Network (GDA), Amnesty International and the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD).

“The suspect would be punished with almost 12 years imprisonment if the … lawyers could have proved that the case was voluntary manslaughter,” said Taylan Tanay, the ÇHD Istanbul branch head, adding that the T-shirt Okey was wearing at time of the incident was never recovered.

Meanwhile, Istanbul Bar Association’s Human Rights Center head Erdem İlker Mutlu said the social outcomes of the punishment would be heavier for the former police officer.

“Although the court reduced Yıldız’s imprisonment, he can’t work as a civil servant anymore,” Mutlu said, adding that civil servant employment rules prevented this.
(Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 14, 2011)

Turkey top of list on rights violations in EU

Turkey led all of Europe in terms of the number of cases at the European Court of Human Rights that were related to violations of rights between 1959 and 2010, according to recent numbers released by the court.

The most violated right in Turkey is the right to be judged fairly, according to the statistics.

In the 1990s, 90 percent of the cases against Turkey were opened because of the country’s alleged violations of the right to life and the prohibition against torture; now, however, the country is most often charged due to long periods of imprisonment without conviction and violations of the right to a fair trial.
 
Turkey has been ordered to pay compensation in 2,245 out of 2,753 cases related to the infringement.
The European court currently has 153,850 pending cases on its books; Russia tops the list, while Turkey is second at 16,800.

The court had 15,200 cases pending against Ankara in 2010, but the number has increased this year.

Meanwhile, the European court recently ordered Turkey to pay compensation of 18,000 euros to the family of Ekrem Kurt, who committed suicide during his military service in 2007, according to reports.
 
Although Kurt was diagnosed with a neurotic disorder, he was still drafted into the military, according to reports. On March 6, 2007, Kurt was found at his guard post with a bullet wound to the head.
(Anatolia News Agency, December 13, 2011)

22 Releases in Hopa Trial

28 people stand trial in Ankara in the context of their protest actions in Turkey's capital against the massive police intervention in the course of anti-government demonstrations in Hopa (eastern Black Sea coast) on 31 May 2011.

At the Friday (9 December) hearing of the case, the court decided to release all 22 detained defendants pending trial.

The defendants are charged with "membership of the illegal armed terrorist organizations THKP-C (Turkey's People's Liberation Party-Front), Revolutionary Path, Revolutionary Youth".

Defence lawyer Ayhan Erdoğan said in the first part of the Friday session that a terrorist organization did not have to be a left-wing organization but could also occur within the state. The students were alleged to be members of organizations of the People's Liberation Front of Turkey, Revolutionary Path and Revolutionary Youth that did not exist, the lawyer claimed. Therefore, Erdoğan found it wrong to have the case handled by a special authority court, he concluded.

The lawyer continued that since there was no illegal organization there was no need for a special authority court. He requested the court decide for lack of jurisdiction and the release of the defendants. Public Prosecutor Hakan Yüksel on the other hand put forward that the defendants were active on behalf of the illegal organization without being a member of it and demanded to reject the request for their release.

When the court decided for a ten-minute intermission in order to evaluate the request for lack of jurisdiction, the prosecutor tried to leave the court room as well. The defence lawyers and people in the audience protested his move since it evoked the impression as if he might try to influence the decision of the court board. Thereupon, the prosecutor stayed in the court room.

The court board dismissed the request for jurisdiction according to Articles 250 and 252 of the Criminal Procedure Law and Article 1 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK).

Prosecutor Yüksel demanded to summon the law enforcement officers who were involved in the incident to court to be heard as witnesses. Yüksel also requested to release defendants Ozan Sürer, Eda Dişkaya, Cüneyt Çakır, Göksel Ilgın and Ferhat Konukçu since the nature of crime had changed and to keep the other defendants in detention.

The court board decided for the release of all 22 detained defendants and postponed the hearing. The families of the detained defendants were delighted by the decision and some of their mothers started crying with relief.

Supporters of the defendants who came to Ankara from different places expressed their contentment with the decision for release in a meeting at the Abdi İpekçi Park. About 2000 people came together and shouted slogans. The crowd carried banners of political parties and organizations such as the Youth Opposition, Community Centres, Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) or Communist Party of Turkey (TKP).  (BIA, Atakan FOÇA - Gökhan KESKİN, 12 December 2011)

Scary picture of human rights violations in Turkey

Data about the increasing number of violations of human rights in Turkey presents a scary picture of human rights violation in Turkey.

Human Rights Association (İHD) launched a silent action to draw attention on this depressing picture and presented a list which contents the demands for promoting human rights and freedom of speech in Turkey.

İHD İstanbul Branch Chair Abdülbaki Boğa made a statement about Turkey’s human rights records in 2011. He underlined that human rights defenders do not want to be defendants in courts but to explain freely what they want for the sake of peoples in Turkey in the squares.

“Judiciary’s poor credibility because of Turkish Prime Minister’s manipulation is getting decrease, particularly after huge wave of arrest of Kurdish politicians. Thousands of them were jailed while same judges’ punishing the rapists with tragicomic imprisonments, heavy punishments for conscientious objectors, police’s unproportional force against demonstrators, etc. are the most important parts of this black sides of Turkish human rights picture,” said Boğa and summarized the main points of the violations in 2011 until end of November as follows;

- 330 people died during clashes. 19 people died because of extrajudicial execution and by unknown perpetrators. 6 died 6,800 detained, 3,800 were jailed during meetings and demonstrations.

- 812 applications were made for torture and maltreatment.

- The total number of prisoners is 122,404. 251 of them wait for being released due to terminal diseases.

- The total number of imprisoned journalists is 71.

- Violation against women, unemployment and poor social rights of workers become worse

- No demands of Alevites accepted.

According to the latest data gathered by Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV); while 330 people lost their lives in clashes and over 450 torture applications were made in 2011, 12 human rights defenders are currently held under arrest, six people were killed and 271 wounded by security forces, 71 journalists were put in prison and the number of banned websites exceeded 15 thousand within this process, the number of arrested Kurdish politicians and human right defenders has reached 5,000 towards the end of the year.

However, the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) 2010 data showed that Turkey is on the first place in the list of countries with highest rate of human rights violations. The number of applications made from Turkey was 2,488 in 2005; 2,328 in 2006; 2,830 in 2007; 3,706 in 2008; 4,474 in 2009 and 5,821 in 2010 while the number of ongoing cases from Turkey was 15,200 last year.

According to the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakir Branch 2011 mid-term report on the situation of human rights in the Kurdish region registered 16,482 cases of human rights violation in the first six months of 2011, against 13,219 cases over the same period of 2010. The report recorded 1010 cases of torture and ill-treatment in the first six months of the year in the Kurdish region alone, against 433 in 2010. The association denounced an increase of 200% in the cases of torture, arrests and violent police interventions against demonstrators.


In addition, Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Batman Deputy Ayla Akat Ata had a press release during the session of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (TBMM). Criticizing the ruling party, Ata underlined that according to European Unions’ figures, Turkey placed in the first line among all countries of the world, regarding the total number of political arrests in September when more than 12,000 people were taken into custody. (DIHA, December 12, 2011)

UN Rapporteur: "Judicial Practice is Problematic in Turkey"

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, visited Turkey from 10 to 14 October 2011 at the invitation of the Government and included Ankara, Istanbul and Diyarbakir. Her preliminary report was now also published in Turkish.

The main purpose of the visit was to assess a series of judicial reforms recently undertaken by the Government. Other issues assessed were access to justice, the availability and effectiveness of legal defence and the legal profession, as well as fair trial guarantees.

The independence of the Judiciary

"The 2009 Judicial Reform Strategy and the Constitutional amendments adopted in 2010 have represented, as a whole, positive steps to strengthen the structural independence of the judiciary. Nonetheless, challenges remain in some areas to guarantee, in practice, the effective independence and impartiality of judges, prosecutors and lawyers. In addition, the implementation of these reforms should be accelerated", the Special Rapporteur said.

It was stressed "that it is the duty of all governmental and other institutions to respect and observe the independence of the judiciary so as to avoid any kind of political, institutional or social control or influence which could affect their capacity to decide on matters independently and impartially, on the basis of facts and in accordance with the law".

"Women are increasingly entering into the judicial career, though I have not seen many appointed at higher levels, which is an element to be addressed".

Access to justice

"Almost unanimously judges and prosecutors have called my attention to the issue of workload and a backlog of cases, which is of course among the main causes of delays in the proceedings. This structural problem also affects the citizens' effective access to justice, as justice delayed is justice denied" according to Knaul.

Procedural guarantees in anti-terrorism legislation

"The investigation, prosecution and trial of cases related to terrorism and organized crime is within the competence of the so-called Heavy Penal Special Court or Heavy Penal Court with 'special authority' (...). I am particularly concerned at the lack of respect for fundamental procedural guarantees in these cases, and notably at the restrictions to the right to defence".

"Furthermore, there is also a limitation of the number of lawyers that can assist an individual charged under the anti-terrorism legislation and access to documents pertaining to the case can be equally restricted".

"Furthermore, there is also a limitation of the number of lawyers that can assist an individual charged under the anti-terrorism legislation and access to documents pertaining to the case can be equally restricted".

Lawyers

"Another concern that I heard quite regularly is that, in the daily performance of their duties, lawyers are not treated at the same level as judges and prosecutors".

"Another example of the difficulties that lawyers face to properly carry out their work are the obstacles posed to the effective performance of their professional functions by the restrictions mentioned above, such as limitations to access case-files, non-disclosure of evidence, delays in the contact with their clients, and undue identification of the lawyer with his/her clients or the clients' causes as a result of discharging their functions. (...)" (BIA, 9 December 2011)

Gov’t under fire for bill on financing terrorism

The three opposition parties in Turkey’s Parliament have united in their objection to a bill to prevent terrorism financing amid worries that the government may misuse it.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) joined the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in opposing the bill yesterday as a debate on the draft continued. “We certainly support measures to prevent the financing of terrorism. But even some journalists have been counted as terrorists for attempting to write books. That’s why we have concerns on this bill,” a MHP deputy said.

The draft bill includes strict regulations such as freezing the accounts of those funding terrorist organizations, as well as heavy penalties and fines. It envisages jail sentences of up to 10 years for those convicted of funding terrorist organizations or terrorists, even if the money is not directly used for a terrorist crime.

A provision that would open the door for the freezing of assets without a court ruling has come under particular criticism.

Raising misgivings about the scope of the bill, CHP deputy Mahmut Tanal said the bill included no concrete definition of terrorism and might be used by the government to oppress the opposition. The CHP’s Mehmet Siyam Kesimoğlu, meanwhile, said the bill would become a “bullying instrument” in government hands.

“If you give a dinner to a nongovernmental organization and one of its members is on trial under the Anti-Terror Law, you will be considered as a financier of terrorism. It’s unacceptable,” BDP deputy Altan Tan said.

Another lawmaker from the BDP, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, said the United States demanded the bill in order to cut off the financial channels of Islamic organizations but added that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) intended to use it to suppress “the Kurdish opposition.”

If passed, the bill will also serve as a legal basis for police raids on BDP-held municipalities, Önder said.

Following the completion of the debate at the Interior Affairs Commission, the bill will go to the Justice Commission before being voted upon in Parliament. (Hürriyet Daily News, 7 December 2011)

Blame on former police chief Ağar for extrajudicial killings

Former National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Counterterrorism Unit head Mehmet Eymür, who was questioned by a special prosecutor last week, claimed in his testimony that a team that included former Police Chief Mehmet Ağar, special ops units and military men was responsible for carrying out extrajudicial killings, racketeering and kidnapping.

According to Eymür's testimony obtained by the Taraf daily, he claimed that Ağar and his team were heading that “formation.” Ağar, who has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of establishing a criminal organization, had claimed in his testimony that there were “secrets” inside the state and “if a brick is pulled out, the whole wall would come down.”

Ağar, who said following his conviction that he is confident the Supreme Court of Appeals will overturn his sentence, is also accused of having been involved in crimes disclosed after the Susurluk affair of 1996, which exposed links between state officials, politicians and organized crime.

Taraf's headline asserted that it was Eymür who “pulled out a brick.”

Eymür, who started his career at MİT in 1966 in İstanbul, provides in his testimony a web of relations among many people whose names have been related to extrajudicial killings. Eymür said that he had a long-time and close relationship with Ağar, who sometimes stayed at his home when Eymür was still a bachelor. Eymür said that Ağar had many connections and that among his “friends” were mafia related people, whose names are included in MİT's reports.

“Since I was responsible for contraband trade at the time, I found out in reports coming from Interpol that some foreign contraband traders would call the İstanbul police, and when I found out whose number they were calling, I learned that they were calling Ağar's extension. I warned Ağar and then tried to stay away from him,” Eymür said.

Eymür went on to say that when he became the head of the special intelligence unit at MİT in May 1994 he was aware of the murders of Macit Baskın, head of the Altındağ Registry Office, Namık Erdoğan, ex-head of the supervisory board of the Ministry of Health, and Faik Candan, a lawyer.

“I don't remember those events fully but I have knowledge about the murder of lawyer Yusuf Ekinci,” Eymür said, and added that “Yeşil,” an alias used by Mahmut Yıldırım, a hitman who is believed to have carried out most of the “dirty work” of the illegal formations inside the state, was related to the murder.

Yeşil managed to remain elusive for much of his life and has been presumed dead for many years. Eymür said that Yeşil initially worked for MİT in Elazığ, but was not allowed to do so later as he was “out of control.” Eymür also said that Yeşil started to work at JİTEM, an illegal intelligence unit secretly founded in the '90s to fight Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism “more effectively.” JİTEM's existence was officially acknowledged only this year, despite overwhelming evidence of its existence surfacing long before the official acknowledgement by the Interior Ministry, which said in a response to a query filed by a court hearing a JİTEM-related trial that the organization “had existed,” although observers suspect it might still be in operation.

“Yeşil was given identification cards. Some of his cards even included the title of the ‘Prime Ministry Intelligence.' He worked with JİTEM up until 1995, and then, since he was out of control, he was moved to Ankara. In Ankara, Yeşil was introduced to me as he was going to be useful for the capture of Abdullah Öcalan. I asked him if he would work for us and he accepted. I told him that he would not have a duty inside the country. At the time he was not a sought after person by the police. I later learned that he was involved in many extrajudicial killings. He was involved in many events with gendarmerie officer Aytekin Özel,” Eymür said.

Yeşil was detained by an order from then Ankara Police Chief Orhan Taşanlar in relation to the murder of two Iranians.

“I questioned Yeşil about this. He said he was not involved in this event. … We found out that those Iranians were killed by Abdullah Çatlı and his team,” Eymür said, referring to Çatlı, an internationally wanted criminal who died in the Susurluk accident which revealed connections of the illegal structures within intelligence units and the police force.

Eymür also claimed that MİT has detailed logs and reports on the acts of Tarık Ümit, a MİT informant. Eymür said he went to Ümit's home in İstanbul upon his request.

“He told me that he has a 40-member list for people to be killed. Some names were crossed out, like Behçet Cantürk, who was already murdered. He told me that the list was given to him by the 'formation' that I mentioned before. So I reported this to the MİT Undersecretariat. We started to be interested in how those extra-judicial killings occurred and started to use Tarık Ümit,” Eymür said adding that both Yeşil and Ümit were used within the procedures of the MİT, not on Eymür's personal initiative.

Eymür also stated that murders of Şahin Arslan, Fevzi Arslan and Medet Serhat were committed by the “formation” he mentioned.

“I know Serhat since I was the one who questioned him. He was pro-Kurdish and Cantürk's lawyer. He is respected in the Kurdish community. Since he was not involved in violence, his advice was taken by the MİT in regards to the solution of the Kurdish problem. However, the formation headed by Ağar, Korkut Eken and İbrahim Şahin had him killed under the banner of ‘fighting with terrorism'.”

Eymür also accused Hanefi Avcı, İstanbul intelligence chief of the police at the time, for having responsibility in Serhat's murder.

“He never touched Çatlı even though he had Çatlı's house searched. He never worked toward finding those responsible for extra-judicial killings,” Eymür stated.

According to Eymür, former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller was used by Ağar.

“I know that Çiller was supporting the anti-terrorism policies with good will, and I don't think she would ever gave orders like ‘kill this person, take that person's money. But since she had less experience in the state affairs, Ağar and his team might have pushed Çiller and [her husband] Özer Çiller into making some mistakes.”

Eymür was questioned in relation to the July testimony of Ayhan Çarkın, a former member of the National Police Department's Special Operations Unit, who had said that he had information about the killing of some men who were Erdoğan, Ekinci and Candan. Çarkın said he and some other colleagues took part in the killings. Çarkın was arrested and an investigation was launched after his confession.

The recent detention of Eymür and his release after being banned from travelling abroad came as part of the investigation into Çarkın's confessions. Şahin was earlier arrested as part of the same probe. (TODAY'S ZAMAN, 7 December 2011)

Journalist Mater talked of murders by unknown people

Unidentified people wearing a coat approached their victims from behind. A bullet shot in the neck and on to the next killing.

In a presentation about murders by unknown people, journalist Nadire Mater gave voice to the journalist killed in Kurdistan. Mater, co-founder of Bianet and author of best seller "Mehmet's book", made the presentation to the “Commission for Investigating Terror Events and Violation of Right to Life” affiliated to Human Rights Investigation Commission of Parliament.

Mater described the environment of Cizre during Newroz celebrations in 1992 as follows; “We were afraid. We even had our photos taken to have a memory as we were almost sure that one of us was going to die. Still, the white clothes waved that day didn’t help to prevent the death of Sabah reporter İzzet Kezer.” Arguing that the year 1992 was the darkest year for journalists, Mater noted that among 76 journalists, who were killed between 1905 and 2011, 14 were murdered in 1992.

Mater added that the years of 1993 and 1994 were the years of closed papers, murdered journalists and unidentified murders. Mater recalled those years in these terms: “10.00-10.30 in the morning and 16.00-16.30 in the evening were the hours murders by unknown people took place in Diyarbakır. Unidentified people wearing a coat approached their victims from behind. A bullet shot in the neck and on to the next killing.”

According to the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey’s database on the victims of lost in custody between the years of 1980-2000, Mater remarked that 757 people disappeared in the last 20 years. Most of these events were witnessed in Diyarbakır, Lice, Istanbul and Cizre, added Mater.

Nadire Mater is a founder and advisor of BIA, the Independent Communication Network, a ten-year-old project that brings together more than 130 newspapers and TV and radio stations to offer honest, locally based reporting on Turkey. Much of the content is available online at Bianet.org. Mater is also known for Mehmet’s Book, a collection of testimonies from Turkish soldiers who served in the southeast, which she published in 1999.
(ANF, 9 December 2011)

Students released by court as protests simmer

Twenty-two of the defendants who were under arrest were released by an Ankara court late yesterday.

A crowd of at least 3,000 people, including lawmakers of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), academics, prominent actors and activists who came from all over Turkey, demonstrated outside Ankara’s main courthouse as the trial began Dec. 9.

The defendants, most of whom have been behind bars for 6six months, have been accused of being members of leftist terrorist groups solely on the basis of leftist publications discovered in their homes, the indictment has revealed.

Aged between 20 and 31, the youths were arrested after they took part in violent street protests in Ankara May 31, erupting in reaction to a heavy-handed crackdown on a demonstration earlier that day in the Black Sea town of Hopa. Retired teacher Metin Lokumcu died of a heart attack after police used tear gas against the demonstrators who had taken to the streets during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Hopa.

At the first hearing of the case, the defendants rejected the accusations and demanded they be released pending trial.

“Even demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine and our protests against the occupation of Iraq were considered illegal,” one of the defendants Kadir Aydoğan told the judge. “One of the police officers who took me into custody said, ‘Fifteen of you will be arrested. You will learn a lesson when you stay in jail several months.’ Then, we, 15 people, were arrested that day,” he said.

The case hit headlines after it emerged the indictment described leftist associations Halkevleri (People’s Houses) and Öğrenci Kolektifleri (Students’ Collectives), which were at the forefront of the May 31 protest, as extensions of the outlawed Turkish People’s Liberation Party-Front (THKP-C), the now-defunct radical group that led Turkey’s leftist movement in the 1970s. No weapons have been discovered in the probe, and the defendants face no charges of armed action.

Among the objects, vthe prosecutor lists as incriminating evidence are banners, sticks, an umbrella, a checkered scarf, books by Marx and Lenin, posters of Mahir Çayan and Deniz Gezmiş, the iconic leaders of Turkey’s leftist movement, and leaflets calling for cheaper transport and food at university campuses.
The indictment said the protesters held an unauthorized gathering, carried a banner calling the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “murderer,” dismantled sidewalks and pelted the police with sticks and stones, leaving 65 riot police injured.

The defendants have been charged with membership in a terrorist organization, spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization, deliberately injuring a public employee, damaging public property and resisting security forces.
(hurriyetdailynews.com, Dec 10, 2011)

Country-Wide Protests of Workers, Architects, Engineers, Doctors...

Protest actions against lengthy detention periods and mass custodies were organized in 40 provinces all over Turkey on Saturday (3 December).

The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Turkey Union of Chambers of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB), the Turkish Medical Association (TBB) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) had called for the country-wide protest.

In Istanbul, a large number of people joined the demonstration that went from Takism Square along Istiklal Avenue to the Galatasaray Square. The decision for the mass protest was taken after 25 KESK members were sentenced to imprisonment of six years and three months each on charges of "membership of a terrorist organization". The group of convicts also includes the President of KESK, Lami Özgen.

CHP and BDP voiced the same requests

The demonstration was supported by many organizations such as the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), The Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), the Labour Party (EMEP), the Democratic Congress of the People (HDK), the Turkey Communist Party (TKP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) or the Initiative 'Who is Next'. The Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) Provincial Administration and CHP Deputy Chair Erdoğan Toprak joined the protest as well.

Four main demands were voiced during the demonstration.

* Special Authority Courts should be abolished.

* The Anti-Terror Law (TMK) should be lifted.

* Mass custodies and arrests should stop.

* Detainees should be released.

"Turkey turned into an open prison"

In a brief sit-down protest on the way, the 2,000 demonstrators drew attention to arrested academic Büşra Ersanlı, publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, journalists Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener, Mustafa  Balbay, unionist Mustafa Avcı, detained KESK members and Kurdish detainees. Their names were read out one by one and the crowd shouted "Here!" for each one of them.

KESK President Özgen read out a press release on Galatasaray Square at the end of the demonstration.

Özgen claimed that Turkey had turned into an open prison. He held the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) responsible for long periods of detention, arbitrary custodies and emanating fear in society.

The joint press release touched upon the following main points:

* Everyone has become a target of the AKP including elected persons, dissident journalists like Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık, university lecturers, students, representatives of political parties and of democratic mass organizations and municipalities who are not members of the AKP.

* Detention has turned into punishment. The AKP both arrests people and deprives them from their right to defence.

* The Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK) became the latest bogyman to legitimize the operations of the AKP. Everybody who wants a democratic and peaceful solution of the Kurdish question is in danger of being arrested as an alleged KCK member. The latest examples for this are Prof Büşra Ersanlı, publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, Deniz Zarakolu and former KESK Secretary General Mustafa Avcı.

* Special authority judges and prosecutors break the law on behalf of their special status. Special Authority Courts should be removed. Mass arrests have to stop. (BIA, Işıl CİNMEN, 5 December 2011)

Towards unveiling notorious rulings of Courts of Independence

Parliament is currently working on the archives of the early Republican era and the controversial rulings of the notorious Courts of Independence in a move that all parties in Parliament say will contribute to the transparency of the Turkish state and make the country confront dark incidents in its history. The latest debate on the Dersim massacre, which took place in the early years of the republic when the state violently suppressed a rebellion in today's Tunceli, killing thousands of innocent people, has raised calls for Turkey to face up to similar tragedies in its history.

In a historic move, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last month apologized for the Dersim massacre on behalf of the state, which was a first in the history of Turkey. He also released a number of state documents about the incident and read excerpts from archive documents related to the massacre.

There is growing pressure on the state to confront the notorious rulings of the Courts of Independence, which were founded during the War of Independence to prosecute those who stood against the new system of government. These courts were located in Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Isparta, Sivas, Kastamonu, Pozantı and Diyarbakır. All of them were closed in 1921. A total of 1,352 people were executed by these courts, according to reports. Parliament is currently working on the archives of this court -- 914,695 pages of documents and 158 old notebooks.

Toward the end of the 23rd term Parliament when Speaker of the Parliament was Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Mehmet Ali Şahin, an eight-member team began translating these documents into modern Turkish and expect to finish within two to two-and-a-half years, at which time the speaker’s office will decide whether the archives will be open to the public.

Deputies from political parties represented in Parliament told Today’s Zaman they strongly support the opening of state archives, particularly those pertaining to the Court of Independence, adding that such a move is necessary if Turkey is to become a transparent state. AK Party Adıyaman deputy Mehmet Metiner said the opening of state archives to the public is an obligation, while he said the rulings of the courts were just an example of “judicial tyranny.” “Opening the state archives is an obligation that cannot be deferred so that we can correctly read and understand our history. The rulings of the Courts of Independence are examples of judicial tyranny. Several generations were kept away from facts on this issue through the lies of history. The young generations will at least not grow up with the same lies. We need to know what really took place in our history,” said Metiner.

“The documents, which will be translated meticulously, should be open to all not only to historians or researchers who want to study them,” suggested Metiner.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) İstanbul deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu said his party supports the opening of the archives pertaining to Courts of Independence to attain a transparent society.

“After a certain amount of time passed, such archives should be open to historians, researchers, hence to the public. Opening state archives will be a positive move to understand the background of the trials in the first years of the republic,” said Tanrıkulu.

The CHP deputy added that opening archival documents about these courts to the public will not be sufficient alone; he called for the opening of other archives in the Prime Ministry and the General Staff. The archives of the General Staff are closed tight in Turkey, and the confidentiality of these archives cannot be broken -- even for major coup cases. Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Şırnak deputy Hasip Kaplan voiced his party’s approval of the opening of state archives without any delay, saying that historical facts based on documents should be presented to young people. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is also in favor of the opening of state archives, including those pertaining to the Dersim massacre and Courts of Independence, to the public. MHP Kayseri deputy Yusuf Halaçoğlu, who is also a historian, told Today’s Zaman that the archival documents of the Courts of Independence should be opened immediately without waiting for the completion of their translation. “They should be opened to the public without waiting for their translation into modern Turkish. If I were to work on these archives, I would prefer to look at the original texts, not the translations,” said Halaçoğlu.

Courts reopened after Sheikh Said Rebellion

The Sheikh Said Rebellion took place in 1924-25, after which the courts were reopened and the rebels tried. The courts remained open for some time thereafter, with pending charges against the dissidents being cited as a reason for their need.

Light to be shed on Muslim cleric İskilipli  Atıf Hoca’s case

State archives concerning the Courts of Independence could shed light on the tragic killing of İskilipli Atıf Hoca, a Muslim cleric who was executed in February 1926 following the ruling of a Court of Independence in the early republican period for authoring a book that included his position against a hat law. According to a report in the Star daily on Tuesday, Atıf Hoca’s trial and execution is nothing but a judicial scandal. Although he wrote the book against the law, which made wearing Western-style hats mandatory 1.5 years before the law took affect, Atıf Hoca was tried retrospectively, which is a violation of the law. Secondly, although a prosecutor demanded a sentence of three to 15 years, one day before the final court ruling on Atıf Hoca, the presiding judge of the Court of Independence ruled for his execution, diverting greatly from the demand of the prosecutor. (todayszaman.com, ALİ ASLAN KILIÇ, 6 December 2011)

Mass arrests of trade unionists in Turkey

Peace in Kurdistan has received this urgent message from Mehmat Bozgeyik, the General Secretary of EGITIM SEN (Teachers Union) who has been forced to cancel his visit in December organised by UNISON South Lanarkshire and Peace in Kurdistan Campaign.

The message describes the unprecedented pressures facing trade unionists in Turkey at the present time. While many union leaders have been arrested and charged, we are informed that 25 have been sentenced in the latest development that took place on 28 November. As a result of the urgency of the situation, our visitor Mehmat Bozgeyik has been forced to postpone his visit to the UK.

During his visit Mr Bozgeyik was due to meet with leaders of the teaching unions in the UK, including the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), as well as trade unionists and parliamentarians.

"We are very disappointed that Mr. Bozgeyik has had to postpone his planned visit. We hoped to learn a great deal about the situation in Turkey concerning trade unionists and the campaign for Kurdish language education for children which the Turkish authorities still do not permit. Mr Bozgeyik had recently visited Van where earthquakes have killed hundreds of people and we hoped to learn more about the situation facing the survivors. However, we have perhaps already learned a great deal about the situation due to the repression of Mr. Bozgeyik’s union comrades which has caused him to postpone his visit," says Stephen Smellie from UNISON South Lanarkshire. 

We would like to appeal to trade unionists in Britain to demonstrate their solidarity with Kurdish trade unionists, now coming under intolerable attack from the political establishment in Turkey. The arrests and detentions of union activists and leaders are part of a plan by the ruling AKP whose aim is to silence the opposition and make their organisations ineffective. Already journalists, lawyers, politicians, academics and youth leaders have all been targeted and are being subjected to police action and prosecution. They need our support and we appeal to you to show solidarity by doing whatever you can in the union movement and by raising the issue with British politicians.  

“Dear Colleagues and Friends

One of the most severe attacks on our confederation (KESK and our union EĞİTİM SEN) is the operation of mass detention and arrests against our leaders and members. As a result of this operation our General President, Former General President, our former Women’s Secretary, our union EGITIM SEN's former and present Women’s Secretaries, three members of our General Board and 31 of our associates most of whom worked in the administration of our unions' Izmir branch, are being detained and arrested. Our activities as a union and our democratic activities have been subjected to investigation and court cases are pending. Our colleagues were held in prison for six months and were subsequently released in the first hearing. Although our friends were released by the court pending a trial and as far as the case against them is concerned, everyone, especially those who work in the legal profession, expected our friends be acquitted. However, it was as if "a mysterious hand" interfered with the judicial process and a short time before the final hearing two judges concerned with the trial were replaced. As a result 25 of our administrators and members were each sentenced to six years and three months in prison on 28 November 2011 at the final hearing in Izmir. Campaigns have already been held in opposition to these sentences by trade unions and civil rights organizations in Turkey.   

Any opposition which does not share the AKP's viewpoint or acts in line with their political programme are considered enemies and are targeted by the AKP. Elected officials, university lecturers, journalists, political party representatives, NGO representatives, lawyers, youth, non-AKP municipalities, in short all opposition forces, are now falling within the AKP's target.

A quick look at the daily detention numbers is sufficient to demonstrate the accuracy of this assertion. In recent days people from the opposition are being taken into custody, tried, and arrested within a few hours' time and this is happening almost every day.

They want us to submit under fear of "when is it going to be my turn?" Our houses, telephones, organisations, publishing and political party offices, unions, and even our private lives, are now under the surveillance of the cemaat-controlled police.

We want to state clearly and issue a strong warning that this is the way to fascism. The aim is to create a society silent and dumbed into subservience. The organised democratic forces including members of the union movement are facing an unprecedented wave of attacks and pressure. The fascist tendencies at work in the country are now being institutionalised. These tendencies are led from the centre and according to a specific programme.

Our administrators and members who had been sentenced are:

KESK General President Lami ÖZGEN,  KESK former Central Management Board member Songül MORSÜMBÜL, EĞİTİM SEN Central Management Board member Sakine Esen YILMAZ, EĞİTİM SEN former Central Management Board member Gülçin İSBERT, EĞİTİM SEN former Central Management Board member Elif Akgül ATEŞ, EĞİTİM SEN former Central Supervisory Board member Haydar DENİZ, EĞİTİM SEN Central Office Educational Branch member Mehmet Hanifi KURUŞ, BTS former Secretary General Hasan SOYSAL, EĞİTİM SEN Branch Management Board Member Nihat KENİ, EĞİTİM SEN Branch Director Mustafa BEYAZBAL, SES İzmir Branch Management Board Member Yüksel ÖZMEN, BES member Meryem ÇAĞ, EĞİTİM SEN members and former branch administrators, workplace representatives Mine ÇETİNKAYA, Aziz AKİKOL, Hasan UMAR, Harun GÜNDEŞ, Aydın GÜNGÖRMEZ, Süeda DEMİR, Şermin GÜNDEŞ, Şeyhmus BELEK, Erkan DENİZ, İsmail DEMİR, Mahir Engin ÇELİK,  retired worker and former union activist Abdulcelil DEMİR, EĞİTİM SEN former member, retired teacher Ahmet DEMİROĞLU.

I would like to appeal for your support and I urge you to do whatever you can to campaign to raise these issues in your country and to create awareness internationally about the injustices taking place inside Turkey today.”

It is therefore with sadness that I have to inform you that I been compelled to cancel my long-planned visit.

Mehmat Bozgeyik, the General Secretary of EGITIM SEN

We urge you to take immediate action to defend trade unionists in Turkey! Thanks!

PLEASE SEND SUPPORT MESSAGES TO EGITIM SEN !!!

Estella Schmid, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign
Estella24@tiscali.co.uk

Newspaper for Detained Students

The "Gelecek Hapsedilmez" newspaper was published on 26 November in order to support more than 500 students who are currently being detained in Turkish prisons. "The future cannot be jailed" is the meaning of the title of the newspaper prepared by students who are members of the Turkish Communist Party (TKP). It aims to be the voice of all students in detention on behalf of Cüneyt Çakır, TKP member and student of the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) Department of Philosophy, who is being detained at the Sincan F Type Prison.

The "Gelecek Hapsedilmez" contains numerous messages of support from many institutions and student communities. The senders include Nurettin Abacıoğlu, head of the steering board of the University Councils Association; Himmet Şahin, head of the steering board of the ODTÜ Alumni Association; Prof Ahmet İnam from the Çakır University who is a member of staff at the ODTÜ Department of Philosophy and various student communities from ODTÜ.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) issued a statement in the paper and condemned the arrest of students in Turkey and the oppression of the left. The Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD) contributed with a compilation of their report on detained students.

The last page of the newspaper was reserved for a call to support the 23 people, among them14 students, at their hearing on 9 December in the context of the protests at Hopa (eastern Black Sea coast) on 31 May. Tragic-comic details of the Hopa indictment are published as well.

What can be the mission of the "Gelecek Hapsedilemez" at a time when custodies and arrests related to certain sections of society are going on in Turkey?

Bosporus University student Engin Karaman who helped in the publication of this paper said that the detained students were isolated and that they aimed at depicting their troubles in the newspaper. In Karaman's opinion, all detained students have in common that they are opposition.

Karaman explained, "These students are struggling for Turkey to advance into another direction. They have projects for a different Turkey and missions for Turkey's future. With the "Gelecek Hapsedilmez" newspaper we tried to say that these detained students are Turkey's future. We thought the paper would function to become partners with our troubles and to talk about our worries. We prepared the newspaper in solidarity with Cüneyt Çakır and to clarify his matter in particular". (BIA, Emel GÜLCAN, 30 November 2011)

Pression sur les médias / Pressure on the Media

Zarakolu to be reunited with son behind bars

Authorities have accepted prominent publisher Ragıp Zarakolu’s longstanding request to be placed in the same prison ward as his son, Deniz Zarakolu, who was also arrested as part of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) case like his father.

“If conscience now serves as a justification for unfair arrests in this country, the gravity of the point we have reached makes itself felt once more. If lies pass as the truth, and denials have replaced apologies, then everything is rotten,” Ragıp Zarakolu told the Hürriyet Daily News in a recent letter.

Deniz Zarakolu, a 36-year-old Ph.D. student at Istanbul’s Bilgi University, was transferred Dec. 28 from a prison in the Thracian province of Edirne to another prison in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, where his father, Ragıp Zarakolu, is currently being kept under arrest.

“We are living in a country that has turned into a field of death. I could not have born the weight of remaining outside [of prison] any longer. Greetings to you all; I am delighted to be inside. As you know, they like the dead and the underdog in this country and turn life into hell for those still alive,” said Ragıp Zarakolu.

Human rights activist, writer, publisher and journalist Ragıp Zarakolu is also a member of the Turkish PEN Center, as well as a recipient of numerous prestigious international awards. He was arrested on Nov. 1, 2011, alongside prominent academic Büşra Ersanlı and dozens of other suspects upon the order of an Istanbul court over his alleged links with the KCK, the alleged urban wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“As 2011 is drawing to a close, or being expended away with ignorance, boorishness and gauche to be more precise, Turkey has also made it among the [the world’s] worst countries in terms of the freedom of thought and expression,” Tarık Günersel, a member of PEN International Board and the president of the Turkish PEN Center, told the Daily News.

Six PEN members, including Zarakolu, are currently serving time behind bars, according to Günersel.
“Over 100 of our journalists are in prison. More than 500 students are still under arrest merely for unfurling banners. Statues are getting torn down into pieces, while writers, translators and publishers are being shoved into prisons,” he said. “Anxiety and self-censorship is growing more widespread, while critical thinkers censor themselves even when speaking on the phone.”

Ahmet Abakay, the head of the Ankara-based Contemporary Journalists’ Association (ÇGD), also condemned Ragıp Zarakolu’s continued arrest.

“Turkey is flunking on the year 2011. The government is at ease over all these developments. Even the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights are no longer relevant. Over 100 journalists are being tried, while the files of journalists released pending trial are nearing 10,000,” Abakay told the Daily News,
Vercihan Ziflioğlu, December31, 2011

Info-Türk Foundation's 2012 Freedom Award Granted to Ragip Zarakolu
 
Brussels, December 28, 2011
 
As a non-government organization contributing for over 38 years to the struggle for human rights and freedoms in Turkey, Info-Türk Foundation has decided to grant its 2012 Freedom Award to author, journalist, publisher and human rights activist Ragip Zarakolu* who is currently under arrest at the high security prison type-F  in Kocaeli.

Starting to write and to contribute to intellectual life in 1968, Zarakolu is carrying on these activities for 43 years without giving any concession to political powers. Today's power which gives lessons of democracy to Arab countries attempts to make Zarakolu pay the price of this determination by throwing him at 63 years old and despite his serious health problems to a high security prison under ridiculous pretexts.
 
Ragip Zarakolu had already been imprisoned after the 1971 Coup. When released, together with his wife Ayse Nur Zarakolu, he opened a new horizon in the books world by founding Belge International Publishing House.
 
Ragip and Ayse did not only demolished the taboo of Armenian Genocide, but also made an undeniable contribution to the struggle for the democratization in Turkey by publishing hundreds of books about the injustice and discrimination of which the Kurdish people and Anatolia's all national and religious minorities have suffered for centuries.
 
Ragip Zarakolu also took part among the founders of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD). He is currently the chairman of the Committee to Publish of the Publishers' Union of Turkey (TYB) and the representative in Turkey of the Committee to Publish of the International Publishers' Association (IPA).
 
Since 2005 Zarakolu has been granted "Freedom of Expression Award" by the Norwegian Writers' Union together with the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, "Thought and Freedom of Expression Award" by the Publishers' Union of Turkey, "Press Freedom" award by the Journalists' Association of Turkey and recently  "Hagop Megapart Medal of Honor" by the Armenian National Library for his contribution to the recognition of Armenian history, culture and literature in Turkey.
 
For years Zarakolu has been invited by many countries to meetings on human rights and he participated as speaker to two conferences on freedom of thought and militarism in Turkey, organized in Brussels by Info-Türk Foundation, Assyrian Associations of Belgium, Association of Democrat Armenians in Belgium and the Kurdish Institute of Brussels.
 
Info-Türk Foundation's 2012 Freedom Award will be forwarded to Ragip Zarakolu by his relatives at the type-F prison in Kocaeli. The award certificate will be given to him personally at a ceremony in Brussels after his release from prison.

President of İnfo-Türk Foundation
Doğan Özgüden

*) All informations on Ragıp Zarakolu's arrest and his biography:

http://www.info-turk.be/400.htm#Ragip
http://www.info-turk.be/399.htm#Info


Le prix 2012 "Pour la liberté" de la Fondation Info-Türk à Ragip Zarakolu
 
Bruxelles, 28 décembre 2011
 
En tant qu'organisation non-gouvernementale qui, depuis plus de 38 ans, contribue à la lutte pour les droits de l'Homme et les libertés en Turquie, la Fondation Info-Türk a décidé d'attribuer le prix Info-Türk 2012 "Pour la liberté" à Ragip Zarakolu*, auteur, journaliste, éditeur et défenseur des droits de l'Homme, actuellement dans la prison de haute sécurité de type-F de Kocaeli.
 
Zarakolu mène ses activités de pensée et d'édition depuis 43 ans sans avoir donné aucune concession aux pouvoirs politiques. Aujourd'hui, le pouvoir actuel qui donne des leçons de démocratie aux pays arabes, tente de faire payer à Zarakolu le prix de sa détermination en l'incarcérant, à 63 ans et malgré des graves problèmes de santé, dans une prison de haute sécurité sous des prétextes ridicules.
 
Ragip Zarakolu avait déjà été emprisonné après le coup d'état de 1971. Après sa mise en liberté, avec son épouse Ayse Nur Zarakolu, il a ouvert un nouvel horizon dans le monde des livres par la fondation de la maison d'éditions internationale Belge.
 
Ragip et Ayse n'ont pas seulement démoli le tabou du génocide arménien, mais ils ont aussi apporté une contribution indéniable à la lutte pour la démocratisation en Turquie, en publiant des centaines de livres sur l'injustice et la discrimination dont le peuple kurde et toutes les minorités nationales et religieuses de l'Anatolie ont souffert pendant des siècles.
 
Ragip Zarakolu a également pris part à la fondation de l'Association des droits de l'Homme de Turquie (IHD). Il est actuellement le président du Comité pour la liberté de publication de l'Union des éditeurs de la Turquie (TYB) et le représentant en Turquie du Comité pour la liberté de publication de l'Union internationale des éditeurs (IPA).
 
En 2005, le prix "la liberté d'expression" a été conjointement attribué à Zarakolu par l'Union des écrivains norvégiens et le Ministère norvégien de la Culture. Il a également reçu le prix  "la liberté de pensée et  d'expression" décerné par l'Union des éditeurs de Turquie, le prix "la liberté de la presse" donné par l'Association des journalistes de Turquie et récemment il a reçu de la bibliothèque nationale arménienne la médaille d'honneur "Hagop Megapart" pour sa contribution à la reconnaissance de l'histoire, la culture et la littérature arménienne en Turquie.
 
Pendant des années, Zarakolu a été invité par de nombreux pays à participer à des réunions sur les droits humains. Il a participé comme conférencier à deux conférences sur la liberté de pensée et le militarisme en Turquie, organisées à Bruxelles par la Fondation Info-Türk, les Associations assyriennes de Belgique, l'Association des Arméniens démocrates en Belgique et l'Institut kurde de Bruxelles.
 
Le prix Info-Türk 2012 "Pour la liberté" sera remis à Ragip Zarakolu par ses proches à la prison de type-F à Kocaeli. Le certificat de prix lui sera remis personnellement lors d'une cérémonie à Bruxelles après sa libération.
 
* Toutes les informations sur l'arrestation de Ragip Zarakolu et sa biographie:
 
Dogan Özgüden
Président de la Fondation Info-Türk

* Toutes les informations sur l'arrestation de Ragip Zarakolu et sa biographie:

http://www.info-turk.be/400.htm#Ragip
http://www.info-turk.be/399.htm#Info


Shame on AKP: 96 journalists in Turkish Prisons

Following the detentions within the scope of the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK) operations on December 20, 36 journalists have been remanded in custody for allegedly being "member of an illegal organization" by the 9th High Criminal Court in Istanbul. According to the Platfofrm for Solidarity with Journalists in Prison (TGDP), the number of the journalists in Turkish prisons has climbed to 96 with these recent arrests.

After bearing testimony to the prosecutor at Istanbul Court for over 15 hours, 42 journalists were on December 23 evening referred to the vacation court with a demand of arrest. While six of them were released on December 24 morning on conditions of trial without arrest, 36 journalists were sent to prison once again despite the lack of any confirmed criminal evidence.

Following the judgment where journalists were interrogated because of the news they made, Eylem Sürmeli (former staffer of Özgür Gündem daily), Güneş Ünsal (editor of DİHA English section), Enis Yalçın, Şeref Sümeli (Former employee of Fırat Distribution Company), Sevinç Tuncelli (former staffer of Özgür Gündem daily) and Arzu Demir (reporter of Etkin News Agency) were released on conditions of trial without arrest.

Hatice Bozkurt was released earlier while Celal Kaya (Fırat Distribution Company), Evrim Kepenek (DİHA reporter), Üfliye Özcan (Fırat Distribution Company), Hamza Sümeli (Employee of Gün Publishing House), Mustafa Özer (Associated France Press (AFP) photographer and Murat Eroğlu (former staffer of Özgür Gündem daily) were being released by the prosecutor before the trail.

The court defended the decision of arrest for 36 journalists by the reason of “strong evidence suspect” and “probability of obfuscating the evidences.”

Here the list of the detained journalists as follows;

Ramazan Pekgöz (Editor of DIHA -Diyarbakır)
Mazlum Özdemir (DIHA reporter-Diyarbakır)
Fatma Koçak (Editor in Chief, DIHA -İstanbul)
Kenan Kırkaya (DIHA Ankara Correspondent-Ankara)
Sadık Topaloğlu (DİHA reporter-Urfa)
Semiha Alankuş (Editor of DIHA -Diyarbakır)
Çağdaş Kaplan (DIHA reporter-İstanbul)
Ömer Çelik (DIHA reporter-İstanbul)
Zuhal Tekiner (DIHA Accountant-İstanbul)
Zeynep Kuray (reporter for Birgün Daily Newspaper and ANF)
Nahide Ermiş (Member of Editorial Board of monthly Özgür Halk and Demokratik Modernite )
Berxwedan Yaruk (Staffer of Demokratik Modernite)
Davut Uçar (Manager of Etik Agency)
Ömer Çiftçi (Licencee of Demokratik Modernite Monthly Magazine)
Hüseyin Deniz (Reporter for Evrensel daily)
İsmail Yıldız (former reporter of DİHA)
Dilek Demirel (İzmir)
Sibel Güler (Former employee of the daily Özgür Gündem)

Cihan Albay
Ertuş Bozkurt (Former employee of Fırat Distribution)
Çağdaş Ulus (Reporter of Vatan daily)
Nevin Erdemir (Employee of the daily Özgür Gündem)
Nurettin Fırat (Commentator of the daily Özgür Gündem)
Ayşe Oyman (Özgür Gündem)
Yüksel Genç (Özgür Gündem)
Çiğdem Aslan
Oktay Candemir (Former employee of DIHA)
Ziya Çiçekçi (Publisher and Managing Editor and Licensee of Özgür Gündem)
Haydar Tekin (Former employee of Fırat Distribution)
Safiye Torman (Demokratik Modernite Dergisi Van çalışanı)
Selahattin Aslan (Demokratik Modernite çalışanı)
İrfan Bilgiç (Former staffer of Fırat Distribution)
Şeyhmus Fidan (Fırat Distribution Staffer Istanbul)
M. Emin Yıldırım (Chief Editor Azadiya Welat daily Kurdish Newspaper)
Cihan Albay
Saffet Orman
(DIHA, 24 December 2011)

CPJ condemns journalist arrests in Turkey

Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) condemned journalist arrests in Turkey and sent on December 22, 2011, a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan and Sadullah Ergin, Turkish Minister of Justice. Emphasizing bad reputation of Turkey regarding press freedom, the CPJ said there was no response received from government referring its previous letters about this case.

The letter sent to Erdoğan is as follows:

Dear Prime Minister Erdoğan,

The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to condemn the arrests of as many as 29 journalists in raids on Tuesday as well as the ongoing media repression that has earned Turkey a reputation as one of the world’s worst press freedom violators and done grave damage to the consolidation of Turkish democracy.

In coordinated raids that stretched from Istanbul to Diyarbakir, and from Ankara to Izmir, police detained 40 individuals, according to state-run media. News reports said many are journalists, although the precise number is not clear. So far, CPJ has been able to identify 29 journalists by name and affiliation, and it continues to examine 11 others. Your government claims that the operation targets “the press and propaganda” arm of the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK), but it provides no evidence supporting this assertion. Authorities maintain that the KCK is the “urban wing” of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, a claim that has been widely disputed.

We are even more deeply troubled by this course of action because some in the Turkish media have alleged that a recent CPJ report confirming that eight Turkish journalist have been jailed for their work may have emboldened your government to take action. Indeed, your justice minister cited CPJ’s finding in remarks before Parliament on December 8, the newspaper Dünya reported.

Mr. Prime Minister, it would be perverse for your government to take any solace whatsoever from CPJ’s conclusion that eight journalists are in jail because of their work. This number–just behind Burma and ahead of Ethiopia–places Turkey firmly in the company of some of the world’s most repressive countries and deeply compromises your government’s commitments to democracy and the rule of the law. Our list of eight journalists jailed should be seen as a black mark on your record and a source of shame.

Moreover, it is a minimum. CPJ’s researchers systematically investigated every one of the estimated 64 journalists in jail in your country on December 1 to determine the reason for their incarceration. While we were able to confirm in eight cases that the charges were related to journalism, we condemn the jailing of every single journalist in Turkey because of pervasive due process violations. In many instances investigated by CPJ, the judicial process itself has been opaque and the charges unsubstantiated.

Our research is ongoing, and we intend to send a delegation to Turkey in 2012 to further review the outstanding cases. We hope that your government will demonstrate its commitment to the transparent application of the law by cooperating with the CPJ delegation. We note with grave concern that we never received a response to our July 25 letter sent to your justice minister and requesting information about the spate of arrests.

Mr. Prime Minister, we urge you to ensure that as a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, Turkey respect its international obligations, in particular by curbing the use of secret evidence against journalists. Your government’s record of what amounts to mass incarceration of journalists and media professionals without due process is doing grave damage to your country’s reputation as an emerging democratic power. The threat is compounded by the fact that thousands of criminal cases have been opened against journalists across Turkey.


We urge you to amend this record, to commit your government to a transparent and open legal process, and to ensure that no journalists in Turkey are ever jailed for the expression of dissenting ideas.
Sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director

Also sent to:
Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Stefan Füle, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy
Hélène Flautre, Chair of the European Parliament EU-Turkey delegation
Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe

Saga of reporter trial resumes on 299th day

The indictment accusing a group journalists of being members of and helping an outlawed organization began to be read yesterday on the 299th day of their arrest.

An anchorwoman from the state-run TRT read the 134-page Oda TV case indictment at a courthouse in Istanbul, in which 14 suspects, including arrested journalists Nedim Şener, Ahmet Şık and Soner Yalçın, are accused of having ties to the Ergenekon group.

The court adjourned at 6:00 p.m. yesterday without any rulings and the indictment’s reading will continue today.

Prosecutors allege in the indictment that Şık and Şener were aiding and abetting the outlawed Ergenekon organization. The other suspects are accused of being members of the gang.

Colleagues, friends and supporters of imprisoned journalists gathered yesterday in front of the Istanbul courthouse where the Oda TV trial was held.

Members of Freedom to Journalists Platform said in a statement read in front of the courthouse that journalists in Turkey were under oppression.

“This is the second big oppression against journalists in Turkey after the coup d’etat in 1980,” a representative said while holding Şık’s book “The Imam’s Army” (İmam’ın Ordusu), which was “a book draft prepared with other suspects as instructions and guidelines for the Ergenekon Armed Terrorist Organization” according to the prosecutors.

Despite efforts to eliminate copies of “The Imam’s Army,” the book recently went to print and was released on the market at Istanbul’s Tüyap Book Fair Nov. 16 under the title “000Book” (000Kitap).

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputies Umut Oran, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Binnaz Toprak, Oktay Ekşi, İlhan Cihaner and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü also followed the case in the courtroom.

Chief Judge Mehmet Ekinci said before the hearing that their duty was to decide by distinguishing facts and imputations.

Way-out statements

At the beginning of the case during the statements of identification Professor Yalçın Küçük represented himself as being “trial mannequin” which caused laughs in the courtroom.

“They arrest me for the important cases as a wall flower. I am also a retired professor who is imprisoned quite a bit…” said Küçük.

One of the other suspects Müyesser Uğur introduced herself by stating “I have been working as a journalist for last 30 years but the indictment says I am a terrorist.”

The Chief Judge replied, “Not at all!”

Şık said he is the father of a daughter who will be a bandit someday.

BDP deputy Kürkçü, who was also in the courtroom, told the Daily News he is hopeful due to the judge’s words on distinguishing facts and imputations but he was still afraid the case would run long.

“Only a prosecutor can gather a socialist journalist, a nationalist professor and an ultra-nationalist journalist for building a gang to target violence against the government,” Kürkçü said.

CHP deputy Oktay Ekşi said that the government and the judiciary should take lesson from the history that no idea can be put behind the bars.

Meanwhile the chief judge sent an officer to stop those using Twitter from spreading news from the courtroom during the case.

The hearing was still in process when the Daily News went to print yesterday. (Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 26, 2011)


TRT Director Insulted Kurdish Singer Rojin

A women's rights group on Monday called for the resignation of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) President İbrahim Şahin, the latest condemnation of a figure which the group has called an “enemy of women.”

The group, known as the Association for Education and Supporting Women Candidates (KADER), called for the resignation of Şahin after his terse and widely condemned slandering of the popular Kurdish singer Rojin during a dinner in Ankara four days ago.

Şahin, who called Rojin an “aşifte” (a woman with loose morals) during his speech before academics and journalists during the dinner, was denounced by KADER for what the group described as an “intentional” and “deliberate” show of disrespect towards Rojin. The group pointed to Şahin's inquiring if “any women were present” before making the statements as evidence of the “willing and planned” nature of the remarks.

The group rejected the TRT head's weekend apology and now says he must step down immediately to make amends for words which “legitimize verbal abuse” of women.
(TODAY'S ZAMAN, 26 December 2011)

Strong Reaction to Journalists' Arrest

Thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul and Ankara, protesting the arrest of journalists on allegations related to the so-called KCK operation. Police operations, investigations and massive trials into The Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK), the umbrella organization that includes the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have seen thousands of pro-Kurdish politicians and rights activists arrested in the last two years.

Prominent journalists and journalism organizations strongly condemned yesterday's police operations which took place in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Diyarbakır, Van and Adana.

While the motives behind the arrests are not clear yet, the news media reported that the suspects are alleged members of the press arm of the KCK. Mostly local correspondents, the journalists detained are working for Özgür Gündem, Vatan and BirGün dailies, Dicle and Fırat news agencies as well as AFP.

More than five thousand people walked through Istiklal Street in downtown Istanbul Tuesday evening, protesting the arrests. Protesters demanded the removal of the Anti-Terror Law which serves the basis for the operations.

"There are more than 70 journalists in prisons and we're expected to accept that more will be joining them. We're here today not just to defend the journalists but our right to information and our freedom of speech" said Alper Turgut, Turkish Union of Journalists (TGS).

A demonstration was also held in Ankara. Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) MPs Sebahat Tuncel, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, İdris Baluken, İbrahim Binici and Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Musa Çam, union leaders, journalists and rights activists attended.

Popular columnists speaking to bianet, also condemned the operation.

"State TV and news agency report that the operations are against the 'media and propaganda leg of the KCK'. Even during the darkest days of 1990s such reporting was not present. We have to stand against normalizing these developments" said Ahmet Hakan, daily Hurriyet columnist.

"A new term, authoritarian democracy is in currency for a while. Now the democracy is gone and we're stuck with authoritarian. Whatever the issue may be, it's the press' duty to scrutinize it. All governments must realize this: It's our duty" added Tuğrul Eryılmaz, senior editor of Radikal daily. (BIA, 21 December 2011)

EU strongly reacts to Turkey about detained journalists

Speaking to ANF about 42 detained journalists, Peter Stano, the spokesman for the European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele warned Turkey sternly and said that; “We are greatly concerned about the developments. The freedom of press is the most important and unbending condition of membership to the European Union.”

Making significant statements to ANF, Stano pointed out that; “Mr. Fuele also shares the same thoughts and concerns. He follows the developments closely. I underline that EU is not remaining silent about the developments.”

Stano noted that pressures on journalists wasn’t something new in Turkey and continued as follows; “The laws and the prosecutors’ comments on laws in connection with this are one of the greatest obstacles in front of Turkey. The anti-terror law which causes detentions and arrests should be amended in the soonest time. The Ministry of Justice gave us a promise in this regard.”

Spokesman Stano added that the EU office in Ankara and Ankara diplomats of EU member countries were also following developments closely.

Human rights violations, freedom of thought and pressures on journalists are the most important criteria for Turkey on the way to EU, underlined Stano and remarked that a country was supposed to pay regard to European values in the event of intending to be a member of the EU.

Stano gave the following warnings concerning the arrest of journalists; “Turkey should explain why journalists have been taken into custody. If the detentions are really linked to alleged terrorist activities, then criminal evidences should be laid open. However, I lay emphasis that none of the journalists should be arrested on the grounds of the duty they fulfill and the news they make.”

Stano ended his statement adding that they would also make a written statement on the subject.
(ANF, 22 December 2011)

Réactions européennes à l'arrestation des journalistes

Au moins 25 journalistes figuraient parmi les 40 personnes et plus arrêtées dans une rafle effectuée hier dans l'ensemble de la Turquie, en raison de leurs liens prétendus avec le Parti des Travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK), selon ce que rapportent la Fondation de Communication IPS (BIANET), le Comité pour la protection des journalistes (CPJ), la Fédération internationale des journalistes (FIJ) et Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Les arrestations portent à plus de 90 le nombre des journalistes incarcérés dans les prisons de Turquie, ce qui fait de ce pays l'un des pires du monde pour la détention des journalistes, dit BIANET.

"Nous appelons Ankara à rendre publiques l'identité des journalistes détenus ainsi que toutes les accusations portées contre eux", dit le CPJ. "Le gouvernement doit aussi présenter immédiatement les preuves à l'appui de cette répression alarmante et généralisée. Sans transparence, cette vague de répression ressemble à un effort pour réduire au silence les voix dissidentes."

Les raids qui étaient coordonnés et qui ont été effectués au petit matin, se sont étendus à sept villes de Turquie, dont Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Van, Izmir et Ankara, et s'inscriraient dans une "opération KCK", selon ce que rapportent les membres de l'IFEX. La KCK, ou Union des Communautés du Kurdistan, est l'organisation parapluie qui inclut le PKK militant. Le PKK est classé comme organisation terroriste par la Turquie, les États-Unis et l'Union européenne.

Les premiers rapports indiquent que l'opération visait non seulement les médias pro-kurdes mais aussi les médias grand public qui travaillent à l'occasion avec eux, fait remarquer RSF.

Selon la FIJ, plusieurs médias ont été réduits à la fermeture. Parmi les détenus, on compterait 10 journalistes de l'agence de nouvelles pro-kurde "Dicle", le photographe Mustafa Ozer, de Agence France-Presse, arrêté chez lui à Istanbul, ainsi que Zeynep Kuray, reporter qui couvre les questions des droits de la personne pour le quotidien "Bir Gun".

Cliquer ici pour consulter la liste complète des journalistes détenus, liste dressée par BIANET

Les arrestations sont survenues au moment où 65 journalistes se trouvaient déjà en prison en attente de procès, la plupart du temps sous prétexte d'allégations d'activités terroristes, dit la FIJ.

Le mois dernier, une mission internationale comprenant RSF, l'Institut international de la presse (IIP), la Fédération européenne des journalistes (FEJ) et d'autres groupes s'est rendue en visite en Turquie pour exiger la libération immédiate de tous les journalistes turcs apparemment emprisonnés à cause de leur travail.

Voir le rapport de la mission ici

La FEJ a en outre lancé une campagne internationale de cartes postales pour exprimer sa solidarité avec les journalistes emprisonnés.

Joignez-vous à 700 autres et appuyez la campagne ici

(info@ifex.org, 22 déc 2011)


Photographe détenu à Istanbul en Turquie: "vive préoccupation" de l'AFP

La Direction de l'Agence France-Presse (AFP) a exprimé aux autorités turques sa "vive préoccupation" suite à l'arrestation et au maintien en détention de Mustafa Özer, l'un de ses photographes à Istanbul.

M. Özer a été interpellé mardi lors d'une opération policière dans plusieurs villes de Turquie visant, selon l'agence de presse turque Anatolie, des milieux soupçonnés de collusion avec les rebelles kurdes.

Une quarantaine de personnes, dont plus de 20 journalistes, ont été arrêtées par des unités de la police anti-terroriste. M. Özer a été placé au secret dans les locaux de la Direction de la sûreté à Istanbul et peut être retenu en garde à vue pendant quatre jours avant d'être présenté à un juge.

"Nous souhaiterions que vous nous éclairiez sur les raisons de cette arrestation", a demandé le président de l'AFP, Emmanuel Hoog, dans une lettre adressée mercredi à l'ambassadeur de Turquie à Paris. "Nous avons bon espoir que cette affaire provienne d'un malentendu qui pourra être dissipé rapidement de façon à ce que M. Özer puisse reprendre ses activités professionnelles au plus vite", souligne M. Hoog.
(AFP, 22 déc 2011)

Nouvelle rafle contre les médias pro-kurde

Une quarantaine de personnes, dont un photographe de l'AFP, ont été arrêtées mardi lors d'une opération policière menée dans plusieurs villes de Turquie et visant des milieux soupçonnés de liens avec le KCK (Union des communautés kurdes).

Parmi elles figure un photographe de l'AFP, Mustafa Özer, qui a été arrêté au terme d'une perquisition de plusieurs heures effectuée par la police anti-terroriste à son domicile d'Istanbul. La police a saisi des CD et des documents et copié des cartes de mémoire informatique appartenant au photographe de l'AFP, a-t-elle ajouté.

Reporters sans frontières est vivement préoccupée par le coup de filet qui a visé la presse pro-kurde ce matin. « Les opérations de police en Turquie se suivent et se ressemblent : les perquisitions sont menées au mépris complet de la protection des sources journalistiques, les interpellations sont massives, ordinateurs et articles sont saisis comme autant de ‘preuves’. La question kurde ne sera pas résolue par la répression des opinions dissidentes au nom de la ‘lutte antiterroriste’. La criminalisation du journalisme, engagé ou non, doit impérativement prendre fin », a déclaré l’organisation.

Le 20 décembre 2011 vers 7 heures du matin, la police antiterroriste a perquisitionné les sièges à Istanbul des agences DIHA et ETHA ainsi que du quotidien Özgür Gündem, de la revue Demokratik Modernite et de l’imprimerie Gün. Le domicile du photographe de l’Agence France Presse (AFP), Mustafa Özer, a aussi été perquisitionné. Des opérations similaires ont aussi eu lieu à Ankara, Diyarbakir, Izmir, Van et Adana. Elles auraient été ordonnées par la 9ème chambre de la cour d’Assises d’Istanbul dans le cadre de l’enquête sur le réseau KCK, auquel les journalistes interpellés seraient soupçonnés d’appartenir.

Au total, environ 25 journalistes et collaborateurs des médias ont été placés en garde à vue. D’après les premières informations, le coup de filet ne visait pas seulement les médias pro-kurdes, mais également des collaborateurs de médias « mainstream » collaborant ponctuellement avec eux. Le rédacteur en chef du quotidien de gauche Birgün, Ilker Yasar, a confirmé à Reporters sans frontières l’interpellation de ses collaborateurs Zeynep Kurtay (reporter) et Ömer Celik (photographe). Le reporter du quotidien Vatan, Cagdas Ulus, serait aussi en garde à vue. « Même si cette rafle apparaît comme étant dirigée contre les journalistes d’ANF et de DIHA, elle touche en fait l’ensemble de la profession », a déclaré à Reporters sans frontières le directeur de publication de Vatan, Meriç Senyüz.

Parmi les journalistes interpellés figurent la directrice de l’information de DIHA à Istanbul Fatma Koçak, la directrice de publication de l’agence ETHA Arzu Demir, la membre du conseil éditorial de Demokratik Modernite Nahide Ermis, le directeur de l’information du bureau de DIHA à Diyarbakir, Ramazan Tekgöz, l’employé de Demokratik Modernite Berxwedan Yaruk, les reporters Semiha Alankus, Sadik Topaloglu, Cagdas Kaplan, Zuhal Tekiner, Kenan Kirkaya, et Evrim Kepenek. Conformément à la législation, ils n’ont pas le droit de communiquer avec leurs avocats pendant 24 heures et seront vraisemblablement maintenus en garde à vue pendant quatre jours avant de comparaitre devant un procureur.

La police aurait perquisitionné au domicile d’Arzu Demir et saisi son téléphone portable, ses carnets de notes, deux ordinateurs portables, le disque dur d’un ordinateur et la carte mémoire d’un appareil photo appartenant à l’agence, le texte de la deuxième édition du livre ‘’Le sang ne sèche pas’’ du détenu Sami Özbil ainsi que des photos de ce dernier, et des DVD.

Dans la province de Van, ravagée le mois dernier par un tremblement de terre, les policiers ont perquisitionné une tente sous laquelle travaillaient les journalistes de l’agence DIHA privés de locaux depuis la catastrophe.

Journalistes arrêtés en Turquie : mise en garde de l'OSCE

L'Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE) a mis en garde contre la multiplication d'arrestations de journalistes en Turquie, demandant des explications à Ankara sur une dernière vague d'arrestation mardi.

"Bien que les gouvernements aient le droit incontestable de lutter contre le terrorisme, cette lutte doit se faire sans museler la presse et limiter le droit du public à être informé. Ce droit inclut celui d'enquêter sur des sujets sensibles, tels que le terrorisme", a déclaré Dunja Mijatovic, représentante pour la liberté des médias de l'OSCE, dans un communiqué.

"Il est important de savoir pourquoi exactement ces professionnels des médias ont été arrêtés", a souligné Mme Mijatovic.

Elle a souligné "qu'avant même les événements de ce jour (mardi) le nombre de journalistes emprisonnés en Turquie est sans précédent dans la zone de l'OSCE". Elle a dénoncé "l'ampleur de l'opération de ce jour contre les journalistes", estimant que ce type d'arrestations "menace de manière générale la situation de la liberté de la presse dans le pays, en menant à l'auto-censure".

Quelque 70 journalistes et intellectuels ont été arrêtés en Turquie, notamment dans ce dossier visant les milieux kurdes, ce qui a entraîné les critiques et condamnations d'associations de défense des droits de l'Homme, ainsi que de l'Union européenne.
(AFP, RSF, 20 décembre 2011).

Journalists in Police Custody - Crackdowns on Homes and Offices

More than 25 journalists were taken into police custody in the course of operations against journalists in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Van, Adana and Diyarbakır on Tuesday morning (20 December). The crackdowns were part of the so-called KCK operation related to the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK), the umbrella organization that includes the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Employees of the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), the Etkin News Agency (ETHA), the Fırat News Agency (ANF) and the Özgür Gündem newspaper are among the journalists in custody as well as a photo reporter of the Agence France-Presse and a reporter of the Vatan newspaper.

The journalists in custody were taken to the Forensic Medicine Institute for a health check. Subsequently, they were brought to the Police Directorate.

DİHA reporter Berxwedan Yaruk informed bianet on the phone about the raid in the morning and was taken into custody by the police right afterwards.

Yaruk said that the DİHA and Özgür Gündem offices were raided by the police in the morning. Moreover, the employees' homes were searched since the early morning, he reported.

Also Yaruk's home was raided. He announced that Nahide Ermiş, member of the editorial board of the Özgür Halk ve Demokratik Modernite magazine, was taken into police custody at her home.

"A list shown by the police included names from ANF, Özgür Gündem and Özgür Halk ve Demokratik Modernite, among them Ömer Çelik, Çiğdem Aslan and Cihan Albay.

It was reported that the police raided a tent in Van that served as a DİHA office. All hard disks were confiscated. DİHA reporter Evrim Kepenk was taken into custody.

DİHA Istanbul news director Fatma Koçak and ETHA editor Arzu Demir are also in custody.

ANF and BirGün reporter Zeynep Kuray was taken into custody during a crackdown on her home.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) photo reporter Mustafa Özer was taken into custody too. This information was not confirmed by AFP but according to information of his relatives conveyed by the police Özer is in custody.

DİHA offices in Van, Diyarbakır, Ankara, Adana and Izmir were raided.

This is a list of journalists who were taken into police custody as state of affairs at 3.00 pm on 21 December:

Employees of DİHA and Özgür Gündem; DİHA editor-in-chief Fatma Koçak; DİHA concessionaire Zuhal Tekiner; DİHA Diyarbakır reporter Mazlum Özdemir; DİHA Van reporter Evrim Kepenek; DİHA Istanbul reporters Ömer Çelik and Çağdaş Kaplan; DİHA Urfa reporter Sadık Topaloğlu; DİHA Ankara reporters Kenan Kırıkkaya, İsmail Yıldız, Sevinç Tunceli, Güneş Ünsal, Nuri Fırat, Ziya Çiçek, Çiğdem Aslan, Ramazan Teköz, Semiha Alankuş, Ertuş Bozkurt, Diler Demirel and Hüseyin Deniz; ETHA editor Arzu Demir; Birgün newspaper reporter Zeynep Kuray; AFP photo reporter Mustafa Özer; Vatan newspaper reporter Çağdaş Ulus; Demokratik Modernite magazine editorial board member Nahide Ermiş; Cihan Albay and Etik Agency manager Davut Uçar. (BIA, 21 December 2011)

A new scandal: Printer convicted instead of writer and publisher

In Turkey, so-called democratic candidate to the European Union, where books are confiscated even before being printed and journalists imprisoned for simple articles of information, a new scandalous step has been taken by the detention of a printer.

A book entitled "Abdullah Öcalan With My Reminiscences", written by Gülseren Aksoy and published by Abdulrrezak Güngör, director of Çetin Publishing House, was confiscated by justice in 2005. The Criminal Court N°14 has been carrying on trials against Aksoy and Güngör for "propaganda of a terrorist organization".

Since two accused persons, Aksoy and Güngör, could not be arrested on these charges, the tribunal decided to try the owner of the Bertan Printing House, Sadık Daşdöğen, on the same charges and recently condemned him to a one-year prison and a fine of 782 Turkish Liras.

On this verdict, police raided the printing house on December 16 and took Daşdöğen into custody. He is at present jailed at the Metris Prison.

His lawyer Özcan Kiliç said that it is compatible neither with justice nor with reason and logic to imprison a printer instead of the writer and publisher of a book. He underlines that this verdict is against the principle of "personal responsibility in crime and punishment" recognized by the Constitution as well as to Article 11 of the Turkish Press Code. Qualifying Daşdöğen's condemnation and arrest as "scandalous", Kiliç said: " It is evident that the justice in Turkey is under feet."

Bertan Printing House is also printer of many books published by Zarakolu's Belge Publishing House. (Info-Türk, Dec 17, 2011)

One Artist, Seven Investigations, Two Trials

Two lawsuits and seven investigations were opened against Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunç due to his speeches delivered during the run-up to the general election on 12 June 2011. Tunç was campaigning as deputy candidate of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block for Dersim.

Tunç appeared before the Tunceli Magistrate Criminal Court on Tuesday (13 December). He is tried under allegations of "praising offences and offenders" as stipulated in Article 215 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK). The charges stem from the terms "guerrilla" and "respected Öcalan" (imprisoned leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)) Tunç used at a program hosted by Tayfun Talipoğlu on TV 8.

The trial pending against Tunç before the Nazimiye Magistrate Criminal Court was continued one day earlier (12 December). In this trial, he is again charged with "praising offenders and offences" because he used the word "martyr" during his election campaign.

The seven on-going investigations were launched on the grounds of speeches made in the region of Dersim (Kurdish-majority south-eastern Turkey) during the pre-election period.

"Messages of peace"

In an interview with bianet, Tunç said that the was tried because of his use of the word "guerrilla" at several places including State Security Courts (DGM) in the past and that he was always acquitted.

According to Tunç, the trials on the above mentioned charges were opened against him intentionally even though the judges knew that the use of that word did not constitute a reason for punishment.

All his speeches made during the run-up to the election were messages of peace related to a democratic and violence-free solution of the Kurdish question, Tunç emphasized. Contrary to the allegations, he did not say anything that would have encouraged the people to an uprising, the artist assured.

He added that it was not up to the judges to decide whom he would have to call respectable" and whom not.

Tunç's lawyer Barış Yıldırım said that all trials and investigations opened against Tunç fell into the scope of freedom of expression. This, according to Yıldırım, was contrary to the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). (BIA, Nilay VARDAR, 15 December 2011)

Crucial Problems: Detained Journalists and Censorship

During her first visit to Turkey, Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, participated in the panel discussion "Turkey and Freedom of Expression". The event was organized by the Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences (SBF) and hosted by Ass. Prof Kerem Altıparmak.

Mijatovic drew attention to the importance of her first official visit to the country and said, "This is our first official visit to Turkey related to press freedom. I came here with a small but energetic team. It is an important step that we are here".

At the beginning of her speech, she introduced the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and described it as the world's only intergovernmental organization that monitors the media in the world and has a mandate for press freedom. "The OSCE has 56 member states and I talk to the government officials of these countries. If the governments of the OSCE member states do not fulfil their duty of press freedom in any way, it is my job to voice criticism in my field of responsibility", Mijatovic explained.

She remarked that the OSCE was not a non-governmental organization but an independent institution that maintained a good co-operation with governmental institutions.

"Detained journalists and internet censorship are on our agenda"

According to Mijatovic, many journalists are being imprisoned guiltlessly in Turkey. She pointed to a data base regarding detained journalists published by the OSCE in March, "It includes information on journalists and other persons in prison. I discuss this situation with the governments of the member states. I hope we will reach a solution. This is an important problem for the Turkish society".

International commitments should be fulfilled to pave the way to solve these problems, Mijatovic said and emphasized that a quick advancement would be possible that way. If information was being concealed on the other hand, a solution could not be reached, she argued.

"Internet censorship in Turkey is a serious problem"

Mijatovic highlighted the importance of free information flow, access to information and freedom of communication. The OSCE representative talked to Turkish officials about problems such as the internet filtering system and access bans to web sites. She suggested a number of recommendations and the talks are still going on, Mijatovic informed the audience.

She indicated a positive development in this aspect in Turkey throughout the past year, pointing to the internet filtering system that was initially considered compulsory for all internet users and was made optional later on. "There is a long way ahead in solving the problems of the internet environment for real freedom of the media".

"People should not be locked up in prison for their opinions"

Mijatovic expressed her belief that a certain procedure should be required for locking up people in prison: "I visit journalists in prison. The situation is not bright in any of the 56 OSCE member states. In Russia, the police intervened against journalists after the election. In Tajikistan, two journalists went to jail on the grounds of their articles on community-related topics, terrorism and corruption. They were released after diplomatic talks but this is a short-term solution. The political will and change is needed to solve this problem completely. Therefore, officials need to be transparent in regard with the law".

Mijatovic stressed the benefit of studying OSCE publications and reports and encouraged the audience to visit their daily updated websites. A facebook site is going to be launched soon which was an important means to familiarize also young people with the structure of the OSCE press office, she announced.

Concrete recommendations for a solution

After her speech, Mijatovic answered questions during the panel discussion. Host Kerem Altıparmak mentioned the recently increased number of trials filed by Turkish politicians related to alleged insult and compensation claims. Mijatovic commented, "I do not find compensation claims by top rank officials appropriate. (...) They should be aware of their responsibility and a high level of criticism".

One participant asked if the visit to Turkey was a matter of courtesy or aimed at recommending a concrete solution. Mijatovic was also asked whom she was going to talk with. She replied, "Our visit is definitely not a matter of courtesy. We advocate for press freedom and we came to Turkey to suggest a concrete solution. We are very clear on this. There are many ways to contribute and we have to work together. Even if completely abolishing a law and designing new regulations is not in question, we request to amend certain articles. There is an open dialogue but it is very important to achieve tangible results. I am going to talk to the Minister of the Interior on [Thursday, 15 December]. Additionally, I am going to meet journalists in prison and non-governmental organizations in Istanbul".

Subsequent to the panel discussion, Dunja Mijatovic set off for a meeting with the Minister of Justice. (BIA, Polen ARTAR, 15 December 2011)

"Additional Information" Landed Journalist in Jail

On 13 December, the Beşiktaş (Istanbul) 10th High Criminal Court sentenced Birgün newspaper reporter İlkem Ezgi Aşam to imprisonment of one year on the grounds of supportive information added to a news item. The verdict was based on Article 6 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) on "identifying officials on anti-terror duties as targets".

The trial was launched upon the complaint of Brigadier General Korkmaz Tağma about the news entitled "The community general at the Mutki excavations" published in the Birgün newspaper on 24 January. The main news item was not signed by anybody.

Birgün editor-in-chief İbrahim Çeşmecioğlu was also tried in the scope of the same case.

Çeşmecioğlu passed away during the trial period. Procedures were expected to be dropped. However, the prosecution of Aşam was continued on the grounds of her signature under the part of the news that was quoting Hasan Ceylan's opinion about Brigadier General Tağma. Ceylan is the Bitlis Representative of the Human Rights Association (İHD).

The part of the news signed by Aşam quoted İHD representative Çeylan as saying that in his opinion Korkmaz Tağma was connected with the massacres in Bitlis and Mutki.

Journalist Aşam appealed the decision. If the Court of Appeal upholds the sentence, she will go to jail since prison sentences decided under the TMK cannot be converted into alternative fines.

"We were hoping for an acquittal"

Lawyer Tolga Güvercin told bianet that they had actually expected Aşam's acquittal. Güvercin emphasized that the section signed by Aşam exclusively contained the opinion voiced by the İHD representative without having added any further comment by the journalist.

"The court assessed the whole news as completely made by Ezgi Aşam. We plead that the other news did not intend to identify anybody as a target either and that it was to be seen within the scope of the right of the press to make news and the duty to inform the public".

"We are experiencing a concrete example of the situation that 'a journalist is facing a prison threat because of first hand news', a topic that has been discussed ever since the TMK was enforced", Güvercin criticized.

Aşam was surprised about the one-year sentence for an opinion included in the supportive frame around the main news.

"We were hoping for an acquittal because I was not penalized for the news but for an opinion. The news is a collection of news items and my signature was under one box only".

"As it was my required journalistic duty I called Hasan Ceylan and I also tried to reach Korkmaz Ceylan. Yet, I was not able to reach the latter. The situation is rather grave if a trial is being opened on the grounds of a box with additional information". (BIA, Emel GÜLCAN, 16 December 2011)

Appeal for Solidarity: Choose a Belge Book as Seasons Gift

As you know, our friend Ragip Zarakolu, defender of human rights, Chief Editor of Belge Publishing House and Chairman of the Committee for Freedom of Expression, has been under arrest for more than one month. We do not know why he is accused because the file of the legal proceeding is still kept confidential.

We thank all our friends who have already sent us their messages of solidarity with Zarakolu and his publishing house.

Ragip is still in the High Security Prison of Kandira and we do not know how many times he will stay there.

We think that is the time to support the Belge Publishing House. You can confirm your friendship and solidarity by choosing as gift to your friends some books of the Belge Publishing House.

Below you'll find a list of some Belge books.

You can directly buy the books at the publishing house in Istanbul if you are there (Divanyolu Cad. Binbirdirek İşhanı N0:15/1 Sultanahmet/İstanbul, belgeyayinlari@gmail.com). You can benefit from a 30% reduction if your order is of over 100 Turkish Liras.

You can also order the books by clicking the following cyber-bookshops:

http://www.kitapyurdu.com (in Turkey) and http://www.kitapyurdu.eu (abroad).

Let's confirm our friendship with Ragip's publishing house.

Friendly greetings and happy new year.

BELGE'S FRIENDS

Contacts:
belgeyayinlari@gmail.com

BELGE’S SOME BOOKS:

Ahparik Sarkis / Asagi Mahalle Yok Artik / Zülfü Kışanak
Almanya Türkiye’deki Rumları Nasıl Mahvetti / How Germany Ruined the Greeks in Turkey / Mihail Rodas
Emvâl-i Metrûke Olayı / Ermeni ve Rum Mal. Türkleştirilmesi /The Event of Derelicts / Turkification of Armenian and Greek Properties / Nevzat Onaran
İttihattı Terakki’den Günümüze Yek Tarz-ı Siyaset: Türkleştirme / Only Political Mannerism from the Union and Progress Committee Until Today: Turkification / Gülçiçek Günel Tekin
Musa Dağında 40 Gün / 40 Days in Musa Dagh / Franz Werfel
Peloponnesos Savaşları / Peloponnesus Wars / Thukydides
Soykırımın İkinci Safhası / Second Stage of Genocide / Raymond H. Kevorkian
Tamama / Pontos’un Yitik Kızı / Tamama: Pontos’s Lost Girl / Yorgos Andreadis
Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa’dan Ergenekon’a / From the Special Organisation To Ergenekon
/ Gülçiçek Günel Tekin
Being Expelled From Turkey: Haci Beg’s Smyrna Days / Harry Yeseyan
Vatansız Gateteci - I Sürgün Öncesi / Stateless Journalist - I Years prior to exile / Doğan Özgüden
Vatansız Gateteci - II Sürgün Yılları / Stateless Journalist - II  Years of Exile / Doğan Özgüden
Amasya’nın Dikenleri / The Knock at the Door / Margaret Ajemian Ahnert
Anadolu ve Rum Göçmenlerin Kökeni / Origins of the Anatolian Greek Immigrants / G. Nakracas
Aratta - Kutsal Yasalar Ülkesi / In Ararat / Artak Movsisian
Arnavut Vasil/ Albanian Vasil / Mirivilis
Bernadette'in Ezgisi / Bernadette’s Song / Franz Werfel
1908: Birlikte  Yürüyebilseydik /1908: Wish We Walk Together / Ertuğrul Aladağ
Bir Esirin Anıları / Memoirs of a Prisoner / Stratis Dukas
Buyruk - Beloyannis'in Öyküsü / Beloyannis’s Story / Dido Sotiriyu
Çanakkale’nin Kedileri / Cats of Dardanelles / Armin T. Wegner
Dünya Hepimize Yeter/ The World Is Enough For All of Us / Sarkis Çerkesyan
Ege Hikayeleri / Aegean Stories / Ilias Venesis
Elveda Margarita: Küçük Kentimizin Sonu / Goodbye Margarita / Dimitris Hacis
Ermeni Soykırımı ve Toplumsal Hafıza/ Armenian Genocide / Verjine Svazlian
Ermenilerin Tarihi / History of Armenians / Sarkis Seropyan
Eski Tüfekler/ Old Hands / Menis Kumandareas
Fedayin / Avetis Ahoranian
Fedailer / Traditional Pontos Folk Drama / H. Samuilidis
Gerçek Bizi Özgür Kılacak / Truth Will Make Us Free / George Jerjian
Gizli Din Taşıyanlar / Cripto-Christians / Yorgos Andreadis
Hacı Manuil - Beykoz'da Neler Oldu / Hagi Manuil / T. Kastanakis
Hayduk'lar / Hayduks / Panait Istrati
Hegnar Çeşmesi / Hegnar Fountain / Mıgırdiç Armen
İstenmeyen Adam / Nongrata Person / Yorgos Andreadis
İzak / Isaac / Panait Istrati
İzmir Masalları / Smyrna Tales / Sema Sandalcı
Kaderin Kara Köpeği / Black Dog of Fate / Peter Balakian
Kalderon Ailesi / Kalderon Family / Moris Karako
Kapıyı Kimler Çalıyor / Who Knock the Door / Kirkor Ceylan
Kilaman-Anadolu’dan Gelen Bir Rumun Anıları / Kilaman: Memoirs of a Greek Coming from Anatolian / Lazaros K. Aşıkoğlu
Loksandra / Maria Yordanidu
Odessa Stories / Odessa Stories / Isaac Babel
April 11 Monument / April 11 Monument / Teotig
Armen Garo’s Memoirs / Armen Garo’s Memoirs / Armen Garo
Pontus’taki Evim / House in Pontos / Yorgos Andreadis
Silahtarın Bahçeleri / Silihdari Bardezneri / Zabel Yesayan
Uçurtmalar - Anna’nın Kitabı / Anna’s Book / Ilias Venezis
Yitik Kentin Kırk Yıl / 40 Years of the Lost City / Kozmas Politis
Büyükelçi Morgenthau’nun Öyküsü / Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story / Henry Morgenthau
Gerilla Anıları - Yunan İç Savaşından / Guerilla Memoirs From the Greek Civil War / Mihri Belli
Ermeni Soykırımı Tarihi / History of Armenian Genocide / V. Dadrian
Ermeni Soykırımında Kurumsal Roller / Corporate Roles in the Armenian Genocide / V. Dadrian
Türk Kaynaklarında Ermeni Soykırımı / Armenian Genocide in the Turkish Resources / V. Dadrian
Malta Belgeleri / Maltese Documents: British Foreign Dossiers on Turkish War Prisoners / Vartkes Yeghiayan
Rafael Lemkin’in Ermeni Soykırımı Dosyası / Rafael Lemkin’s Dossier on Armenian Genocide / Vartkes Yeghiayan
Türkiye Yunanistan Nüfus Mübadelesi / Greco-Turkish Population Exchange / Mihri Belli
Ulusal ve Uluslar arası Hukuk Sorunu Olarak Jenosid / Genocide As National and International Matter of Law / V. Dadrian
Çağdaş Helen Tarihi / Contemporary Hellenic History / Nikos Svoronos
Kapetanios - Yunan İç Savaşı / Kapetanios / Dominique Eudes
Varlık Vergisi 1942-1944 / Wealth Tax 1942-1944 / Ali Sait Çetinoğlu
Bir Ülkeye Ağıt- Annus Horribilis / Requem for a Country-Annus Horribilis / Ragıp Zarakolu

TGDP: The number of imprisoned journalist rises to 66

The Platform for Solidarity with Detained Journalists (TGDP) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the arrests of Journalists in Turkey. Calling attention to the oppressions to silent journalists in Turkey, the TGDP and the CPJ stated that Turkey is the worst country regarding the number of jailed reporters.

According to the latest statement of TGDP, the number of imprisoned journalist rose to 66 with the latest detainments of two more journalists in the alleged connection of the Revolutionary Headquarters.

Despite the dispute the number of jailed reporters, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem, said that “press freedom in Turkey is under assault,” issuing a press release on Thursday.

Dayem underlined that “thousands of criminal cases have been filed against reporters, the Criminal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act are used routinely to silence critical news coverage, and Kurdish journalists face constant persecution.”

Pointing out that their research is ongoing, including into cases that have been flagged to them again today, Dayem continued;

“Yet all press freedom defenders following developments in Turkey have reached the same conclusion: The situation is alarming and is getting worse. After concluding a fact-finding mission to Turkey this year, CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney wrote that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party "have resorted to nationalist tactics by using vague defamation laws and sweeping anti-terrorism statutes to rein in not only traditional targets such as leftist and Kurdish journalists but also government critics in the mainstream media." (DIHA, December 12, 2011)

Police's Ridiculous Visit to Zarakolu's Publishing House

The Committee in Solidarity With Ragip Zarakolu informed the media that plain-cloth policemen came to Belge Publishing House at 1.30 pm on December 9, 2011, with a ridiculous pretext.

They said: "We were informed that a press conference would be held here on the occasion of the anniversary of the publishing house's destruction in 1978. We are here in order to protect Server Tanilli and Ragip Zarakolu who are supposed to speak at this meeting."

The publishing house's staff was completely amazed by this claim because Professor Server Tanilli had died two weeks ago and Ragip Zarakolu is under arrest since 1st of November. So, they do not need any more to be protected by the police.

Furthermore, the publishing house was bombed not in 1978 but on December 3, 1994, together with the daily newspaper Özgür Ülke.

RSF Campaign in solidarity with Ragip Zarakolu

“In some countries, just using this computer could land you in prison” said Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as a slogan for the campaign against violation of expression rights in Turkey.

The campaign has continued since Ragıp Zarakolu’s imprisonment on November 1st under the title "
Turkey : At the forefront of imprisoning journalists until further notice".

The statement took place on the RSF’s web-site underlined that “Ragıp Zarakolu is a respected journalist, well known internationally for his human rights campaigning” and continued as follows;

“He is also now a victim of the Turkish government’s misuse of ‘terrorism’ charges.

"On the 1st of November 2011, having defended the rights of minority Kurdish people in his writings, he was sent to the Metris Prison in Istanbul.

"So far, no official reason has been given for his arrest, but his lawyer reports that he was questioned about several articles he wrote in a pro-Kurdish newspaper, and about trips he’d made abroad.

The statement concluded with a call on people for help for Ragıp Zarakolu who is 63 and not in the best of health.

There are also other campaigns for Vietnamese, Burmese and Syrian journalists, facing pressures during their work. (DIHA, Decedmber 9, 2011)

PEN Sweden ask to release Erbey and Zarakolu

The Swedish PEN has released a new press release calling on the Turkish authorities to release writer and lawyer Muhrarrem Erbey (in prison since December 2009) and writer and publisher Ragip Zarakolu.

The new release came as the new hearing of the trial in which Erbey is a defendant took place.

Ragip Zarakolu, a member of PEN Turkey and honorary member of Swedish PEN Centre, is a well known political activist who has been fighting for freedom of expression in Turkey for over 30 years, publishing books on issues such as minority and human rights. As one of the 50 writers chosen to represent the struggle for freedom of expression since 1960 for the Writers in Prison Committee's 50th Anniversary Campaign – Because Writers Speak Their Minds – Ragip Zarakolu's case is "emblematic of the ongoing struggles many writers, publishers and freedom of expression and human rights activists in Turkey continue to face", writes Ola Larsmo (Swedish PEN), Eugene Schoulgin (PEN International) and Mats Söderlund (Swedish Writers Association).

The writers "condemn the arrest of writer and academic Professor Büşra Ersanlı, Deniz Zarakolu, and Ragip Zarakolu on charges that appear to be related to his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression".

They call "for a full, impartial investigation into the arrests of other academics arrested under anti-terror legislation, including Aziz Tunç, Ayes Berktay and A. Dursun Yildiz".

And they also call on "the Turkish authorities to live up to their commitments to protect freedom of expression under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights".
(ANF, 7 December 2011)

Darwin Sites Banned - Survival of the Fittest?

Access is being denied to all internet sites related to evolution as the result of the children profile of the internet filtering system implemented by the Council of Information Technology and Communications (BTK). The latest restriction on internet access caused uproar among internet users.

The "Secure Internet" filtering system was applied on 22 November. Its children profile bans the entire number of websites concerned with the theory of evolution and British naturalist Charles Darwin. This comprises all sites that contain the words "evolution" or "Darwin".

Also sites like www.aboutdarwin.com, www.darwinday.org and www.evrimianlamak.org ('understanding evolution') are included.

No evolution but creation

While sites related to the evolutionary theory are being "filtered", websites about the theory of creation such as www.yaratilis.com ('creation') or the anti-evolution site www.evrimaldatmacasi.com ('evolution deceit') can be accessed easily.

Internet users can check which sites are forbidden on the internet site www.guvenlinet.org ('secure net') that is connected to the BTK. However, the site allows checking for a maximum of ten websites. After that, a message pops up reading "The number of queries is too high"

Academic and blogger A. Murat Eren commented the news on Twitter. According to Eren, the ban could be lifted if internet users voted against the ban on the site the "prohibition" message comes up. That way, the "filtered" site could be removed from the category of forbidden sites, he explained.
(BIA, 9 December 2011)

Nedim Şener Acquitted of Charges on "Interesting Scheme"

Allegations of violating the confidentiality of the Ergenekon investigation were now dropped against journalist Nedim Şener. He was acquitted because "elements of crime had not been constituted". Şener was tried un-detained in the scope of this trial and faced imprisonment of up to eight years.

The clandestine Ergenekon organization is charged with the attempt to overthrow the ruling Justice and Development Party government.

Şener, detained in the context of the Oda TV trial, was brought to the Bakırköy (Istanbul) 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance from prison to present his defence for the last time at the hearing on Wednesday (7 December).

Şener said that he published the scheme as the bone of contention of the trial in order to depict the connection between the Ergenekon investigation and the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

"Even though the intelligence service prepared this scheme they found excuses and told the court they did not do so. These schemes were shown to prosecutor Zekeriya Öz who was in charge of the Ergenekon investigation then by the involved parties one year after I had written the book. However, the Hrant Dink murder and the Ergenekon investigation were not merged", the journalist added.

Şener stated it was not important whether he was going to be convicted or acquitted in this case since light had to be shed on the murder of Hrant Dink.

"In the prosecutor's plea presented at the latest hearing of the Ergenekon trial, the prosecutor affirmed his believe that there was a connection between the set-up of Ergenekon and the Hrant Dink murder but that he had not been able to proof this. These schemes might be the most powerful evidence of the trial but they were not investigated. If I will be punished for this crime, these schemes will be rendered legitimate on a judicial basis for the first time. As a defendant of the Ergenkon trial you will not find anybody else who claims a connection between the Dink murder and 'Ergenekon'".

Judge Hasan Gülver decided for Şener's acquittal because "legal elements of crime had not been constituted".

Charges pressed against journalist Şener

The indictment prepared by the Bakırköy Public Chief Prosecution was based on the article entitled "An interesting scheme from the police" by Nedim Şener published on page 11 of the nation-wider Milliyet daily on 9 February 2009. The indictment claimed that photographs of persons related to the "Ergenekon" investigation run by the Istanbul Public Chief Prosecution were published and that these people were shown guilty. It was also said that these person were stigmatized as guilty by the article and that this did not comply with the conditions of confidentiality. (BIA, 8 December 2011)

Owner of daily newspaper detained in Ergenekon probe

Law enforcement officials detained four people yesterday within the scope of the ongoing Ergenekon probe, including Mehmet Sabuncu, the owner of daily Aydınlık, while around 100 supporters of the Workers’ Party (İP) gathered before Sabuncu’s flat to protest the raid.

“They are terribly afraid of us because we are defending the country. We are going to call everything to account. We do not fear repression. Aydınlık has no single owner, it has thousands. Aydınlık’s owner is the people,” the daily’s editor-in-chief, Serhan Bolluk, said in a press statement he issued while security forces were still searching Sabuncu’s flat.

Istanbul police arrived at Sabuncu’s house in the district of İçerenköy around 7 a.m. Tuesday and conducted a search for six hours. Security officials also conducted a separate search in the offices of the İP in the Çorlu province of the northwestern province of Tekirdağ.

İP leader Doğu Perinçek is on trial under arrest in the Ergenekon case.

Retired Maj. Zafer Şen, retired military judge Bahadır Berk and one more suspect were also taken under custody by the police as part of the Ergenekon trials.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officers launched another series of simultaneous raids in Istanbul and the Mediterranean province of Antalya yesterday, detaining 13 alleged members of the Revolutionary Headquarters, an outlawed and armed left-wing organization.

A dozen suspects were taken to the police department after going through health checks in Istanbul, while suspect T.T., 26, a high school security guard who was only identified by his initials, was sent to Istanbul after being taken into custody in Antalya, according to reports.

The suspects were detained on the charge of “being a member of and aiding and abetting an outlawed organization,” while police officers reportedly seized large quantities of organizational documents and digital material during the raids.

Among high-profile suspects in the ongoing Revolutionary Headquarters trials is Hanefi Avcı, a former police chief who wrote a book titled “Haliç’te Yaşayan Simonlar: Dün Devlet Bugün Cemaat” (Devotee Residents of Haliç: Yesterday State, Today Religious Community), which alleges that the religious Gülen community has covertly taken control of the state.

Avcı was arrested following the book’s publication, although he was earlier known to have been close to the Gülen community.

Ergenekon is an alleged ultranationalist gang that is accused of plotting to overthrow the government by fomenting chaos in society.

Compiled from Anatolia News Agency and the Doğan News Agency stories by the Daily News staff in Istanbul.
(Hürriyet Daily News, 6 December 2011)

A committee in solidarity with Ragip Zarakolu set up in Turkey

Mrs. Sennur Baybuga, lawyer of Publisher Ragip Zarakolu under arrest, has sent the following communiqué:

You know that, for a long time, we have been contemplating a working team to canalize any activities, campaigns, visits and so on concerning Ragıp Zarakolu’s arrestment from a single center in Turkey. In this connection, the Association of Turkish Publishers, the Writers’ Trade Union of Turkey and Turkey PEN have been negotiated.

As a result of these negotiations, we had a strong impression that these three non-governmental organizations will support all activities and do’s to be conducted for Zarakolu. Additionally, Muzaffer Erdoğdu, a member of the Committee for Freedom of Thought, Association of Turkish Publishers and owner of Pencere Publishing House, declared his will to work in coordination together with us. The Human Rights Association declared their overt support in this context and Hulusi Zeybel from this Association proposed to collaborate in person with us.  Finally, the Kadıköy Initiative for Freedom of Thought stated their overt support to our activities.

The committee which was set up with these three organizations’ support is composed of Ali Sait Çetinoğlu, Attila Tuygan, Erol Özkoray, Hacı Orman, Sennur Baybuğa and Sinan Zarakolu. All communications, plannings and suggestions will be shared to the public through them and the foreign connections will be carried out by them.
 
The committee has the following program: 

1- First of all, a delegation comprised of the representatives of these non-governmental organizations, the writers and journalists will visit Zarakolu in a shortest time. A step will be taken in this direction on Monday by Lawyer Sennur Baybuğa;

2- The notebook including the signatures and writings entered during TÜYAP Book Fair for the sake of support to Zarakolu will be immediately expanded and published as a book  with the Writers’ Trade Union’s contribution.

3- Various writers will be invoked to write articles in the Zarakolu’s column of the newspaper; 

4- Views and ideas will be bounced off with the delegations from abroad and announced to the media. The delegations from abroad will be provided with at least coordination services during their contacts and meetings.

5- Mainly, the best efforts will be made in order for Zarakolu not to be forgetten during his arrest, and the fact that his arrest is injustice and extralegal will be kept on emphasizing and proclaiming.

Contact: Sennur Baybuga
sennurbaybuga@hotmail.com, Tel: 0090-532-337 54 20

Zarakolu's Prison Address:
Ragip Zarakolu
2 N°'li F-Tipi Cezaevi
Kocaeli
Turkey

All news on Zarakolu's Arrest:
http://www.info-turk.be/400.htm#Ragip
http://www.info-turk.be/399.htm#Info


Création en Turquie d’un comité de soutien à Ragip Zarakolu

Mme Sennur Baybuga, avocate de l’éditeur Ragip Zarakolu emprisonné, a fait le communiqué suivant :

Vous savez que depuis longtemps, nous envisageons de créer un groupe de travail pour canaliser, depuis un centre unique en Turquie, toute action, campagne, visite ou autres, décidées en réaction à l’arrestation de Ragip Zarakolu. C’est à cet effet que l’Association des Editeurs Turcs, le Syndicat des Ecrivains de Turquie, et Pen Turquie ont confronté leurs points de vue.

L’idée forte qui s’est dégagée de ces discussions, c’est que ces trois organisations non-gouvernementales soutiendront toutes les initiatives qui seront prises en faveur de Zarakolu. Par ailleurs, Muzaffer Erdoglu, membre du Comité pour la Liberté de Pensée, de l’Association des Editeurs Turcs et propriétaire de la Maison d’Edition Pencere, a dit sa volonté de travailler en coordination avec nous. L’Association des Droits de l’Homme a déclaré son soutien manifeste à cette démarche et Hulusi Zeybel, membre de cette association, a proposé sa collaboration personnelle avec nous. Enfin, l’Initiative Kadikoy pour la Liberté de Pensée a déclaré son soutien manifeste à nos activités.

Le comité qui a été constitué avec le soutien de ces trois organisations, est composé d’Ali Sait Cetinoglu, Attila Tuygan, Erol Ozkoray, Haci Orman, Sennur Baybuga et Sinan Zarakolu. Ce sont ces personnes qui rendront publiques toutes les communications, tous les projets et suggestions, et qui se sont chargées de créer les liens avec l’étranger.

Le programme du Comité est le suivant :

1. Tout d’abord, au sein d’une délégation composée des représentants de ces organisations non gouvernementales, d’écrivains et de journalistes, une visite sera faite à Zarakolu dans les plus brefs délais. Un premier pas sera franchi dans cette direction lundi par l’avocate Sennur Baybuga ;

2. Le cahier des signatures ouvert au cours de la Foire du Livre de Tuyap, pour le soutien de Zarakolu, sera immédiatement mis en forme, et avec la contribution du Syndicat des Ecrivains, publié sous forme d’ un livre ;

3. Des auteurs seront sollicités pour écrire des articles dans la rubrique Zarakolu du journal ;

4. Les idées et points de vue des délégations étrangères seront repris et communiqués aux media. Les délégations de l’étranger seront informées au moins par les services de coordination par des contacts ou des réunions.

5. Et avant tout, les meilleurs efforts seront faits afin que Zarakolu ne soit pas oublié pendant sa détention ; le fait que son arrestation est illégale et constitue une injustice sera en permanence mis en avant et proclamé.

Contact : Sennur Baybuga
sennurbaybuga@hotmail.com, Tél. : 0090-532-337 54 20

Adresse de la prison de Zarakolu :
Ragip Zarakolu
2 N°'li F-Tipi Cezaevi
Kocaeli
Turquie

Toutes les Informations sur l’Arrestation de Zarakolu :
http://www.info-turk.be/400.htm#Ragip
http://www.info-turk.be/399.htm#Info

traduction Gilbert Béguian, Stéphane ©armenews.com
, 9 déc 2011


Many arrests, including DIHA reporter

Police transferred Ararat Aras, a reporter of Dicle News Agency (DIHA), to the Court of the Doğubeyazıt District of Ağrı, following two day custody with three others in the Tatvan District of Bitlis.

However, questioning of ten people, including Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) executives, who were detained at the same day in the Doğubeyazıt District, is continuing at the city’s police department.

In connection with the same arrest of wave, five out of seven detainees were sent to prison yesterday, for “Being member of the illegal organization.”

Jail sentence for two more people came from Kocaeli where two women were brought court following a protest demonstration against missile defense shields in Kocaeli. The jailed women hung a banner written “We want democratic high school instead of missile defense shields” on December 4.

Today, the Istanbul Police Department launched a new arrest wave in connection with the “Revolutionary Headquarters” case and detained 13 people following a series of house raids in the early morning. It is expected that the number of the detainees will be increase on the advancing hours of the day.

Finally, at least as of today morning, Cizre Police Department in Şırnak held a blanket house raids and detained four people. (DIHA, 6 December 2011)

Anti Terror Law on the Job - Journalists in the Streets

In July, August and September 2011, 66 journalists were in jail, 11 of whom because of their writings and utterances. 13 people are facing imprisonment of 334.5 years in total. Most of the trials are based on Articles 7/2 of the Anti Terror Law and 314 and 220 of the Criminal Law.

66 journalists are currently in Turkish prisons; eleven of them by reason of their writings and oral statements in the third quarter of 2011. In the previous quarter a total of 68 journalists were in prison, twelve of whom were detained for their news, writings and speeches.

Journalists who went to prison till October were Azadiya Welat newspaper editor-in-chiefs Vedat Kurşun, Ruken Ergün and Ozan Kılınç; Azadiya Welat Batman representative Deniz Kılıç; Dicle News Agency (DİHA) Batman representative Erdoğan Altan; Diyarbakır representative Kadri Kaya; Batman Post newspaper writer Mehmet Karabaş; Aram Publishing Concessionaire and Hawar newspaper official Bedri Adanır; Devrim Yolunda İşçi Köylü ('Workers and Peasants on a Revolutionary Path') newspaper editor-in-chief Barış Açıkel and university students Berna Yılmaz and Ferhat Tüzer.

Nine journalists and two university students stood trial or are still facing prosecution under Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law on "propaganda for an illegal organization" based on their writings, news reporting, publications and oral statements.

55 journalists are imprisoned in the context of certain trials, operations and investigations: "Union of Kurdish Communities" (KCK), the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Revolutionary Patriotic Youth (DYG) (20); "Ergenekon" (16); Party and Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of the Turkish People (DHKP-C) (7); "Revolutionary Headquarters" (2); "Turkey's People's Liberation Party-Front (THKP-C) Revolutionary Path" (1) and the "Resistance Movement" (1). One journalist is being tried on charges of "affiliation with an illegal organization" while the name of the organization has not been disclosed in the indictment.

The indictments for ten detained journalists have not been announced yet. They are waiting for the date of their first hearing without knowing what charges are being pressed against them.

The Media Monitoring Report for July-August-September 2011 by the Independent Communication Network (BİA) Media Monitoring Desk categorizes events as "Murdered Journalists", "Journalists in Prison", "Attacks, Threats and Obstructions", "Investigations, new/pending Trials and Decisions", "TCK 285; 288: How many Thousand Trials?", "Trials concerning Insults and Personal Rights", "The Prime Ministerial Board for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Publications", "Closures and Confiscations", "Regulations, Effects, Reactions, Legal Remedies", "European Court of Human Rights - Applications and Decisions" and "RTÜK Reprimands".

The Media Monitoring Report reveals that its contents are on the agenda of journalism organizations and human rights organizations in Turkey and abroad and of international institutions as subject of their protests, announcements, reports and meetings. This concerns first of all Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) regarding restrictions of freedom of expression and press freedom, investigations and trials related to freedom of expression, long detention periods and the number of imprisoned journalists. Furthermore, these organizations and institutions took special notice of Articles 215 (praising offences and offenders), 220 (establishing organizations for the purpose of criminal activity), 285 (violation of confidentiality), 288 (attempt to influence a fair trial) and 314(alliance for offence) of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK).

Journalists and freedom of expression circles marked this period by all kinds of protests and particularly street demonstrations against imprisonment and prosecution of journalists.

Journalism and human rights organizations called for the necessary legal amendments of problematic provisions of the TMK and the TCK especially with regard to the Kurdish question but also concerning the withdrawal of the democratic threshold for a free environment of debate and news reporting. Moreover, they called for the immediate release of detained journalists.

Furthermore, international journalism and human rights organizations and international institutions urged to remove obstacles before freedom of expression in Turkey in their statements.

224.5-year prison threat under TMK

Within three month, 13 people, including eight journalists, were facing imprisonment of 224.5 years in total under allegations of "propaganda for an illegal organization" according to Article 7/2 of the TMK. The owner of a printing house was sentenced to one year behind bars on the grounds of TMK 7/2.

During the time of the previous quarterly report, nine journalists were sentenced to imprisonment of 44 years and 8.5 months and monetary fines amounting to TL 36,280 (€ 12,500) on charges of "propaganda for an illegal organization" (TMK 7/2).

These prosecutions under Article 7/2 of the TMK usually come together with charges related to Articles 220/7 (aiding and abetting an illegal organization) and 314/2 (enlisting to an organized criminal group) of the TCK.

Journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener are facing imprisonment of up to 15 years each in the scope of the Oda TV trial; Soner Yalçın might receive a prison sentence of up to 36.5 years, Yalçın Küçük of up to 43 years. The other defendants are facing prison terms of between 7.5 and 23 years.

Insults

Trials on the grounds of alleged insult are pending against seven people, five of whom are journalists, in July, August and September 2011. Four people prosecuted on charges of "insult" and attacks on "personal rights" are facing prison sentences of five years in total and compensation claims summing up to TL 20,000 (€9,500). One journalist was found guilty of "insult" and sentenced to a monetary fine of TL 7,500 (€3,500) and a professional ban of 375 days.

In the preceding quarter, 35 people were tried upon compensation claims based on charges of "insult" and attacks on "personal rights". Eight people were handed down prison terms of nine years and four months in total. Five people were to pay compensation fines of TL 29,860 (€ 14,500) including three fines sued out by Prime Minister Erdoğan.

Closures and Seizures

During the three months of the third annual quarter, the Özgür Halk ve Demokratik Modernite ('Free People and Democratic Modernity) magazine, the Yeni Evrede Mücadele Briliği ('Union of Struggle in a new Phase') magazine, the Yeni Demokrat Gençlik ('New Democratic Youth') magazine and the Halkın Günlüğü ('Agenda of the People') newspaper were subject to prohibitions, seizures and publication bans. The book entitled "Öcalan's Days on İmralı" by Cengiz Kapmaz was seized despite a lacking decision for its confiscation. The draft version of the second volume of the book entitled "A Fugitive's Story from Metris to Munzur" of then detained writer Halil Gündoğan was confiscated and destroyed.

ECHR - Applications and Decisions

Between July and September, six journalists applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the grounds of violations of their rights to a "fair trial", to "freedom and security", "freedom of expression" and "effective application".

In the duration of the previous report, the ECHR convicted the Turkish government due to violations of Article 6/1 (assumption of innocence) of the European Convention on Human Rights in two cases. The international court decided for monetary fines totalling € 9,720 in compensation.

RTÜK

In July-August-September 2011, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued 16 monetary fines and 96 reprimands to one radio station and 109 TV channels.

RTÜK gave five warnings because the protective symbol for children and juveniles had not been used; 8 reprimands by reason of violations of "human dignity and privacy"; 4 warnings for the use of "improper Turkish"; 2 warnings on the grounds of a violation of the assumption of innocence and five reprimands based on violations of the principle that "people shall not be exploited through fortune telling and superstitious beliefs". The remaining reprimands were related to technical and commercial issues regarding advertisement, sponsorship or program support. (BIA, Emel GÜLCAN, 2 December 2011)

Le Soir: Le « modèle turc » est déjà écorné

Rien ne prédisposait des journalistes d’horizons aussi différents que Bedri Adanir, Soner Yalcýn ou Ahmet Sik, à apporter leur contribution à la même publication. Kurdes, nationalistes de gauche, islamistes ou journalistes d’investigation : ils sont 39 à avoir participé, depuis leurs geôles, au premier numéro du Journal prisonnier sorti cet été et dont le numéro deux est en préparation. « Cette initiative est une première mondiale – dont les dirigeants turcs ne peuvent être fiers ! », explique Ercan Ipekci, le président du syndicat des journalistes qui a porté ce projet à bras-le-corps.

Les 39 journalistes emprisonnés qui ont réalisé cette gazette sont poursuivis pour appartenance, soutien à une organisation terroriste ou propagande terroriste. « Aucun d’entre eux n’a pris les armes, jeté de cocktail Molotov ni suivi d’entraînement terroriste. Sont-ils des terroristes ou défendent-ils des opinions ? », interroge Ipekci. Le président du syndicat critique lourdement la loi antiterrorisme amendée en 2006. Le 18 novembre à Istanbul, le commissaire européen chargé de l’Elargissement de l’Union européenne, Stefan Füle, a aussi exprimé sa « préoccupation envers cette loi et ses interprétations qui ne protègent pas convenablement la liberté d’expression ».

Le journaliste d’investigation Ahmet Sik est devenu le symbole des abus de cet arsenal juridique. En mars, il a été arrêté pour son aide supposée à l’organisation terroriste nationaliste Ergenekon alors même qu’il achevait la rédaction d’un brûlot sur la confrérie religieuse de Fethullah Gulen. Après huit mois de détention, son procès s’est ouvert le 22 novembre, aux côtés de onze autres journalistes. Peu avant, son ouvrage, interdit avant même sa publication, avait enfin été présenté au public. Comme Ahmet Sik, 62 journalistes et éditeurs sont actuellement incarcérés.

« Autocensure »

Du côté du gouvernement, pas question de remettre en cause le bien-fondé de ces enquêtes menées sur la base de cette loi antiterrorisme. Le Premier ministre Erdogan, qui a passé dix mois derrière les barreaux en 1999 pour avoir déclamé un poème, estime « être en train de construire une Turquie où le droit à la liberté de publier, de parler et d’écrire librement est assuré ».

Ces propos font sourire le journaliste Ertugrul Mavioglu, poursuivi pour avoir réalisé un reportage avec Murat Karayilan, le leader du PKK. « Dans les années 1990, le chef d’état-major convoquait les journalistes. Maintenant, c’est le pouvoir civil. » Ce journaliste critique notamment la convocation par M. Erdogan des patrons de presse après la mort en octobre de 24 soldats tués par le PKK.

« Avant de nous demander si tel événement est une information, nous nous demandons si sa publication ne va pas à l’encontre des intérêts gouvernementaux, confie un journaliste d’un grand quotidien. C’est cela, l’autocensure. » Le ministre turc des Affaires européennes Egemen Bagiss botte en touche : « Cela n’a rien à voir avec nous mais avec les patrons de presse qui ont d’autres intérêts. » La plupart des médias sont détenus par des groupes industriels de l’énergie ou de la construction. « Le gouvernement le sait et en profite », souligne Ercan Ipekci, qui ne comprend pas pourquoi la Turquie est montrée comme « modèle ». « Nous sommes plus démocrates que la plupart de nos voisins. Mais notre but est-il de nous aligner sur eux ou sur l’Europe ? » (Le Soir, NERBOLLIER,DELPHINE, 2 décembre 2011)

contexte

Le problème:
Selon le syndicat national des journalistes, 63 journalistes et éditeurs sont incarcérés en Turquie, poursuivis dans le cadre des lois antiterrorisme votées en 1991 et amendées en 2006 par le gouvernement de Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

L’enjeu:
L’association des droits de l’homme Human Rights Watch critique « la définition vague et large du terme terrorisme » de ces lois, utilisées pour « broyer la liberté d’expression et d’association » dans un pays pourtant en négociation pour devenir membre de l’Union européenne.

A suivre:
Un procès de 12 journalistes a débuté le 22 novembre. Dix d’entre eux sont incarcérés et leur libération a été refusée. Le gouvernement refuse pour l’instant d’apporter des modifications urgentes à ces lois anti-terrorisme.

Une politique de censure masquée en Turquie

Alors que la Conférence de l’Internet en Turquie s’est ouverte à Izmir, le 30 novembre 2011, le nouveau système de filtrage centralisé “pour un Internet sûr” mis en place par le Conseil de la Communication et l’Information Technologiques (BTK), le 22 novembre dernier, suscite une vive polémique dans le pays et à l’international. Après le recours du site d’information sur les droits de l’homme Bianet, l’Association pour une Informatique Alternative (Alternatif Bilisim Dernegi) a elle aussi saisi le Conseil d’Etat, le 4 novembre dernier, pour demander la suppression du dispositif, qui, s’il est facultatif, n’en reste pas moins liberticide. Si le filtrage vise officiellement à protéger les internautes, et en particulier les mineurs, contre tout contenu “choquant” en censurant certains mots-clés, des tests ont récemment permis de constater que certains sites étaient abusivement bloqués.

“Le BTK veut faire croire qu’en laissant le choix aux internautes, il ne pratique pas la censure. Prétendre que l’application de filtrage permet de sécuriser sa connexion Internet est un mensonge éhonté. Certains sites auront beau être inaccessibles, la connexion Internet de l’utilisateur n’en sera pas plus sûre. Vouloir protéger les internautes, et en particulier les enfants et les jeunes, contre la pornographie en ligne est une initiative louable, mais la solution du filtrage est inadaptée et menace la liberté d’expression en ligne, comme l’a récemment affirmé la Cour de Justice de l’Union Européenne, notamment en raison des risques de surblocage. S’il ne s’agit de filtrer que les contenus à caractère pornographique, alors pourquoi des termes relatifs aux mouvements séparatistes kurdes, par exemple, sont-ils parmi la liste noire des mots-clés censurés ?”, s’est insurgée Reporters sans frontières. “Nous dénonçons une politique de censure déguisée. Le BTK doit abandonner ce dispositif, qui renforce le filtrage du Net en Turquie. Nous appelons toutes les entités de contrôle des télécommunications à cesser la surenchère dans cette course à la censure. Le libre accès à Internet doit être garanti pour tous, et la définition de ce qui est choquant ou non doit relever du libre choix des familles, et non de l’Etat”, a conclu l’organisation.

Les internautes qui souhaitent souscrire à l’application de filtrage auront le choix entre deux formules, un forfait famille ou un forfait enfant. Pour le moment, seuls 22 000 internautes, sur un total de 11,5 millions, en ont fait la demande. Les fournisseurs d’accès Internet (FAI) sont obligés de proposer l’application de filtrage à tous leurs clients. Les sites pornographiques, comme les autres portails “suspects”, étaient auparavant bloqués sur décision de justice. Ils seront désormais automatiquement filtrés pour les internautes ayant souscrit le forfait, selon une procédure encore peu claire que Reporters sans frontières demande aux autorités de préciser.

La commission chargée de définir les critères du filtrage est composée de onze membres, majoritairement issus du gouvernement. Son indépendance et son impartialité peuvent donc être remises en question. Elle a établi une liste de 130 mots-clés jugés ”dangereux”, en anglais, en allemand et en turc, parmi lesquels “pornographie”, “sexe”, “Verbot” (interdiction, en allemand) mais aussi les mots “belle-mère”, “inceste”, ou même “gay”. Ce genre d’amalgame discriminatoire ne fera qu’étendre la censure à de simples sites d’information et de prévention tout en favorisant un climat d’homophobie. Les mots-clés relatifs aux groupes politiques séparatistes tel que le PKK (Parti des travailleurs kurdes, interdit en Turquie) sont également filtrés, ce qui montre clairement que le BTK n’a pas que les sites pornographiques en ligne de mire.

Yaman Akdeniz, professeur et recteur adjoint de la faculté de Droit de l’université de Bilgi d’Istanbul, dénonce “une disposition arbitraire”. ”Internet rentre petit à petit sous le contrôle de l’autorité. Le fait que [le filtrage] soit optionnel ne résout pas les problèmes qu’il entraîne. Nous allons poursuivre nos démarches judiciaires au nom de la liberté d’expression et de la démocratie‘’, a précisé le fondateur de Cyber-rights.org au correspondant de Reporters sans frontières. Selon Akdeniz, les Internautes ayant opté pour le forfait ‘’enfant’’ ne peuvent avoir accès au site de l’évolutionniste Richard Dawkins (richarddawkins.net, voir capture d’écran), alors que celui d’Adnan Oktar (www.harunyahya.org), défenseur de théorie créationniste, leur est accessible.

Le correspondant de Reporters sans frontières a également pu tester plusieurs sites, grâce à l’outil Guvenlinet, qui permet de déterminer quels sont les noms de domaine accessibles en fonction du forfait choisi. Il apparaît que le site de Yasam Radyo (“Radio Vie”, qui diffuse des programmes culturels sur les minorités) est bloqué avec le forfait enfant. Ce forfait ne donne pas non plus accès à Youtube (site de partage de vidéos en ligne) ou Facebook. Le réseau social n’est d’ailleurs accessible avec le forfait famille que si l’internaute en fait la demande. Si Akdeniz admet qu’il est compréhensible qu’un enfant de cinq ans ne puisse pas avoir accès à YouTube, il trouve exagéré de l’interdire à des adolescents de plus de quatorze ans.

Les internautes turcs ne restent pas indifférents face à cette nouvelle initiative du BTK. Pour protester contre la cybercensure, le site Senin Yüzünden ("A cause de toi") les invite à poster des photos avec les yeux bandés, dans la cadre de la conférence d’Ismiz qui s’achève le 2 décembre prochain.


La Turquie figure dans la liste des “Pays sous surveillance” dans le dernier rapport de Reporters sans frontières sur les “Ennemis d’Internet”, publié le 11 mars 2011.
________________________
Lucie Morillon
Reporters Sans Frontières - Responsable Bureau Nouveaux Médias
internet2@rsf.org

Blockade on the OdaTV Trial

Representatives of national and international rights organization condemned the fact that they were not able to observe the first hearing of the Oda TV trial on 22 November. 14 defendants, ten of whom are journalists, are tried in the scope of the case. The representatives of the rights organizations were not able to enter the court room of the 16th High Criminal Court at the Çağlayan (Istanbul) Courthouse due to a supposed lack of space.

In a joint statement, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Democratization Program criticized that "observers from national and international rights organizations were not allowed into the court room at the morning session because of 'lack of space'".

The rights organization claimed in their statement, "The conditions of the hearing overshadow the principle of publicity for trials. At the same time, the right to a fair trial and the rights of the defendants were violated".

"The small size of the courtroom and the decision of Court President Resul Çakır not to 'allow part of the audience standing' constituted an obstacle for relatives of the defendants, the press members covering the trial and the representatives of rights organizations", the joint statement continued.

"When we objected to the situation, the only people we were able to talk to were the 'private security guards'. Some of the representatives of the organizations and institutions were forced to leave the court house after hours of confusion, uncertainty and trouble. Towards the end of the hearing people lost their patience. They had to push through the barricade of the private security in order to enter the court room".

"A specific and open entrance to the court room could not be provided. The impression was created that brute force was the method that is required  to be able to observe a hearing at court".

"It was understood that the technical infrastructure of the court room and the implementation of these facilities in order to accomplish a fair trial are in contrary proportion to the size of the new Courthouse and its functional capacity", the organizations stated.

"We condemn the application made for this hearing. We consider it essential to eliminate these difficulties with regard to the principle of a fair trial. The court president is obliged to guarantee the right to a fair trial and we would like to remind him of his responsibility". (BIA, 1 December 2011)

Kurdish Question / Question kurde

Une députée kurde demande un référendum sur l'avenir des Kurdes

La députée du parlement turc et figure emblématique de la cause kurde, Leyla Zana, demande l'organisation d'un référendum en Turquie sur l'avenir du peuple kurde dans un entretien au site internet kurde Rudaw, rapporte jeudi la presse turque.

"Les Kurdes doivent pouvoir se prononcer sur leur avenir sur leur propre terre", a déclaré Leyla Zana dans un entretien mardi en Allemagne au site internet kurde Rudaw, proposant un vote pour l'auto-détermination des Kurdes.

"Au début, nous demandions l'autonomie. Aujourd'hui, les Kurdes pensent que cela ne suffit plus", a-t-elle affirmé.

Interrogé sur la question de savoir si la Turquie, catégoriquement opposée à toute visée indépendantiste des Kurdes, serait favorable à une telle initiative, Mme Zana a déclaré: "Je pense que oui (...) La question kurde doit être réglée".

La Turquie a mis en oeuvre ces dix dernières années d'importantes réformes démocratiques en faveur des Kurdes, dont la population est estimée à 12 millions sur 73 millions d'habitants.

"Les Kurdes doivent pouvoir décider de leur avenir comme toute autre nation du monde et le monde doit accepter cet état de choses", a-t-elle affirmé.

La députée kurde a cité le cas du Québec, la province francophone du Canada, qui a voté à deux reprises, en 1980 et 1995, contre sa séparation du reste du pays.

"Le peuple du Québec peut s'exprimer par la voie d'élections. C'est la décision du peuple et personne ne peut y manquer de respect", a ajouté Mme Zana, lauréate en 1995 du prix Sakharov du Parlement européen pour la liberté de pensée.

Leyla Zana, considérée comme la figure de proue du militantisme kurde, a été emprisonnée et interdite de politique pendant dix ans de 1994 à 2004 pour collusion avec les rebelles séparatistes de Turquie.

L'opposition au Parlement a dénoncé ses propos.

Les déclarations de la militante kurde interviennent alors que le conflit kurde connaît une nouvelle flambée de violences avec une multiplication des attaques des rebelles du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK, interdit), mouvement qui figure dans la liste terroriste de nombre de pays. Le conflit a fait plus de 45.000 victimes depuis 1984. (AFP, 29 déc 2011)

21 rebelles kurdes tués lors de six jours de combats

Vingt-et-un rebelles kurdes ont été tués lors de six jours de combats avec les forces armées turques dans le sud-est de la Turquie, a indiqué mercredi une source de sécurité locale.

Les affrontements se sont déroulés dans la zone montagneuse de Görese (province de Diyarbakir) et l'opération d'envergure menée par l'armée contre les rebelles du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) a pris fin mercredi, a-t-on souligné de même source.

Outre des troupes au sol, des hélicoptères de combat ont été utilisés lors de ces opérations contre un groupe composé, selon la presse, de 50 à 70 rebelles, a-t-on ajouté.

L'armée turque fait face depuis l'été à une flambée de violence des séparatistes du PKK qui utilisent leurs bases arrières dans le nord de l'Irak, pays voisin, pour lancer des attaques contre des objectifs en territoire turc, près de la frontière.
(AFP, 21 déc 2011)

Military Operation in Diyarbakır

A military operation by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) at the region of the Görese Mountain in the province of Diyarbakır was started four days ago. The ground operation against the outlawed armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was still being continued on Monday (19 December) and supported by aerial strikes as well.

The Görese Mountain is located between the townships of Dicle (Diyarbakır) and Arıcak (Elazığ) in the pre-dominantly Kurdish region of south-eastern Turkey.

The Governor of Diyarbakır, Mustafa Toprak, said in a statement made on Monday, "We estimate that 40 to 50 PKK members came to the region from surrounding areas to the winter base. We assume that 15 to 20 PKK members were killed throughout the clashes during the past three days".

A group of people gathered in front to the Diyarbakır Provincial Presidency of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and set off by car to the township of Dicle. Among them were Van Deputy Aysel Tuğluk, Diyarbakır Deputy Nursel Aydoğan and Bitlis Deputy Hüsamettin Zendellioğlu.

At the Dicle township, the group of about a thousand people was about to walk towards the Görese Mountain but the police allowed access to the region only to the deputies.

A group of 15 people, including the deputies, walked towards the Görese Mountain but was stopped close to the mountain. They were not permitted to go any further and returned to Dicle thereupon.

Tuğluk announced later on that they went to the mountain in order to stop the operation and prevent people from dying. They also wanted to learn what was happening, Tuğluk said in the statement.

Tuğluk was quoted as saying by the Fırat News Agency: "We got to know that one helicopter crashed during the clashes". According to the agency, Zenderlioğlu said, "The intense dispatching of military troops to the region of the operation is still being continued". (BIA, 20 December 2011)

Young boy killed for asking a song in Kurdish

A young boy, Gazi Akbayır, was first stabbed and then shot to death by a mob after he made a request for a Kurdish song in a bar.

According to the information received, Dersim citizen Gazi Akbayır requested a song in his mother-tongue in a bar in Aliağa district of İzmir. Following the performance of the song in Zazaki dialect of Kurdish, a group attacked Akbayır with knife. While Akbayır was taken out of the bar, lying in a pool of blood, the group this time attacked the Kurdish young boy with guns. Akbayır lost his life on the way to hospital after the attack which killed him with eight bullets.

While assailants managed to escape from the scene, police took three people into custody following an investigation. One of the detainees was carrying two guns that were used in the attack. One more person is reported sought by police in connection with the murder.

The murder of Gazi Akbayır reminds of Emrah Gezer who was shot by a police officer two years ago for singing a song in his mother language Kurdish in a bar in Cankaya district of Ankara.

The court decision concerning the case of Emrah Gezer considered the Kurdish song and the reaction of Gezer’s brother and sister as “provocation” and reduced the life imprisonment sentence given to police officer to 19,5 years. (ANF,
19 December 2011)

Fourty four people detained in KCK operation

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Denizli Office was assaulted by unknown people who fired with a pump on Thursday night. Glasses of the office were broken in the attack which fortunately didn’t cause any casualties as nobody was inside the office at the time.

There is no concrete information as to the number or identity of assailant/s who were driving a car seen speeding away soon after the attack, said BDP Provincial Chair Sıdık Eren basing on the statements of eye witnesses.

Today Mersin’s Akdeniz Municipality of BDP which was raided within the scope of an investigation conducted by Batman TEM (Anti-Terror) Department.

Police has taken Executive Assistant Cemal Aydın taken into custody who will reportedly be taken to Batman where the investigation is carried out.  

Apart from the operation in the Municipality, police has also raided Aydın’s house at early hours this morning. Following a search which lasted for three hours, Aydın was brought to the municipality building at around 10.00 this morning.

With the support of another team, police seized some documents, a computer case and the BDP booklet named “Free Democratic Local Governance and Democratic Autonomy”.

Warning journalist to turn their cameras off, police teams left the municipality building with Aydın and documents.

Two BDP Council Members of Akdeniz Municipality, Selim Ekici and Hasan Arık, and municipality worker construction engineer Kerim Aydın are also remanded in custody for nearly two months following detentions carried out within the scope of the KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) investigation.

Today in four region at least 44 people have been taken into custody within the frame of the KCK operation.

Police raided offices in Batman, Diyarbakır, Kurtalan (Siirt) and Mersin. It is understood the operation is still ongoing.

In Batman at least 20 people have been taken into custody. Most of them are members of Batman City Council.

In Diyarbakır many houses were raided and at least 7 people have been taken into custody. Among them BDP Ercan Aslan and Istanbul BDO deputy Sabahat Tuncel's brother Ertuğrul Tuncel and his wife Evin Tuncel.

In Kurtalan the house of the mayor, BDP Necat Yılmaz was raided as well as many buildings. Yılmaz was then taken into custody.

In the past three days a total of 108 people have been taken into custody.
(ANF, 16 December 2011)

Turquie: un tournant autoritaire et agressif

Professeur Pascal Torre


La Turquie connait depuis une décennie des mutations substantielles. Considérée comme une puissance économique émergente, elle cherche à jouer un rôle central sur la scène internationale. Elle fait désormais figure, pour les occidentaux, de modèle de « démocratie musulmane » afin de déminer l’avenir d’un Proche et Moyen Orient en ébullition. Cette analyse fait pourtant débat. Les orientations programmatiques du parti au pouvoir, l’AKP, sont contestées, les évolutions autoritaires et islamiques inquiètent tandis que les ambitions diplomatiques prennent une tournure velléitaire. L’appui inconditionnel que la France et l’Union Européenne apportent au premier ministre Erdogan devient, dans ces circonstances, inacceptable.

L’AKP est un parti porteur d’un conservatisme social, culturel et islamique. Résolument libéral sur le plan économique, il accélère l’entrée de la Turquie dans la mondialisation capitaliste. Avec des taux de croissance de 8% à 9%, elle a le dynamisme d’une puissance émergente, tirée par des exportations dont la moitié sont destinées à l’Europe. Il reste cependant à évaluer la qualité et la durabilité de cette croissance fortement exposée et porteuse d’immenses inégalités internes.

Un tournant autoritaire

Sur le plan intérieur, un tournant autoritaire, nationaliste et islamique est amplement perceptible. La liberté d’expression est aujourd’hui bafouée et la désinformation règne partout. Ce pays détient le record du nombre des journalistes emprisonnés : 72 actuellement. Le pouvoir s’acharne contre les médias indépendants tandis que les autres s’autocensurent. La pression est aussi forte aujourd’hui qu’à l’époque des militaires. Pour l’avoir oublié, Nedim Sener et Ahmet Sik ont été incarcérés. Ce dernier a mis en évidence l’infiltration de la police, de la justice, du monde industriel, financier et médiatique par la confrérie islamique de Fethulla Gülen proche du pouvoir.

La Turquie, héritière d’un empire multiculturel, s’est bâtie sur une fiction d’homogénéité niant les minorités. En dépit des promesses de réformes, Erdogan refuse toujours de reconnaitre au peuple kurde ses droits politiques et culturels. L’impasse est totale et la rhétorique devient de plus en plus nationaliste. En 10 ans, 13000 kurdes ont été interpellés pour des activités « terroristes ». Il faut ajouter à cela, la sale guerre que mène l’armée turque en bombardant les bases de la résistance populaire à la frontière irakienne du Kurdistan. L’usage d’armes chimiques contre les militants du PKK est avéré comme en témoignent les 34 corps de la morgue de Malatya.

La Turquie n’est pas un Etat profondément sécularisé. Il y est difficile d’évacuer la religion du champ social et de la visibilité publique. L’AKP canalise les valeurs conservatrices à travers l’Islam.

Ces derniers mois, le gouvernement d’Erdogan a montré son vrai visage. Il intimide les médias, arrête les journalistes et les intellectuels, vampirise l’appareil d’Etat pour éliminer les oppositions, terrorise la société au nom de la lutte contre le terrorisme afin de briser le mouvement d’émancipation du peuple kurde.

Du soft au hard power turc

Jusqu’au « Printemps arabe », la diplomatie turque avait montré à quel point elle avait changé d’échelle, de moyen et de perspective. Mais les mouvements populaires ont modifié la donne laissant la place à des tergiversations permanentes, à des équilibres complexes, à un vrai cynisme, à une arrogance et à une agressivité nouvelle.

Les tergiversations avec la Syrie sont marquées du sceau de l’opportunisme puisque des négociations ont lieu avec l’opposition pour acter le refus d’un Kurdistan syrien autonome. Le projet d’installer à la frontière une zone de sécurité exclusive et d’exclusion aérienne en territoire syrien avec l’appui de l’OTAN servent ses ambitions nationalistes. Il esquisse progressivement une nouvelle opération militaire servant les visées occidentales et aggrave les risques de menace de guerre civile dans ce pays déjà brisé par l’ignominie du régime du clan de Bachar Al Assad. Les liens avec l’Iran procèdent du même pragmatisme. Des opérations militaires conjointes contre les kurdes du PJAK ont été menées jusqu’à ses dernières semaines. Cependant, l’accord pour déployer le bouclier anti-missile de l’OTAN sur son territoire suscite la colère de Téhéran et un regain de compétition entre les deux pays. Dans la perspective d’un rapprochement avec la Russie et le Moyen Orient, l’UE cesse d’être un objectif et devient un paramètre. Sous la rhétorique du soft power on voit progressivement émerger un réflexe du hard power lourd de danger pour les peuples en lutte pour leur émancipation.

La politique de la France et de l’UE

Afin de contrecarrer les incidences négatives du refus de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union Européenne, la France entend pour des raisons économiques, diplomatiques et géopolitiques entretenir des relations fortes avec Ankara et multiplie les signes d’apaisement. Paris s’est déjà lourdement fourvoyé en soutenant les dictatures du Moyen Orient. A l’évidence, Nicolas Sarkozy n’a tiré aucun enseignement des révolutions arabes puisqu’il multiplie les coopérations avec un régime dont les exactions répressives et l’agressivité internationale sont croissantes. Les actions policières contre les militants kurdes sur notre territoire s’amplifient. Des accords d’extradition viennent d’être ratifiés entre le ministre de l’Intérieur Claude Guéant et son homologue turc. Le conflit kurde, les arrestations d’intellectuels et de journalistes font l’objet d’un silence assourdissant dans les médias afin d’étouffer la voix des démocrates.

L’Union Européenne fait preuve du même mutisme. Il est grand temps que le voile se déchire et que l’on cesse de draper la Turquie dans le drapeau de la démocratie afin de mieux tromper les opinions publiques européennes. Il est grand temps que les gouvernements et l’Union Européenne fassent entendre leur voix afin d’obtenir de la Turquie la libération des prisonniers d’opinion, la reconnaissance des droits du peuple kurde et la fin de l’arrogance internationale. (Réseau PCF/Kurdistan -
akbdrk.free.fr, 12 décembre 2011)

International Initiative:
"Free the Lawyers - End the Isolation"

After the mass arrest of 41 lawyers of Abdullah Ocalan on 22 November 2011 and several days of police custody arrest warrants were issued against 33 of them. Among those arrested are all those lawyers who had in recent years at least once taken the ordeal to go to the prison island of Imrali, to give Abdullah Ocalan the possibility to make use of his right to consult a lawyer. Ocalan has spent almost 11 years in solitary confinement there.

All these lawyers have already been confronted with harassment for a long time, making this perhaps the most difficult mandate in the world. The attacks on them include physical assaults by an incited mob during the on Imrali in 1999, multiple humiliating personal searches before and after each consultation, the recording of the entire oral communication with their client and a total ban on written communication. Previous sanctions that have already hit about two dozen lawyers involve forced exclusion from the mandate and a variety of investigations, prosecutions and trials leading to jail sentences of up to several years.

Moreover, since 27 July 2011 any visit to the prison island of Imrali has been prevented by the state. Thus Ocalan and the other five prisoners have been completely cut off from the world for more than four months now. There is a growing concern about their well-being.

The latest, coordinated attack on the defence of Ocalan is absolutely unprecedented in the history of Turkey. Never before have so many lawyers been arrested at the same time – not during the three military coups in 1960, 1971 and 1980 and not during the 1990s, when opposition activists were killed in the streets or “disappeared” forever. The right to defence had already been reduced to absurdity through the lifting of the confidentiality of attorney-client consultations in the case of Ocalan. All of these consultations take place under absolute surveillance and have been taped since 2005. Nevertheless, the capture of the entire active defence team bursts the limits of imagination.

The arrests took place after prime minister Erdogan had verbally attacked and accused the lawyers publicly. The judiciary and the press followed suit – among other things by publishing “sensational” incriminating photographs which quickly turned out to be completely harmless.

This wave of arrests also constitutes the latest peak in the continuing series of mass arrests since 2009, mainly against Kurdish politicians, human rights activists, journalists and community activists. It also blends into the concept of total war against the Kurdish democratic movment that has been implemented since at least June 2011. It includes the almost daily bombings of alleged guerilla positions in Southern Kurdistan/Northern Iraq.

The reason for this escalation is the breakdown of the secret talks between the Turkish state, Ocalan and the PKK from 2006 to June 2011. The state appears to have no constructive proposals submitted, but merely repeatedly demanded an extension of the unilateral ceasefire. On the presentation of three “protocols” by the Kurdish side containing the framework for a multi-level peace process, the state reacted with a breakup of the talks. The subsequent attack on the lawyers is apparently supposed to cut all communication channels of Ocalan.

While these talks were still ongoing, the state provided for a written communication between Ocalan and the guerrillas several times without the knowledge of the lawyers. This piquant fact renders absurd the charge that the lawyers transported Ocalan's instructions.

The International Initiative vehemently protests against the arrest of Ocalan's 33 lawyers. This scheme is part of an attempted military solution to the conflict, which can only fail. The current repressive measures constitute blatant violations of basic human rights like the right to defence. In this way, a peaceful solution to the conflict moves further into the distance.

The International Initiative calls for the immediate release of the detained lawyers and the immediate lifting of the renewed total isolation of Ocalan.

First signatories of the International Initiative:

Máiréad Maguire (Nobel Prize Award, Northern Ireland), Dario Fo (Director, Writer, Actor, Nobel Literature Prize Award, Italy), Adolfo Perez Esquivel (Nobel Literature Prize Award, Argentine), Jose Ramos-Horta (Peace Nobel Prize Award, East-Timor), José Saramago (Nobel Literature Prize Award, Portugal), Danielle Mitterrand (President, Donation France Liberté, France), Ramsey Clark (Lawyer, former Attorney General, USA), Uri Avnery (Former Member of Knesset, Gush Shalom (Peace Bloc), Israel), Prof. Dr. Noam Chomsky (Linguist, Writer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Alain Lipietz (Member of the European Parliament, France), Pedro Marset Carpos (Member of the European Parliament, Spain), Mrs. Jean Lambert (Member of the European Parliament, GB), Lord Avebury (Chairman, Parliamentary Human Rights Group, House of Lords, GB), Harry Cohen (Member of Parliament, Labour Party, GB), Cynog Dafis (Member of Parliament, Plaid Cymru, GB), Lord Raymond Hylton (House of Lords, GB), Lord Rea (House of Lords, Great Britain), Walid Jumblat (President, Socialist Progressive Party, Lebanon), Rudi Vis (Member of Parliament, Labour Party, GB), Paul Flynn (Member of Parliament, Labour Party, Great Britain), Máiréad Keane (Director, International Department, Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland), Domenico Gallo (Lawyer, former senator (CI), member of Magistratura Democratica, Italy), Livio Pepino (Lawyer, President of Magistratura Democratica, Italy), Xabier Arzalluz (President, PNV (Basque Nationalist Party), Tony Benn (Member of Parliament, Labour Party, GB), Giovanni Palombarini (Lawyer, former president of Magistratura Democratica, Italy), Heidi Ambrosch (Vice-president and Women Speaker, Communist Party of Austria), Mag. Walter Baier (President, Communist Party of Austria), Giana Nanini (Artist, Italy), Geraldine Chaplin (Actress, Madrid, Spain), Dietrich Kittner, (Humorist, Writer, Cabarettist, Germany), David MacDowall, (Writer, GB), Alice Walker, (Writer, USA), Franca Rame, (Actress, Director, Writer, Italy), Prof. Dr. Jean Ziegler (Member of the Swiss National Council, Publisher, Switzerland), Dr. Diether Dehm (Vice President, PDS, Germany), Prof. Dr. Angela Davis (University of California, Santa Cruz, USA), Prof. Dr. Luigi Ferraioli (Philosophy and Law Professor, Italy), Prof. Dr. Uwe Jens Heuer (Law Professor, Berlin, Germany), Prof. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Narr (Comittee for Fundamental Rights and Democracy, Germany), Prof. Dr. Werner Ruf (International Law Professor, Kassel University, Germany), Prof. Dr. Norman Paech (International Law Professor, Hamburg School of Economy and Politics, Germany), Prof. Dr. Gerhard Stuby (International Law Professor, Bremen University, Germany), Prof. Dr. h.c. Ronald Mönch (Chair of Bremen Highschool, Germany), Prof. Dr. Elmar Altvater (President, International Lelio Basso Donation for the rights of the peoples, Germany), Prof. Dr. Helmut Dahmer (Sociology Professor, Darmstadt Technical University, Germany), Prof. Jürgen Waller (Chair of School of Arts, Bremen, Germany), Christine Blower (Former President, National Union of Teachers (NUT), Great Britain), Ken Cameron (General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union (FBU), GB), Josep Lluis Carod Rouira (President ERC, Barcelona, Spain), Michael Feeny (Adviser of Cardinal Hume in refugee affaires, GB), Gareth Peirce (Lawyer, Great Britain Frances Webber, Barrister, GB), Norbert Mattes (Information Project Near und Middle East, Germany), Yayla Mönch-Buçak (Oldenburg University, Germany), Dr. Mamoud Osman (Kurdish Politician, Great Britain), Jutta Bauer (Book Illustrator, Germany), Günther Schwarberg (Journalist, Germany), Hans Branscheidt (medico international / Appell von Hannover), Germany, Rolf Becker (Actor, IG Medien (Media Union), Germany)

International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
Telephone: +49 221 130 15 59
Fax: +49 221 790 76 10 30
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com


Le Barreau de Paris soutient 33 avocats incarcérés à Istanbul

Samedi 26 novembre, 33 avocats et un journaliste ont été inculpés du chef d’accusation de “participation à une organisation terroriste” par décision de la Cour d’assise d’Istanbul et incarcérés.

Ces 33 avocats font partie du cabinet Asrin qui assure la défense du Président du PKK (Parti des Travailleurs du Kurdistan) Abdullah Öcalan.

Ces incarcérations interviennent après une grande vague d’arrestations menée le 22 novembre dans 16 départements de Turquie et ayant conduit à l’arrestation d’au moins 100 personnes, dont 70 avocats.

Le Barreau de Paris exprime sa profonde préoccupation concernant la situation de ses confrères incarcérés.

Il appelle les autorités turques :
- à garantir, en toutes circonstances, l’indépendance et la liberté des avocats et de leurs associations ainsi que la confidentialité de la correspondance et des communications des avocats en Turquie ;
- à respecter le Principe 18 des Principes de base relatifs au rôle du barreau, adoptés par le huitième Congrès des Nations Unies pour la prévention du crime et le traitement des délinquants, selon lequel "Les avocats ne doivent pas être assimilés à leurs clients ou à la cause de leurs clients du fait de l’exercice de leurs fonctions."
- à mettre fin à tout harcèlement, menace, intimidation et pression à l’encontre des avocats.

Il appelle les Barreaux de Turquie à soutenir leurs membres et à promouvoir l’indépendance, la liberté et l’intégrité de la profession d’avocat.
(akbdrk.free.fr, 12 décembre 2011)

Final resolutions from the 8th international conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds

European Parliament, Brussels 7th & 8th December 2011 - Room ASP 1G2

As the conference has heard over the last two days from leading academics, writers, legal experts, human rights organizations, there have been many changes in Turkey, the Middle East and in Europe since the last EUTCC conference nearly a year ago which have greatly impacted Turkey’s progress towards EU accession, and we have with this conference had the opportunity to come together to discuss and to clarify what the key problems are and the direction in which Turkey is heading.

 There remains great concern about the situation in Turkey regarding the Kurdish question, particularly with the recent escalation in violence and the lack of progress in the accession process. Obstacles lie in both the negative attitude of the Turkish government, and with the lack of faith by EU member states in the process, characterised by prioritising their own interests and continuing to place Kurdish organisations in Europe on the terrorist list. This criminalisation of Kurdish representative groups is in contradiction of the Copenhagen Criteria and hampers the peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey.

The theme of this 8th conference has been “The Quest for Democracy in Turkey – Universal Rights, Kurdish Self-Determination & the Struggle over the New Constitution”. Given its new position of strength following its great electoral victory on June 12, 2011, the AK party government is now in a position to move towards bolder models for solving the Kurdish problem and writing a new more democratic and civilian constitution that will take Turkey further along the path to democratization and bring it in line with EU regulatory standards. The EUTCC recognises the difficulty that bringing about a new constitution will bring, and welcomes the positive steps that have been taken so far by all parties, including the recognition by Parliament of the importance of reaching a draft text through consensus of all segments of society. The EUTCC urges the Parliament keep to its four-stage timeline for work on the constitution that promises to review proposals made by civil society groups, unions etc by April, and produce a final draft by the end of 2012. All stakeholders must be consulted, including NGOs and civil society and the findings must be used to develop a new Turkish Constitution in line with EU standards. When he addressed the Turkish parliament in September 2010, Turkish president Abdullah Gül declared that a new constitution has to be prepared that is “plural, democratic and civil” while meeting the needs and demands of every segment of society. However as the European Commission’s 2011 Turkey progress report has noted ‘the adoption of legislation implementing the September 2010 constitutional amendments was not accompanied by broad and effective public consultation involving stakeholders in the country, despite government commitments to this.’ A new constitution will fail unless Turkey commits to this pluralism with a full and broad consultation, and ensures change is implemented.

The current constitution was constructed by the military and bureaucrats with a mentality to protect the state, not the people. Insufficient space is given for human rights, and no allowance made for the great diversity in Turkey.  The new constitution must be driven by consensus and be developed with the full participation of all sections of Turkish society.

Issues with the current constitution begin with the opening four articles, which are immutable, and yet deny any plurality, any cultural, political or religious freedoms, and any form of participatory democracy. There are also articles in the current constitution which prohibit any development in modes of governance such as decentralization. Almost all the entire constitution is based on the ‘Turkification’ of all ethnic, cultural, religious groups and political beliefs and does not reflect the diversification of these groups.

It will be particularly challenging to bring this new constitution into being without also updating legislation in line with constitutional change, as much of the current legislation is anti-democratic. In order to have full participatory democratic and open discussion on a new constitution, the way must be prepared to enable this to happen. This includes reforms to the Anti-terror law, the Press law, the Law on Political Parties and the removal of the 10% electoral threshold. There must be a change too in the mentality of military and judiciary, and an institutional framework underpinning legislation that allows public servants to work in the spirit of the Constitution.

Pursuant to the presentation of Conference papers and interventions made by delegates, this Conference resolves to adopt the following declarations and calls for action to be undertaken by relevant parties to the conflict in the Kurdish Regions of Turkey:

· Recalling the resolutions from the 1st – 7th International Conferences on EU, Turkey and the Kurds, the Conference continues to give its qualified support to Turkey’s bid for EU accession.

· The EUTCC recalls those resolutions from the 7th Annual Conference which have not yet been actioned, and urge all parties to fully commit to a process of negotiation and dialogue.

The 8th EUTCC Conference adopts the following resolutions:

In relation to the Constitution:

1) The references to Turkish identity and Turkishness in many laws and the Turkish constitution do not comply with the diverse nature of society in Turkey and enforces an ethnic Turkish identity on those who identify themselves as otherwise. State citizenship should be inclusive and decoupled from Turkish ethno-nationalism into a non-ethnic civic citizenship in which all ethnic groups in Turkey can participate on an equal basis. These constitutional references should be changed despite the dictum in Article 4 of the current constitution that they “cannot be changed; changing them cannot even be suggested.” This article has been widely criticised as undemocratic and should be removed.

2) The articles concerning education need to be changed as they presently reflect the ideological and monist education understanding of the state.  When drafting the new constitution, the Turkish Parliament should revise the current Article 42, which prohibits the teaching of any language other than Turkish as a first language in the education system, as recommended by The Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its third report on Turkey in February 2005. Mother-tongue language rights should be enshrined in the new Constitution. No steps have been taken to implement the 2007 Recommendations of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to use languages other than Turkish in public services. In addition, the laws on surnames and the alphabet prevent Kurds from using their language freely, while the law on provincial governance has been the basis of changing the Kurdish names of many locations. These laws must be amended.

3) Religious freedom should have more protection in the new constitution. Article 24 of the Turkish Constitution and Section 12 of Basic Law 1739 on national education provide that religious culture and ethics classes are compulsory in primary and secondary schools, which has been recognised by the European Court of Human Rights as failing to meet the criteria of objectivity and pluralism necessary for education in a democratic society and for pupils to develop a critical mind towards religion.

4) Provisions should be made for significant decentralization of the state and meaningful local government in line with current European standards as listed in the European Charter of Local Self-Government adopted in 1985 and presently ratified by 41 states including—with numerous important conditions however—Turkey, and the European Charter of Regional Self-Government, which is still only in draft form. The current form of government does not allow for regional differences and approaches to local problems and gives too much power to a central government that does not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of these problems. In particular Article 127 of the constitution has been applied disproportionately against the mayors and councillors in the Kurdish provinces. Governors should be elected by the local population rather than central government. Turkey remains obligated under the European Charter of Local Self-Government to reform its administrative structure, and the Turkish government should remove all its reservations to this Charter and other international agreements regarding this issue.

In relation to legislation reform:

5) The Conference calls upon the Turkish Government to ensure that all legally constituted democratic parties are allowed to engage in peaceful political activity without interference and that Parliament remove the major hurdles to developing a pluralistic democracy and multi-party politics. Laws regarding political parties and the ways deputies are elected need to be altered as they are incompatible with the principles of democracy and the state of law. The 10 % threshold requirement for a party to elect members to parliament is in violation of the right to free elections as provided for by Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the ECHR, and should be reduced to 5 % in line with contemporary European standards.

6) Article 301 of the Turkish Penal law on “insulting Turkishness” and Article 318 regarding criticism of the military prevent freedom of speech in Turkey and need to be deleted.

7) The conference deplores the high number of journalists still in prison and the recent decision of the Constitutional Court on 2 May 2011 to amend the Press Law to allow prosecutors to file criminal cases against journalists years after their articles were published. According to an OSCE commission report, in April 2011 Turkey had the highest number journalists in prison in Turkey at 57.

8) The Anti-Terror Law (TMY) protects the security of the state at the expense of freedom and security of individuals, is against international human rights law and must therefore be removed. The current KCK operation has been enacted on the basis of this Anti-terror law, and is a strategic policy by Turkish government to arrest MP’s mayors, journalists, politicians, academics, lawyers and human right’s activists. This operation has created serious obstacles to democracy and the enjoyment of basic rights and must be unambiguously condemned by the EU. For example, 36 members of Abdullah Öcalan’s legal defence team have been arrested, preventing the right to defence.

General Points:

9) The Conference calls on the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the EU to investigate the current conditions of the detention of Abdullah Öcalan, who for 4 months now has had no visits allowed by his lawyers or relatives, in contravention of the ECHR. All necessary conditions must be met in order that Mr Abdullah Öcalan can play a full part in the negotiation process and also freely communicate with his organisation.

10) The EUTCC calls for the negotiations between the representatives of the Turkish state and Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, which are reported to have stalled, to be re-established. It also calls on EU to play a role in these negotiations by providing political and financial support for the creation of a democratic platform for dialogue between Turkey and Kurdish representatives. The basis for a general political amnesty must be prepared as part of a wider negotiated peace process.

11) The conference calls upon the public and civil society in Turkey, and the international community, to support and promote the peace-making process. Furthermore, the conference regrets the attitude of the EU and the member states with regards to the Kurdish question, the continued criminalization of the Kurds and Kurdish organisations, and their silence regarding Turkey’s negative attitude to the Kurds.

12) The Conference urges the EU, the United States and Canada to remove the PKK from their terrorist lists in order to facilitate negotiations, as this is currently preventing an open, democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.

13) The conference is concerned about the continued conflict between the PKK’s armed forces and Turkish armed forces, and the lack of respect given to their obligation to adhere to international humanitarian law in armed conflict and related humanitarian norms to protect civilians. The conference urges the EU to exert pressure on Turkey to becomes party to additional protocols 1and 2 of the Geneva Convention, and to allow international humanitarian organisations to operate in conflict-affected zones. The conference is also gravely concerned about reports of the use of chemical weapons by Turkish armed forces and call upon the EU and international community to investigate these reports.

14) The EUTCC Conference resolves to periodically make recommendations of measures for the Turkish accession process, the protection of human rights and the situation of the Kurds. (mesop@online.de, December 9, 2011)

Kurdish Politician Alınak Back to Prison

Lawyer Mahmut Alınak, former Member of Parliament for Kars and Şırnak, was arrested on Thursday afternoon (8 December) and brought to the Metris Prison in Istanbul. His son and lawyer, Sinan Alınak, confirmed this information in an interview with bianet. He said that his father was taken to court on Wednesday evening (7 December) upon an arrest warrant. He was taken into custody and taken to the Beşiktaş Courthouse the following day where he was arrested.

Mahmut Alınak was arrested together with lawyers Mehmet Ayata and Yalçın Sarıtaş and Sebahat Zeynep Arat, Secretary of the Asrın Law Office.

Sinan Alınak added that they were expecting his father and the other three people who were arrested together with him to be transferred to the Kandıra F Type Prison after one week.

Arrest upon appeal of prosecutor

Alınak, Ayata, Sarıtaş and Arat were taken into police custody during the operation against the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK), the umbrella organization that includes the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), on 22 November. The prosecutor demanded their arrest but the court on duty decided for their release pending trial on 25 November.

Thereupon, the prosecutor's office objected the court decision and reiterated their request for the arrests of these four persons. However, the court rejected the demand of the prosecution and stuck to its initial decision regarding a trial without detention.

The prosecutor's office applied to the superior court thereafter and the demand for the arrest of Alınak, Ayata, Sarıtaş and Arat was accepted. The court issued according arrest warrants.

Subsequently, the four people were taken into police custody. The corresponding decision was read out to them at the Beşiktaş Courthouse. They were arrested under allegations of "membership of the KCK" and taken to prison. (BIA,  December 2011)

Evidence in Kurdish, Court in Turkish

The Diyarbarkır trial on the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK) was continued before the Diyarbakır 6th High Criminal Court on 6 December. A delegation from Italy observed the 28th hearing of the trial.

The KCK was established by Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the armed outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (KCK).

The President of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, Mehmet Emin Aktar, spoke at the hearing and suggested a co-operation with the court in order to be able to handle and advance the trial.

In order to realize this, the court had to dismiss the request of transferring the case to a different province and should allow the defendants to appear at court in one group, Aktar explained. The lawyer also indicated that the defendants have been detained for 32 months now which was contrary to the purpose of arrest, he said.

The court board accepted Aktar's demand and decided to have the defendants participate at the hearings collectively. The court also rejected the transfer of the trial to a different province and postponed the trial to 12 December.

No defence in Kurdish

154 defendants, 104 of whom are detained, are being tried in the scope of the Diyarbakır KCK case. Mehmet Emin Aktar evaluated the trial for bianet and reported that the defendants were insisting on presenting their defence in Kurdish. However, the court did not recognize this right, Aktar said and implied that there had not been any change this issue.

Aktar quoted Court President Menderes Yılmaz as saying at the 28th hearing, "I did not call Kurdish an unknown language. I just said that I do not know the language. Just as I do not know Italian I do not know Kurdish either". In Aktar's opinion, the term "unknown language" used since the beginning of the trial was not picked intentionally. The lawyer told bianet that as far as he knew the court president was not against Kurdish or Kurds.

"Yet, the attitude of the court displayed until today was shaped by a countering reflex against the attitude of the defendants. The only way of easing procedures is a decision by court for the release of the defendants. We cannot talk about a goodwill attitude as long as this has not been done", Aktar added.

"Evidence cannot be presented before the interrogations"

Aktar said that procedures were jammed at the phase of presentation of evidence. The evidence could not be presented if the interrogation had not been done, he explained.

Up to now, the defendants have not been interrogated and did not present their defence Aktar said and highlighted a number of problems related to the evidence:

* The major part of the evidence in the case file is based on audio surveillance and findings from communications.

* Interception must be backed by a judge's decision. Moreover, the decision should clearly define the name of the person who is going to be intercepted, his phone number, the alleged offence, in the context of which criminal investigation the listening will be done, the duration of interception and which means are going to be used for the interception.

* The law also specifies that communications with first-degree relatives shall not be recorded.

* Furthermore, evidence related to conversations on the phone and eavesdropped in audio surveillance were almost entirely made in Kurdish. The police included these records in their Turkish translation into the case file without the Kurdish original. We do not know how appropriate these translations are and we think that the Kurdish records should be translated again by experts.

* Besides, the translator used ellipses in places that were incomprehensible. The meaning can be different if you do not provide the conversation as a whole.

* We forwarded our concerns to court. The court board said to re-evaluate the evidence upon these objections and to announce a decision afterwards. However, this again will lengthen the trial period. In our opinion, the court should do these procedures at the beginning and only after that the evidence should be presented in accordance with the law. (BIA, Ekin KARACA, 8 December 2011)


Deceased HPG members’ family cannot recognize bodies since they burnt

The strong suspicion of the use of chemical weapons by Turkish military is on the agenda in Turkey once again. Ali Acer, whose son Agit Acer (Agit Piro), a member of People’s Defense Force (HPG), was killed during an armed clash on December 3rd in the countryside of Lice, a district of Diyarbakır, cannot identify his son since his and his friend’s head and arms were burnt totally.

Blaming military forces for the atrocity, father Acer said that, “there is no way any human to be like that if they were killed by a gun. I believe they were killed by chemical weapons. We will ask a DNA test for both bodies as we couldn’t recognize who is who.”

However, another HPG member, Tayyip Argın'ın (Canfeda Şoreş), who was killed at the same clash, will be taken by his family.
In addition, following the DNA test resulted, Saniye Mustafa’s (Gülbahar Kobani) family will take her body from Malatya Morgue. HPG member Mustafa was killed during a large scale operation in Kazan Valley on October 22-24 when 24 HPG members were killed there.

There are still four bodies waiting in the Malatya Morgue for permission from authority to be buried.
(DIHA, 6 December 2011)

Des milliers de manifestants à Istanbul et à Diyarbakir

par Amitiés kurdes de Bretagne

"Nous promettons une guerre totale aux Kurdes" a déclaré le chef du parti AKP, premier ministre d’un pays dont 20 % de la population est kurde. Pour arriver à ses fins, le pouvoir islamiste musèle la presse – 70 journalistes sont sous les verrous - et s’en prend à tous les responsables kurdes associatifs et politiques. Les partis turcs qui s’étaient alliés au BDP pour faire élire, aux dernières élections législatives, les candidats indépendant" du Bloc Travail, Démocratie et Liberté, ne sont pas non plus épargnés. D’après Hamit Bozarslan, directeur d’études à l’Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, près de 8 000 personnes ont été arrêtées depuis 2009 pour des faits d’exercice de la liberté d’expression :

En cela, la Turquie d’Erdogan révèle son vrai visage, celui d’un pouvoir qui a de moins en moins à envier au régime des généraux des années 1980. Rien à voir en tout cas avec la démocratie islamique tant vantée ces dernières semaines

(Le Monde, 11/11/2011). Plus de 4 500 membres du BDP sont actuellement en détention provisoire (certains depuis avril 2009) dont 18 maires sur 99 et six députés sur 35. Les enfants ne sont pas non plus épargnés.

La mobilisation de la rue ne faiblit pas

A l’appel du BDP, des milliers de manifestants s’étaient déjà réunis la semaine dernière à Istanbul, à la suite des arrestations de journalistes, d’avocats, d’universitaires et de cadres de partis politiques. Plus impressionnante encore est la mobilisation du 3 décembre à Diyarbakir. Au coude à coude défilent les militants du BDP mais aussi ceux d’autres partis du Bloc (HAKPAR, KADEP, EMEP...) et toute la société civile et politique rassemblée dans le DTK (Congrès pour une Société démocratique) qui se présente comme une plateforme regroupant des personnalités et des organisations humanitaires, culturelles, politiques kurdes dont le BDP. Selahattin Demirtaş, Député, Président du groupe BDP au Parlement de Turquie, a harangué la foule : "Nous sommes tous KCK", en écho au chef d’accusation lancé contre tous les détenus poursuivis pour « appartenance au KCK » (Union des communautés kurdes, qualifiée de "branche urbaine du PKK"). La foule a répondu en kurde : « nous sommes présents, » rappelant en cela les seuls mots qu’ont pu prononcer en kurde les 151 élus inculpés au moment de l’appel des prévenus, avant que leur procès ne soit ajourné. Parmi les autres slogans, on a pu lire et entendre : "le PKK est le peuple et le peuple est présent". Le maire métropolitain de Diyarbakir, Osman Baydemir, a également pris la parole pour demander de ne pas répondre à la violence par la violence : "le sang ne peut laver le sang".

Reprise du procès des "151"

Le procès de "151" présumés coupables (rappelons qu’il s’agit de 151 maires, anciens maires, élus locaux, députés, cadres du BDP, présidents d’associations, tous militants pour la Paix et la Démocratie, accusés d’être membres d’une organisation prétendue "terroriste") avait tenu sa 1ère séance devant la 6ème Cour d’assises de Diyarbakir le 18 octobre 2010. Il avait été ajourné le 26 avril dernier par la Cour qui refusait aux prévenus et à leurs avocats de s’exprimer dans leur langue maternelle. Le procès doit reprendre le 6 décembre et il ne semble pas qu’un compromis ait été trouvé : on s’achemine donc vers un nouveau bras de fer.

Grève de la faim dans les prisons turques

La mobilisation gagne aussi les prisons : les 8 000 détenus condamnés à de lourdes peines pour appartenance au PKK et au parti kurde iranien PJAK (Parti pour une Vie libre au Kurdistan) ont décidé d’entamer une grève de la faim illimitée pour protester contre leurs conditions carcérales "inhumaines et dégradantes" et contre celles imposées au plus illustre d’entre eux : Abdullah Öcalan. Ils dénoncent également le "régime colonialiste et raciste turc qui s’en prend à un peuple civil et non armé". (andre-metayer@orange.fr, 4 décembre 2011)

Kurds, Turkey and Europe conference at European Parliament

The 8th International Conference on "EU, Turkey and the Kurds" will take place on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 December at the European Parliament, Room ASP 1G2.

The title of this year's conference is "The Quest for Democracy in Turkey - Universal Rights and Kurdish Self-Determination and the Struggles over the New Constitution".



Opening Speeches:
Wednesday 7 December, from 3 pm.



Ms. Leyla Zana, European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Rafto Prize Laureate, Member of Turkish Parliament, Turkey 

Mr. Ahmet Turk (TBC), Member of Turkish Parliament, Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), Turkey

MEP Jürgen Klute, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Coordinator of the EP-Kurds Friendship Group, GUE/NGL Group, Germany

Mr. Lincoln Davis, former US Congressman, co-founder and former co-chair of the Kurdish Caucus in US Congress, United States

MP Jim Kakygiannis, Member of the Canadian Parliament, House of Commons, Liberal Group, Canada

Ms. Kathryn Cameron Porter, Chair of "Leadership Council for Human Rights" (LCHR), United States.

Unfortunately, lawyer Cengiz Çiçek from the Law Office of Century inTurkey will not be able to take place as he was one of 33 jailed lawyers a week ago after the latest wave of arrest against Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers.

EUTCC Brussels Committee: brussels_conference@yahoo.com

Siirt mayor given two years, one month over PKK propaganda  
 
Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has been sentenced to two years and one month in prison on two separate charges, spreading propaganda for the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and for praising jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
 
The Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court ruled on Thursday to sentence Sadak to two years in prison on charges of spreading PKK propaganda during a speech he delivered in August 2010 in the Eruh district of Siirt. A separate case against Sadak, which was being heard at the Batman 2nd Criminal Court of Peace, also concluded on Thursday and he was sentenced to one month in prison on charges of “praising a crime and a criminal.”

The case was filed against Sadak following a speech he delivered in Batman in 2007, in which he referred to Öcalan as “esteemed Öcalan.” Sadak's lawyers have appealed both rulings.
(TODAY'S ZAMAN, 1 December 2011)

Intense atmosphere in Tokat after racist attack on Kurdish workers

Intense atmosphere in Tokat after racist attack on Kurdish workers is continuing. Some Kurdish construction workers were exposed to racist attack of a nationalist group in the late night in Tokat, a province in the Black Sea Region.

“We don’t want Kurds here” shouted the racist group while attacking workers who had to leave their hometowns and find work in other provinces because of economic problems in the region.

Following the attack last night, the group has once again come to the working area of Kurdish construction workers this morning. Tension continues in the area where assailants are waiting, loudly saying that ‘Kurdish workers won’t get out alive”.

Speaking to DIHA, worker Ferhat Tuğran told the event as follows; “They came here last night and wrote ‘This place belongs to Turks’ on the wall of the building we are constructing. We cleaned the writing when they left the area but after a bit, a group of around 100 people came again and asked us why we had removed their writing. They afterwards threatened us to leave their place where they didn’t want to see Kurds they shouted. Soon after they attacked and fired on us. Some have been wounded. This morning they came here again to lynch us. Police has blockaded us and we don’t have a security of life here.”

Tuğran called on relevant institutions to show sensitivity to the situation.  (DIHA, December 1, 2011)

Minorités / Minorities

Le leader serbe pour la répression de la négation du génocide arménien

Le leader politique des Serbes de Bosnie, Milorad Dodik, qui a souvent nié le génocide perpétré contre des musulmans bosniens en 1995, a annoncé mardi une initiative législative visant à faire réprimer en Bosnie la négation du génocide arménien.

M. Dodik a indiqué que son parti "proposera l'adoption d'une loi pénalisant la négation du génocide commis contre les Arméniens", dans une déclaration citée par l'agence Fena.

"Nous voulons ainsi adhérer au cercle des pays civilisés, européens et autres, qui ont dénoncé ce génocide. Nous allons adresser le projet de loi au parlement (central de Bosnie) dans les prochains jours", a-t-il dit.

Il a souligné que "le génocide arménien a été commis sans aucun doute et qu'un million et demi de personnes y ont été massacrées".

L'initiative de M. Dodik intervient quelques jours après l'adoption par l'Assemblée nationale française d'une proposition de loi pénalisant la négation du génocide perpétré par l'Empire Ottoman en 1915 contre les Arméniens.

Pour cette raison, les relations entre Paris et Ankara se sont sérieusement détériorées. En France, cette loi doit être ratifiée par le Sénat avant d'entrer en vigueur.

Quant à la Bosnie, la Cour internationale de justice, plus haute instance judiciaire des Nations unies, a confirmé en février 2007 que le massacre de 8.000 musulmans à Srebrenica (est), en juillet 1995, par les forces serbes de Bosnie, était un génocide.

Cependant, M. Dodik a affirmé à plusieurs reprises que ce massacre intervenu à la fin de la guerre de 1992-95 ne pouvait pas, à ses yeux, être qualifié de génocide.

Depuis la fin du conflit, la Bosnie est composée de deux entités, la Republika Srpska, dirigée par M. Dodik, et la Fédération croato-musulmane qui sont unies par de faibles institutions centrales. (AFP, 27 déc 2011)

Les menaces contre la députée Boyer suscitent l'indignation

De l'UMP au PS, la classe politique a affiché lundi sa solidarité avec Valérie Boyer, la députée du parti présidentiel menacée et insultée pour avoir porté le texte de loi réprimant la négation des génocides dont celui des Arméniens, tandis que l'intéressée à déposé plainte.

La députée des Bouches-du-Rhône, auteur de la proposition de loi à l'origine de tensions entre Ankara et Paris, a porté plainte lundi après-midi à Marseille, après avoir reçu des menaces sur ses comptes de réseaux sociaux et s'être fait pirater son site internet par des militants pro-Turquie.

"Je ne peux pas rester comme ça. Ces attaques-là sont lamentables (...). Ce que je subis depuis quelques jours, cela fait plusieurs années que des concitoyens français d'origine arménienne ou pas (...) le vivent aussi", a-t-elle déclaré à son arrivée au commissariat.

Selon le nouvelobs.com, les hackers qui s'en sont pris à son site sont d'anciens membres du groupe turc Akincilar, des pirates informatiques nationalistes qui s'étaient attaqués début novembre au site de l'hebdomadaire Charlie Hebdo.

Par ailleurs une centaine de sites internet liés à la diaspora arménienne de France ont été victimes de pirates informatiques, a indiqué lundi un site spécialisé turc, Millikuvvetler.net.

L'Assemblée nationale a adopté jeudi dernier la proposition de loi pénalisant la contestation de tout génocide, dont celui des Arméniens en 1915.

Ce vote a suscité des "sentiments de fierté, de reconnaissance et de justice rendue" chez le chanteur d'origine arménienne Charles Aznavour, qui s'en est ouvert dans une lettre à Nicolas Sarkozy. Mais il a suscité la colère de la Turquie, le gel de sa coopération militaire avec la France et le rappel de son ambassadeur à Paris.

En France, si cette proposition de loi a semé le trouble jusqu'au sommet de l'exécutif, notamment entre Nicolas Sarkozy et Alain Juppé, les menaces qui ont visé la parlementaire de la majorité ont suscité des réactions indignées à droite comme à gauche.

A l'UMP, le secrétaire général Jean-François Copé a ainsi rappelé dans un communiqué que "la liberté dopinion est au coeur de notre démocratie". "Il est particulièrement inacceptable quune élue du peuple soit ainsi menacée pour la simple raison quelle a eu le courage de défendre ses convictions", a-t-il fait valoir.

Le patron des députés UMP Christian Jacob est lui aussi monté au créneau pour défendre Mme Boyer et le travail des parlementaires. "La souveraineté populaire s'exerce d'abord à l'Assemblée nationale et rien ne saurait justifier qu'elle soit contestée par des menaces inacceptables", a mis en garde M. Jacob.

La gauche n'a pas été en reste, à l'image du président du Parti radical de gauche (PRG), Jean-Michel Baylet. "Je ne partage pas du tout les convictions politiques de Mme Boyer, mais je condamne avec fermeté les menaces et les intimidations", a lancé l'ex-candidat à la primaire socialiste.

Bruno Le Roux, un des porte-parole de François Hollande, a pour sa part jugé que Valérie Boyer devait être "soutenue et défendue" et que "les auteurs de ces agissements et menaces (devaient) être poursuivis par la justice".

Même tonalité du côté de Manuel Valls, directeur de la communication de la campagne de M. Hollande, qui a adressé sur Twitter "un message de solidarité" à la députée des Bouches-du-Rhône. L'ancien ministre Jack Lang a, lui, dénoncé ces menaces.

Le site de Mme Boyer restait "inactif" lundi. Quant à celui du Sénat, il était régulièrement inaccessible depuis dimanche à cause d'une opération de "saturation" du site orchestrée par des éléments extérieurs, pour l'heure non identifiés, selon le service de communication de la Haute assemblée.

Nombreux sites français victimes de pirates turcs

Une centaine de sites internet liés à la diaspora arménienne de France ont été victimes de pirates informatiques turcs, après le piratage du site de la députée, auteur de la proposition de loi française réprimant la négation du génocide arménien, a indiqué lundi un site spécialisé turc.

Le groupe de pirates nationalistes turcs Millikuvvetler.net a revendiqué sur le site turc cyberhaber.com le piratage "ce jour" (lundi) d'environ 100 sites en France liés aux activités des Arméniens de France et aussi de politiques, notamment le député UMP Bernard Depierre.

Les messages en turc sur les écrans des sites piratés s'en prenaient à la politique française concernant la Turquie et accusaient la France d'avoir orchestré "le génocide des Algériens", selon cyberhaber.com.

"Les soldats français ont massacré les Algériens et violé les femmes", disaient ces messages.

Valérie Boyer, la députée du parti présidentiel UMP, auteur du texte qui a provoqué l'ire de la Turquie, qui a gelé sa coopération politique et militaire avec Paris après son adoption jeudi dernier, a porté plainte lundi après avoir reçu des menaces et après le piratage de son site internet par des militants pro-turcs.

L'Assemblée nationale française a adopté jeudi cette proposition de loi pénalisant la contestation de tout génocide, dont celui des Arméniens en 1915.

Selon certains médias en Turquie et en France, les auteurs de ce piratage, les Grayhatz, seraient liés aux hackers turc Akincilar qui avaient piraté en novembre le site du magazine satirique français Charlie Hebdo dont le siège a été victime d'un incendie criminel suite à la publication d'une caricature de Mahomet.

Le texte français doit désormais être inscrit à l'ordre du jour du Sénat.

Les Akincilar se présentent comme des "cybers-guerriers", défendant les valeurs de l'islam.

Sur leur page Facebook, les Akincilar n'ont cependant pas revendiqué le piratage du site de Mme Boyer, a-t-on constaté. 
(AFP, 26 déc 2011)

Aznavour exprime sa reconnaissance dans une lettre à Sarkozy

Charles Aznavour fait part dans une lettre adressée à Nicolas Sarkozy de ses "sentiments de fierté, de reconnaissance et de justice rendue" après l'adoption par l'Assemblée nationale de la loi sur la pénalisation de la négation des génocides, dont celui des Arméniens.

"Vous vous êtes exprimé à plusieurs reprises pour la condamnation du négationnisme par la loi en rappelant à juste titre que la liberté d'expression, ce n'est pas celle de manipuler l'Histoire ni celle de nier les évidences historiques", écrit le chanteur d'origine arménienne dans ce courrier adressé au président de la République, dont l'AFP a obtenu copie.

"Il y a dix ans, la France avait inspiré des sentiments de fierté aux 500.000 Français d'origine arménienne, en devenant le premier Etat au monde à donner force de loi à la reconnaissance du génocide arménien", affirme Charles Aznavour. "Aujourd'hui, nous sommes fiers que notre Assemblée nationale préconise la pénalisation du négationnisme", ajoute-t-il.

"A Erevan, lors de votre visite d'Etat exceptionnelle en octobre dernier, en vous rendant au Mémorial du Génocide arménien, vous avez appelé la Turquie à revisiter son histoire, écrit encore Charles Aznavour, et vous avez redit tout votre engagement en faveur de I'adoption d'une loi française sur la condamnation du Génocide arménien et de leurs descendants".

Le chanteur a été nommé en 2009 ambassadeur d'Arménie en Suisse et représentant du pays auprès du bureau européen des Nations unies.
(AFP, 26 déc 2011)

Des députés israéliens débattent d'une reconnaissance du génocide arménien

Une commission parlementaire israélienne a débattu lundi matin d'un texte reconnaissant le génocide arménien, une mesure qui risque d'aggraver les tensions déjà fortes avec la Turquie.

La commission de l'Education a tenu une discussion publique sur le thème de "la reconnaissance par le peuple juif du génocide arménien". Une telle mesure avait déjà été débattue ces dernières années en commission parlementaire, mais les discussions s'étaient déroulées à huis clos.

Lundi matin, des députés, des historiens et des membres du Comité arménien de Jérusalem ont insisté sur l'obligation morale pour Israël de reconnaître comme un génocide le massacre des Arméniens sous l'empire ottoman en 1915.

La commission n'a cependant pris aucune décision sur cette question qui fera l'objet d'autres réunions.

Le Parlement israélien a déjà rejeté plusieurs propositions similaires ces dernières années, quand Israël et la Turquie entretenaient des liens étroits.

Mais les relations se sont tendues depuis que la marine israélienne a tué neuf Turcs en mai 2010 lors de l'arraisonnement d'une flottille qui tentait de briser le blocus de Gaza. En octobre, la Turquie a expulsé l'ambassadeur israélien à Ankara et rompu ses contrats militaires et de défense avec Israël.

Le président de la commission, Alex Miller, a prévenu en début de réunion que le débat porterait sur les aspects "éducatifs et académiques" de la question, comme la manière d'enseigner ces massacres, plutôt que les angles diplomatiques et sécuritaires.

Une représentante du ministère des Affaires étrangères, Irit Lillian, a cependant mis en garde contre les répercussions d'une éventuelle reconnaissance du génocide arménien par Israël sur les relations "si fragiles" avec la Turquie.

"Par le passé, il ne fallait pas soulever la question parce que nous avions de bonnes relations avec la Turquie. Maintenant, il ne faut pas le faire parce que nos relations avec elle sont mauvaises. Quand est-ce que ce sera le bon moment?", a relevé Arié Eldad, l'un des députés à l'origine de la réunion.

Le massacre de centaines de milliers d'Arméniens en 1915 -- 1,5 million selon les Arméniens --, a été reconnu en 1985 comme un génocide par l'ONU, mais la Turquie rejette fermement cette qualification, évoquant des morts dans les combats et les déportations, mais pas une volonté d'extermination.

La semaine dernière, Ankara a vivement réagi à l'adoption par l'Assemblée nationale française, qui a déjà reconnu le génocide arménien, d'une proposition de loi pénalisant la contestation d'un génocide, annonçant un gel de sa coopération militaire avec la France, rappelant son ambassadeur à Paris et accusant à son tour la France de génocide en Algérie.
(AFP, 26 déc 2011)

Erdogan accuse Sarkozy d'attiser l'islamophobie


Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a accusé vendredi le président français Nicolas Sarkozy de jouer sur "la haine du musulman et du Turc" et la France d'avoir commis un génocide en Algérie en réaction au vote en France d'un texte de loi réprimant la négation du génocide arménien.

"Le président français Sarkozy a commencé à rechercher des gains électoraux en utilisant la haine du musulman et du Turc", a déclaré M. Erdogan lors d'une conférence à Istanbul.

"Ce vote qui a eu lieu en France, une France où vivent environ cinq millions de musulmans, a clairement montré à quel point le racisme, la discrimination et l'islamophobie ont atteint des dimensions dangereuses en France et en Europe", a asséné le Premier ministre.

M. Erdogan a appelé la France à assumer son propre passé.

"On estime que 15% de la population algérienne a été massacrée par les Français à partir de 1945. Il s'agit d'un génocide", a-t-il déclaré, faisant référence aux violences commises lors du processus d'indépendance de l'Algérie de la domination française, entre 1945 et 1962.

"Si le président français M. Sarkozy ne sait pas qu'il y a eu un génocide, il peut demander à son père Pal Sarkozy (...) qui a été légionnaire en Algérie dans les années 1940", a-t-il ajouté. "Je suis sûr qu'il (Pal Sarkozy) a beaucoup de choses à dire à son fils sur les massacres commis par les Français en Algérie."

L'Assemblée nationale française a voté jeudi une proposition de loi réprimant d'un an de prison et d'une amende la contestation du génocide arménien de 1915-17, suscitant la colère d'Ankara qui réfute le caractère génocidaire des massacres survenus dans les dernières années de l'empire ottoman.

Pal Sarkozy, mis en cause par Erdogan, dit n'avoir "jamais été en Algérie"

Pal Sarkozy a assuré vendredi n'avoir "jamais été en Algérie", en réponse aux accusations du Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, qui a accusé la France de "génocide" dans ce pays et ajouté que le père de Nicolas Sarkozy y avait été "légionnaire dans les années 40".

"Je n'ai jamais été en Algérie, je n'ai pas dépassé Marseille. Et j'étais pendant quatre mois à la légion", a déclaré Pal Sarkozy sur BFMTV.

"Il suffit d'acheter mon livre, +Tant de vie+, par Pal Sarkozy, (...) il y a là-dedans tous les documents, alors c'est totalement ridicule", a-t-il poursuivi.

Furieux de l'adoption par les députés français d'un texte de loi pénalisant la négation du génocide arménien, le Premier ministre turc a accusé vendredi la France d'avoir commis un "génocide" en Algérie, en allusion aux violences commises au moment du processus d'indépendance de ce pays, entre 1945 et 1962.

"Si le président français M. Sarkozy ne sait pas qu'il y a eu un génocide, il peut demander à son père Pal Sarkozy (...) qui a été légionnaire en Algérie dans les années 1940", a poursuivi M. Erdogan. "Je suis sûr qu'il (Pal Sarkozy) a beaucoup de choses à dire à son fils sur les massacres commis par les Français en Algérie", a-t-il encore dit.
(AFP, 23 déc 2011)

Pénalisation du négationnisme et électoralisme en Belgique

Par Pierre-Yves Lambert, chercheur indépendant

En 2004 et en 2005, un débat a eu lieu en Belgique à propos de la pénalisation des négationnismes suite à la présentation par le gouvernement d'un projet de loi visant à la mise en conformité du droit belge avec la Convention de 2001 du Conseil de l’Europe sur la cybercriminalité et son Protocole additionnel de 2003 relatif à l’incrimination d’acte de nature raciste et xénophobe commis par le biais de systèmes informatiques.
 
Lorsque le gouvernement belge dépose son projet de loi en juillet 2004, quelques observateurs suggèrent que le parlement se saisisse de l'occasion pour étendre à tous les génocides la pénalisation du négationnisme déjà en vigueur en vertu de la loi du 23 mars 1995 tendant à réprimer la négation, la minimisation, la justification ou l’approbation du génocide commis par le régime national-socialiste allemand pendant la seconde guerre mondiale.
 
Une "résolution relative au génocide des Arméniens de Turquie en 1915"  avait été votée au Sénat belge le 26 mars 1998 par 49 sénateurs de tous les partis contre 8 abstentions démocrates-chrétiennes et une socialiste francophone, elle est généralement considérée comme l'acte officiel de reconnaissance de ce génocide par la Belgique. Quelques mois plus tôt, en novembre 1997, un monument à la mémoire du génocide arménien avait été inauguré dans la commune bruxelloise d'Ixelles. A l'époque, les instances diplomatiques turques avaient vivement réagi.
 
Six ans plus tard, lorsqu'il est question d'étendre la répression du négationnisme au génocide arménien (et rwandais), la donne politique est complètement modifiée en raison du poids électoral des Turcs de Belgique, en particulier dans la commune bruxelloise de Schaerbeek, où compte se présenter en 2006 la ministre PS de la Justice Laurette Onkelinx, mais aussi dans la Région de Bruxelles-capitale où un candidat turco-belge ouvertement négationniste, Emir Kir, vient d'obtenir, en juin 2004, le deuxième meilleur score de votes de préférence sur la liste du PS, et d'entrer au gouvernement régional dès sa première participation à une élection régionale.
 
La communauté turque de Belgique, issue de l'immigration ouvrière des années 1960-1970 et surtout du regroupement familial massif ininterrompu depuis les années 1970, est évaluée à environ 200.000 personnes, dont les trois quarts ont acquis la nationalité de leur pays de résidence, alors que ce pourcentage ne s'élève qu'à un tiers chez les Turcs de France et à un quart chez ceux d'Allemagne.
 
Contrairement à la France, la Belgique ne compte par contre qu'une minuscule communauté arménienne de quelques milliers de personnes, composée en partie de familles établies de longue date en Belgique, et pour le reste de familles réfugiées de Turquie dans les années 1970-1980 ou immigrées de l'ex-Union soviétique dans les années 1990-2000.
 
Ces données démographiques ont une traduction politique non négligeable étant donné que l'inscription des Belges sur les listes électorales est automatique, que le vote est constitutionnellement obligatoire et que, à partir des élections municipales de 2006 les étrangers hors Union européenne pouvaient s'inscrire comme électeurs communaux après cinq ans de résidence (ce que peu d'entre eux ont fait). Par ailleurs, les trois quarts des Turcs de Belgique sont concentrés dans dix communes, ce qui accroît encore leur poids électoral dans celles-ci.
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Dans chaque famille politique traditionnelle (libéraux, sociaux-chrétiens, socialistes), des élus ou des candidats turco-belges ont, à partir des élections législatives, régionales et européennes de juin 1999, instrumentalisé la question de la reconnaissance du génocide arménien pendant les campagnes électorales. Ils se sont ainsi assuré le soutien de diverses organisations directement liées à l'Etat turc ou à des partis politiques turcs. A partir des législatives de 2003, cette instrumentalisation est devenue généralisée avec une concurrence accrue entre candidats plus nombreux et figurant sur toutes les listes. Elle atteindra des sommets aux élections régionales de 2004, puis aux communales de 2006.
 
Le débat belge sur la pénalisation ou non d'autres négationnismes que ceux visant celui commis par les nazis, qui a connu son apogée en avril-mai 2005, s'est donc déroulé sur fond de futures campagnes électorales. Et en fin de compte, cette pénalisation a été enterrée début juin par la volonté du Parti socialiste et de son allié le Centre démocrate humaniste (ex-Parti social-chrétien) et par l'indifférence des partis flamands. Six ans plus tard, à la veille de nouvelles élections municipales, ce thème n'est plus évoqué par aucun parti. http://leplus.nouvelobs.com/contribution/225693;penalisation-du-negationnisme-et-electoralisme.html

La proposition sur le génocide arménien votée

L'Assemblée nationale a adopté jeudi la proposition de loi pénalisant la contestation de tout génocide, dont celui des Arméniens en 1915, provoquant immédiatement suspension des visites d'Ankara, gel de sa coopération militaire et rappel de son ambassadeur à Paris.

Le texte va ouvrir des "plaies irréparables" dans les relations franco-turques, a prévenu le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, qui a annoncé la suspension de ses visites et le gel sa coopération militaire avec Paris.

Le texte, voté à main levée et à une très forte majorité de la cinquantaine de députés présents, prévoit un an d'emprisonnement et 45.000 euros d'amende pour toute négation publique d'un génocide reconnu par la loi.


La France reconnaît deux génocides, celui des Juifs pendant la seconde guerre mondiale et, depuis 2001, celui des Arméniens, mais ne punit jusqu'à présent que la négation du premier.

Mais avec ce vote à l'Assemblée, le texte n'a pas fini son parcours parlementaire et est encore loin d'une adoption définitive. Mercredi, d'ailleurs, le président de l'Assemblée nationale avait jugé peu probable qu'il soit adopté définitivement d'ici à la fin février, date de la fin des travaux de cette législature, et donc avant la présidentielle.

François Hollande, candidat socialiste à l'Elysée, a dénoncé "une opération électorale" et "un effet d'affichage". "Nicolas Sarkozy s'est rappelé qu'il avait fait une promesse" (avant d'être élu en 2007, ndlr), mais il ne l'honorera pas, car nous sommes en fin de législature", a-t-il dit.

L'ex ministre centriste des Affaires étrangères, Hervé de Charette, avait fustigé, à l'Assemblée, "la démagogie préélectorale" alors que la communauté arménienne en France compte aujourd'hui environ 600.000 membres.

Selon lui, "on ne se préoccupe de ce sujet que tous les cinq ans: en 2001, avant la présidentielle de 2002, en 2006 avant la présidentielle de 2007".

Pendant les débats, plusieurs milliers de personnes ont manifesté à proximité de l'Assemblée, à l'appel du Comité de coordination des associations franco-turques de France. Dans les tribunes du public dans l'hémicycle avait pris place notamment l'ambassadeur arménien à Paris.

La proposition de loi de Valérie Boyer, députée UMP de Marseille où vit une forte communauté arménienne, avait reçu le soutien du gouvernement qui a permis son inscription à l'ordre du jour de l'Assemblée.

Le ministre des relations avec le Parlement, Patrick Ollier, s'en est remis toutefois à la "sagesse" de l'Assemblée, laissant donc théoriquement les députés libres de leur choix.

Au cours de la discussion, des élus de départements où vivent de fortes communautés arméniennes se sont succédé pour approuver le texte.

René Rouquet, député-maire PS d'Alfortville qui accueille la plus grande communauté arménienne de France, a cité Elie Wiesel : "Tolérer le négationnisme, c'est tuer une seconde fois les victimes".

François Pupponi, député-maire PS de Sarcelles a souhaité un prochain vote favorable du Sénat à majorité de gauche. Un souhait partagé, en fin de séance, par Mme Boyer et l'ancien ministre UMP Patrick Devedjian, d'origine arménienne lui-même.

Mais plusieurs voix discordantes se sont faites entendre. Outre M. de Charette, le député UMP Michel Diefenbacher, président du groupe d'amitié France-Turquie, a interrogé: "Que dirions-nous, nous Français, si un autre pays venait nous dire ce qu'il faut penser du massacre des Vendéens sous la Convention et nous menacer de sanctions si nous pensions autrement?".

Les UMP Jean-Philippe Maurer et Lionel Tardy ont aussi bataillé contre le texte, tandis que l'ancien ministre socialiste Jean Glavany a estimé que ce n'était "pas au parlement d'écrire l'histoire mais aux historiens".

En revanche, son collègue PS, Bruno Le Roux, porte-parole de François Hollande, a insisté sur "la cohérence de ce texte, 10 ans après la reconnaissance par la loi française du génocide arménien".

Les députés écologistes n'ont pas participé au vote et les sénateurs radicaux de gauche ont prévenu qu'ils ne voteraient pas ce texte lorsqu'il passera devant la haute assemblée.

L'Arménie a salué le vote des députés français et exprimé sa "gratitude". La France "en adoptant cette loi a prouvé de nouveau qu'il n'y avait pas de prescription pour les crimes contre l'humanité et que les nier devait être puni", a déclaré à l'AFP le ministre arménien des Affaires étrangères, Edouard Nalbandian. (AFP, 22 déc 2011)

Ankara gèle sa coopération militaire et politique avec Paris

La Turquie a annoncé jeudi le gel de sa coopération politique et militaire avec la France qu'elle accuse de "racisme" et de "xénophobie" après l'adoption par les députés français d'une proposition de loi pénalisant la négation du génocide arménien de 1915.

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a ordonné la suspension des visites bilatérales, le rappel pour consultations de l'ambassadeur de Turquie en France et ajouté que "les exercices militaires communs avec la France et toutes les activités militaires avec ce pays avaient été annulés" pour protester contre l'adoption de ce texte.

Paris "regrette" les décisions de la Turquie, a déclaré dans la soirée le chef de la diplomatie française Alain Juppé, appelant Ankara à ne pas "surréagir".

"La Turquie est pour la France un allié et un partenaire stratégique", a dit M. Juppé, qui a souligné qu'il était "important, dans le contexte actuel, que nous maintenions ouvertes les voies du dialogue et de la coopération" entre les deux pays.

"Ce que je souhaite, c'est que nos amis turcs ne surréagissent pas à cette décision de l'Assemblée nationale française", a-t-il également déclaré.

Interrogé sur d'éventuelles nouvelles mesures de représailles d'Ankara, le ministre français des Affaires étrangères a répondu : "nous verrons bien et je souhaite qu'on en reste là, si possible".

Selon M. Erdogan, la Turquie statuera désormais au cas par cas sur toute demande militaire française d'utiliser son espace aérien et "rejette dorénavant toute demande" de visite des ports turcs par des bâtiments de guerre français.

Le Premier ministre turc a expliqué qu'il s'agissait là d'un premier train de sanctions contre la France, alliée de la Turquie au sein de l'Otan, et que, "progressivement", d'autres mesures pourraient être mises en oeuvre.

"Nous révisons nos relations avec la France", a déclaré M. Erdogan qui a expliqué que la Turquie ne participerait pas à un comité économique mixte France-Turquie prévu pour janvier à Paris.

La Turquie met aussi fin aux consultations politiques avec la France, a dit M. Erdogan. Les deux pays avaient noué un dialogue étroit sur des dossiers régionaux, notamment la Syrie.

"Malheureusement, cette proposition de loi a été adoptée malgré tous nos avertissements (...) Cela va ouvrir des plaies irréparables et très profondes dans les relations bilatérales", a averti le chef du gouvernement.

M. Erdogan a fustigé une "politique (de la France) fondée sur le racisme, la discrimination et la xénophobie".

Il s'en est particulièrement pris au président français Nicolas Sarkozy, l'accusant d'avoir instrumentalisé le génocide arménien à des fins électorales, à l'orée de la présidentielle de 2012.

"L'Histoire et les peuples ne pardonneront pas à ceux qui exploitent les faits historiques à des fins politiques", a estimé M. Erdogan, qui s'est en revanche abstenu d'annoncer des sanctions commerciales contre la France, important partenaire économique de son pays.

Le volume bilatéral des échanges s'est chiffré à près de 12 milliards d'euros en 2010.

A Washington, un diplomate américain de haut rang a déclaré que les Etats-Unis espéraient un apaisement rapide entre la France et la Turquie, deux de leurs plus proches alliés.

"Nous espérons qu'ils pourront résoudre ensemble leur différend", a-t-il commenté.

La représentante de l'OSCE pour la liberté des médias, Dunja Mijatovic, a estimé que l'adoption finale de cette loi, qui doit encore être approuvée par le Sénat, "soulèverait de graves inquiétudes quant aux normes internationales de la liberté d'expression". Elle a dit craindre en particulier "une criminalisation des débats historiques publics" ne favorisant pas à ses yeux "une meilleure entente entre les peuples et les communautés" membres de l'Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe.
(AFP, 22 déc 2011)

Les relations entre la Turquie et la France depuis 2001

Dates-clés des relations entre la Turquie et la France depuis la reconnaissance en 2001 par Paris du génocide arménien entre 1915 et 1917 :

= 2001 =

- 18 jan: Adoption par le Parlement d'une loi affirmant que "la France reconnaît publiquement le génocide arménien de 1915". La Turquie rappelle son ambassadeur, gèle les relations bilatérales et suspend les contrats d'armement avec la France.

En juillet, lors d'une visite à Ankara du chef de la diplomatie Hubert Védrine, la Turquie se dit prête à un "rapprochement positif".

= 2002 =
 - 25 jan: Relance de la coopération en matière de défense.

= 2004 =
 - 17 déc: Le président Jacques Chirac appuie l'ouverture de négociations d'entrée de la Turquie dans l'Union européenne tout en demandant à Ankara de faire "un travail de mémoire" vis-à-vis du génocide.

= 2006 =
 - 12 oct: Adoption par l'Assemblée nationale d'une proposition de loi socialiste punissant d'un an de prison et de 45.000 euros d'amende la négation du génocide. Ankara, qui avait brandi la menace de représailles économiques avant le vote, dénonce un "coup dur" pour les relations franco-turques. Le texte sera rejeté par le Sénat.

= 2007 =
 - 5 oct: Visite en Turquie du ministre des Affaires étrangères Bernard Kouchner.

= 2008 =
 - 7 fév: Le Parlement autorise la ratification par la France d'un accord franco-turc signé en 2006, visant à "renforcer la coopération économique".

= 2009 =

- 17 mai: Le président turc Abdullah Gül juge "inacceptable" que des pays européens comme la France s'opposent par principe à l'entrée de la Turquie dans l'UE. Le président Nicolas Sarkozy venait de répéter que la Turquie n'avait pas "vocation" à intégrer l'UE, et que l'Europe devait avoir "des frontières".

= 2011 =

- 6-7 oct: Le président Sarkozy, en visite en Arménie, appelle Ankara à "revisiter son histoire" et reconnaître le "génocide arménien" dans un délai "assez bref", avant la fin de son mandat en mai 2012.

- 7 déc: La commission des Lois de l'Assemblée nationale adopte une proposition de loi d'une députée de la majorité présidentielle, pénalisant la négation de tout génocide reconnu par la loi et prévoyant un an de prison et 45.000 euros d'amende.

- 16 déc: Erdogan menace la France de "graves" conséquences, évoquant l'impact "irréparable" sur les relations franco-turques qu'aurait le vote de ce texte par le Parlement.

- 20 déc: Le président Gül exhorte Paris à renoncer à une loi "inacceptable".

- 22 déc: Ouverture à Paris des débats à l'Assemblée nationale.
(AFP, 22 déc 2011)

Malgré les menaces d'Ankara, la répression de la négation à l'ordre du jour

La proposition de loi visant à réprimer la négation du génocide arménien sera bien examinée jeudi par les députés, la Conférence des présidents de l'Assemblée nationale n'ayant pas évoqué mardi son retrait de l'ordre du jour.

Il n'a pas été question lors de cette réunion de retirer le texte, ont indiqué le président de l'Assemblée, Bernard Accoyer, et le ministre des relations avec le Parlement, Patrick Ollier, confirmant ce qu'avaient dit auparavant les chefs de file des députés socialistes et communistes, Jean-Marc Ayrault et Roland Muzeau, et le président (UMP) de la commission des affaires sociales, Pierre Méhaignerie.

Cette proposition de loi de la députée UMP des Bouches-du-Rhône Valérie Boyer, qui suscite les menaces de la Turquie, punit d'un an de prison et de 45.000 euros d'amende la négation des génocides, dont celui des Arméniens qu'Ankara refuse de reconnaître.

Deux délégations turques, l'une regroupant des parlementaires, l'autre des entrepreneurs, ont entamé lundi une visite à Paris afin de tenter d'empêcher l'adoption de ce texte.

Bernard Accoyer, qui doit recevoir dans l'après-midi le président de la commission des Affaires étrangères du parlement turc, a tenu à souligner devant la presse qu'il n'était "pas personnellement favorable aux lois qui prétendent encadrer l'expression ou le travail des historiens".

"Il s'agit d'une initiative parlementaire qui n'est absolument pas centrée sur la question arménienne. C'est au contraire un texte large sur les propos racistes, xénophobes et négationnistes", a-t-il ajouté à propos de la proposition de loi de Mme Boyer.

Interrogé par la presse pour savoir si Alain Juppé, le ministre des Affaires étrangères, serait bien sur les bancs du gouvernement, lors de la discussion jeudi du texte UMP, Patrick Ollier a répondu: "on ne sait pas encore, ce sera en fonction de la disponibilité des ministres", laissant entendre que le garde des Sceaux, Michel Mercier, ou lui-même pourraient le remplacer.

Interrogée mardi matin sur LCI, la porte-parole du gouvernement, Valérie Pécresse, avait déjà laissé entendre que ce texte UMP serait bien discuté jeudi comme prévu.

"Il ne s'agit pas d'une proposition de loi sur le génocide arménien", mais un texte qui concerne "tous les actes qui s'apparentent à des génocides", a insisté Mme Pécresse, assurant que "la Turquie est un partenaire privilégié de la France, un allié".

Consensus à droite et à gauche pour voter la proposition

Gauche et droite s'accordaient mardi à l'Assemblée à soutenir la proposition de loi visant à pénaliser la négation des génocides, dont celui des Arméniens, en dépit de quelques voix discordantes de députés et des menaces pressantes des autorités turques.

Alors que depuis la semaine dernière la Turquie multiplie les menaces contre la France au cas où la proposition de loi UMP serait votée, la conférence des présidents de l'Assemblée n'a même pas évoqué le sujet mardi matin, confirmant ainsi le maintien de la discussion et du vote du texte jeudi.

Les présidents des différents groupes politiques ont acquiescé à la proposition et s'apprêtent donc à voter "pour".

Selon Christian Jacob, chef de file des députés UMP, "le texte sera adopté sans difficulté".

"Il faut ramener les choses à ce qu'elles sont, la reconnaissance du génocide arménien a été votée par l'Assemblée et le Sénat en 2001", a-t-il dit. "Là, ce n'est pas une loi mémorielle, pas la reconnaissance d'un génocide, mais la répression de la négation de ce qui a été reconnu par la loi".

Le groupe socialiste aussi votera "pour". "Nous avons voté une première loi qui était la reconnaissance par la France du génocide arménien" - ndlr: la loi du 29 janvier 2001 -, a rappelé son président Jean-Marc Ayrault. La proposition de Valérie Boyer "ne fait que compléter" ce premier texte.

"Le gouvernement et la majorité semblent un petit peu embarrassés dans leurs relations avec la Turquie, qu'ils se débrouillent!", a-t-il lancé.

Même son de cloche au Front de gauche. "Nous allons voter le texte sur la négation des génocides même s'il pose problème et comporte des lacunes sérieuses", a expliqué Roland Muzeau (PCF). Il a de plus jugé "inacceptable de légiférer sous la pression de qui que ce soit d'étranger à la représentation nationale, à savoir le gouvernement turc".

Le Nouveau Centre votera aussi pour la proposition, à l'exception de Pascal Brindeau qui juge le texte "inutile et mal venu" car "il stigmatise la communauté turque vivant en France et en Europe".

La contestation la plus sérieuse est venue, une fois de plus, de la Droite populaire. Jacques Myard, qui votera contre le texte, a ironisé, auprès de l'AFP: "bientôt, on pénalisera ceux qui contestent que le Christ a été crucifié!"

Lionnel Luca aussi a jugé que "l'on est arrivé à un stade où, au pays des droits de l'Homme, il est interdit de parler. On est arrivé à un pays stalinien!"

Paris rappelle à Ankara ses engagements internationaux

Le ministère des Affaires étrangères a mis en garde mardi la Turquie contre d'éventuelles représailles économiques à l'adoption en France d'une loi réprimant la négation du génocide arménien, en rappelant qu'Ankara était tenu par ses engagements internationaux.

"Sur le volet commercial, il faut bien garder présent à l'esprit le respect des règles internationales", a déclaré lors d'un point-presse le porte-parole du ministère, Bernard Valero, alors qu'il lui était demandé si la France craignait des conséquences diplomatiques et économiques après l'adoption à venir de la loi contestée par Ankara.

"S'agissant de la Turquie, sur ce domaine particulier du commerce, des relations économiques, je rappelle que la Turquie est membre de l'Organisation mondiale du commerce, et qu'elle est liée à l'Union européenne par un accord d'union douanière. Ces deux engagements juridiques impliquent un traitement non discriminatoire à l'égard des entreprises de l'Union européenne", a-t-il dit.

Ces derniers jours, Ankara a menacé Paris d'un rappel de son ambassadeur, de l'expulsion de son homologue français en Turquie, et de "conséquences graves (et) irréparables" pour les relations bilatérales. Des mesures défavorables aux intérêts économiques et commerciaux de la France en Turquie seraient en préparation.

Ankara imposera des sanctions contre Paris

Le gouvernement turc prévoit d'imposer une panoplie de sanctions diplomatiques et commerciales contre la France si ses députés pénalisent la négation du génocide arménien, nié depuis toujours par la Turquie, a-t-on indiqué mardi de source informée.

"La Turquie ne restera pas silencieuse contre ce texte, il y aura évidemment des conséquences. Des plans ont été discutés dans l'éventualité d'une adoption" de la proposition de loi qui doit être débattue jeudi à l'Assemblée nationale française, a souligné à l'AFP une source proche du gouvernement.

L'ambassadeur turc à Paris sera rappelé pour consultations et Ankara demandera à l'ambassadeur français en Turquie de faire de même, à défaut de quoi il serait déclaré persona non grata, a indiqué cette source sous couvert d'anonymat.

Outre cette sanction diplomatique à effet immédiat, Ankara se prépare à mettre en oeuvre des mesures visant essentiellement les intérêts économiques et commerciaux de la France en Turquie.

Les échanges commerciaux entre la France et la Turquie, 17ème économie mondiale, ont représenté près de 12 milliards d'euros en 2010.

La Turquie est devenue le troisième pays client de la France, hors de l'Union européenne, après les Etats-Unis et la Chine. Et le quai d'Orsay jugeait encore "tenable", à la veille de ce nouvel accès de fièvre, "lobjectif ambitieux" de porter les échanges bilatéraux de 10 à 15 milliards d'euros entre 2009 et 2012.

Au premier semestre 2011, les exportations françaises vers la Turquie ont atteint 3,8 milliards d'euros, excédentaires sur les importations (3 milliards).

La France est aussi un "investisseur significatif" en Turquie. Renault y est la première entreprise exportatrice et va y produire sa première berline électrique. AXA y est le numéro un de l'assurance.

Carrefour, qui se refusait à tout commentaire mardi, compte de son côté 27 hypermarchés et 215 supermarchés en Turquie, où il opère conjointement avec un partenaire local, Sabanci.

En attendant que l'orage passe, le patronat français fait profil bas. La présidente du Medef, Laurence Parisot a reçu lundi soir son homologue turque Ümit Boyner et le président de l'Union des Chambres de commerce et des Bourses de Turquie (TOBB), Rifat Hisarciklioglu.

Dans l'entourage de la patronne des patrons français, on se contentait mardi de noter que "les entreprises françaises ont des liens économiques très forts avec la Turquie ou nombre d'entre elles opèrent". Une manière diplomatique de rappeler les risques économiques d'une dégradation des relations avec Ankara.

Le millier d'entreprises françaises agissant en Turquie pourrait se voir priver de marchés publics dans les domaines des transports, de l'armement ou du nucléaire.

Rifat Hisarciklioglu a brandi la menace de "dégâts majeurs dans les relations économiques et commerciales" entre les deux pays si la loi était adoptée.

Président de la chambre de commerce franco-turque en France, Selcuk Onder a évoqué la possibilité d'une "campagne de boycott officiel" des entreprises privées françaises, parlant d'un "sentiment de trahison en Turquie".

Pour lui, la proposition de loi qui prévoit un an de prison et 45.000 euros d'amende en cas de négation d'un génocide est une initiative "purement électorale" qui vise à "récupérer" quelque "450.000 voix arméniennes" lors de l'élection présidentielle de 2012.

Devant la perspective de représailles économiques, le quai d'Orsay a appelé Ankara à respecter les "règles internationales" et ses engagements internationaux. 
(AFP, 20 déc 2011)

Erdogan appelle Paris à renoncer à une loi, et menace

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a menacé vendredi la France de "graves" conséquences si elle adoptait un projet de loi pénalisant la non reconnaissance du génocide arménien, que la Turquie a toujours nié, demandant personnellement à Nicolas Sarkozy de barrer la route à ce texte.

"Si ces démarches arrivent à terme, les conséquences sur les relations politiques, économiques, culturelles et dans tous les domaines avec la France, seront graves", a averti M. Erdogan dans une lettre adressée au chef de l'Etat français, selon l'agence de presse officielle Anatolie.

M. Erdogan, dont le pays ne reconnaît pas le génocide arménien (1915-1917), évoque l'impact "irréparable" sur les relations franco-turques qu'aurait le vote de ce texte par le Parlement français.

"J'espère sincèrement que vous tiendrez votre promesse de faire échouer des initiatives de ce genre et empêcherez ainsi des démarches qui auraient des conséquences irréparables" sur les liens bilatéraux, a dit M. Erdogan.

Il a en outre appelé la France à faire preuve de "bon sens" et à empêcher que les relations franco-turques ne deviennent "l'otage des revendications de tierces parties", faisant allusion à l'Arménie.

"Ce projet de loi vise directement la république de Turquie, la nation turque et la communauté turque de France, et nous le considérons comme hostile", a ajouté M. Erdogan.

Le texte, qui prévoit une peine d'un an de prison et une amende de 45.000 euros en cas de contestation du génocide arménien, doit être examiné le 22 décembre.

L'ambassade de Turquie à Paris a déjà averti qu'un vote favorable entraînerait le rappel pour consultations de l'ambassadeur en France, Tahsin Burcuoglu, et le gel de toute coopération avec Paris.

Ce nouveau coup de fièvre entre Paris et Ankara survient alors que les relations bilatérales, difficiles du fait du refus de la France de voir la Turquie, pays musulman d'environ 75 millions d'habitants, rejoindre l'Union européenne, s'étaient améliorées dernièrement avec une coopération accrue, en particulier sur la Syrie et la lutte contre les rebelles kurdes.

Une cinquantaine de militants d'une association nationaliste ont dénoncé vendredi devant l'ambassade de France à Ankara le projet de loi. "La France stop. Nous n'avons pas commis de génocide. Nous avons défendu la patrie", proclamait une banderole déployée par les manifestants.

La Turquie reconnaît que jusqu'à 500.000 Arméniens ont péri en Anatolie au cours de la Première guerre mondiale, mais, selon elle, ils n'ont pas été victimes d'une campagne d'extermination, mais du chaos des dernières années de l'Empire ottoman.

Pour les Arméniens et une vingtaine d'autres pays, il s'agit d'un génocide, qui a fait 1,5 million de morts.

La diaspora arménienne en France, forte de 500.000 personnes, est un enjeu électoral avant le scrutin présidentiel de 2012, ce que n'a pas manqué de faire remarquer Ankara.

Deux délégations turques se rendront en début de semaine à Paris pour tenter de convaincre les décideurs et élus français de faire marche arrière sur ce projet.

Les observateurs turcs s'attendent que si les députés français votent le texte, le gouvernement turc impose des sanctions contre la France en écartant ses entreprises -elles sont plusieurs centaines en Turquie- de projets lucratifs.

Le chef de la diplomatie turque, Ahmet Davutoglu, qui a accusé la France de "mentalité moyenâgeuse" dans cette affaire prise au sérieux par Ankara, a convoqué jeudi les représentants des entreprises françaises opérant en Turquie, et leur a demandé d'intervenir auprès de leurs directions pour qu'elles fassent pression sur le gouvernement français.
(AFP, 16 déc 2011)

Les industriels français mis en garde par Ankara

Le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères Ahmet Davutoglu a mis en garde jeudi les industriels français en Turquie contre les conséquences qu'aurait l'adoption en France d'un projet de loi réprimant la négation du génocide arménien, a-t-on appris de sources industrielles françaises.

M. Davutoglu a convoqué à Ankara les représentants des entreprises françaises opérant en Turquie, et leur a demandé d'intervenir auprès de leurs directions pour qu'elles fassent pression sur le gouvernement français, selon ces sources.

Il les a menacés de graves conséquences sur leurs activités en Turquie, selon les mêmes sources.

Interrogé par l'AFP, un porte-parole du ministère turc des Affaires étrangères n'était pas en mesure de confirmer sur le moment cette information.

Plusieurs centaines d'entreprises françaises sont installées en Turquie, en particulier dans les secteurs de l'automobile, des assurances ou du tourisme.

La Turquie a déjà prévenu la France que l'adoption par son Parlement d'un projet de loi qui propose de sanctionner d'une peine de prison et d'une amende la négation du génocide arménien de 1915, qu'Ankara refuse de reconnaître, constituerait "l'irréparable".

Le projet doit être débattu le 22 décembre à l'Assemblée nationale française.

L'ambassade de Turquie à Paris a averti qu'un vote favorable jeudi prochain entraînerait le rappel pour consultations de l'ambassadeur en France et le gel de toute coopération avec Paris.

La proposition de loi a été déposée par une députée de l'UMP, le parti présidentiel, ce que n'a pas manqué de relever Ankara y voyant "un acte hostile de l'exécutif français" et une démarche "liée au calendrier politique français" pour séduire le demi-million de membres de la communauté arménienne avant la présidentielle du printemps prochain.

Deux délégations turques se rendront à Paris pour tenter de convaincre les décideurs et élus français de faire marche arrière sur ce projet de loi.

Une délégation parlementaire a annoncé jeudi qu'elle se rendrait à Paris lundi. Une autre délégation, d'industriels et hommes d'affaires, doit se rendre en France plus tard la semaine prochaine. 
(AFP, 15 déc 2011)

Ankara menace de rappeller son ambassadeur en cas de vote sur la négation

Ankara rappellera son ambassadeur en France dès jeudi prochain si l'Assemblée nationale vote en faveur d'une proposition de loi sanctionnant la négation du génocide arménien de 1915, a déclaré jeudi à l'AFP l'ambassade de Turquie en France.

"Il va y avoir des conséquences irréparables dans tous les domaines des relations bilatérales, à commencer par le retrait pour consultations et pour une durée indéterminée de notre ambassadeur dès le 22 décembre (jeudi), en fonction du vote à l'Assemblée nationale française", a affirmé Engin Solakoglu, porte-parole de l'ambassade de Turquie à Paris.

"La Turquie considère ceci comme un acte hostile de l'exécutif français", a-t-il déclaré, ajoutant qu'en cas d'adoption de la proposition de loi présentée par une députée de la majorité présidentielle, "toute coopération avec le gouvernement français, tous les projets communs seront gelés".

M. Solakoglu a évoqué notamment les discussions en cours dans le domaine nucléaire. La Turquie envisage de construire plusieurs centrales nucléaires et a déjà conclu un accord avec la Russie pour construire la première dans le sud du pays.

L'Assemblée nationale française doit examiner dans une semaine une proposition de loi adoptée par la Commission des lois de l'Assemblée, qui prévoit une peine d'un an de prison et une amende de 45.000 euros en cas de négation du génocide arménien perpétré sous l'empire ottoman, en 1915-1916.

Début octobre en visite en Arménie, le président français Nicolas Sarkozy avait appelé la Turquie à "revisiter son histoire" en reconnaissant le "génocide arménien" de 1915, ce qu'elle refuse catégoriquement.

"Il n'est pas question de laisser sans réponse les tentatives menées par les dirigeants, le gouvernement ou le Parlement de quelque pays que ce soit, pour déshonorer notre pays et notre nation", a déclaré mercredi soir devant le Parlement turc Ahmet Davutoglu, le ministre des Affaires étrangères, à propos
du débat parlementaire en France.

Ankara a déjà appelé Paris à ne pas adopter une telle loi qui aurait des conséquences "irréparables" sur les relations bilatérales.

Une délégation du Parlement turc est attendue lundi à Paris pour tenter de convaincre les députés français de ne pas voter ce texte. Elle sera reçue également, selon l'ambassade de Turquie, mardi soir par le chef de la diplomatie Alain Juppé.

La Turquie reconnaît que jusqu'à 500.000 Arméniens ont péri dans l'Anatolie ottomane au cours de la Première guerre mondiale, mais, selon elle, ils n'ont pas été victimes d'une campagne d'extermination mais du chaos des dernières années de l'Empire ottoman.

Pour les Arméniens, il s'agit d'un génocide qui a fait plus d'un million et demi de morts. La France a reconnu l'existence du génocide arménien en 2001. (AFP, 15 déc 2011)

No progress made in cleric’s murder


The investigation into the murder of a Catholic bishop in the Mediterranean district of İskenderun cannot advance any further due to a lack of support from the dead cleric’s family, according to a lawyer involved in the case.

Ercan Eriş, a close friend of Luigi Padovese – the pope’s apostolic vicar in Anatolia – who was murdered in 2010, told the Hürriyet Daily News via email that the case would only be able to move forward if the slain bishop’s family became involved.

“Father Padovese personally got involved in the Santoro trial because he was worried the case was not going to be brought to light, as [Santoro’s] family had shown no interest [in the suit]. Now, his own family is not assuming [responsibility] for the case either, just like Father Santoro’s family. What a shame,” Eriş said in reference to Andrea Santoro, a priest in the Sancta Maria Catholic Church in the Black Sea province of Trabzon who was murdered in 2006.

Murat Altun, Padovese’s driver, has been charged with the murder. Authorities ruled out a political motive for the killing immediately after the incident, but church authorities have subsequently hinted that there might have been a political dimension to the murder.

Padovese’s family lives in Milan, Eriş said, adding that he had met them but had not been able to convince them to become involved in the case.

“They are not giving any explanations. Perhaps, it may be an attitude stemming from the Catholic faith. The family in the Santoro murder also presented a similar attitude,” Eriş said.

The Vatican reportedly cannot become involved in the trials either, as the Turkish Code of Criminal Procedure does not permit such intervention. The case is still being followed on behalf of the Vatican, however, by Ruggero Franceschini, who is the archbishop of the Aegean province of İzmir, the apostolic vicar of Anatolia and the new president of the Turkish Bishops’ Conference.

“The Vatican does not reserve the right to intervene in the case due to [existing] laws. We cannot follow the suit. We feel bitter,” Fransceshini’s spokesperson, Rev. Marko, told the Hürriyet Daily News via a telephone interview. The cleric chose to withhold his last name due to safety concerns.

“We could not issue any formal demands about the course of the trial, as the family did not get involved in the Santoro trial. The investigation and prosecution in both murders are conducted solely by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office. Evidence from the crime scene that had not been handed over to the judiciary two years after the conclusion of the Santoro trial had created question marks about the soundness of the investigation. I hope things do not repeat themselves in this trial, too,” Eriş said, adding that he was deeply worried about the current state of affairs in the trial due to the lack of any parties who would act on behalf of the slain bishop.

Neither of the two trials has yielded a satisfactory investigative process, he said. Everyone who reads the files will be able to see that certain issues have not yet been fully uncovered during the investigation phase, he added.

“For instance, even though a certain GSM line had never been used to make contact with any other phone numbers for four years, the murder suspect used the same line three hours prior to the murder. Why?” he said.

The next hearing for the case is set to be held on Feb. 22.

Eriş said he used to be Padovese’s lawyer back when he was still alive and added that he held a deep veneration for Padovese as a human being.

“He was a cleric and academic courageous enough to organize a recitation of [the Muslim call to prayer] in church and so much at peace with himself as to arrange for a conference on Islam to be given to faculty members from the [Muslim] school of divinity. He aided hundreds of people by concealing his identity,” Eriş said.

Altun said in the trial proceedings that Padovese had offered to engage in a homosexual relationship with him. A trial as important as this one cannot be subjected to a multi-pronged investigation due to such obnoxious allegations, Erciş added.

“The case is unfortunately not receiving the attention it deserves due to the allegations,” he said.
(Hürriyet Daily News, Vercihan Ziflioğlu, Dec 14, 2011)

L’infinitude du crime et de la demande de pardon

Par Talin Suciyan

Traduit par Laurent Leylekian à partir de la version anglaise de Vartan Matiossian . Correction et vérifications de Vilma Kouyoumdjian à partir de la version turque. Une version arménienne est également disponible.

La semaine dernière, la déclaration du Premier Ministre turc Erdoğan à propos du Dersim a immédiatement reçu des commentaires favorables de la presse dominante et nous avons dû attendre jusqu’au week-end pour lire des articles plus critiques à son sujet. Deux articles, respectivement d’Ayse Hür et du professeur Taner Akçam, donnèrent l’impression d’une « introduction à la littérature des excuses », en particulier pour le premier Ministre lui-même [1] . Plusieurs points évoqués dans ces articles mériteraient discussion mais ce dont je veux débattre maintenant est assez différent.

D’abord et avant tout, on ne peut défaire ce qui s’est déjà produit par le biais d’excuses. En d’autres mots, personne ne peut être absous d’un crime, ou ne peut s’absoudre lui-même, simplement en s’excusant ou en exprimant une repentance, surtout s’il s’agit d’un génocide – un crime qui a rempli l’objectif d’anéantir un groupe de personnes d’une manière soigneusement planifiée et organisée. Celui qui demande pardon s’engage dans un voyage sans fin tout simplement parce que la catastrophe est incommensurable. Qu’elles soient présentées à la population du Dersim, aux Arméniens, aux Assyro-chaldéens, aux Grecs pontiques et d’Asie mineure, aux victimes de la torture systématique, aux Alévis, ou aux Kurdes, des excuses dûment formulées ne constituent pas une fin en soi, mais le début d'un voyage sans fin contre la régénération de la négation au sein de l'Etat et du grand public. C’est parce que la Turquie ne sera jamais plus la société qu’elle était avant 1915 – de même que l’Allemagne ne sera jamais plus l’Allemagne où la Shoah ne se serait pas produite. C’est parce que chaque pouce du territoire allemand et de ces territoires au-delà des frontières allemandes où les Juifs furent tués portent les traces de vie et de labeur des Juifs de même qu’en Turquie chaque pouce du territoire portent les traces de vie et de labeur des Arméniens et des Assyro-Chaldéens. Demander pardon c’est prendre conscience que l’infinitude de la catastrophe est irréversible et par conséquent c’est le début d’une route sans fin. Quelques mots proférés accessoirement en dénigrant le parti d’opposition ne peuvent constituer une demande de pardon ; Ce ne peut être qualifié que de honteux pour citer Taner Akçam.

Au regard des mécanismes de négation qui sont opérant partout en Turquie où il est fait mention de ces crimes, les quelques mots d’Erdoğan sont loués comme « un pas important », « un jalon », « un mouvement sans précédent ». Ceux qui pensent et parlent de la sorte ne voient pas que ce type d’autocongratulation prouve seulement combien le déni est institutionnalisé et banalisé dans le pays. L’article de Yıldırım Türker, « ces visages sourient encore », est un rappel de cette persécution car le déni est une persécution [2]. Le déni de responsabilité signifie pour les victimes que leur statut de victime s’accroîtra en s’intensifiant. C’est pour cette raison que Kılıçdaroğlu a fait mention de la Diaspora arménienne car le crime du déni est gravé dans la même « carte mentale » de Kılıçdaroğlu et d’Erdoğan. Une négation qui constitue l’histoire commune des deux. C’est pour cette raison que lorsque Kılıçdaroğlu dit en évoquant les mots du Premier ministre sur le Dersim que « la carte mentale du Premier ministre de ce pays est identique à celle de la Diaspora arménienne », il touche la corde la plus sensible. La réponse épidémique du Premier ministre fut « Je défie celui qui me compare à la Diaspora arménienne ».

Quoiqu’ils vivent cachés, l’existence des Arméniens dans toute l’Anatolie témoigne encore aujourd’hui de faits historiques. Après le Génocide (si le Génocide constitue quelque chose à placer entre deux dates comme on le fait souvent), les Arméniens qui survécurent tentèrent d’une manière ou d’une autre de rester sur leurs lieux d’habitation. Par exemple, selon le recensement de 1965, le nombre de ceux dont l’arménien était la langue maternelle était de 849 à Kastamonu, 488 à Bolu, 376 à Hatay, 228 à Sinop, 217 à Sivas, 216 à Amasya, 148 à Malatya, 132 à Diyarbakır et 118 à Yozgat [3]. Et aujourd’hui, il n’y a à peu près plus d’Arméniens en ces endroits. Ni le Premier ministre, ni Kılıçdaroğlu ne ressentent le besoin de demander pourquoi les Arméniens furent contraints de quitter ces villes et de venir à Istanbul…Parce que pour eux, il n’y avait rien de plus naturel que la République respirant dans le cou de quelques Arméniens qui continuaient leur existence en Anatolie. Les gens qui essayèrent de maintenir leur existence sur la terre où leurs morts tombèrent – en dépit de toute sorte de pressions, menaces et politiques de peuplement – furent transformés en vagabonds. En conséquence, la communauté arménienne qui existe aujourd’hui à Istanbul est bel et bien une diaspora, une diaspora créée par la politique négationniste de la République [4].

A côté de tout ça, il reste sur les épaules des Arméniens, dans tout le pays, à se défendre au nom de la « Diaspora arménienne », un terme utilisé comme une insulte, un blasphème. La raison en est que la Diaspora arménienne est non seulement marquée en rouge dans la carte mentale d’Erdoğan et de Kılıçdaroğlu mais aussi pour toute la société et ses intellectuels. Les Arméniens en quête de justice « sont criminels, nationalistes, remplis de haine et de dégoût ». Kılıçdaroğlu et Erdoğan représentent également de larges segments de la société. Les intellectuels de ce pays ne pourront qu’enseigner la signification des excuses à leurs dirigeants dans la mesure où ils défendront la Diaspora arménienne et ses demandes de justice. Parce que n’oublions pas que le déni n’est pas seulement l’émanation de l’Etat mais qu’il est aussi, depuis presque un siècle, le fait de larges segments de la société et de son intelligentsia. Le sujet de préoccupation n’est pas dans les sentiments de ceux qui demandent leurs droits mais dans la légitimité de ces droits réclamés. Le temps passé n’y a rien changé. Car, comme nous pouvons le voir, 73 ans et 96 ans après les évènements, le passé n’a jamais cessé de faire partie du présent.

[1] Pour la déclaration d’Erdoğan, voir la presse turque du 23 novembre 2001. Erdoğan a déclaré « …s’il existe une telle littérature, je demande pardon ».

[2] Pour l’article de Türker, voir Radikal, 27 Novembre 2011

[3] Peter Alford Andrews and Rüdiger Benninghaus, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Wiesbaden, 1989

[4] Pour ceux qui pourraient objecter à cela, constituer une diaspora ne signifie pas vivre en dehors des frontières de l’Etat dans lequel on avait l’habitude de vivre mais être déraciné de manière forcée. Quiconque est forcé de vivre dans un endroit différent de celui considéré par lui comme son foyer vit en diaspora. Dans son livre « Mémoires d’Istanbul », traduit en turc (par Silva Kuyumciyan), Hagop Mntzuri écrit sur le fait d’être « otage à Istanbul », ce qui reflète l’exacte situation. Par ailleurs, les frontières étatiques ne peuvent constituer le seul critère pour caractériser la diaspora, parce que ces frontières sont toujours mouvantes. L’exemple de Hatay (Antioche) suffit probablement à illustrer ce phénomène.

Envoyé par Laurent Leylekian dans Eurotopie le 12/14/2011 11:53:00 AM laurent.leylekian@gmail.com

NGOs in Dersim say they don’t accept PM’s apology

Several municipalities from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and 44 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) held a demonstration in the eastern province of Tunceli, saying that they reject Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s apology for the Dersim killings of the late 1930s.

In a six-point declaration announced at the rally, the group demanded that the those responsible be identified, the grave sites of Seyit Rıza and his friends be disclosed, a Fact Finding Commission be formed, an apology in Parliament to the Dersim people on behalf of the state be issued and that the city be renamed Dersim instead of Tunceli.

BDP Deputy Demir Çelik, Tunceli Mayor Edibe Şahin, singer Ferhat Tunç and five people, including one woman, who survived the 1938 incidents with injuries participated in the rally with nearly 5,000 people coming from various provinces of the country. Groups that gathered in front of the state hospital carried posters that were signed as “The people of Dersim” that read, “For a genuine apology, open up the archives. Return our name back to us. Disclose the location of our grave sites. Form a fact finding commission.” Participants gathered at the square where the statue of Seyit Rıza stood, the person who was executed with seven friends after Dersim incidents.

The first one to speak in the rally was 86-year-old Emoş Bakıray, one of the people who survived the 1938 incidents. Bakıray who spoke in Zazaish, one of the local Kurdish languages, said,

“I was a small child at that time but I remember everything. They have killed thousands, including women, children and the elderly. They had no mercy on anyone. Some of us survived by hiding among dead bodies.Some others ran away and hid in the forest without food and water for days. What was our crime, what was our sin, why did they execute us by firing squads, nobody explained any of those to us and we could not understand why up until this very moment.”

The rally that lasted nearly two hours ended peacefully.
(Doğan News Agency, Ferit Demir, Dec 12, 2011)

Génocide arménien: Ankara appelle Paris à ne pas commettre l'"irréparable"

La Turquie a appelé tard vendredi la France à ne pas prendre de décision "irréparable", bien qu'une proposition de loi proposant de réprimer pénalement la contestation du génocide arménien soit surla table de l'Assemblée nationale à Paris.

La proposition adoptée mercredi par la commission des Lois de l'Assemblée et soutenue par des députés de la majorité prévoit une peine d'un an de prison et une amende de 45.000 euros en cas de négation de ce génocide perpétré parles Turcs en 1915-1916.

"Alors que la France et la Turquie entrent dans une période de stabilité qui va permettre de renforcer nos capacités de coopération au niveau bilatéral et international, nous espérons qu'aucune mesure cette fois-ci irréparable ne sera adoptée", a affirmé le ministère turc des Affaires étrangères dans un communiqué diffusé vendredi soir.

"Ce que nous attendons de la France, c'est qu'elle joue un rôle constructif dans une approche fondée sur le dialogue du différend concernant l'histoire qui oppose la Turquie et l'Arménie", ajoute le document.

La France doit "se tenir éloignée des approches injustes et infondées surle plan scientifique", poursuit le ministère, soulignant que les démarches françaises concernant la question arménienne ont en général lieu "en période électorale".

Avant son élection en 2007, le président français Nicolas Sarkozy avait promis aux représentants de la forte communauté arménienne de France, estimée à 500.000 personnes, de soutenir le vote d'un texte de loi spécifique réprimant la négation du génocide de 1915.

Mais ce texte a été enterré en mai faute d'une majorité au Sénat et surtout du soutien du gouvernement.
(AFP, 10 déc 2011)


Dink Family's Lawyers: "Your Court will go down in History"

The 22nd hearing of the trial related to the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was heard before the Beşiktaş (Istanbul) 14th High Criminal Court on Monday (5 December). Dink, founder and then editor-in-chief of the Armenian Agos newspaper, was shot in front of his office in Istanbul on 19 January 2007.

The hearing was attended by un-detained defendant Mustafa Öztürk and detained key suspects Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel. The joint attorneys of the Dink family presented their final plea to court.

The session began at 11.00 am and finished in the late afternoon at 5.00 pm. The plaintiff lawyers read out 73 pages of their final plea in turns. Together with the attachment the attorneys' speech comprised a total of 106 pages.

The plea also referred to joint attorney Hakan Karadağ who committed suicide in the course of the trial.

Why was Hrant Dink murdered?

The text of the attorneys' speech included detailed information on the set up of the murder, its political and ideological basis, on who Dink was and why he was killed. Accountabilities of the defendants and public officials were depicted and requests related to the trial were reiterated.

The lawyers emphasized that the council of the prosecution did not attach sufficient importance on the background of the murder during the four-year and ten-month trial period. Their speech started with an explanation of who Hrant Dink actually was.

"Who was Hrant Dink and why was he killed?" was the heading of a section on Dink's life, his professional career and articles written by the slain journalist.

The articles read out were for instance "The state of my soul is like the restlessness of a dove" published in the Agos newspaper on 19 January 2007, the day of the murder, or "Why was I chosen as a target?" (Agos, 12 January 2007).

The lawyers pointed to the article "The secret of Sabiha Hatun" about Sabiha Gökçen, the world's first female fighter pilot and one of the adopted children of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, published in the Agos daily on 6 February 2004. They concluded that the process which lead to the murder was started when this article made the headlines in the nation-wide Hürriyet newspaper on 21 February 2004. The following day, the General Staff had announced that "This article was an offence against the integrity of the state", the lawyers mentioned.

"It is the prosecutor's duty to launch investigations, not to write articles"

The attorneys' speech included a detailed section on the process leading to the murder. Negligence and accountabilities of the media, police forces, public officials, the intelligence and the judiciary were depicted one by one.

At the 20th hearing on 19 September 2011, the plaintiff lawyers had left the court room under protest when Prosecutor Hikmet Usta insisted on presenting his final plea. They criticized that his investigation into the 86-page evaluation had not been finished and remained as an "essay". The lawyers reminded the fact that it was the duty of a prosecutor to launch investigations.

Prosecutor Usta on the other hand reiterated his opinion on the final plea and claimed that there was no need for a new investigation.

Under the section "The process of preparation of the murder", the plaintiff lawyers drew attention to former Istanbul Deputy Governor Ergun Güngör who called Dink to a meeting into his office that was also attended by two intelligence officers. This was after the 'Sabiha Gökçen news' had been published. The lawyers also pointed to some provocative news and articles in the media and threats made by the Ülkü Ocakları (affiliated to the Grey Wolves).

"It is up to the court"

The section entitled "Investigation Period" listed negligence and mistakes made by the judiciary and the police. It concluded, "The state had the obligation to protect one of its citizens from this avoidable catastrophe". The lawyers stated that in the course of this trial the "state's tradition" of political murders and hostility against Armenian had been continued.

Examples were given for political murders by the state and hostility against Armenians starting from the beginning of the 20th century.

The joint attorneys addressed Court President Rüstem Eryılmaz, "Your court will go down in history in any case. It will either be the court that is going to re-establish confidence in a judiciary that breaks this tradition; or it will be the court that carries on with the tradition of political murders and hostility... It is up to the court".

The second part of the attorneys' speech on technical details comprising more than a hundred pages is going to be read at the 23rd hearing on 26 December.

TİB records sent to court but not investigated yet

The telephone records of the area around the scene of crime were eventually sent to court by the Telecommunication Communication Presidency (TİB). The lawyers of both parties requested additional time for the investigation of the records that were only obtained on 2 December.

The hearing was observed by Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chair Sezgin Tanrıkulu and Bar Association Presidents from seven provinces, namely lawyers Halil Hulki Özel (Mersin), Mehmet Cemal Acar (Siirt), Enis Gül (Bitlis), Nuşirevan Elçi (Şırnak), Azad Yıldırım (Mardin), Heval Sinan Aras (Ağrı) and Erdal Aydemir (Bingöl).

The trial was postponed to 26 December 2011.

Court President Eryılmaz ruled to keep detained defendants Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel in detention. They are tried under allegations of "membership of a terrorist organization and assisting a terrorist organization" according to Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK); Article 314/2 on "armed illegal organization" and Article 82 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK) on "premeditated murder". (BIA, Işıl CİNMEN, 6 December 2011)

Court of Appeals: "No Defamation of Hrant Dink"

The Court of Appeals 4th Chamber quashed a verdict initially given by a local court in favour of the family of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was assassinated in 2007. The family had sued out a compensation on the grounds of an attack on Dink's personal rights constituted by the contents of the documentary "The Labyrinth of the Shahs" broadcasted on the state channel TRT. The broadcasting company, Bey Productions and Ökkeş Şendiller as the person who uttered the expressions subject to trial were previously sentenced to a monetary fine.

Joint attorney Fethiye Çetin applied for a revision of the decision given by the Court of Appeals.

The Dink family opened the case upon their claim that the documentary gave the impression of Hrant Dink as being a perpetrator of the Maraş Massacre.

The Istanbul 4th Civil Court of First Instance approved the claim of the Dink Family and decided for a compensation fine.

Revision of the decision of the Court of Appeals

The documentary "The Labyrinth of the Shah" was broadcasted on 28 December 2008. In the 11th episode of the documentary, a photograph of Hrant Dink was shown full-screen in a section about the Maraş Massacre while Şendiller was speaking.

The following statement of Şendiller was subject to trial:

"This had nothing to do with Alevism or Sunnism. Armenian Garbis Altınyan was part of this organization. As you know, Armenian Garbis Altınyan was one of the prominent leaders in 1971 and one of the founders of TİKKO [Turkish Workers' Peasants' Liberation Army]. Here you are, Hrant Dink, Armenian Garbis Altınyan and Orhan Bakır, let me call him my master, all of them changed the name of the organization".

"Among the dead, among the militants who died in clashes later on, are seven bodies without circumcision. What can Armenian Garbis Altınyan and seven bodies without circumcision have to do with Alevis, Sunnis, Kurds, Turkmens, and Avshars. As far as we see, an exterior focus was behind this issue".

The Court of Appeals 4th Law Chamber decided to overrule the local court's decision because the documentary was considered in line with the principles of "truth, reality and objectivity".

Violation of procedure

Lawyer Çetin requested to annul the decision of reversal given by the Court of Appeals and uphold the decision of the local court instead.

Çetin put forward a violation of procedure since the Court of Appeals did not evaluate the decision why the ruling of the local court was faulty and how the verdict of the superior court complied with the law.

In the request for a revision of the decision Çetin claimed that it was "impossible to talk about conformity with the principles of truth, reality and objectivity" in the context of the broadcast.

"If Hrant Dink is not involved at all in the referred incidents - and he is not - then the esteemed chamber has to explain why the plaintiffs used his name and his photograph and how this broadcast can be in line with the law", Çetin commented.

Maraş Massacre

The Maraş Massacre started with the killing of two teachers and the bombing of a cinema. Alevi and people associated with the left wing and the Republican People's Party (CHP) were being targeted. A significant part of the Alevi population left the city in south-eastern Turkey after the massacre. (BIA, 2 December 2011)

Syriac Organizations condemn Turkish Ministry of Education

The Germany Syriac Organisations condemned the Turkish Ministry of Education due to discrimination and misleading information about Syriac People in the book of 10th grade.

The organization released a written press statement to draw attention on the mistakes in the book. Here is the press release as follows;

“The history textbooks prepared by the Turkish Ministry of Education for the 10th class and portrays the 'Syriacs as traitors to the country' has saddened us the Syriac People greatly. In the history textbook for the 10th class which is permitted by the Turkish Ministry of Education Teaching and Training Council to teach in 2009, there is misleading information about us. In the pages 65 and 66 of the textbook written by Vicdan Cazgır, İlhan Genç, Mehmet Çelik, Celal Genç and Şenol Türedi and edited by Docent Dr. Osman Köse, in the text entitled the ‘Situation of the Syriacs in the Ottoman State’ the Syriac history is clearly misrepresented and contains statements that leave room for hatred and resentment. The Syriac history is written in an incomplete way far from being objective. We think that a greater respect ought to be offered to the Syriac history that has a past of around 5000 years in Anatolia and especially in the Middle East.

“Still preserving our good intentions we think that what is written in the history textbook was done outside the knowledge of the Minister of National Education. Therefore our request from the Minister of Education is that these textbooks to be removed immediately from the curriculum. If the Syriacs are to be introduced in the textbooks, we find this positive thing; but this ought to be done through Syriac People’s language, literature and culture and the Syriacs ought to be consulted on this. As a country we are going through a sensitive process. We see a need for positive focuses and approaches more than any time. Seeing a need for acting in common sense and responsible and in order to avoid negative conditionings we would like to announce this sensitivity of ours to the public opinion in the sense of positive contribution to the public perception. With our respect.” (DIHA, December 1, 2011)

Upper and Lower Fountains Re-opened

The Habap village (today Ekinözü) saw an opening ceremony that took the attendees back in time to Fethiye Çetin's grandmother Heranus (later on renamed as Seher) who was exiled to the village 95 years ago. The restoration of two historic wells was now finished after a two-year work carried out by the Hrant Dink Foundation.

The restoration project was run on a voluntary basis by architects Nihan Sağman, Mehmet Erkök and Savaş Ekinci and art historian Özge Altınkaya Erkök.

On Friday (25 November), the Lower and Upper Fountains were re-opened in a ceremony attended by the Elazığ Provincial Administration Secretary General, Nazif Bilginoğlu, the Kovancılar District Mayor Bekir Yanılmaz and the Habap village head, Hayati Yarmedelen. The restoration work was supported with monetary sources from the Ministry of Culture, the Chrest Foundation, the Open Society Foundation, General Energy and individual patron of arts.

Lawyer Fethiye Çetin said at the opening ceremony, "My grandmother Heranuş drank water from these fountains a hundred years ago".

Students of the Habap Village Primary School contributed to the ceremony by performing a traditional dance.

The restored fountains feature several springs and arches. Experts see in the wells a classic example of Armenian architecture. The fact that the village of Habap has got two wells suggests that the place was a bigger settlement at the time the fountains were built. Today, the village of Habap/Ekinözü comprises 200 buildings with a population of 1,450 people.

Habap in the old times

Habap or Hebap ('Havav' in Armenian) was a place with 500 buildings in Ottoman times. When the village was inhabited by Armenians it had three churches, a monastery and two fountains. These two fountains were called the Upper and the Lower Fountain.

An inscription on the Upper Fountain in Armenian points to the year 1634.

In recent times, most of the buildings collapsed and the fountains were not functioning any more. The fountains are still registered in the name of the Halil Beyler and Rufekası Beyler Foundation.

The water for the village comes from a very cold spring strong enough to run a mill. It rises two miles off the village in a broad valley.

Since the well is located at a low level it has to be cleaned every spring in order to avoid a reduction of water. The well that was filled with soil in spring was cleaned every year after Easter. The stream was running a few mills and once a week the gardens and fields below the village were irrigated.

The fountains were sacred for the villagers. There were two sweet water springs in the village. One was in the upper and one in the lower part of the village. The water for the fountains came a very long way through underground stone pipes and small cisterns. The cisterns could be reached via a gallery behind the fountains. They needed to be cleaned once a year.

The water of these fountains is cool in summer and lukewarm and sweet in winter. The fountains and the surrounding floor were made out of cut stones. (Dikran S. Papazyan, Badmutyun Palu Havav Kyuği, [Palu Habap Village History] Beirut 1960). (BIA, 30 November 2011)

Politique intérieure/Interior Politics

Hike in MP salaries stirs controversy

An amendment that significantly hiked pensions of parliamentary members has caused controversy as main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) decried the extraordinary increase and announced that disciplinary sanctions will be applied to two CHP deputies who supported the amendment.

“It is not right to increase pensions of members of Parliament in a midnight operation,” CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said yesterday.

The amendments that increased pensions of deputies were passed without any debate around midnight Dec. 22 while the French Parliament’s adoption of a bill outlawing the denial of Armenian genocide allegations still dominated the country’s political agenda. An initial proposal fixing lawmaker pensions to 40 percent of the president’s salary was followed by a second one that raised the rate to 60 percent.

The changes, adopted as part of amendments to the Pension Fund Law, would increase lawmakers’ pensions from 4,980 Turkish Liras to about 8,000 liras and make those who have served at least two years in Parliament eligible for lifetime pensions.

All four parties of Parliament backed the amendments, but main opposition CHP was outraged by the MPs’ pension increase the following day and said Tanju Özcan and Ahmet Toptaş, the two CHP deputies who backed the proposals, will face disciplinary sanctions.

“CHP backs the amendment to fix pension inequality of the retired lawmakers but is totally against the extraordinary increase,” a CHP statement said. The CHP administration approves the proposal fixing lawmakers’ pensions to 40 percent of the president’s salary, but a proposal that raised the rate to 60 percent irked the party seniors, the Hürriyet Daily News has learned.

The significant increase of lawmaker pensions also prompted harsh objections from public unions, indicating that millions of pensioners expected amendments on their pensions.

“It’s astonishing how the deputies are skillful on the issues related to themselves while 2 million public servants and millions of pensioners are waiting for harmonization of their pensions,” Ahmet Gündoğdu, chairman of the government-backed Confederation of Public Servants Trade Unions (Memur-Sen), said.
Confederation of Public Trade Unions (Kamu-Sen) Chairman İsmail Hakkı Koncuk also denounced the increase, claiming the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was primarily responsible for the amendment.

President Abdullah Gül’s opinion will be decisive on this amendment as he has the right to approve or reject the bill. Gül vetoed a law that reduces penalties for match fixing on grounds the amendment was “against the public conscience.” Gül may veto the amendment that raised lawmakers’ pensions to 60 percent of his salary, daily Hürriyet wrote yesterday.

“The president considers public opinion while examining the laws. He did not turn a deaf ear to the public reactions. We saw his previous practices. He will make his decision considering public opinion,” Gül’s close circle said, according to daily Hürriyet.

On the other hand, 74 AKP deputies will not have the chance to get re-elected at the end of the current electoral period. According to the party’s statute, a deputy can be elected to a maximum of three terms. Among 74 deputies who are serving their third terms are prominent figures of the AKP including Bülent Arınç, Ali Babacan, Nurettin Canikli, Hüseyin Çelik and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (
Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 26, 2011)

Politicians pay final respects to Menderes in widely attended funeral

Turkish politicians paid their final respects to Aydın Menderes, a former deputy and the son of late Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, who was executed as part of the 1960 coup, at a funeral held at the Fatih Mosque in İstanbul on Sunday.
The mosque was crowded as many top-ranking government officials, politicians and businessmen as well as a great number of sympathizers of Aydın Menderes were in attendance. Among those present were President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bağış and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı, meaning heightened security measures were in place. Democrat Party (DP) officials, of which Adnan Menderes was one of the founders and of which Aydın Menderes was also a member, including party leader Namık Kemal Zeybek, were also present. Ümran Menderes, the wife of the deceased politician, accepted the condolences of state officials at the funeral.

Aydın’s father, Adnan Menderes, was a democratically elected prime minister who was brought down by a group of military officials, with the support of then opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), in the 1960 coup. His execution on Yassıada island, where he was imprisoned by military forces and where his trail was held, is still considered as one of the nation’s darkest chapters by democracy supporters.

Aydın Menderes was one of those people who carried the heaviest burden of the coup. During his political life, he stressed the importance, especially for the younger generations, of knowing about the Yassıada trials in which his father was sentenced to death by execution in 1961, an event, he said, showed at what costs Turkish democracy was established. Menderes supported the initiative to change the name of Yassıada into “Democracy Island” in 2009, as a tribute to the coup victims, including his father and DP members Hasan Polatkan and Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, who were also executed on the island.

Menderes was a politician and intellectual who served as a deputy for the Justice Party (AP) and the now-defunct Welfare Party (RP). He was a member of the DP until 2009, when he parted ways with the party after the election of Hüsamettin Cindoruk as party leader. He was also among the supporters of the Sept. 12 referendum on the reform package. He was suffering from problems with his immune system lately and died in Ankara’s Atatürk Education and Research Hospital on Friday.
(TODAY’S ZAMAN, 25 December 2011)

Opposition parties insist President Gül’s tenure is five years

Amid ongoing debates over the presidential term that have fanned tensions between political parties in Parliament in recent days, lawmakers from opposition parties have slammed the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), insisting that President Abdullah Gül’s tenure is five years.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said in a written statement on Monday that a constitutional amendment in 2007, which took place after Gül was elected president and reduced the presidential tenure from seven to five years, must apply to Gül as well. He said the current unclear state of the presidential term is not acceptable considering a political crisis is possible in the near future, and stated that differences inthe interpretation of the law on presidential terms has led to a sharp polarization among the political parties and society, Bahçeli stated.

Urging all the parties to bring the issue of the presidential term to Parliament to make a new legislation that would confirm the presidential tenure, including Gül’s term, Bahçeli said the opinion of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) is also critical in debates over whether the constitutional changes apply to Gül’s term.

The president succeeding Gül will be elected by the people instead of by Parliament as a result of a 2007 referendum, which also decreased presidential tenure from seven years to five. Even though Gül was elected as president by Parliament before the referendum took place, opposition parties argue that the change in the presidential term must apply to Gül as well and say that he must give up his position at the end of five years in office.

On Monday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) parliamentary group Deputy Chairman Akif Hamzaçebi said the AK Party’s insistence on a seven-year term for the current president is a violation of the constitutional law on the presidential term, and stated that the AK Party’s new plans to bring the issue to Parliament to make a new bill shows the ruling party has become confused with regards to the case.

In an address to the press on Monday, Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) parliamentary group Deputy Chairman Hasip Kaplan said the presidential elections must be held in 2012, and that the BDP will not allow the AK Party to draft a bill on the presidential term by skipping the constitutional procedures.
(TODAY’S ZAMAN, 19 December 2011)

Turkish Prime Minister cancels Qatar trip after sugery

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has cancelled an official trip to Qatar this weekend and will instead rest at home after undergoing surgery last month, the Anatolia news agency said Wednesday.
 
"Erdogan will be resting this weekend too," said Anatolia.
 
According to his official programme, the Turkish premier was supposed to fly to Qatar's capital Doha on December 10 to attend a meeting of the Alliance of Civilisations.

Erdoğan's doctors advised him not to travel as it might be tiring, reported the private NTV television.
 
The 57-year-old prime minister underwent laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery on November 26.
 
Erdogan met with US Vice President Joe Biden last Saturday at his home in Istanbul.
 
On Wednesday, he met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani also at his home. He was also expected to meet with Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Irsen Küçük later on Wednesday.
 
Murat Yetkin, editor-in-chief of English-language Hurriyet Daily News, said in his column on Tuesday that the attention of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) supporters was focused on Erdoğan's health.
 
"Yesterday (Monday) marked the third consecutive week without a cabinet meeting and the party priority now is to see him back in business," he wrote.
 
The prime minister might return to work next Monday when he attends the weekly cabinet meeting, said NTV.
 
Erdoğan has been in office since 2003.
(Hürriyet Daily News, 7 December 2011)

CHP starts bid to free jailed MPs

The main opposition leader has called for a broader platform to seek the release of eight lawmakers who remain unconvicted in jail, requesting support from other opposition parties in what he described as a “democracy test.”

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu made the appeal Dec. 2 as his party submitted draft amendments aimed at tightening the conditions of pre-trial detention and lodged an application for the jailed deputies to be brought to Parliament to take their oaths.

“We are taking a step, which, we hope other parties will also support as it is no longer solely a CHP problem. This has become a problem of democracy,” Kılıçdaroğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News.

Draft bill on detention

Earlier in the day, the CHP submitted a draft bill to Parliament amending the Penal Procedure Law. Most prominently, it includes a provision stipulating that those who are elected as members of Parliament while awaiting trial in prison should be unequivocally and immediately released if their candidacy for election has been approved.

The draft, which is part of the CHP’s so-called “urgent democracy package,” stipulates that detentions must be justified by “concrete facts” that the suspect has committed a crime instead of “a strong suspicion.” It also limits the period a suspect can be held in detention without conviction to three years.
In a separate move, the CHP filed an application asking the Parliament Speaker’s Office to contact prosecutors in Istanbul and the southeastern province of Diyarbakır to ensure the eight imprisoned deputies are brought to the General Assembly to take their oaths.

“The detention of the lawmakers is not an obstacle for them to take their oaths,” the application said.

‘Shame for democracy’

Speaking to the Daily News, Kılıçdaroğlu said: “We are undergoing a test of democracy. If we can do it on a larger platform, we would only be happy.” He slammed the government for inaction on the issue and the judiciary for refusing to release the deputies, calling the process “a shame for democracy.”
“You cannot talk about the existence of democracy before solving this problem,” he added. “This shame for democracy is very well observed in the international arena.”

Deputy group chairman of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Hasip Kaplan, lent support to the proposal for the jailed lawmakers to take their oaths and urged Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek to take action.

Kaplan’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) counterpart, Oktay Vural, said they would review the CHP’s draft, but warned such amendments might lead to the release of people involved in terrorism, although MHP lawmaker Engin Alan is among those behind bars.

The others include two deputies from the CHP and five from the BDP.

They are held on charges of involvement in anti-government plots or collaboration with terrorists. CHP deputy Mustafa Balbay, the former Ankara representative for daily Cumhuriyet, became an iconic case in the long-running controversy as he marked his 1,000th day in prison without conviction this week.
(Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 2, 2011)

La Turquie se dirigerait-elle vers le fascisme?

Par Maxime-Azadi

Avec l'encouragement et soutien actif de l'Occident, le gouvernement AKP du premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan a transformé la Turquie en une vaste prison ouverte. Les défenseurs des droits de l'homme et les milieux démocratiques craignent d'une descente vers le fascisme, évoquant  la mise en œuvre de « doctrine ennemie » du nazisme.

Personne n'est aujourd'hui en sécurité sous le régime AKP qui impose un seul choix : être un partisan d'Erdogan ou adepte de la Confrérie Gulen, gouvernement de l'ombre. Tous ceux qui critiquent le gouvernement risquent de se trouver derrières les barreaux.

La démocratie et l'AKP, ça ne colle pas !

Les reformes que l'Occident aime tant en parler ne servaient qu'au renforcement de ces conservateurs  pour mieux s'implanter dans le système.  Aujourd'hui, aucune reforme, ni avancement qui peut être considéré comme démocratique. Au contraire, la Turquie devient de plus en plus autoritaire avec des pratiques fascisantes que les pays européens évitent de voir.

En bref, la démocratie et l'AKP, ça ne colle pas ! La démocratie n'est qu'un simple instrument pour parvenir à son but, l'hégémonie totale. La démocratie, la liberté et l'égalité sont dangereux pour le gouvernement Erdogan, exactement comme en Tunisie de Ben Ali, en Syrie de Bachar Al Assad, en Irak de Saddam Hossein et en Iran de Mahmoud Ahmadinajad.

Il est maintenant indispensable de constater que des véritables reformes démocratiques renforceront la société civile, ce qui affaiblira le gouvernement AKP. On peut conclure que le gouvernement Erdogan n'est même pas capable de faire une seule loi démocratique, si ce n'est pas pour protéger ses intérêts.

Ni le clan Erdogan ni la confrérie n'ont jamais eu dans leur passé des actions ou des revendications pour la démocratie. La confrérie avait applaudi la junte militaire de 1980,  son chef Fethullah Gulen était ami personnel de Alparslan Turkes, le défunt président des loups gris. Il avait des relations étroites avec Tansu Ciller,  la première et la seule femme à exercer la charge de Premier ministre dans son pays entre 1993 et1996.  Ciller est accusé d'être le responsable des exécutions extrajudiciaires par milliers. Plusieurs organisations de défense des droits de l'homme ont porté plainte contre elle pour qu'elle soit jugée.

Une fois que l'AKP a pris le contrôle de l'armée, la police, les médias, la justice et les services secrets, Erdogan et la Confrerie Gulen se sont lancés à la chasse aux kurdes, n'hésitant pas utiliser des armes chimiques contre les combattants du PKK, Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan.

Le turquisme vert

Pour le PKK, la différence entre les Turcs blancs (kemalistes) et les verts (islamistes) c'est que les anciens étaient des négationnistes et se croyaient le seul maitre du pays, par contre le turquisme vert pense que les autres existent mais exigent une totale soumission.  « L'AKP est aussi unioniste, ce qui mène à la même porte  pour nous, les kurdes. Les turquismes blancs et verts exercent tous deux le fascisme contre le peuple kurde » affirme Murat Karayilan, le dirigent du PKK. 

Sinon comment expliquer, l'emprisonnement de plus de 70 journalistes, d'au moins 33 avocats, d'une quarantaine de syndicalistes, des 500 étudiants, des centaines d'enfants et des centaines d'élus dont 18 maires et 8 députés, sans compter l'arrestation d'au moins 4 547 personnes au cours des sept derniers mois dans le cadre de l'affaire KCK, considéré par les opposants comme un complot politique du gouvernement pour intimider toute opposition. Chaque semaine des dizaines d'autres s'ajoutent à ces listes. Dans aucun pays du monde, on ne peut constater autant d'arrestations et de violations des droits de l'homme.

Et comment définir la mort de plus de 150 enfants kurdes en neuf derniers années du pouvoir AKP, les barrages destinés à inonder la région kurde et disparaitre son histoire, la mort des dizaines de combattants du PKK par des armes chimiques, les bombardements intensifs et sans cesses dans le Kurdistan irakien,  la mort de civils, les lois liberticides, la justice qui relaxe les assassins de femmes et qui condamnent les victimes, la censure, les intimidations, la prise de contrôle des medias...

Descente vers le fascisme

La Confédération des syndicats des fonctionnaires  publics (KESK) qui est dans la ligne de mire du gouvernement, parle d'une descente vers le fascisme, dénonçant fermement la condamnation le  28 novembre par la 8e cour d'assises d'Izmir de 25 syndicalistes membres de la confédération à une peine totale de 157 ans et cinq mois de prison. « C'est une décision politique » pour créer une société silencieuse et sans réaction, a dit la confédération dans un communiqué.

Doctrine ennemie du nazisme

Le président de l'Association de Juristes Contemporains (CHD), Selcuk Kozaagacli, évoque de son coté la « doctrine ennemie du nazisme » au cours d'une conférence de presse organisée conjointement mercredi 30 novembre à Istanbul avec l'association des droits de l'homme (IHD) pour dénoncer l'emprisonnement de 33 avocats, suite à des opérations menées le 22 novembre dans seize villes.  Selon Kozaagacli, cette doctrine a été mise en œuvre en Turquie par le gouvernement Erdogan.

Pour l'avocate Fethiye Cetin, « La justice et les barreaux sont devenus les jouets du gouvernement ». Elle affirme que les autorités judiciaires considèrent une partie des citoyens comme des ennemis. 

L'arrestation des avocats est la plus grave attaque depuis la création de la République turque, constate l'avocat Ercan Kanar.

Reste à savoir quel sera la fin de ce régime et quand ? Serait-ce au tour de la Turquie après la Syrie et l'Iran ou plutôt? Selon le BDP, principale force kurde, l'AKP prépare sa fin avec de telles répressions.

http://blogs.mediapart.fr/blog/maxime-azadi/011211
(Article également publié sur ActuKurde)

Forces armées/Armed Forces

Turkish defense and security budgets on rise

The Turkish Ministry of Defense budget has been fixed at TL18.2 billion for the 2012 fiscal year, marking a 7.4 percent increase over 2011. The Defense Ministry budget will make up 1.3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) for 2012. But these figures and ratios do not include the extra budgetary funds earmarked for defense, which are not available even to legislators.

The Defense Ministry's budget was taken up in Parliament on Dec. 13 and the new budget was approved. Yet, legislators have once again failed to question the unavailability of the extra budgetary funds allocated to the defense industry, which are not included in the ministry's budget. The ministry's budget is composed of the budgets of the Defense Ministry, the air, navy and land forces as well as the General Staff.

The new Court of Auditors Law adopted late in 2011 is hoped to help the introduction of a more transparent process for the oversight of military expenditures.

Meanwhile, a study released recently by Bilgi University, showed that the ratio of Turkey's defense and security budgets within the GDP in 2010 was over 3.7 percent. But again this ratio is misleading since extra budgetary funds set aside for defense are not available.

Defense and security budgets 

Funds allocated to both the Defense Ministry and other institutions responsible for the country's security and law and order comprised around $39 billion (11.1 percent) of the total fiscal year budget for 2012. Still this percentage does not represent the additional budgetary funds that have been allotted for defense and are based on figures made available by the relevant ministries, some of which have provided restricted information.

The Ministry of Defense's budget comprised 5.2 percent of the total budget for the 2012 fiscal year compared to 5.4 percent last year. The budget for the Public Order and Security Undersecretariat has been fixed at TL19.1 million, marking a 30.4 percent increase over last year, while the General Directorate of Security budget was set at TL12.1 billion, marking a 14.6 percent increase over last year. The Security General Directorate's share of the total budget for the 2012 fiscal year stands at 3.5 percent.

The budget of the Gendarmerie General Command (JGK) will be TL4.9 billion for 2012, a 7.6 percent increase compared to 2011, while the Interior Ministry budget will be TL2.5 billion, marking a 14.8 percent increase over last year. The JGK's share of the total budget for the 2012 fiscal year saw an increase of 1.4 percent, while the Ministry of Interior's share of the budget increased by 0.007 percent.

The Coast Guard Command (SGK) budget has been set at TL375.9 million, an 18.9 percent increase over last year, and the budget of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) will be TL750.9, a 12.8 percent rise over last year. TL14.3 million has been allocated to the General Secretariat of the National Security Council (MGK), which is a 5.4 percent increase compared to last year.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health will see a cut in its 2012 budget, with TL14.3 billion, a 16.7 percent decrease from last year. The Justice Ministry will have a budget of TL5.2 billion, while the budget for the newly established Science, Industry and Technology Ministry has been set at TL2.2 billion. The Foreign Ministry budget, meanwhile, will be TL1.3 billion for 2012.

The Ministry of Education budget has seen a 14.8 percent rise in its budget compared to 2011, at TL 39.1 billion. It's ratio within the GDP in 2012 will be 2.75 percent.

According to the study conducted by İstanbul-based Bilgi University between 1988 and 2004, Turkey's military spending was above education spending except for two years. In 2004, two years after Turkey's military spending began to decrease in 2002, spending on education exceeded military spending, the same report said. This comprehensive report was published by the Public Expenditures Monitoring Platform, which is composed of 52 nongovernmental Organizations.

The report, however, also underlines that monitoring military spending in Turkey has various difficulties. “The figures of the Defense Ministry, the Gendarmerie General Command [JGK] and the Coast Guard Command [SGK] can be easily obtained via the website of the Ministry of Finance. Although those figures are easily accessible, obtaining detailed figures and long-term estimations on the spending of the Defense Industry Support Fund [SSDF], the Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation [MKE] and village guards as well as payments made through funds [that are neither available to the legislators nor to the public] or foreign credit intended for military spending, are not possible. Even though we state that data are accessible, we do not claim that the available information is transparent,” the report states.

In addition, information on the budgets of around 16 military-owned state companies, including Havelsan and Roketsan, which are affiliated with the Foundation to Strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces (TSKGV), are not available. It is not expected either that auditors will carry out inspections of these companies under the Court of Auditors Law.

The Taraf daily asked Ömer Dinçer, the minister of education, in an interview on Nov. 28 whether despite claims that the Education Ministry's budget is now higher than the Defense Ministry's budget, this was actually the case considering the extra budget allocated to the Defense Ministry, which is still unknown.

Dinçer responded, saying that the budget of the Education Ministry was about TL60 billion for 2011 if the budgets of certain institutions, including High Education Board (YÖK) and universities, are included. Whereas, he said, the defense budget was around TL39 billion for 2011, when the budgets of the SSDF, military companies and other similar resources are included.

Poor state of military technology

According to Minister of Defense İsmet Yılmaz, the ratio of meeting the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK)'s military equipment requirements through domestic production has reached 52 percent from around 15 percent in 2004 under the 2010 figures. Information on whether this ratio comprises critical military technologies is not available.

However, Müslim Sarı, a deputy from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), stated during a Planning and the Budgetary Commission (PBK) discussion on the Defense Ministry's budget on Nov. 4, Turkey still depends on critical military technologies abroad.

He also urged that the ratio of funds earmarked for Research and Development (R&D) defense projects be increased to 5 percent from the existing 2 percent.

Outlining his ministry's budget during the session on the Defense Ministry budget in November at Parliament's PBK, Yılmaz stated that under the 2010 figures, Turkey realized a $853,5 million worth exports in the fields of defense and aviation. Funds allocated to R&D in the defense industry went up to $666 million.

Striking example of noncompliance to transparency

One of the underlying problems in tracing defense expenditures in Turkey is its nontransparent nature. Below is a striking example of this taken from Bilgi University's report:

“When we analyzed the allocation sheets evaluated by Parliament and shared with the public via the Ministry of Finance's General Directorate of Budget and Financial Control, we observed that the Ministry of Defense had is two-and-a-half pages of allocation sheets and General Command of the Gendarmerie two pages, while the Finance Ministry, Health Ministry, the National Police Force and the Ministry of Internal Affairs had 41, 24, 28 and 12.5 pages respectively. … Another institution for which information is lacking is the TSKGV. It's income is sourced from its affiliates, which in 2009 constituted 42 percent of the total turnover of the defense industry in Turkey, and part of its funds are allocated to military projects.”

The report says, military spending for 2010 was calculated to be 2.48 percent of the GDP, which falls to 2.14 when the estimates covering the TSKGV and military pensions are excluded.

Turkey scores moderate to low transparency level

Transparency International (TI) UK, an organization that fights corruption worldwide, released a report in October concerning the defense budget transparency levels of different countries. 

TI UK ranked Turkey among 21 countries that have moderate to low levels of transparency in their defense budget, displaying Turkey as a poor state when it comes to the transparency of its defense budget despite its 59-year-long membership to NATO.

Among the 21 countries include Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Tanzania, Rwanda and Vietnam.

Being scored moderate to low generally reflects that while there is some appropriate legal framework in place for addressing defense budgeting, there is little willingness or capacity to enforce it in practice, according to TI UK.

Turkish legislators receive little information

“Many countries have designated defense committees in place, but their ability to perform their functions vary greatly. In Turkey, for example, parliamentarians receive so little information pertaining to the defense budget that they cannot effectively monitor expenditures,” according to TI UK.

Under the heading of “Transparent, but Only on the Outside?” TI UK said that “the Turkish army is an established player in the national economy, and its economic clout has been aided by substantial freedom from oversight and restraint regarding its spending decisions.”

In addition, TI UK points to a bizarre situation in Turkey.

“Remarkably, in the case of Turkey, international organizations such as NATO and SIPRI receive and publish official data on military spending. The same access to information, however, is not offered to Turkish media and the public. Turkish citizens may be able to access information provided by the [Stockholm International Peace Research Institute] SIPRI and NATO; however, it is not provided to them directly by national bodies. Despite progress made towards increased disclosure of spending information on the international scene, Turkey remains secretive when it comes to informing its own citizens and military assets and spending continue to be outside independent auditing processes.”
(Today's Zaman, LALE KEMAL,  16 December 2011)

"Our New-Born Babies did not Wear Uniforms"

Defendants Ahmet Aydemir, father of Enver Aydemir, lawyer Davut Erkan, Halil Savda and Mehmet Atak stand accused of "alienating the public from military service" pursuant to Article 318 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK). They are being prosecuted on the grounds of a press release issued on 21 January 2011 in support of conscientious objector Enver Aydemir subsequent to one of his hearings.

The sentence "Everybody is born as a baby, nobody is born as a soldier" was part of the press release and is the bone of contention of the trial.

"Witnesses testified that they did not give birth to soldiers"

The file of lawyer Davut Erkan was separated from the main file. The other defendants are facing prison sentences of between six months and two years each. Their case was being continued before the Eskişehir 4th Magistrate Criminal Court on 14 December.

Defence lawyer Senem Doğanoğlu summarized the hearing for bianet:

* Three women from Eskişehir who gave birth without any narcotics were heard as witnesses. They heard about the prosecution based on the sentence "Nobody is born as a soldier, everybody is born as a baby". Thereupon, the women applied to court to testify as witnesses that they gave birth to babies, not to soldiers.

* The witnesses stated that they gave birth without using any narcotics, hence they saw their babies right after birth. The women confirmed that their new-born babies did not wear a uniform.

Request for gynaecologist rejected

After the statements of the witnesses were heard, the defence party requested to hear a gynaecologist at court as an expert. Furthermore, defendant Mehmet Atak demanded to bring a constitutional lawyer to court in order to take his opinion on the question whether alienating the public from the military was a crime or not according to the Constitution. Doğanoğlu reported that these requests were dismissed by the court.

The lawyer said it was extremely disappointing that people were being prosecuted because they said "Everybody is born as a baby, nobody is born as a soldier". In her opinion, opening a trial on the grounds of such a sentence lacked a legal basis.

The next hearing was scheduled for 9 February 2012.

Case file incomplete

At the same time, conscientious objector Halil Savda was taken into police custody due to an arrest warrant when he was about to depart to Paris on an invitation of Amnesty International. Doğanoğlu informed bianet that the arrest warrant about him had been issued contrary to the procedure.

Doğanoğlu reminded the fact that Savda's first hearing had been adjourned to 14 December because he only learned about the trial by chance at the day of the initial hearing. Nevertheless, the court decided for an arrest warrant in an interim session on 11 November. The lawyer continued:

* The execution of the arrest warrant has not been added to the file yet. If the execution will not have been added by the time Halil returns to Turkey, he might be taken into custody again.

* For this reason we demanded to annul the arrest warrant at the hearing. However, nothing can be done as long as the execution has not been added to the file.

* If the arrest warrant had not been lifted, Halil would not have been able to go abroad. Yet, the document related to the lifting of that decision is still not in the file. Besides, this is just a matter of sending an e-mail. (BIA, Ekin KARACA, 16 December 2011)

Turkish Parliament drops the ball on oversight of defense budget

As usual in past practices, the military and defense establishment in Turkey was able to steer their way through budget deliberations on Tuesday night without much scrutiny and transparency concerning the military expenditure in the national budget.
To the dismay of political and military analysts, discussions in Parliament were sidetracked by other issues amid political bickering and personal feuds in general floor debates. Instead of talking on the specifics of the TL 18.3 billion budget, deputies locked into heated debates over the NATO missile shield system and a newly introduced paid-military service exemption scheme.

This year, the Defense Ministry's budget reflects a 7.4 percent increase from TL 17 billion last year and represents 4.8 percent of the overall budget. Funds earmarked for the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) in the 2012 budget (TL34 million), for the Gendarmerie (TL4.9 billion) and for the Coast Guard (TL376 million) are extra budgetary items and were not reflected in the Defense Ministry's budget.

Ümit Cizre, professor at Ankara-based Bilkent University, who specializes in civilian-military relations, told Today' Zaman that transparency in the national defense budget should have been the first priority for parliamentarians to discuss. “We were shocked to learn that the civilian oversight of defense expenditures has gone from bad to worse, while we were thinking it would be improved. Opposition deputies should have taken the government to task with regard to examining the defense budget, but they focused on other issues. This was terrible,” she lamented.

Cizre also suggested that the Parliamentary Defense Committee should be the first institution to review the budget expenditures in detail. “Unfortunately, the committee members do not have enough knowledge of defense and military matters. They do not have enough support and experts,” she added.

Those who advocate strict supervision of civilians over military affairs like Cizre were recently dismayed by reports that the draft version of a new regulation on procedures concerning audits of military spending prepared by the Court of Auditors was revised to strongly guard the military's expenditures from being shared with the public after the court received threats from the military. In addition, it has been claimed that the document was revised to intimidate inspectors from carrying out audits of military expenditures.

In 2004 Parliament amended Article 160 of the military-dictated Constitution to increase transparency and improve the auditing of state property that belongs to the military. This amendment was not enforced until a law was passed by Parliament six years later on Dec. 3, 2010, which mandated transparency for the Court of Auditors to examine military property.

This process still lacks key mechanisms that would make the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and civilian institutions more accountable. For example, although inspectors will be allowed to audit expenditures in line with internal criteria, they will not be able to question the policies that underpin these expenditures or decide whether or not a particular expense is necessary. The inspectors cannot question expenses that may be unnecessary or run contrary to the public interest. Neither defense expenditures nor those of other institutions can be audited in any real sense.

The controversial revised version has reportedly been sent to the legal department of the Prime Ministry for examination. Analysts hope that the PM's legal department will now correct the revisions that have been made to the draft directive by the court under alleged illegal pressure from the military and make spending more transparent.

Retired military judge Ümit Kardaş also shares Cizre's frustration. He told Today's Zaman that concessions were given to the military on the oversight of military and defense expenditures. “There is no mental preparation for this. That is why deputies in Parliament do not talk about the real issues with regard to defense expenditures. None of them raise the issue of tying the Chief of the General Staff to the Defense Ministry instead of to the PM's office. The ruling party tries to manage relations with the military by negotiating deals on the fly. The opposition does not pay any attention to these matters. They talk about unrelated issues on the floor when the defense budget comes up for discussion,” he explained.

Kardaş warned that to refrain from institutional change in order to reflect the diminished role of the military is the biggest danger for the government. Noting that the Defense Ministry is still weak under current laws, Kardaş says the autonomy of the General Staff still continues. “The General Staff should be attached to the Defense Ministry rather than to the office of the prime minister,” he said.

Kardaş also raises other issues that need to be addressed immediately to curb the military's power over politics. “For example, the curriculum in military schools where young cadets are trained must also be changed to have future officers respect the rule of law, believe in democracy and accept the civilian will,” he said, lamenting the fact that he did not see any discussion this year on these issues. “With the absence of institutional change, the process of normalization will not have long-term results,” he cautioned.

During his speech to Parliament, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz talked about the modernization of the TSK and defended the privileged position of the huge military-run economic enterprise, the Turkish Armed Forces Assistance Center (OYAK), which has been subject to growing complaints that the institution is replete with anti-democratic practices and enjoys rights that run contrary to commercial law. Originally established by military officers who had overthrown the government on May 27, 1960, with a view to provide additional income to members of the TSK, OYAK is now one of the largest conglomerates in the country. It has 60 subsidiaries in various sectors and controls many profitable companies. It can easily participate in public tenders and is exempted from a number of taxes and levies. Unlike other companies, OYAK does not pay corporate tax, inheritance tax, income tax or stamp and excise duties. Yılmaz said if change is needed to OYAK's privileged position, a new legislative amendment is required. (todayszaman.com,
ALİ ASLAN KILIÇ)

Turkish Government Convicted for Death at Military Post

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found the Turkish government guilty of a violation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to life in the scope of the death of Ekem Kurt. Kurt had allegedly committed suicide with the weapon of his friends when he was on guard at his military post.

The ECHR decreed for a monetary fine of € 18,000 in compensation to be paid to the family of Ekrem Kurt.

Kurt was doing his military service at the Gendarmerie Outpost Command in Uludere in the south-eastern province of Şırnak. Subsequent to a psychological examination on 28 February 2007, it was specified that Kurt would not be allowed to hold a weapon during his military service. On 6 March 2007, he allegedly committed suicide with the weapon of his friend while on guard.

Article 2: Right to Life

1 - Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law. No one shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in the execution of a sentence of a court following his conviction of a crime for which this penalty is provided by law.

2 - Deprivation of life shall not be regarded as inflicted in contravention of this article when it results from the use of force which is no more than absolutely necessary:

a) in defence of any person from unlawful violence;

b) in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained;

c) in action lawfully taken for the purpose of quelling a riot or insurrection.

(BIA, Çiçek TAHAOĞLU, 13 December 2011)

L’objection de conscience en ligne de mire

Halil Savda a 37 ans. Cet homme, originaire de Sirnak, un fief kurde à l'Est de Diyarbakir, a été arrêté mardi soir, à l'aéroport d'Istanbul, alors qu'il s'apprêtait à embarquer pour Paris. Halil Savda est Kurde, objecteur de conscience et militant antimilitariste. Malgré cela, il ne s'attendait pas à être arrêté. "J'étais surpris. Le système informatique indiquait un mandat d'arrêt contre moi", témoigne-t-il. Vérification faite, il s'agissait d'une déposition manquante, lors de l'audience d'un procès, en novembre, à laquelle il était absent, faute d'avoir été informé par la justice. Après 24h de garde à vue, Halil a été libéré et il a pu prendre un autre avion pour Paris.

Ex militant du PKK, il a déjà purgé une dizaine d'année de prison pour des condamnations liées à ses activités politiques, Halil Savda est responsable du site Internet Savas Karsitlari (Contre la guerre). Réformé du service militaire, Halil Savda a été condamné à 100 jours de prison pour avoir soutenu, en 2006, deux objecteurs de conscience qui refusaient d'aller se battre au Liban et un autre objecteur, Ahmet Aydemir, emprisonné en 2009. L'article 318 du code pénal turc stipule qu'il est illégal de "susciter l'hostilité de la population à l'égard du service militaire".

Halil Savda participe, jusqu'au 18 décembre, à une campagne d'Amnesty International organisée pour les 50 ans de l'organisation et la journée internationale de Droits de l'homme (le 10 décembre). Amnesty réclame l'abrogation de l'article 318 du code pénal turc.

L'objection de conscience reste illégale en Turquie, où l'armée, par le système de la conscription obligatoire, continue de jouer un rôle social important. "Chaque Turc naît soldat" dit le proverbe. La Turquie et ses deux voisins caucasiens l'Arménie et l'Azerbaïdjan, sont les trois seuls pays membres du Conseil de l'Europe à ne pas reconnaître l'objection de conscience. La Turquie a été condamnée par la cour européenne des droits de l'homme, en 2006 (voir l'arrêt),à verser 11.000 euros à  Murat Ülke, condamné à 2 ans et demi de prison. En 2005, Mehmet Taran, autre objecteur emblématique, a été condamné à 4 ans de prison (libéré en mars 2006). La CEDH a donné jusqu'à fin 2011 à la Turquie pour mettre en oeuvre cette réforme. Au moins 137 objecteurs déclarés réclament la fin de ce service, tandis que Bülent Arinç a évoqué le chiffre d'un million de personnes concernées.

Au niveau politique, la réflexion est avancée et l'objection de conscience pourrait être rendue possible, contre compensation. L'idée d'un service civil ou d'un service militaire administratif (par ex. pour l'association des familles de "martyrs") a été évoquée et un projet de loi est dans les cartons. Des dizaines de milliers de citoyens turcs sont concernés. Le refus de prendre les armes et d'utiliser la violence les condamne à la clandestinité pendant des années. Ainsi, F.P., qui vit à Istanbul, n'a pas pu sortir du territoire turc depuis 2001, sous peine d'être immédiatement envoyé jouer au petit soldat. Chaque Turc, de sexe masculin et d'âge compris entre 18 et 41 ans, doit effectuer un service de 15 mois sous les drapeaux, six mois seulement pour les diplômés de l'université. Un service effectué parfois dans des zones de guerre, comme dans les régions kurdes.

Le débat sur l'objection de conscience intervient alors que le gouvernement turc vient d'entamer une réforme de la conscription, en étendant le champ d'application du "bedelli askerlik", un service militaire sonnant et trébuchant. Cette formule était jusqu'ici utilisée pour les Turcs de l'étranger, obligés d'accomplir un service réduit (21 jours) à Burdur, une petite ville ensoleillée du Sud Ouest turc, loin de tout conflit... Un camp de vacances en uniforme contre 5112 € (pour les - de 38 ans) ou 7668€ (+ 38 ans).  Le service payant sera désormais étendu à tous les Turcs de plus de 30 ans, contre la somme, rondelette, de 30.000 TL (12.000 €), payable en deux fois. Cette réforme est toutefois très critiquée: certains s'inquiètent d'une perte d'influence de l'armée, en voie de professionnalisation. Le fils de Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, le chef du CHP, le parti kémaliste, devra faire son service.

D'autres s'émeuvent d'un cadeau fait aux familles aisées, les seules capables de s'acquitter d'une telle somme pour sauver leur progéniture. Au moins 100.000 personnes devraient solliciter ce nouveau droit, selon le ministère de la Défense, ce qui devrait rapporter environ 1,2 Md€ à l'Etat turc. Pour les Turcs de l'étranger, la procédure est également simplifiée. Plus de service de 21 jours, ils devront seulement s'acquitter d'une somme supérieure à 10.000 €, soit le double de la formule précédente. Des files d'attentes de plusieurs centaines de personnes se sont donc constituées ces derniers jours devant les consulats turcs en Europe, notamment à Strasbourg ...

L'armée turque est donc tout doucement en train d'abandonner la conscription obligatoire et de s'orienter vers une armée de métier. A la frontière avec l'Irak, le long de la ligne de crête régulièrement franchie par des rebelles du PKK pour des assauts contre l'armée en territoire turc, des bataillons de commandos professionnels vont être déployés. Les bérets bleus vont également être envoyés pour sécuriser la frontière syrienne, a annoncé le président de la république Abdullah Gül. Les conscrits seront de moins en moins envoyés sur des zones de conflits. La professionnalisation de l'armée est une réflexion déjà entamée sous les précédents chefs d'Etat major, notamment Isik Kosaner. Elle devrait s'accélérer : l'armée turque, pléthorique, coûteuse et technologiquement dépassée sur bien des aspects, doit se moderniser.

Les effectifs de l'armée turque sont au total  de 720.000 soit 4 fois l'armée britannique. C'est la deuxième armée de l'Otan, en nombre. Une véritable armée mexicaine avec 365 généraux (contre 41 aux Etats-Unis par exemple), même si une partie (10%) d'entre eux est aujourd'hui derrière les barreaux pour des tentatives présumées de complots (Ergenekon, Balyoz). (istanbul.blog.lemonde.fr, 12 décembre 2011)

Conscientious Objector Inan Süver Free

Conscientious objector İnan Süver was released from prison upon the decision of the Aegean Army Command Military Court to postpone the execution of his sentence. Süver was in prison since 5 August 2010 and released on Friday (9 December).

In an interview with bianet, Süver said he had only left prison half an hour earlier and hence would not be able to talk for long. He was going to go to Istanbul as soon as possible to see his wife and his children.

Süver claimed that he had not talked to anybody throughout the past four months and that he started a hunger strike again on the very same morning the decision for his release was issued. He explained that he was extremely happy and excited to be out of the prison cell and part of daily life again.

"I do not think he will go back to prison"

Süver's lawyer Davut Erkan announced that the court relied on the report on "psychological distress" issued by the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA).

Erkan stated that the court postponed Süver's finalized sentence. The lawyer assumed that Süver will be treated in hospital after this since he was "not suitable for military service" according to the report. (BIA, Ekin KARACA, 12 December 2011)


TAYAD: Turkish Armed Forces lying about chemical weapons

The Prisoners' Families Solidarity Association (TAYAD) made a press statement on the savagery in Kazan Valley where 36 HPG (People’s Defense Forces) were killed by chemical weapons in a despicable fight on 22-24 October 2011.

TAYAD commented Turkish General Staff’s words “We didn’t use chemicals” as a “great lie” in the face of strong evidences of witnesses and researches confirming the use of chemical weapons in the area.

It is a known fact that the Turkish army possesses chemicals, underlined the TAYAD statement and pointed out that this wasn’t the first time Turkish army used chemicals against guerrillas. Referring to the “Back to Life” operation in Bayrampaşa Prison on 19 December 2000 when 28 prisoners lost their lives, the statement continued as follows; “Remember that soldiers used various chemical bombs in this operation.  The bombs which were in different colors and shapes also had different effects. These bombs were also mentioned by some prisoners who survived similar operations in different prisons.”

The statement emphasized that strong facts can’t be covered and added that; “The General Staff cannot lie to people. People should be told the facts, not lies.”

The TAYAD statement ended calling on authorities to explain where and when chemical weapons were used so far, which effects these bombs have, why these bombs are still possessed and against whom they will be used. (ANF
, December 12, 2011)

Criminal Complaint due to Chemical Weapons

The Diyarbakır Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD), the Mesopotamia Association of Relatives of the Missing (MEYA-DER), the Medical Chamber of Diyarbakır and the relatives of members of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who lost their lives in the course of the clashes in the Kazan Valley, filed a criminal complaint about the persons in charge regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons.

After the military operation it was alleged that the PKK members had died as the result of chemical weapons used in the Kazan Valley (Hakkari, south-eastern Turkey). The criminal complaint is based on the preliminary autopsy report prepared by the prosecution which revealed that the bodies showed "a change of colour" and burn marks that "could not be identified".

The criminal complaint requested an investigation and prosecution in order to determine whether chemical weapons or prohibited weapons were used in the clash.

It was claimed in the complaint, "A necessary criminal investigation needs to be conducted about the officials of the Armed Forces who are authorized on this subject and who are responsible. Certain aspects should be investigated in detail such as who gave the instruction to use these weapons; whether the Ministry and other officials were informed about the use of these weapons and whether the Turkish Armed Forces hold prohibited chemical weapons. According the outcome of this research, the necessary investigation procedures should be carried out about all officials and people in charge. We kindly request to urgently launch the necessary investigation procedures; to conduct an investigation and initiate the criminal prosecution of the persons in charge who are going to be determined by the results of the investigations and aspects mentioned above".

Evidence cannot be collected

The criminal complaint also referred to the statements of the families of the killed PKK members in their applications made to the İHD. It pointed to international agreements and legal provisions signed by Turkey related to the use of chemical weapons and toxic gas. The use of this kind of weapons was accounted for as a war crime, the complaint emphasized.

It was also indicated that evidence was not collected because the prosecutor's office did not launch an investigation even though circumstantial evidence suggested the "possible use of unauthorized weapons" and despite the fact that many pieces of evidence and data could be obtained although the incident was investigated with delay. The complaint demanded to request information of the General Staff Presidency regarding which weapons were used in the conflict.

Request for an alternative report

In a statement issued by İHD Diyarbakır Branch Secretary Raci Bilici before the petition was submitted, the organization explained that they had requested an alternative autopsy report prepared by an independent delegation comprised of experts from the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), the Turkey Human Rights Foundation (TİHV), the Forensic Medicine Experts Association or university staff. Yet, this demand was dismissed by the prosecutor's office and thus the İHD reiterated their request.

36 PKK members died

36 PKK members died in the course of an operation of the TSK at the Kazan Valley (Çukurca district) in the Kurdish-majority province of Hakkari (south-eastern Turkey) on 22/23 October. The area of the conflict was then investigated by a delegation of the European Parliament and also by a delegation of representatives of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the İHD, MEYA-DER, the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUMDER). Moreover, the Turkish Medical Chamber (TTB) had applied to the Ministry of Justice and requested to establish a delegation for an investigation. (BIA, 7 December 2011)

Parliament approves bill on military service exemption

Parliament early on Wednesday approved a new bill on paid exemption from military service, which enables men 30 years old and over to skip military service in exchange for TL 30,000.
 
“The Bill Amending the Law on Military Service” was approved at 5:10 a.m. following talks that lasted 12 hours. According to the bill, men born before Jan. 1, 1983 who have not yet completed their compulsory military service can opt to pay TL 30,000. Those who wish to be exempted must apply and complete their payments within six months. The money will go to a bank account under the name of the minister of family and social policy at Ziraat Bankası.

Applicants can either pay the full TL 30,000 up front or half the amount at the time of application and the rest of the sum within six months. Those who pay will be completely exempted from military service, receiving no basic military training, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said while speaking at his party's group meeting in Parliament on Nov. 22.

The revenue obtained from the military exemption offer will be spent on social services to provide for the relatives of those who died in the fight against terrorism, veterans, the handicapped, families in need whose sons are serving in the Turkish military as enlisted personnel and to former members of the gendarmerie and the National Police Department who were disabled while on active duty, the prime minister added.

The bill also simplifies military service for Turkish citizens living abroad. Provided that they have been abroad for at least three years, Turkish citizens living abroad can pay 5,000 to 7,500 euros, depending on their age, and come to Turkey to serve a shortened 21-day military service. According to the new law, they will be completely exempted from military service in return for 10,000 euros, regardless of age.

The bill will now be examined by President Abdullah Gül. If he approves it, the new system will go into force.
(TODAY'S ZAMAN, 30 November 2011)

Affaires religieuses/Religious Affairs

Conflict at the 33th anniversary of Maraş Genocide

24 December is the 33th anniversary of Maraş Genocide which began on 19 December and lasted till 24 December of 1978. 111 people lost their lives and more than thousand people were wounded during the genocide which was organized by the counterguerrilla movement against Alevis and strengthened the process to 12 September 1980 military coup.

Thousands of people gathered in Narlı district of Maraş today to join the protest demonstration organized by Alevi Bektaşi Federation. Soon after the beginning of the march to Maraş city center, protestors of the genocide were attacked by gendarmeries. Gas bombs were used during the gendarmerie attack and many people were reported taken into custody. Clashes between demonstrators and gendarmeries still continue.

Although the Governorship of Maraş denied permission for the protest meeting, thousands took to the streets today from many cities. While the convoys of protestors were stopped on Antep-Maraş way, clashes broke out here when the mass insisted on breaking the gendarmerie blockade. The attack with gas bombs and sticks came soon afterwards. Gendarmeries took many people into custody to disperse demonstrators who set up a barricade against the attack.

On the other hand, the convoys from Istanbul and other five cities were also stopped close to Maraş by special operation police teams who blockaded the way with scorpion type vehicles and panzers.

While tension continues in the area, people reacted to the blockade, saying; “You have made us suffer for many years now. You don’t even let us remember those people.”
(ANF, 24 December 2011)

Turkey attracts students from all over world for Islamic studies

Turkey has been increasingly attracting foreign students and religious officials from across the world who come for an education in Islamic theology.

Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate official on overseas education, Ahmet Dilek, told the Anatolia news agency that foreign students began coming to Turkey in the 1990s to study theology. While explaining that the first groups came from the Balkans and the Turkic-speaking republics 20 years ago, Dilek said Turkey is attracting students from around the world at the moment.

Stressing that there is a demand from overseas for Turkish authorities to open courses in Turkey for religious officials from other countries, Dilek said Turkey should respond to such demands. “Turkey is trying to do its part. I believe the Religious Affairs Directorate fills an important gap in this regard,” he said, adding that the directorate supports and gets involved in activities to deliver education.

“Turkey is a big country. The accumulation of theological knowledge in Turkey cannot be ignored. It is our duty and the expectation of these countries [that send students to study theology in Turkey] that many people in the world utilize this knowledge and Turkey serves as a guide for these people,” he said.

Under a program titled the “International Islamic Theology Program,” Islam is taught to international students and theologians. The program was launched in 2006 and the first group of students graduated last year. As part of the program, students study theology in three Turkish universities. Ankara University hosts 183 students while Marmara University hosts 188 and İstanbul University, which joined the program this year, currently hosts 34 students.

Including the preparatory year, the program runs for five years. Among the current students are mostly Turks from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Austria, Britain and Canada, where their parents moved to work.

Dilek said the students are chosen by a commission to study in Turkish universities, and the majority of the students aim to work in their countries after graduating, according to him.

In addition to the program of the Religious Affairs Directorate, 1,137 students have come to Turkey to study at theological high schools. There are also students working towards their master's degrees in Islamic theology at Turkish universities.
(TODAY'S ZAMAN, 21 December 2011)

Project to employ religious figures triggers reactions

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ’s recent comments regarding the employment of an 1,000 respected religious figures as personnel for Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate in the southeast and eastern parts of Turkey has prompted differing reactions.

Bozdağ announced they will employ 1,000 mele, respected religious people, in the southeast and eastern parts of Turkey as contracted personnel under Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate.  “Mele, as we know in the eastern parts of Turkey, are people who are respected, although they have not had a religious education. We would like to benefit from these people if they are able to pass the exam we shall open up to them. We are currently considering opening 1,000 positions,” Bozdağ told daily Hürriyet.

Bozdağ’s comments brought different reactions from other political parties and academics.

According to Vahap Coşkun, professor at Diyarbakır’s Dicle Univeristy’s law faculty, such a project aims to bring an understanding of religion that is under state authority. “The aim of Turkey’s Religious Affairs is to use religion for state purposes. With this project, they want to use the meles for their own end,” Coşkun told Hürriyet Daily News. “However, I do not think this will be successful since the public respects these people for their civil position.”

“The outcome of this project will achieve nothing but filling the empty positions in Religious Affairs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate released a press statement regarding the case, saying they have already implemented similar projects for Turkey’s Caferi community – a sect of Shiite Islam – and the new project would not only include eastern regions but will incorporate all areas where there is a need. “It is not right to present the objective of this project as employment of the mele. The project aims to employ qualified personnel within positions with peculiarities where religious service is needed. The article’s description of those people as ‘having religious knowledge without religious education’ is not reflecting the truth,” the statement said.

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Altan Tan, known to have an Islamic background, said he was against government control of religion but voiced support for the plan if the current system stays. “This is a positive development for voluntary imams to become permanent government-paid staff. There are a lot of literate Kurdish mullahs, but they do not have diplomas recognized by the government,” Tan told the Hürriyet Daily News. However, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy İhsan Özkes, a retired mufti, harshly criticized the project, describing it as “a political maneuver of the ruling Justice and Development Party [AKP] to raise popular support in southeastern Anatolia.” Özkes claimed the project would curb the employment chances of graduates of public religious schools and urged the Religious Affairs Directorate to stay away from politics. “The government must stop mixing religion and politics. The project announced by Bozdağ is modifying the genes religion and the Religious Affairs Directorate,” he said. (Hurriyet, 13 December 2011)

Religious community leader detained in Istanbul gang operation

Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, a leader of an İstanbul-based religious community, was detained on Friday as part of a police operation against a gang known as Karagümrük.

Ten others, including a woman who was named best model in Turkey in 2007, Ünlü's driver and a bodyguard were earlier detained as part of the same operation carried out by the İstanbul Police Department's Organized Crime Unit.

Last summer, a video was posted on the Internet that appeared to show Ünlü sleeping with a foreign sex worker. According to police, Ünlü's driver and bodyguard asked the Karagümrük gang to find those who posted the controversial video. The driver and the bodyguard, whose names were not revealed, were detained when police tapped their phone conversations with gang members.

The gang had reportedly hired Neslihan Önder, named best model in Turkey in 2007, to help them obtain personal information from and blackmail businessman. Two brothers, Nuri and Vedat Ergin, who are currently in jail, established the Karagümrük gang.

The 11 suspects were brought to the Beşiktaş Courthouse in İstanbul on Friday to be interrogated by prosecutor Mehmet Ali Uysal, who is overseeing the probe.
(TODAY'S ZAMAN, 9 December 2011)

Les alaouites de Turquie n'approuvent pas la politique syrienne d'Ankara

A Antakya, petite ville turque cosmopolite aux confins de la Syrie, les prises de position d'Ankara contre le régime de Damas ne font pas l'unanimité. Au sein de la forte communauté alaouite de la ville, on défend l'action du président Assad, un alaouite, et on redoute sa chute.

"Nous savons très bien qu'il n'y a pas d'oppression en Syrie. Bien sûr qu'il y a quelques petits problèmes (...) Mais il faut laisser du temps au régime du président Bachar al-Assad pour mettre en place les réformes démocratiques", affirme Ali Yeral, président de l'association Ehli Beyt des alaouites d'Antakya.

"Des millions de gens sortent dans la rue pour soutenir ses réformes. Mais certaines télévisions, en particulier Al-Jazeera, font tout pour passer ça sous silence et vont au contraire montrer 200 ou 300 membres d'une organisation terroriste sanguinaire en train de manifester", poursuit le responsable associatif.

Les alaouites, une confession musulmane hétérodoxe proche du chiisme, sont près de deux millions en Syrie, où ils sont fortement représentés dans les rangs de l'armée et du parti Baas au pouvoir.

En Turquie, la communauté, arabophone --à ne pas confondre avec les alévis anatoliens, turcophones et kurdophones--, est forte de plusieurs centaines de milliers de représentants vivant principalement dans la province d'Antakya et entretenant des liens étroits avec l'autre côté de la frontière.

"Tout est calme dans les villes (syriennes). A Lattaquié (nord-ouest) il n'y a rien, les gens qui passent chez nous disent qu'ils vivent normalement", assure Süheyla Koçak, comédienne au théatre municipal d'Antakya, dont la troupe, la première a monter une pièce en arabe en Turquie, a joué plusieurs fois en Syrie.

"Où est-ce que les incidents se produisent ? Dans des zones reculées, à l'écart, là où les gens sont ignares et où ils peuvent facilement perdre la tête. C'est dans ce genre d'endroits qu'ils se battent et s'entretuent", commente l'artiste alaouite.

Pour Yusuf Mutlu, restaurateur, les fauteurs de troubles, ce sont les Frères musulmans, un mouvement interdit en Syrie, où il a été violemment réprimé par l'armée en 1980 à Jisr al-Choughour (nord-ouest), près de la frontière turque, puis en 1982 à Hama (centre).

"Est-ce qu'il s'agit d'une armée ou bien d'un parti des Frères musulmans ? En tout cas, tout ceux qui créent des incidents sont des Frères musulmans", déclare M. Mutlu, lui aussi alaouite, qui regarde avec peu de sympathie les quelque 7.500 Syriens réfugiés dans le province d'Antakya et leurs récits pourtant terrifiants des dévastations commises par l'armée syrienne.

L'homme n'est pas convaincu non plus par les appels d'Ankara à une démission d'Assad et la mise en place de sanctions économiques pour contraindre le régime de Damas à mettre fin à la répression des mouvements d'opposition, qui a fait plus de 4.000 morts en neuf mois, alors que les relations entre les deux pays étaient au beau fixe il y a encore un an.

Mais surtout, il craint une assimilation de la communauté alaouite avec le régime.

"En tant qu'alaouite, ça m'a profondément blessé (...) qu'un responsable de la République turque fasse de la discrimination confessionnelle", déclare-t-il, dénonçant des propos du vice-président du parti AKP (islamo-conservateur) au pouvoir, Hüseyin Celik, qui début septembre avait souligné le rôle des alaouites dans les organes du pouvoir syrien.

Car derrière cette assimilation se cache la menace de représailles contre la communauté, en Syrie et ailleurs, prévient Ali Yeral.

"En cas de renversement d'Assad, c'est évident qu'il va y avoir un massacre des alaouites. Après ça, le Hezbollah libanais sera dans la ligne de mire, puis l'Irak, puis l'Iran, et ça s'étendra à la Turquie et à l'Arabie saoudite...", annonce-t-il.
(AFP, Nicolas CHEVIRON, 9 déc 2011)

Alevi activist: Alevis to challenge legacy of Kemalism

The Alevi community’s decades-long reverence of Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has been permanently challenged by last month’s government apology over the 1937 Dersim events, says Alevi and Kurdish rights activist Cafer Solgun.
 
“Atatürk’s portrait will absolutely be removed from houses of worship,” Solgun told the Turkish daily Taraf in a Monday interview. Revered for years by Alevis, Atatürk was honored by the hanging of his portrait in Alevi houses of worship adjacent to images of Ali, the rightful successors to Muhammad in the Alevi faith. Now, says Solgun, the recent torrent of public debate over Atatürk’s involvement in the 1937 Dersim massacres has problematized the historical legacy of Atatürk and made his reverence among Alevis unsustainable. “Alevis are going to be discussing the role of Atatürk in Dersim,” Solgun stated.

In 1937, thousands of semi-autonomous Alevi Kurdish and Zaza tribes people were massacred in the province of Dersim as part of the early republican state’s plans to “Turkify” and “civilize” the region. “There was no place for Dersim in the modernization project imposed on Turkey,” Solgun said as he explained the justification for the 1937 military campaign in the region.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Hüseyin Aygün challenged the traditional narrative about 1937 last month, when he told Today’s Zaman in an interview that the supposed Alevi rebellion, which had precipitated the massacres, was a government pretext for invasion. The deputy’s comments, which also leveled blame for the operation at Atatürk and other top members of the Turkish state, touched off a long debate that culminated in an unprecedented apology for the events of 1937 by the prime minister last month.

Briefly speaking to Today’s Zaman on Monday, Solgun stated that the apology has touched a collective nerve in a society that has been eager to deny and repress, rather than confront, the historical legacy of Dersim. “Among Alevis there can be no luxury of ignoring the importance of the apology made by the prime minister. It was the first time in republican history a state official acknowledged the truth regarding the Dersim massacre,” Solgun told Today’s Zaman.

Alevis have historically sought close ties with the Kemalist Turkish state, voting in large numbers for the secular CHP and honoring Atatürk by displaying his likeness in Alevi houses of worship. Solgun calls such practices evidence both of fear of the state and “denial” of 1937. “They all know the truth. For years they’ve been practicing self-deception,” Solgun told Taraf.

Solgun says that the historical narratives of the past, however, may soon come undone. “Noting that the silent majority among Alevis approach the apology of the government in a positive manner,” Solgun told Today’s Zaman, stressing that the apology will force Alevis to reconsider their past and their current political devotion to the Kemalist CHP. Solgun predicts that Alevis may finally begin to ask, “Mustafa Kemal is a political figure: What business does he have in a place of worship?”
(TODAY’S ZAMAN, 5 December 2011)


Socio-économique / Socio-economic

La construction du gazoduc South Stream doit débuter fin 2012

Le Premier ministre russe Vladimir Poutine a exigé vendredi que les travaux du gazoduc South Stream, destiné à livrer du gaz russe à l'Union européenne via la mer Noire, commencent dès la fin de l'année prochaine et non en 2013 comme prévu initialement.

Au cours d'une rencontre avec Alexeï Miller, patron du géant gazier Gazprom contrôlé par l'Etat russe, M. Poutine a chargé ce dernier d'accélérer les opérations.

"Je pense que ce serait bien que les travaux commencent déjà à la fin de l'année prochaine", a-t-il dit, selon des images diffusées par la télévision russe.

De son côté, M. Miller a réaffirmé que la mise en service du gazoduc était prévue en 2015: La fin des travaux "est prévue en décembre 2015" et l'ouverture du transport de gaz dans South Stream "fin 2015", a-t-il dit.

Le coût total du gazoduc est estimé à 16,5 milliards d'euros, 10 milliards pour les travaux sous la mer Noire et 6,5 milliards pour la construction en surface, a précisé M. Miller.

La Russie devra payer environ 7,5 milliards d'euros, dans la mesure où Gazprom détient une participation de 50% dans ce projet, a ajouté M. Miller.

Le géant pétrolier italien ENI détient une part de 20%, tandis que le français EDF et l'allemand Wintershall, filiale du géant de la chimie BASF, possèdent chacun 15%, selon le site de South Stream.

Le gazoduc d'une longueur de 3.600 km doit alimenter en gaz russe l'Europe occidentale, notamment la Grèce et l'Italie, via la mer Noire et les Balkans. Il doit permettre à la Russie de contourner l'Ukraine, principal pays de transit actuel avec lequel des conflits avec Moscou sur le prix de l'or bleu ont entraîné des interruptions temporaires de livraison vers les pays de l'UE.

La construction de la partie terrestre de South Stream sera assurée par des entreprises mixtes que Gazprom a déjà créées avec les sociétés publiques du secteur énergétique d'Autriche, de Bulgarie, de Croatie, de Grèce, de Hongrie, de Serbie et de Slovénie.

M. Poutine a souligné vendredi qu'une importante avancée avait été réalisée cette semaine avec le feu vert donné par la Turquie à la Russie pour faire passer South Stream dans ses eaux territoriales en mer Noire.

A l'issue d'une rencontre mercredi à Moscou entre M. Poutine et le ministre turc de l'Energie, Taner Yildiz, Gazprom avait indiqué que "toutes les autorisations nécessaires" permettant de réaliser le projet South Stream avaient été données par Ankara, une décision attendue de longue date par Moscou.

La Russie et la Turquie étaient engagées dans un bras de fer au sujet de South Stream, Ankara devant à l'origine donner son autorisation à Moscou avant fin 2010.

Selon des médias russes, Ankara cherchait à faire pression sur Moscou pour obtenir une ristourne sur le prix du gaz qui lui est livré.

South Stream est aussi censé concurrencer le projet Nabucco, un gazoduc qui doit livrer le gaz du Caucase à l'Europe occidentale en passant par la Turquie et les Balkans, et donc en évitant la Russie.
(AFP, 30 déc 2011)

Doctors and Public Workers Strike Against Government Policies

"We're on strike on 21 December, the longest night, to reach brighter days."

Coordinated by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK), thousands of public workers demonstrated in Istanbul's historical Beyazıt Square.

The one-day strike was supported by political parties, unions and groups, among them were the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) and Confederation of Progressive  Trade Unions (DİSK).

TTB is opposing government's policies to make health services increasingly costly, instead of free for all. KESK demands right to collective bargaining increase in the minimum wage, job security and the release of political prisoners.

Demonstrators also expressed their support for the arrested journalists during the latest wave of police operations targeting the alleged pro-Kurdish KCK.

TTB's Central Management Committee member Osman Öztürk said that the government's health reform resulted in opening the area to market forces, therefore aggrieving both doctors and patients.

"The decree law no 663 was released at midnight, even before consulting the MPs let alone the unions, the opposing parties or trade associations. This decree foresees that almost everyone would pay premiums to get health care after January 1st. Patients will pay contributions for each medicine they get."

Öztürk noted that they organized people's assemblies at hospitals and they will oppose this decree.

KESK Secretary General İsmail Hakkı Tombul said they went on to strike even though the government doesn't recognize public workers' right to stop work.

"We were not fooled by the ruling AKP when they promised to give workers' right to collective bargaining and to strike. AKP is trying to impose its views by negotiating only with MEMURSEN [A confederation deemed close to the government]"

Tombul also requested the release of dissident journalists, students, politicians and workers arrested on political charges.

A representative from Ecuador's Democratic People's Movement spoke at the demonstration, saying they also fight for free education and health services and emphasizing the importance of "international solidarity".

At the end of the meeting, thousands danced to the music of Grup Yorum and Mesopotamia Cultural Center's musicians. (BIA, Nilay VARDAR, 22 December 2011)

Dirty liaisons behind match-rigging law

An experienced journalist and a current Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy -- one of the few who have publicly opposed an amendment that reduces jail terms for those convicted of match-fixing -- has said the amendment was passed to save one man, asserting that how this was done goes to show the involvement of the mafia, threats, shady relationships and the power of illegality in the football industry.

AK Party Gaziantep deputy Şamil Tayyar, in an interview with the Taraf daily on Monday, spoke at length about the controversial amendment and his opposition to it. The law change has taken place amidst a major match-fixing scandal in Turkish football with 93 people awaiting trial over match-fixing allegations.

Parliament voted for the new reduced term of a maximum three years in prison, overriding a veto by President Abdullah Gül on Dec. 2, who argued that the amendments gave “the impression of a special arrangement” to save the suspects, including Fenerbahçe Chaiman Aziz Yıldırım. In addition to the AK Party, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) were in support of the amendment, which was passed in Parliament with the backing of 284 deputies on Saturday.

Parliament has worked surprisingly fast to adopt the new law, but the court hearing the case was no less fast, accepting the indictment at light speed on the same day it was returned to Parliament last week following the initial veto.

Tayyar, who studied the 401-page indictment, says the prosecution has a really good case with concrete evidence, including transcripts of phone conversations between the suspects. But why was the initial match-rigging law, which included 13 years in jail for match fixers, passed on April 14, 2011, changed, reducing the maximum sentence to three years?

“The reason is very clear,” Tayyar said, “there is an ongoing match-fixing probe. There are many involved, including head of the Fenerbahçe, many footballers, coaches, agents, directors, etc. They wanted to intervene because these people are very powerful. In fact, the fact that Aziz Yıldırım is a key suspect in this operation is what has stonewalled the investigation. The amendment is a law prepared to completely save Aziz Yıldırım.”

Tayyar explains that Yıldırım is one of the most powerful men in the country. “There are several factors that give him immense power. For one thing, he has a serious fan base behind him as the chairman of the club with the most supporters. It is not surprising that Aziz Yıldırım and his friends have been saying since the very first day of the operation that the investigation targets Fenerbahçe. This is not the case at all. This is an operation into a gang. Whoever goes to jail goes to jail. The second factor that makes him powerful is his intricate monetary relationships. He has been entering NATO tenders for years. He has very important, tie connections. This is why they can put to work measures that protect him immediately. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible to come up with a consensus to unite all the political parties in Parliament.”

The AK Party deputy also says that secret witness testimony included in the indictment has made it clear that there are connections between the football criminal world and Ergenekon, a clandestine gang whose suspected members are charged with plotting to overthrow the government. There are about 200 suspects, with a majority of them retired or currently active-duty military officers.

One of the suspects is Bedrettin Dalan, a former mayor of İstanbul. He has been at large since an arrest warrant was issued in the investigation for his capture two years ago, and he is believed to be hiding in Russia.

Tayyar said one of the 93 suspects arrested for match fixing is the person who financed Dalan’s escape and supports him abroad. “One important person among these 93 people is the person who personally flew to Belarus and brought cash to Dalan in a bag.” Tayyar also asserted that investigators had records of that encounter, “The crucial question is why a person would feel the need to financially support such a significant person who flees the country as a suspect in Ergenekon. This question has to be answered.”
(TODAY’S ZAMAN, 12 December 2011)

Croissance de l''économie turque de 8,2% au 3e trimestre

L'économie turque a connu une croissance de 8,2% au troisième trimestre 2011, selon les données officielles publiées lundi par l'institut de la statistique (Tüik), confirmant de bonnes performances depuis 2010.

Sur les neuf premiers mois de l'année, la croissance a été de 9,6 %, selon le Tüik.

En revanche, l'inquiétant déficit des comptes courants s'est encore creusé, progressant de 31,5 milliards de dollars sur les dix premiers mois de l'année, soit une augmentation de 94% par rapport à la même période de 2010, pour atteindre 60 milliards de dollars, a annoncé la Banque centrale.

En données ajustées des variations saisonnières, le Produit intérieur brut (PIB) a augmenté de 1,7% par rapport au trimestre précédent, selon le Tüik qui a par ailleurs révisé à la hausse le taux de croissance record du premier trimestre 2011, le faisant passer de 11,6 % à 12 %.

La Turquie, pays d'environ 73 millions d'habitants et 17e économie mondiale, avait enregistré une croissance de 8,9% en 2010.

"Nous avons affiché la deuxième plus importante croissance trimestrielle après la Chine, évidemment c'est une bonne réussite", a commenté le ministre des Sciences, de l'Industrie et des Technologies, Nihat Ergün, sur la chaîne d'information NTV, se félicitant d'une "bonne structure économique".

Il a indiqué qu'une croissance de l'ordre de 8% était attendue pour 2011.

Le gouvernement prévoit 4% en 2012, en nette baisse en raison de la crise de la zone euro. En 2013 et 2014, Ankara table sur un taux de 5%.

En 2009, plongée dans la récession du fait de la crise mondiale, l'économie turque s'était contractée de 4,8%.

Le produit national brut (PNB) par habitant s'est élevé à 10.079 dollars pour 2010. Ce chiffre était de 8.590 dollars en 2009. (AFP, 12 déc 2011)

Report shows inequality between sexes in Turkey

The World Bank’s 2012 Gender Equality and Development Report has shown there is a major gap between men’s and women’s labor force participation rates in Turkey.

The World Bank yesterday announced its 2012 report, which focuses on education, health and employment. While the world average of female participation to labor force is almost 60 percent, in Turkey it is less than 30 percent on average.

“Women’s participation in the labor force is one of our weakest areas. As long as we cannot change the employment rates, which are 70 percent for males and 30 percent for females, it seems difficult to reach international levels of development,” Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin said during her speech at the release of the report.

“We have to ease work life for women by opening new kindergartens for their children and centers for their elderly relatives who at the moment they are looking after,” Şahin said. She said the most important aspect for preventing such inequality was to make positive discrimination between women and men.

Agriculture and service

Other areas highlighted in the World Bank report showed while more than 45 percent of women in the work force work in the service industry, almost 40 percent of women work in agricultural fields in Turkey.

The report also revealed Turkey as ranking ninth lowest out of 28 European and Central Asian countries when it comes to business activities for women.

“It is now high time to be equals and behave equitably,” said Ulrich Zachau, the Turkish branch director of the World Bank.

“The wellbeing of women is especially important in the fields of health and education. Turkey has attained its developmental goals in these areas. There are shortcomings in Turkey both in terms of access to economic opportunities and employment. As the World Bank, we also support progress in these areas,” he said. Increasing female employment is going to benefit both sexes, he said, and the World Bank’s report for the current year placed the issue of gender equality as one of its main priorities. “We want to resolve the issue of gender equality in both Turkey and the world to overcome intertwined problems,” Zachau said.

The author of the 2012 World Development Report Ana Revenga said they were seeing progress in education in Turkey. Economic growth has had the effect of strengthening access to education, she said, and this directly affected the education of women.

Three women protested the World Bank report during Minister Şahin’s speech, but they were removed by security guards. (Hürriyet Daily News, December 12, 2012)

Brawl overshadows first day of Türk-İş congress

The convention of Turkey’s largest labor organization began stormily yesterday as delegates jeered Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, while the main opposition leader urged workers to stand up against the government for their rights.

The four-day convention of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş) opened amid criticism of current chairman Mustafa Kumlu on the grounds that he has put up little resistance to government policies curbing labor rights.

Delegates shouted “No to a mute Türk-İş” and “Türk-İş will change, there is no other way” as Kumlu made the opening speech at the gathering. Participants directed slogans, boos and whistles toward Bozdağ when the deputy prime minister took the floor,

frequently interrupting his speech and sparking short-lived

arguments among the delegates themselves.

Also addressing the gathering, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said he was disappointed the labor movement had weakened under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

“The working class is in a state of lethargy. If you do not use your power in the streets, the newspapers will not even mention you. You cannot win your rights without paying a price,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

Ten of the 35 trade unions that form Türk-İş, including the Turkish Journalist’s Union (TGS), have joined forces and fielded Mustafa Öztaşkın, the head of the Petroleum and Chemistry Workers’ Union (Petrol-İş), as their candidate to challenge Kumlu in Dec. 11 union elections.

A ‘new position’

The current leadership has acquiesced to a series of government moves restricting labor rights, Öztaşkın told the Hürriyet Daily News while also promising “a new position” for Türk-İş.

“The current leadership

has failed to carry out its responsibility. Türk-İş needs a new position at the forefront of the popular opposition,” Öztaşkın said,

adding that the union had remained silent amid government efforts to end severance payments and bring about flexible employment conditions.

“The right of unionization is under heavy attack, but Türk-iş is turning a blind-eye to this. Employment without social security is growing, but Türk-iş is not fighting against it; it’s as if no rights are being lost,” he said.

Trade unions must raise their voice on all major social and political issues, as well as on a parliamentary drive to draft a new Turkish constitution, said Öztaşkın, chiding the current leadership for staying silent.

“We will bring a new understanding to the Türk-İş administration. We will seek new ways for struggle and become the leader of the popular opposition,” he said. (Hürriyet Daily News, 8 December 2011)

IMF says Turkey's economic growth to slow to 2 percent

IMF assessed Turkish economy underlining that it continued to grow strongly through the first half of 2011, reaping the benefits of institutional reforms and revamped policy frameworks implemented in the previous decade. However, growth became increasingly fueled by domestic demand and imports. This was supported by strong credit growth, reflecting an appreciated currency combined with low interest rates and a surge in short-term capital inflows. The current account deficit widened sharply to near 10 percent of GDP. Inflation is rising quickly, reflecting pass-through from a large nominal depreciation since late 2010, numerous tax and regulated-price increases, and underpinned by tight domestic supply conditions, and is forecast to reach 9,5 percent at end 2011, well above the point target of 5,5 percent.

The externally-financed demand boom has weakened Turkey’s resilience in some areas. Capital inflows are dominated by potentially-volatile financing, and short-term external debt has climbed sharply. With banks absorbing much of these inflows, an external funding shortfall will slow down credit. Nonfinancial corporates’ net FX liabilities increased substantially, exposing them to currency depreciation. While the headline fiscal balance continues to improve and the public debt-to-GDP ratio is declining, fiscal performance has been supported by benign economic conditions at home and abroad.

The IMF underlined in its latest report that policy responses were insufficient to prevent the development of a large current account deficit and high inflation. Monetary policy shifted to an unconventional mix of reserve requirements, the interest rate corridor, and the policy rate, which has not demonstrated it can deliver price- or financial–stability. Numerous prudential measures aimed at slowing credit growth and building buffers were introduced but, from a macroprudential perspective, were sometimes delayed. The primary balance of the nonfinancial public sector continued to improve, largely reflecting buoyant—but transient—tax revenue from the boom in output and imports and proceeds from a tax restructuring scheme, which masked a relaxed fiscal stance.

The IMF underlined that growth is expected to slow sharply to 2 percent in 2012 due to weaker capital inflows, reflecting in part concerns about Turkey’s large current account deficit. More limited foreign financing would constrain the current account deficit to about 8 percent of GDP and compresses imports. In line with Turkey’s previous capital flow-driven corrections, with fewer imports of key raw materials and intermediates, GDP growth is forecast to be sharply scaled down. Inflation is projected to decline to a still-elevated 6,5 percent, eroding external competitiveness.

Executive Directors commended the Turkish authorities for their agile economic management during the global crisis, which, together with structural reforms undertaken earlier, had contributed to a rapid recovery. Going forward, Directors urged the authorities to rebalance the policy mix to ensure a soft landing, in view of volatile capital flows, a widening current account deficit, and an externally financed credit boom. Tightening the structural fiscal position and gearing macroprudential policies to preventing systemic risk would allow monetary policy to focus on price stability, helping to preserve the credibility of the inflation-targeting framework and strengthen Turkey’s resilience to changes in global liquidity conditions. It will also be important to accelerate structural reforms to reverse eroding competitiveness and improve the business climate, facilitating current account adjustment.

Directors noted the strong performance of the banking sector, but encouraged further efforts to address weaknesses in the financial sector, in particular its vulnerability to an external funding shock and possible deleveraging by banks in the region. They urged caution in implementing near-term measures to bolster banks’ resilience so as to avoid a sharp drop in credit. Timely detection and response to future emerging systemic risk is crucial, along with further strengthening of financial sector oversight and regulation, as recommended in the Financial Sector Stability Assessment. Directors saw an important role for the recently established Financial Stability Committee in this regard. They underscored the importance of Turkey bringing its Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism legislation into line with international standards.

Directors endorsed labor and product market reforms to enhance competitiveness and social equity. They recommended measures to enhance labor market flexibility, tailor training to employers’ skill needs, and better align employment costs—including the minimum wage—with regional peers. Timely adjustment of regulated energy prices to movements in the domestic cost of imports would help lower Turkey’s energy trade deficit.
(ANF, 8 December 2011)

KESK to go on strike on Winter Solstice

The Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) has called a nation-wide strike on 21 December. The decision was announced at a press conference held in Ankara on 4 December. The date was deliberately chosen as 21 December is the Winter Solstice, "the longest dark day of the year".

KESK President Lami Özgen and presidents of unions affiliated with KESK attended the press conference and listed the reasons for the strike on 21 December:

for the layout of a Collective Agreement that legally guarantees our right to strike;

for stopping the commercialization of public services;

to provide work security for all members of the permanent staff and giving an end to all kinds of unsecured work;

for a decent wage and healthy working conditions for all employees and for the democratization of work life;

to stop forced and compulsory overtime imposed on workers;

to implement equal pay for equal work by increasing basic salaries;

for additional payments to be equally reflected in retirement for all workers;

for increasing the net minimum wage to TL 1000 (€ 500) which is the hunger line and exempt all wages and salaries at that level from tax fees;

for an end of unlawful, unfair and unjustified detentions and arrests and for the release of the detainees.

Organizations supporting the strike:

Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES); Turkish Association of Medical Radiotechnology (TMRT-DER); Revolutionary Health Workers' Trade Union (Dev Sağlık-İş); Health Services Class Employees Association; Association of Social Services Experts (SHUD); Association of Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists; Association of All Radiology Technicians and Technologists (TÜM RAD-DER); Turkish Association of Dentists (TDB); Turkish Association of Nurses (THD); Turkish Medical Association (TTB); Dieticians Association of Turkey. Members of these organizations are not going to provide service on 21 December.
(ANF, 6 December 2011)

Gül vetoes law reducing prison terms for match-fixing

Turkish President Abdullah Gül, who earlier said he was uneasy about recent amendments made to a law covering sports crimes in Parliament, has vetoed the amendments that aimed to reduce prison terms for convicts of match-fixing.
 
There has been growing pressure on the president since the law was passed in Parliament last month to send the amendments back to Parliament as the fact that the law was amended just six months after it was approved in Parliament sparked wide criticism.

A statement released from the Presidency on Friday said the president vetoed the changes on grounds that it was giving "the impression of a special arrangement" to save the suspects of an ongoing match-fixing investigation.

The match-fixing investigation Gül referred to is the one that has been shaking Turkish football since July. The investigation concerns allegations that some club officials and footballers rigged games in the Spor Toto Super League (first division) and the Bank Asya League 1 (second division). In July, police raided homes and football club premises, detaining some 60 people suspected of fixing football matches in the two leagues last season. Many high-ranking football officials from various Turkish clubs, including Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, have been arrested on charges of fraud and match-fixing.

While responding to questions on Wednesday by reporters at a press conference he called at Ankara Esenboğa Airport before his departure to Kyrgyzstan for an official visit, Gül said he is uneasy with the amendments. “Frankly speaking, I feel uneasy about this law. A law which was passed in Parliament just six months ago should have been prepared well,” he said.

A bill that proposes an amendment to the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder at Sporting Events, which governs crimes related to professional sports and was passed in Parliament six months ago, was approved in Parliament last week.

The bill, drafted through a consensus among the parliamentary group deputy chairmen of all political parties in Parliament, calls for shorter prison terms for individuals convicted of match-fixing, who can currently receive a maximum of 12 years in prison. The bill reduces the maximum sentence to three years.
(TODAYSZAMAN.COM, December 2011)

Relations turco-européennes / Turkey-Europe Relations

Turkey gets EU advice as Croatia gets assent

Two countries intent on entering the European Union, Croatia and Turkey received contrasting news Dec. 9 from the 27-nation organization. As Zagreb signed its accession treaty with the bloc, Turkey received only mild criticism and advice from the EU despite its half-century wait at the union’s door.

The EU council’s draft conclusion circulated Dec. 9 is likely to disappoint the Turkish government as it includes criticisms on issues including Cyprus and press freedom. Turkey’s accession process is at a standstill despite a robust economic performance that shines compared to many EU countries that have been struggling with a crippling debt crisis. Croatia is set to join the bloc July 1, 2013.

Croatia will be an “active observer” in all EU forums until it becomes a full member 18 months from now, according to EU president Herman Van Rompuy.

Having applied for EU membership in 2003, Croatia became a candidate in early 2004 whereas Turkey first applied to the union back in 1959 when it was called The European Economic Community (EEC). “Today is a historic day for Croatia and the EU. Croatia is set to become the 28th state of the union,” the Associated Press quoted Van Rompuy as saying at the Dec. 9 signing ceremony in Brussels.

“We are finally crossing the threshold of our European home,” said President Ivo Josipovic. Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış congratulated Croatia on its membership, but said the EU council applied double standards, “revealing that Turkey and Croatia are not negotiating in equal conditions.” “We wished for Turkey to be in a negotiating process like Croatia, in which the rules do not change in the middle of the game,” said Bağış while still promising to continue the democratization process in Turkey. Meanwhile, Serbia’s recent attempts to ease the tension caused by the minority Serbs in northern Kosovo proved to be unsatisfactory for the EU as the country’s expectations of attaining official candidacy status failed. Van Rompuy said EU leaders decided to postpone making Serbia a candidate for the bloc until their next summit. Van Rompuy urged Belgrade to normalize relations with its former province of Kosovo. The EU council has criticized Turkey on its relations with Greek Cyprus and the state of press freedoms while promising to give full support in the country’s fight against terrorism, according to the draft report. “The Council regrets Turkey’s statements to freeze its relations with the EU Presidency during the second half of 2012 [when Greek Cyprus takes over the rotated head of EU],” said the text.

The EU called on Turkey to improve freedom of expression “especially on the freedom of the media where the large number of legal cases are launched against writers, journalists, academics and human rights defenders, and frequent website bans all raise serious concerns that need to be addressed.” The EU expressed its full solidarity with Turkey in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), while adding that Brussels sees it as a terrorist organization. The PKK is listed as a terrorist by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU. (hurriyetdailynews.com, Dec 10, 2011)

Turkey's EU minister attacked by egg-throwing protestors


Turkey's minister for European Union affairs was the target of an egg-throwing protest during the inauguration ceremony of a statue organized by the İzmir-based Ege University on Thursday and was injured in the eye.
Egemen Bağış was in İzmir to attend the inauguration ceremony for a sculpture titled “Burning Statue” by Danish sculptor Nina Hole. Two students, reportedly from the university's communications department, threw eggs at the minister during the ceremony. One of the eggs hit Bağış in the eye, causing a bruise.

The students were detained by police. The Cihan news agency said the statue was also damaged during a brawl that erupted in the wake of the attack.

The dean of Ege University's Communications Department, Professor Müge Elden, told Cihan that the attack is unacceptable. “Such a thing is very ugly and vulgar,” she said. “There cannot be such a protest. I am really sorry. I am very disturbed on behalf of my department. I was shocked. I can say nothing else,” she added.

This is not the first time Turkish politicians have had eggs thrown at them by protestors.  On Dec. 8 of last year, a group of students at Ankara University interrupted a conference titled “The Constitution in Turkey” to protest both then-Republican People's Party (CHP) Secretary-General Süheyl Batum and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Burhan Kuzu, who were to give speeches there. The students threw nearly 200 eggs at Kuzu.
(TODAYSZAMAN.COM, 9 December 2011)

2014 crucial for both EU and Turkey

The year 2014 promises to be a critical year for not only Turkey and its relations with the European Union, but also for the bloc itself.

There are a number of reasons suggesting the year will be crucial, especially as the bloc will unveil a budget that will be valid through 2020. At the same time, French elections in 2012 and German polls in 2013 could alter the political landscape on the continent. Turkey, meanwhile, will hold presidential and local elections in 2014.

Now, Turkey is struggling with the issue of Greek Cyprus. “We can open the ports [Greek Cyprus] tomorrow as in the case before 1997,” EU Minister Egemen Bağış said yesterday in Denmark. “The EU Commission must lift the isolation on Turkish Cypriots as it promised on April 26, 2004.”

With his typically sharp tongue, the Turkish European Union Minister Egemen Bağış snapped at the Greek Cypriot diplomat who questioned how Turkey expected to ask them to lift the veto on membership negotiation chapters while denying their ships from Turkish ports.

“We can open the ports tomorrow as was the case before 1997,” Bağış said. “At the same time, the EU Commission should lift the isolation on Turkish Cypriots as it promised April 26, 2004.”

He was referring to the EU Council decision right after the referendum on both parts of the divided island on the Annan Plan for reunification as a goodwill gesture to Turkish Cypriots who had approved the plan while Greeks did not.

Minutes ago, at a think-tank conference organized by the Danish government and Istanbul’s Kültür University, Bağış was quoting (not Danish Prince Hamlet but) Brabantio of William Shakespeare’s “Othello” to highlight the background of Turkish involvement on the Cyprus issue.
The quote was “So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile; / We lose it not, so long as we can smile.”

It was only the late Bülent Ecevit, the prime minister who called for Turkish military intervention in 1974, who had made this attribution some years ago while referring to the Cyprus problem.

“We cannot leave Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots for the EU, as we cannot abandon Turkey’s EU target for Cyprus,” Bağış said. He also said an EU member Turkey would be the “cheapest insurance policy” for Greek Cypriots.

And to show how determined Turkey was not to recognize Greek Cypriot government as the term president of the EU in the second half of 2012, he said if the Greek Cypriots would offer the opening of some chapters (he estimated five) to lure Ankara, the Turkish government would not swallow its word.

Cyprus is perhaps the biggest but not the only problem Turkey faces in its relations with the EU. As the economic crisis pushes France and Germany to be the locomotive forces behind the union to redefine the whole project where a unanimous vote on every matter would no longer be needed, Turkey is watching the developments closely.

Both Nicholas Sarkozy of France and Angela Merkel of Germany have been proposing a “privileged partnership” for Turkey because it is too big, too poor and predominantly Muslim. The Arab Spring and the economic crisis in Europe slightly shifted the balance in favor of Turkey, but Turkey has been considering that proposal as an insult and has rejected it from day one.

“But if the EU is going to change the rules into a multi-gear Europe and certain conditions will no longer be an exception for Turkey, we might consider the situation accordingly,” Bağış said.

Ankara sees 2014 as a critical year not only for Turkey and Turkey’s relations with the EU, but for the EU itself. Because:

1. The EU will have a new budget in 2014 until 2020

2. French elections in 2012 and German elections in 2013 can change the political look in Europe and

3. There are presidential elections and local elections in Turkey in 2014.

The year 2014 is also the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I and might be a critical year to watch.
(hurriyetdailynews.com, Murat Yetkin, 7 December 2011)

La "maladresse" anti-arménienne de Juppé à Ankara

par Ara Toranian, directeur de "Nouvelles d'Arménie Magazine"

Paris serait prêt à abriter une commission historique arméno-turque. C'est du moins ce qu'a déclaré lors d'une conférence de presse Alain Juppé à Ankara le 18 novembre provoquant la consternation dans les rangs arméniens. Quelle mouche a en effet bien pu piquer le ministre français des Affaires étrangères pour reprendre à son compte, comme si elle allait de soi, une des propositions les plus pernicieuses du négationnisme turc?: la fameuse antienne de la commission historique. Un stratagème utilisé depuis près de six ans par Ankara pour riposter au mouvement mondial de reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens en 1915. Et qui rappelle l'offre d'Ahamadinejad relative à une "commission d'enquête internationale" sur la Shoah.
Du point de vue d'Ankara, cette proposition de "commission historique" répond à de multiples intérêts :

1) Elle agit comme un leurre en donnant l'impression que la Turquie est ouverte sur cette question, qu'elle est favorable au dialogue. Une illusion que dément l'ensemble de sa politique étrangère (la négationnisme y est institué comme une priorité) et aussi intérieure (l'article 301 du Code civil réprime et dissuade toute expression de la vérité).
2) Elle induit que les événements de 1915 sont sujets à caution, qu'ils ne sont pas avérés. Ce qui est faux, même si bien sûr, comme dans n'importe quel domaine de recherche, le champ de la connaissance n'est par essence jamais totalement épuisé.
3) Sachant que cette proposition est évidemment humiliante et inacceptable pour la partie arménienne, elle place Erevan dans une situation de refus obligé qui la fait apparaître comme fermée à la discussion.
4) Elle dépolitise l'affaire en la réduisant à son acception historique, voire scolastique, en en faisant un objet de controverse, de polémique.
5) Ce stratagème fournit aux dirigeants turcs la possibilité de gagner encore du temps, de reléguer à un passé de plus en plus lointain ces événements et de poursuivre ainsi le processus d'effacement de ce crime fondateur de la Turquie moderne.

Il est d'autant plus regrettable qu'Alain Juppé soit tombé dans ce piège que sa déclaration intervient à un moment d'intense répression contre les intellectuels et journalistes turcs. Et que celle-ci a en particulier frappé l'éditeur Ragip Zarakolu, le premier Turc à avoir osé reconnaître le génocide et à publier des livres sur le sujet. Une attitude courageuse, qui lui a valu un large respect international, mais aussi de nombreuses poursuites et condamnations dans son pays. Cet engagement constitue à n'en pas douter la raison réelle de l'arrestation le 28 octobre dernier de cet intellectuel exemplaire qui a été mis à l'isolement dans une cellule de la sinistre prison d'Edirne (province de Thrace).

Alain Juppé dispose certainement de quelques circonstances atténuantes, dans la mesure où ses déclarations visaient essentiellement à "calmer" les dirigeants turcs énervés par les prises de position de Nicolas Sarkozy et de François Hollande, en faveur de la pénalisation du négationnisme. De plus, les "commissions vérité et réconciliation" bénéficient d'une image positive. Le principe de telles initiatives est en effet dans l'air du temps, en particulier depuis la fin de l'apartheid en Afrique du Sud. Alors pourquoi cette recette ne s'appliquerait pas à la cause arménienne ? Pourquoi pas, certes.

A une différence près toutefois : dans la configuration africaine, il ne s'agissait pas de demander aux camps des criminels et des victimes de s'asseoir autour d'une même table pour définir ensemble la vérité (ce qui constitue à tout point de vue une aberration). Il était plus raisonnablement question d'accorder aux bourreaux une amnistie en échange de leur repentance. Et ce, en partant de l'axiome politique selon lequel l'aveu libère là où un procès risque de pérenniser le ressentiment, et que, dès lors, cette formule est plus favorable à une réconciliation. Peut-être. Mais ce présupposé de la reconnaissance des faits se trouve justement aux antipodes de la logique des dirigeants turcs, qui loin de rechercher la moindre entente, perpétuent au contraire sans vergogne une arménophobie érigée en valeur fondamentale de l'Etat. Etait-il bien nécessaire, dans ces conditions, d'encourager, implicitement, leur glissade sur cette mauvaise pente ?

Déjà en 2003, sous l'égide non officielle du Département d'Etat, s'était constituée une Commission de réconciliation arméno-turque (CRAT) composée de personnalités de la société civile des deux bords. Très vite, la question du génocide s'était évidemment posée. Elle avait été soumise à l'arbitrage du Centre international de justice transitoire, basé à New York. Après plusieurs mois d'enquête, les experts étaient arrivés à la conclusion attendue que les événements de 1915 correspondaient bien à la définition de la convention de 1948 sur le génocide. Les Turcs ont alors quitté la table de la réconciliation. Jusqu'à quand faudra-t-il faire semblant d'être dupe de ce type de proposition ?

En réalité et malgré la purge de ses archives et sa politique de déni systématique, la Turquie dispose de tous les éléments pour savoir ce qui s'est passé en 1915. Elle n'a nul besoin des Arméniens pour éclairer sa lanterne. Et si vraiment elle manque d'historiens, on peut lui indiquer quelques noms de spécialistes turcs qui se feront un devoir de lui apporter leurs lumières si on les laisse travailler et pour peu qu'on stoppe les poursuites à leur encontre.
http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2011/11/28/la-maladresse-anti-armenienne-de-juppe-a-ankara_1609427_3232.html


Communiqué contre la proposition du Quai d’Orsay

La proposition du Quai d’Orsay d’inviter la Turquie, non membre de l'Union Européenne, à la réunion des Ministres des Affaires Etrangères pour discuter de la situation en Syrie, engendre à juste titre de nombreuses controverses.

La France a proposé que la Turquie participe au Conseil des ministres des Affaires européennes, a déclaré le porte-parole du Quai d’Orsay en soulignant:  «Cette invitation est extrêmement importante à nos yeux ».

Cette importance accordée à la Turquie par le gouvernement en fonction,  suscite de nombreux questionnements d’autant plus que la chef de la diplomatie de l'UE, Catherine Ashton,  hésitait à inviter Ahmet Davutoglu.

Il est inconcevable de solliciter l’alliance d’Ankara pour instaurer un régime démocratique à Damas alors  que la Turquie est très mal placée pour assurer une telle mission.

Avec quels acquis la Turquie va se présenter auprès du peuple syrien afin d’améliorer son image?

Alors que l’armée turque continue à exercer tout son poids pour gérer ses conflits politiques au sein des régions à forte population kurde, à occuper le nord de Chypre, à maintenir son blocus contre l’Arménie, alors qu’en Turquie les droits de l’Homme restent piétinés,  les droits des minorités y restent bafoués, que des opposants au régime en place, des dissidents, des journalistes et des intellectuels sont poursuivis, condamnés et même assassinés pour leurs opinions divergentes ou en raison de leur origine ou leur religion, comment cet Etat policier aurait la légitimité d’intervenir en Syrie au nom de l’établissement  de la démocratie ?

En outre, le territoire de Sandjak d'Alexandrette reste toujours un sujet de discorde entre la Turquie et la Syrie et par conséquent, on se demande comment Ankara pourrait être juge et partie.

Au vu de tous ces éléments, nous condamnons la politique adoptée par le gouvernement français dans cette affaire.

A Paris, le 01/12/2011

Le Bureau Français de la Cause Arménienne
bfca.krassenyag@gmail.com

Turquie-USA/ Turkey-USA

Bill chiding Turkey passed with 2 votes

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill calling on Turkey “to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties.”

The legislation passed with only two votes. The rest were absent.

“The bill, House Resolution 306, is unfair, unjustified and uncalled for. Yet the House approved it. Who benefits when Congress acts at the expense of its allies?” said Turkish Ambassador to Washington Namık Tan via his Twitter account yesterday.

“We are disappointed by the approval of this text, which does not reflect will of the Parliament as could be seen on the process of vote,” a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Congressmen Howard Berman and Edward Royce first introduced the bill in June to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as the “Return of Churches.” The bill urges the U.S. Secretary of State to raise issues with Turkish officials related to Christian heritage in Turkey, such as returning church properties to Christian foundations. The bill, however, is non-binding.

Adam Schiff, Frank Pallone, Eliot Engel and Brad Sherman gave speeches supporting the bill. Ed Whitfield, founder of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans, spoke against the bill. Only a number of representatives were present during voting on the bill, and the legislation passed with the votes of Sherman and Engel. (hurriyetdailynews.com; Dec 12, 2011)
December/15/2011

Un an après une crise, la coopération va bon train entre Ankara et Washington

Les relations entre le régime islamo-conservateur en Turquie et les Etats-Unis ne cessent de s'améliorer depuis une crise en 2010 sur la question iranienne, et la coopération bilatérale va bon train, en particulier sur la Syrie, relèvent des analystes.

"Les relations bilatérales se sont très nettement améliorées par rapport à l'an dernier", estime Sinan Ulgen du Centre d'Etudes économiques et de politique étrangère à Istanbul.

"En l'espace d'un an, les relations entre les Etats-Unis et la Turquie sont passées de la tension à la coopération", note James Zogby, président de l'Arab American Institute, cité par le journal internet Huffington Post.

Il est passé le temps où les Américains s'inquiétaient de voir le gouvernement turc, issu de la mouvance islamiste, se détourner des Occidentaux et d'Israël, se rapprocher de l'Iran ou défendre le Hamas palestinien.

La tension entre Washington et son allié musulman de l'Otan avait atteint son paroxysme en juin 2010 lorsque la Turquie avait voté contre l'adoption par l'ONU de sanctions contre l'Iran soupçonné de se doter de l'arme nucléaire.

"Le président (Barack) Obama et le Premier ministre (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan se parlent souvent, de même que leurs adjoints, et il y a semble-t-il un certain degré de coopération pour traiter de questions régionales cruciales, du conflit en Syrie au départ imminent des forces américaines d'Irak", ajoute James Zogby.

Ankara et Washington sont "sur la même ligne" concernant la Syrie et réclament le départ du président Bachar al-Assad, a affirmé samedi à Istanbul le vice-président américain Joe Biden.

Le "Printemps arabe" et les difficultés des Etats-Unis au Proche-Orient expliquent pour une large part ce rapprochement spectaculaire entre Washington et Ankara, estiment les analystes.

"Du fait en particulier de leur échec dans le processus de paix au Proche-Orient, la cote des Américains chez les Arabes a chuté et ils ont perdu tous les points engrangés lors de l'arrivée d'Obama au pouvoir", écrit Ilhan Tanir dans le journal anglophone Hürriyet Daily News.

Alliée il y a un an encore du régime syrien, la Turquie a coupé les ponts avec Damas, encouragée par les Etats-Unis avec lesquems elle collabore étroitement sur ce dossier. Elle accueille l'opposition syrienne, politique et armée, et est devenue un allié "incontournable, fiable et efficace dans la région", note Sinan Ulgen.

En visite en Turquie, M. Biden s'est par ailleurs efforcé d'éloigner Ankara de son voisin iranien, assurant que "l'influence iranienne dans la région décroît" et que son "isolement augmente".

Les relations entre Ankara et Téhéran, encore excellentes l'an dernier, se sont nettement dégradées lorsque la Turquie a accepté sur son sol un système radar d'alerte de l'Otan, pour faire face à une éventuelle menace iranienne.

Une preuve éclatante que la Turquie s'est "réalignée sur des positions plus occidentales", selon Sinan Ulgen.

Quels sont les bénéfices, côté turc, de cette bonne entente retrouvée avec Washington et les Occidentaux ?

Le plus évident est l'aide importante apportée par Washington, notamment dans le renseignement, à la lutte contre les rebelles kurdes, douloureuse épine dans le pied de tous les gouvernements turcs depuis 1984.

M. Biden a ainsi assuré la Turquie de son "engagement total" auprès d'Ankara contre le "terrorisme du PKK".

L'autre bénéfice est le regard bienveillant porté par les Etats-Unis sur le comportement du régime turc, en dépit d'arrestations controversées et dénoncées par les ONG, note Sinan Ulgen.

Au moins 70 journalistes et plusieurs universitaires turcs sont en prison, sous divers chefs d'accusation.

"Les Américains sont réalistes. Ils protestent contre certains manquements à la liberté d'expression, mais cela n'affecte pas les relations bilatérales", dit-il.
(AFP, Michel SAILHAN, 4 déc 2011)

Turkey given possession of nuclear warheads, report says

The United States currently has 70 type B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs at its airbase in İncirlik in the southern province of Adana, according to daily Vatan.

Vatan acquired the information from a report by Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen that was published on the "Atomic Scientists Bulletin" website, revealing an inventory of the nuclear weapons the U.S. military keeps in Turkey.

Number of warheads decreased from 90 in 2001. 

Between 10 and 20 of the 70 nuclear warheads at İncirlik were designed to be delivered to their targets by Turkish warplanes, according to the report. 

The 142nd fighter/bomber squadron of the Turkish Air Forces, nicknamed the "Gazelles," was assigned the task of delivering the nuclear ordnances. The squadron consists of F-16A/B warplanes.

The U.S. military needed a certain warplane type that is different than those stationed at the İncirlik airbase in order to deliver the remaining 50 warheads, the report by Norris and Kristensen said.

The Turkish state, however, has declined to allow the U.S. military to deploy the said aircraft at İncirlik.

U.S. warplanes would need to land at İncirlik from another location, equip the nuclear warheads and then fly to their targets, according to the report.

Turkey's refusal to station nuclear-capable U.S. warplanes on its soil prevented İncirlik from acquiring a "full NATO position" status. This was a unique case among NATO bases, the report said.  

New warheads arrive 2017

The report indicated that the B61-12 nuclear warheads currently deployed at İncirlik would be changed with the new B61-3/4 warheads. 

Former Turkish Air Force Commander Gen. Ergin Cilasun was quoted as saying that "Turkey's nuclear strike duty within NATO has ended" in 2001. (Vatan-Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 1, 2011)

"21 Turks killed in US drone attack on the Pakistan-Afghan border"

A jihadist propaganda website releases a statement to announce the deaths of 21 Turks in a drone attack by the United States on the Pakistan-Afghan border.

Protestors burn a replica drone as they shout slogans during a rally in Islamabad on Oct 28 against the US drone attacks.

Twenty-one Turks fighting along the Afghan-Pakistan border have been killed in air strikes by the United States in Afghanistan, according to reports.

Gazavat Media, a jihadist propaganda website, released a statement that announced the deaths of 21 “Turkish mujahedeen affiliated with the Haqqani group,” according to the SITE Intelligence Group. The statement was released on jihadist web forums on Nov. 30. The date of the death and the exact location was not disclosed.

PakTribune, a news service based in Pakistan, meanwhile reported that a U.S. drone fired two missiles into Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region on the Afghan border on Nov. 30, killing at least 21 suspected militants, including foreigners.

“The dead included local Taliban as well as some Arabs and Uzbek nationals,” one intelligence official in North Waziristan told the news network on the condition of anonymity.

However, the report by the Gazavat Media announced the names of 18 of the Turks killed. “It was confirmed that the number of the Turkish mujahedeen affiliated with the Haqqani group was 21, and that there were also mujahedeen heavily wounded in the attack,” the statement said. The Turkish fighters were killed in a so-called “low-intensity chemical weapon attack,” but did not provide any further details.

Eighteen of the fighters were identified by name while the remaining three have yet to be identified. The statement said the 21 Turkish fighters were members of one of several “mujahideen units” that operate along the Afghan-Pakistan border, attacking the “occupiers.”

Musa Üzer, secretary-general of the Free Thought and Education Rights Association (Özgür-Der), an Istanbul-based Islamist organization, told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday that they were “proud of our martyrs.”

“They were in the war zone voluntarily to stand up against the imperialists’ occupation of the Muslim world,” said Üzer. “Their fighting is self-defense in the name of God and jihad.”

Üzer said the Turkish government and state had nothing to do with the “jihadists” being there.

“The Taliban is not a terrorist organization and our martyrs were not terrorists,” he said. “The imperialist powers think that they can invade any Muslim soil at will, but they will face self-defense and resistance on every front.”

According to a report on the Long War Journal website, the Turks killed were members of Victorious Sect, a transnational Turkish jihadist group that operates along the Afghan-Pakistani border and is based in North Waziristan.

The Victorious Sect was established in 2009 by the Islamic Jihad Union, a splinter faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, to accommodate the increasing influx of European foreign fighters in the region. Scores of German and other European fighters also belong to the Victorious Sect, the report said. (Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 1, 2011)

Relations régionales / Regional Relations

Israël a annulé un contrat sur des systèmes radars à la Turquie

Le ministère israélien de la Défense a ordonné d'annuler un important contrat de fourniture à la Turquie de systèmes radars équipant des avions, ont indiqué jeudi les médias israéliens.

Selon les médias qui citent un responsable du ministère de la Défense ayant requis l'anonymat, le contrat signé en 2009 avec la Turquie par la société israélienne Elbit Systems et les Industries aériennes israéliennes porte sur un montant de 140 millions de dollars (107 millions d'euros).

Interrogé par l'AFP sur les raisons de cette annulation, le ministère de la Défense a indiqué qu'il "n'a pas pour habitude de s'expliquer sur ses décisions (...) qui sont prises sur une base professionnelle en vertu de considérations sécuritaires et diplomatiques".

Le journal en ligne Ynet a pour sa part estimé que le ministère de la Défense avait décidé d'annuler ce contrat, de crainte qu'Ankara ne transfère ces équipements ultra-sophistiqués à des tiers qui lui sont hostiles.

Selon la première chaîne publique de la télévision israélienne, Israël s'inquiète surtout d'un rapprochement entre la nouvelle hiérarchie militaire à Ankara et l'Iran.

Tous les autres contrats d'armes conclus par Israël et la Turquie sont maintenus, a précisé la télévision.

Les relations entre Israël et la Turquie, jadis florissantes, y compris dans le domaine de la coopération militaire, se sont considérablement dégradées, notamment après un raid meurtrier israélien contre un ferry turc qui tentait de briser le blocus de Gaza en mai 2010.
(AFP, 22 déc 2011)

La Turquie poursuit son offensive de charme en direction de l'Afrique

La Turquie a poursuivi son offensive de charme en direction de l'Afrique en accueillant vendredi à Istanbul, trois ans après un premier Sommet du partenariat turco-africain, les délégations de 52 pays africains pour évaluer les progrès réalisés et s'affranchir de "l'eurocentrisme".

"Nous sommes profondément convaincus que nous partageons une communauté de destin avec l'Afrique et que nous pouvons façonner ce destin ensemble avec nos amis africains", a déclaré le chef de la diplomatie turque, Ahmet Davutoglu, en ouverture de la conférence, dans un prestigieux palais ottoman d'Istanbul.

Insistant sur l'ancienneté des relations entre la Turquie --alors empire ottoman-- et le continent africain et sur leur caractère "égalitaire", basé sur le "respect mutuel", M. Davutoglu a appelé ses homologues à s'affranchir des "définitions eurocentriques du monde".

"Quand nos liens (...) étaient affaiblis pour de nombreuses raisons incluant l'impérialisme, le colonialisme, les conflits et les luttes internes, nous nous sommes nous mêmes affaiblis et sommes tombés dans l'ombre d'autres nations et groupes", a-t-il poursuivi devant un parterre de 32 ministres des Affaires étrangères, neuf ministres divers et 11 vice-ministres.

L'objectif de la conférence est d'évaluer les résultats d'un Plan d'action pour le partenariat Turquie-Afrique mis en place après un premier sommet en août 2008.

Le nombre d'ambassades turques en Afrique atteindra 33 l'an prochain, contre 12 début 2009, et 11 représentations diplomatiques de pays subsahariens vont ouvrir en 2012 à Ankara, faisant passer leur nombre à 25, a indiqué M. Davutoglu.

Le montants des échanges entre la Turquie et l'Afrique devait atteindre 17 milliards de dollars en 2011, contre 14 milliards de dollars en 2010, a ajouté le ministre.

Représentant l'Union africaine, Ramtane Lamamra, de la Commission pour la paix et la sécurité de l'UA, s'est félicité du développement d'une politique africaine de la Turquie qui dépasse les "objectifs économiques et commerciaux" pour adopter une "approche globale incluant le développement durable de l'Afrique".

Saluant le rôle joué par la Turquie sur le continent en termes de lutte contre les maladies, d'agriculture, d'énergie, d'éducation, d'aide humanitaire et de mainten de la paix, M. Lamamra a souligné que l'impact de la crise financière mondiale sur l'Afrique avait été "allégé grâce aux partenariats passés avec des pays comme la Turquie, la Chine et l'Inde".

L'Union africaine a octroyé en 2008 à la Turquie le statut de partenaire stratégique de l'Afrique.

Dans une déclaration d'Istanbul, dont l'AFP a obtenu une version de travail, les ministres devaient convenir vendredi de "coopérer pleinement" dans différents domaines allant du commerce à l'environnement, la gestion de l'eau et le tourisme. 
(AFP, 16 déc 2011)

Le commerce entre la Turquie et le Proche-Orient victime de la crise syrienne

Victimes de la tension grandissante entre Ankara et le régime de Damas, des centaines de chauffeurs routiers sont bloqués à la frontière turco-syrienne, une situation qui menace considérablement le commerce entre la Turquie et le Proche-Orient.

"Environ 500 camions sont bloqués aux douanes syriennes", déplore un employé des douanes turques, au poste frontière turco-syrien de Cilvegozu.

"Ils ne laissent passer que les chauffeurs qu'ils connaissent, seuls ceux qui parlent l'arabe sont autorisés à passer", affirme ce fonctionnaire, qui refuse de décliner son identité.

Damas a suspendu un accord commercial avec la Turquie datant de 2004, après la décision d'Ankara, qui est l'un de ses principaux partenaires économiques, de se joindre à la Ligue arabe en imposant des sanctions contre le régime du président Bachar al-Assad, accusé d'une répression féroce contre les manifestations anti-gouvernementales.

La Turquie a ainsi gelé les échanges commerciaux et coupé les liens entre les banques centrales des deux pays.

La Syrie a de son côté suspendu l'accord de libre-échange, augmenté ses tarifs douaniers et mis des entraves à la circulation des camions à ses frontières.

Le ministre de l'Economie Zafer Caglayan a cependant annoncé mercredi que la Syrie avait finalement décidé de laisser la voie libre aux transporteurs routiers.

"Le gouvernement syrien a immédiatement commencé à autoriser les camions à passer la frontière" lorsque la Turquie a pris des dispositions pour contourner la Syrie, a-t-il déclaré, selon l'agence Anatolie.

"Sept cents poids lourds souhaitant gagner le Proche-Orient via la Syrie attendent depuis trois jours à la frontière" a expliqué pour sa part Ruhi Engin Ozmen, le président de l'Association des transporteurs internationaux, dont le siège est à Istanbul.

Selon M. Ozmen, les autorités syriennes retardent les procédures d'entrée des camions turcs en prétextant des pannes d'ordinateur.

A Cilvegozu, un camionneur turc affirme que les Syriens demandent des pots-de-vin pour passer la frontière.

"Il faut leur graisser la patte. Ils ont augmenté les tarifs de cent pour cent, nous devons payer 920 dollars pour passer. On ne peut pas attendre, alors on paye. Mais ça fait 920 dollars de perdus, pour un camion vide", dit-il.

Les Syriens "voient maintenant les Turcs comme des ennemis, alors qu'avant l'amitié régnait entre nous", se plaint un autre chauffeur.

Jadis alliée politique de la Syrie, la Turquie a coupé les ponts avec Damas, dénonçant la répression et réclamant le départ du président Assad.

Abdulkadir Cikmaz, de l'Association des exportateurs du Sud-Est anatolien, affirme que la tension entre les deux pays "menace gravement" l'économie régionale.

"On ne peut plus expédier de marchandises vers les pays du Proche-Orient", affirme-t-il.

Or la Syrie est une route importante pour ces échanges commerciaux.

La Turquie a exporté pour 1,8 milliard de dollars (1,3 milliard d'euros) de biens et denrées vers la Syrie en 2010, alors que les importations de la Syrie étaient de 663 millions, soit seulement 0,3% des importations turques.

Les exportations turques vers le Proche-Orient ont représenté 2,5 milliards de dollars, selon M. Ozmen.

Ankara affirme que c'est surtout la Syrie qui souffre de cette situation, mais les hommes d'affaires turcs ne sont pas d'accord.

"Nous respectons les décisions de notre gouvernement, mais il faut comprendre que ce sont 300 à 400 poids lourds qui passent la frontière syrienne chaque jour, pour aller au Liban, en Jordanie ou en Arabie saoudite", explique M. Cikmaz.

"La Syrie est en cinquième position, dans nos exportations", a-t-il ajouté.

Face au blocage de la frontière, le gouvernement turc prévoit des solutions de remplacement : il va ouvrir de nouveaux postes frontières avec l'Irak, et mettre en place des navettes maritimes entre la Turquie et l'Egypte d'une part et le Liban d'autre part. 
(AFP, 7 déc 2011)

Contre-mesures syriennes visant la Turquie

Le gouvernement syrien a pris des mesures contre la Turquie, un de ses principaux partenaires économiques, en rétorsion aux sanctions économiques prises par Ankara, ont rapporté lundi les médias syriens.

"En tenant compte de l'intérêt national et à titre de réciprocité, le gouvernement syrien a décidé de prendre une série de mesures" contre la Turquie, écrit le quotidien du parti au pouvoir, Al-Baas.

Les autorités syriennes, qui avaient déjà annoncé jeudi la suspension de l'accord de libre-échange conclu avec la Turquie en 2004, ont décidé "une hausse de 30% des taxes à l'importation des produits turcs".

Elles ont également décidé d'imposer des "charges sur le fioul et le passage des véhicules turcs".

Un économiste syrien cité par l'agence officielle Sana a estimé que la Turquie était "le plus grand perdant".

Le ministre syrien de l'Economie Mohammad Nidal al-Chaar a prévenu que "les importations en provenance de la Turquie allaient énormément baisser à cause de la suspension de l'accord de libre-échange".

La Turquie, l'un des principaux partenaires économiques de la Syrie, a emboîté mercredi le pas à la Ligue Arabe et annoncé une série de sanctions économiques contre le régime syrien, dont un gel des transactions commerciales et des transactions entre les banques centrales turque et syrienne.

En décembre 2004, Damas et Ankara avaient signé, après plusieurs années de négociations, un accord de libre-échange à l'occasion d'une visite du Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan à Damas, scellant ainsi le rapprochement des deux voisins longtemps en délicatesse.

Il avait été suivi en septembre 2009 par un accord instituant un "conseil de coopération stratégique de haut niveau" en vue d'une intégration économique, alors que les deux pays avaient ouvert leurs frontières en supprimant les visas.

Depuis mars, le régime du président Bachar al-Assad est secoué par une révolte populaire sans précédent qu'il réprime dans le sang. Les violences ont fait plus de 4.000 morts, selon l'ONU.
(AFP, 5 déc 2011)

Government under fire for Syria policies

Syrian refugees hold a demonstration in favor of Turkey at a refugee camp in the Turkish border town of Boynueğin in Hatay province in this file photo. Turkish opposition leader (inset) slams government for Syria sanctions. REUTERS photo

Turkey’s main opposition yesterday charged that sanctions slapped on Syria would deal a blow on trade and raised questions over Syrian refugee camps as news emerged they had been equipped with winter-proof tents that quake victims lacked in Van.

In a written response to a parliamentary question, Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin said the tents initially erected for the Syrians had been replaced with new carpeted ones “that can withstand all climate conditions [-20 degrees Celsius],” and that the refugees had been provided with winter clothes and extra blankets.

Winter temperatures in Hatay vary between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius during the day and between 3 and 4 degrees at night, even though they can sometimes fall to -5 degrees, Şahin said. The expenditure for the refugees is provided by the Disaster and Emergency Fund, which has so far allocated 20.7 million Turkish Liras, he said.

Ali Özgündüz, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker who submitted the question to Şahin, said, “Cold-proof tents are being sent to Hatay, even though the weather there is mild, while the poor people in Van are freezing in summer tents.”

Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, he said the government appeared to cater to the members of the Syrian opposition, who are also taking shelter at the camps in Hatay.

“I wonder whether they are providing all that comfort to the dissidents who are being trained in the camps so that they can go to Syria and do their mission easily,” he said.

Worry over trade losses

Slamming the government’s approach to Syria after Ankara announced a series of sanctions against Damascus, CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu renewed charges that Syrian dissidents were receiving military training in Turkey as part of policies dictated by Western powers.

“Why are we meddling so much in someone else’s problems when we have so many problems of our own?” he said. ”Does it suit Turkey to have armed forces being trained in Turkey to make trouble in another country? It is not right.”

CHP lawmakers representing Hatay warned that the population of the border province would suffer the most because of Ankara’s sanctions as they hit commercial relations.

“You cannot just ignore the 2 million Hatay citizens in the name of being a U.S. sub-contractor,” Hatay Deputy Mevlüt Dudu said. “There is no guarantee that the internal strife that is being staged in Syria today will not be put in action in our country too.”

Hatay Deputy Mehmet Ali Ediboğlu said the investments of Turkish businessmen in Syria “have been thrown in danger” and major financial losses could follow.

He rejected suggestions the CHP was siding with Bashar al-Assad and said all parties in Syria must renounce violence and go to elections to decide the country’s rulers. (Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 1, 2011)

Cracks appear in Turkey-Iran ties

Turkey and Iran are trying not to show it for practical reasons, but cracks have emerged in their ties due to regional developments.

Turkey and Iran are trying not to show it for practical reasons, but cracks have emerged in their ties due to regional developments. Neither is it surprising that conspiracy theorists, of which there is no shortage in this country, should see a U.S. and Israeli hand behind all this.

The truth, however, is regional dynamics are behind the current state of affairs rather than any heinous plan worked out in Washington or Tel Aviv.

Thus the heady days when Ankara appeared to condone, if not support, Tehran’s nuclear program are gone. Prime Minister Erdoğan still says, when pressed, that it is hard to understand why Iran is being targeted when others in the region – meaning Israel – have nuclear weapons too. There is a basic dry logic to this of course that plays out well on the streets of Turkey and the Middle East.

But it is clear Turkey cannot afford to be dismissive of “worst case scenarios” and the possibility of a serious falling out with Tehran due to regional developments. Syria is the most apparent case in point. As far as the Mullah regime is concerned Turkey is acting at the behest of “the evil West” and agitating the opposition in Syria into armed rebellion.

Given Iran’s strategic reliance on Syria, it is clear that if and when the chips are down in earnest, Tehran will support Damascus and not Ankara, since the loss of Syria’s support would be a strategic disaster for Iran. This is why anger at Turkey is mounting among Iranian officials.

After Ankara’s decision to host the radar facilities for NATO’s – meaning Washington’s - “missile defense shield,” some of this anger has even gone “ballistic.” Ankara still insists this shield does not target Iran, but no one in Tehran is convinced. This is why Iran is now issuing blood curdling warnings to Turkey.
One such warning came recently from Iran’s “Aerospace Commander” Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh who said that in the event of any attack on his country, the first thing they would target would be the missile shield in Turkey. Trying not to show the crack in ties, Turkey appeared to “swallow” this threat. It has emerged through media reports, however, that Ankara had given a protest note to Tehran over Hajizadeh’s remarks.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu has reportedly told his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi, on the sidelines of an Organization of the Islamic Conference meeting in Jeddah a few days ago, the attack on the British Embassy in Tehran was unacceptable.

Having had its embassy and consulates attacked and its flag burned in Syria recently, Ankara is in no mood to condone such attacks. This position will no doubt increase the anger of radicals in Iran since Turkey appears again to be defending a “perfidious Western country,” in this case Britain.

When the growing Sunni-Shiite / Alevi conflict in the region is also factored in, it is clear that time will prove it is hard to gloss over the cracks that have appeared in Turkish-Iranian ties. In the 1990s Turkey was considered ripe territory by Iran for exporting its Islamic revolution.
After the advent of an apparently Iran-friendly “Islamist government” in Turkey, Iran’s expectations in this regard increased.

Now the same Mullah regime is angry that the same “Islamist government” in Turkey is promoting what they have hatefully labeled as “liberal Islam” and is trying to export it to the region and Iran. But what must anger Tehran the most presently is that the Arab masses, which it still hopes will spawn an Islamic revolution, appear to be looking more to Turkey than Iran for inspiration.
(Hürriyet Daily News, Dec 1, 2011)

Attaque au coeur d'Istanbul : deux blessés, l'assaillant libyen abattu

Un ressortissant libyen armé d'un fusil à pompe a ouvert le feu mercredi dans un quartier historique et touristique d'Istanbul, blessant deux personnes avant d'être tué par la police, ont annoncé les autorités.

"C'est un triste événement. L'individu est entré par la porte principale du palais de Topkapi, avec à la main un fusil à pompe. Il a tiré à gauche, à droite, et a fait deux blessés. Les forces de sécurité l'ont neutralisé", a déclaré le vice-Premier ministre turc, Bülent Arinç, cité par l'agence de presse Anatolie.

L'homme, qui est arrivé à bord d'une voiture immatriculée en Syrie, a blessé deux membres du personnel de sécurité en faction devant le palais des sultans ottomans de Topkapi avant de pénétrer vers 10H00 (08H00 GMT) dans l'enceinte de l'édifice, un haut lieu touristique situé sur la rive européenne d'Istanbul.

"Il a blessé un agent privé de sécurité et un de nos soldats. L'état de notre soldat est bon, mais celui du vigile est un peu plus grave", a expliqué le gouverneur d'Istanbul, Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, cité par Anatolie.

Selon la chaîne de télévision NTV, qui cite le chef de la police de la ville, Hüseyin Capkin, l'individu s'est emparé des armes des deux gardes au moment d'entrer dans le palais, où il s'est barricadé dans une chambre.

Les forces spéciales de la police ont abattu l'homme après plus d'une heure de tirs, selon la chaîne, qui a diffusé une photo de l'assaillant, en possession d'une ceinture de cartouches et d'un fusil.

"Je l'ai vu quand il est passé devant la fontaine. Il est apparu tout d'un coup, les gens ont eu peur. Il a commencé à tirer en criant +Allah est grand !+. Il a d'abord tiré sur le soldat, puis sur le vigile", a raconté un jeune vendeur de marrons chauds, témoin de la scène.

Le ministre de l'Intérieur, Idris Naim Sahin, a affirmé que l'homme était un ressortissant libyen.

"L'assaillant n'est pas un citoyen turc, c'est un étranger. Il est né en 1975 et est de nationalité libyenne. Il est entré le 27 novembre en Turquie", a annoncé M. Sahin.

Anatolie a précisé que l'individu se nommait Samir Salem Ali Elmadhavri.

"Le véhicule à bord duquel le suspect est arrivé sur les lieux a été retrouvé. Il porte une plaque s'immatriculation syrienne. Il appartient à quelqu'un d'autre, les liens ne sont pas très clairs", a souligné M. Sahin.

L'attaque intervient après l'annonce mercredi par la Turquie de l'adoption de mesures de rétorsion contre la Syrie pour contraindre le régime de Damas à faire cesser la violente répression visant les mouvements d'opposition sur son territoire.

Les autorités turques ne privilégiaient cependant pas de pistes quant au mobile de l'agresseur.

"Comme il n'a cherché à faire passer aucun message, nous estimons qu'ils s'agit d'un acte purement individuel", a déclaré M. Mutlu.

"Nous lui avons demandé de se rendre, mais quand nous avons vu qu'il était résolu à ne pas le faire nous avons lancé l'opération", a souligné le gouverneur.

Après l'opération, la police a perquisitionné dans l'hôtel où logeait l'assaillant avec un ami, près de la place de Taksim, dans le centre d'Istanbul, a rapporté le quotidien à grand tirage Hürriyet sur son site internet. Elle était toujours à la recherche de cet ami.

L'incident s'est produit dans le quartier historique de Sultanahmet où sont situés d'importants monuments prisés des touristes comme la basilique-musée de Sainte-Sophie et la Mosquée bleue. 


La presse s'interroge, jette le soupçon sur Damas

La presse turque s'interrogeait jeudi sur les motifs d'un libyen lourdement armé qui a blessé la veille deux gardiens devant un palais ottoman d'Istanbul où il est arrivé à bord dune voiture immatriculée en Syrie, le jour même où Ankara annonçait des sanctions contre le régime syrien.

Les journaux turcs, qui citent des témoins, soulignent que l'assaillant, un ressortissant libyen de 36 ans arrivé à Istanbul dimanche, selon les autorités, a crié "je suis la Syrie" en arabe avant d'ouvrir la feu devant le palais de Topkapi, haut lieu touristique de la métropole.

Le quotidien Taraf a vu dans cet acte "un message pour Ankara" qui a adopté une ligne dure pour protester contre le régime du président Bechar al-Assad qui réprime depuis mars un mouvement de contestation en Syrie.

L'éditorialiste du journal rappelle que le président syrien avait accusé la Turquie de vouloir faire "revivre l'empire ottoman" dans la région et que Topkapi symbolise la gloire de cet empire, qui avait aussi régné sur l'actuelle Syrie.

"Est-ce que cette attaque a été commanditée par les services secrets syriens", s'interroge le commentateur qui pense que "quelqu'un souhaite avertir la Turquie au sujet de la Syrie".

Pour le journal Milliyet aussi, il ne fait pas doute que cette agression est "un message clair et net" d'Assad à la Turquie qui est devenu un sanctuaire pour l'opposition syrienne.

La plupart des journaux qualifiaient l'agresseur de "dérangé mental" tout en soulignant qu'il aurait pu provoquer un carnage parmi les nombreux touristes qui visitent ce site chaque jour s'il n'avait pas été abattu par la police, au terme d'un échange de tir de plus d'une heure.

Alors que l'assaillant réussissait à s'introduire dans Topkapi, censée être très protégée, le chef de la diplomatie turque Ahmet Davutoglu annonçait devant la presse à Ankara des sanctions économiques turques contre l'administration syrienne.

La piste d'un mercenaire arabe à la solde de Damas est également évoquée.

"N'oublions pas qu'après la chute du régime libyen, des centaines de mercenaires ont disparu dans la nature", soulignait un commentateur sur la chaîne d'information CNN-Türk.
(AFP,1 déc 2011)

La Turquie annonce un train de sanctions contre la Syrie "dans l'impasse"

La Turquie a emboîté le pas à la Ligue Arabe et annoncé mercredi une série de sanctions économiques contre le régime syrien qui, selon son ministre des Affaires étrangères, s'est mis "dans l'impasse" en poursuivant la répression brutale du mouvement de contestation.

Ces sanctions comprennent notamment un gel des transactions commerciales avec le gouvernement syrien ainsi qu'un gel similaire entre les banques centrales turque et syrienne, a dit Ahmet Davutoglu devant la presse à Ankara.

La Turquie qui met ainsi à exécution ses menaces de sanctionner la Syrie après l'Union européenne et les pays arabes, va aussi suspendre sa coopération stratégique avec Damas et bloquer toute livraison d'armes à la Syrie et les crédits turcs destinés à la Syrie sont interrompus, a-t-il expliqué.

"Tant qu'un gouvernement légitime, en paix avec la population du pays, ne sera pas en fonction en Syrie, le mécanisme de coopération stratégique de haut niveau sera suspendu", a dit le ministre, ajoutant que des mesures similaires seront en outre prises contre "des hommes d'affaires connus qui sont les défenseurs du régime syrien".

Les sanctions turques font suite à celles annoncées dimanche par la Ligue arabe à l'encontre de la Syrie. Ahmet Davutoglu s'était rendu en personne à une rencontre des ministres des Affaires étrangères de l'organisation panarabe le week-end dernier au Caire.
 Elles interviennent à la veille d'une visite en Turquie du vice-président américain Joe Biden, attendu vendredi à Ankara pour des entretiens avec les dirigeants turcs sur le dossier syrien notamment.

D'ores et déjà, la compagnie publique de raffinage pétrolier turque Tupras a mis un terme à un contrat d'achat avec la compagnie nationale de pétrole syrienne Sytrol, rapportait mercredi le journal turc Haberturk, citant le PDG de Tupras. Le contrat, en vigueur depuis 1995, a été rompu au début du mois de novembre, ajoute le journal.

Depuis le déclenchement des manifestations contre le régime du président Bachar al-Assad en mars, la répression a fait plus de 3.500 morts selon l'ONU.

La Turquie, allié traditionnel des Etats-Unis au sein de l'Otan, a adopté une position de fermeté contre son voisin avec lequel elle avait considérablement développé ses rapports économiques et politiques ces dix dernières années, et a appelé au départ du président syrien.

Elle s'oppose toutefois à l'option militaire contre la Syrie.

M. Davutoglu a tenu à préciser que les sanctions turques seraient essentiellement ciblées sur le régime syrien et ses dirigeants et n'affecteraient pas les civils. "Des mesures additionnelles" pourront être prises par le gouvernement turc dans l'avenir, a-t-il aussi prévenu.

Ankara a déjà annoncé que l'approvisionnement en eau et électricité du voisin syrien ne serait pas coupé.

M. Davutoglu en outre a dénoncé Damas pour avoir fait la sourde oreille aux appels de la Turquie et de la communauté internationale en faveur de réformes démocratiques pressantes, affirmant que ce régime "est dans l'impasse".

"Selon nous, le régime syrien qui a refusé de saisir les multiples occasions qui lui ont été données pour arrêter la répression (...) est dans l'impasse", a-t-il souligné.

Le ministre a affirmé mardi que la communauté internationale pourrait être amenée à décider linstauration dune zone tampon au cas où des centaines de milliers de Syriens chercheraient à fuir les violences dans leur pays, notamment lors d'une exode massive vers la Turquie qui accueille déjà 7.500 réfugiés syriens.
(AFP,1 déc 2011)

Chypre et la Grèce / Cyprus and Greece

Cyprus Controversy in Parliament

The speeches of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Deputy for Mersin, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, and Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy of Istanbul, Şafak Pavey, came to the fore at the latest session of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly.

Ertuğrul Kürkçü emphasized that there were two main problems in Turkey and that it was impossible to advance in any way without facing these topics. He pointed to the Kurdish question and the Cyprus issue as the two fundamental problems.

"This trouble was not brought to us by the European Union or by anybody else. It was us who went there and invaded Cyprus. Now we do not know how to withdraw our military from there", Kürkçü stated.

"We sent battalions and soldiers and tainted the geography of Kurdistan with blood from massacres in order to deny the rights of the Kurdish people. And now we do not know how to come to account with that. We should open a new debate on how to solve these problems. Otherwise, neither the European Union nor any other union can carry any importance for us. What is important for us is solving our own problems".

Kürkçü criticized the "Ankara criteria" presented by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as an alternative to the EU criteria. He also mentioned mass arrests, inequality, rights violations and restrictions of freedom. "We are right at the place where we ran aground", he concluded.

"What we see when we look at the 'Ankara Criteria' are hundreds or even thousands of detainees and convicts sentenced because of their opinions and without reasonable justification, a ten-percent election threshold, inequality and injustice suffered by children and women, the unequal distribution of income and concessions and imperial aspirations emerging as the result of all these".

When Kürkçü mentioned the "invasion of Cyprus", CHP Istanbul Deputy Mehmet Akif Hamzaçebi requested permission to speak. He said, "The intervention of the Turkish Republic in Northern Cyprus as the result of the Peace Movement in 1974and the deployment of Turkish troops was assessed as an invasion. [The military] went there with the aim to prevent deaths and killings caused by the Greeks".

Minister of EU Affairs Egemen Bağış who spoke afterwards on the ministry's budget said he found it grave to call the Turkish army the invader of Cyprus and expressed his sorrow about the situation.

"People were proud of Dersim in the 1930s"

Kürkçü on the other hand reminded the Resolution of the United Nations Security Council in response.

"I am sorry that the minister feels sorry but it was good if he did not feel that sad just because of my words since these words can be heard at all international forums. Resolution No.550 of the United Nations Security Council reads, 'The Security Council is gravely concerned about the further secessionist acts in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus which are in violation of resolution 541(1983), namely the purported "exchange of Ambassadors" between Turkey and the legally invalid "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" and the contemplated holding of a "Constitutional referendum" and "elections", as well as by other actions or threats of action aimed at further consolidating the purported independent state and the division of Cyprus'"

"A certain part of the people in Cyprus thinks likewise. I invite everybody to remember now the debate on history that we should have had long before instead of proudly speaking here".

Kürkçü also referred to the "Apology for Dersim" by the prime minister and asked, "Who knows how proud the ministers were at the time in Dersim in the 1930s?"

"But now the Prime Minister apologizes on behalf of the ministers of the time. Maybe the Cyprus Operation will be evaluated differently in terms of Turkish history and world history in the future. Then, there will be the need to resort to the Resolution of the UN Security Council and to people who think like me. That is why these opinions are a real shame if they will not be said under the roof of this parliament. This is the place to discuss this issue".

"Government does not approach EU upon values of humanity"

CHP Istanbul Deputy Pavey said in her speech that human values have not met EU standards during the term of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Pavey indicated that approaching the EU was not considered upon a human axis but upon the ideological benefit since investing in religion brought more votes than advocating for people or nature.

"The government wants us to become a part of the EU just as we are. In other words, the government does not want us to become a part at all. Making laws that are not able to find a response in society is not Renaissance. Real reforms mean to transform the laws according to social values. If the law you made is not being recognized by the society, you do not want to enforce that law".

"There are policies that annul each other and go into different directions. (...) While the first signature under the Declaration on Violence against Women was boasted, the so-called N.Ç Decision was upheld by the Court of Appeals the same day. Another item has been added to the archive of values of humanity that have not been applied.

Related to Cyprus, Pavey said, "Cyprus is the most important key to open our deadlock". (BIA, 14 December 2011)

Immigration / Migration

BDP European Representative arrested in Germany

BDP European Representative Eyyüp Doru was taken into custody and arrested in Germany on grounds of the warrant of arrest Turkey issued for Doru on Interpol in 2007.

Giving information to ANF about the arrest, the BDP Representative in Europe notified that; “Mr. Doru was arrested on 15 December after his car was stopped by police in Münich city where he was going to appear in the BDP delegation to meet with Diyarbakır MP Leyla Zana.”

“Our representative Eyyüp Doru is a Kurdish politician who has been living in Europe and never been to Turkey for more than 25 years.” said the BDP Representative in Europe and commented the Interpol’s search as a “situation that cannot be explained within the framework of rules of logic”.

The BDP Representative in Europe said the followings; “The AKP government intends to criminalize our representative who has been legally doing active politics at various institutions and establishments for many years. While the AKP government has turned Turkey into an open prison for Kurds within the scope of so called KCK operations, which has arrested more than five thousand people, the arrest of Mr. Doru is a sign of the intention to close the ways to Kurdish politicians abroad as well and to interrupt our party’s works in Europe.”

Reminding that Doru had been arrested for the same reason in Spain in 2009, the BDP Representative noted that the Spanish courts had concluded that the case was political, not legal.

The Representative condemned the decision of German judiciary and called on German authorities to not to take part in this unlawfulness.
(ANF, 24 December 2011)

Armencom critique le CECLR

Dans un communiqué mis en ligne le 13 décembre dernier, le Centre pour l’Egalité des chances et la lutte contre le racisme réagit au scandale suscité par la révélation de propos tenus par l’une de ses fonctionnaires au cours d’une formation à laquelle participaient des policiers. Il  déclare assumer « sa faute et regrette les propos tenus mais il conteste complètement l'intention antisémite qu'on leur prête ». S’agissant de l’émotion et des protestations suscitées par ces révélations, il ajoute : «il s'agit d'une nouvelle provocation tendant à décrédibiliser le travail du Centre… ».
 
Un organisme public qui prétend se vouer à la lutte contre le racisme, mais qui ne dénonce ni ne lutte contre les partisans du génocide ne peut se plaindre de son discrédit.
 
En effet, alors que le CECLR a été un des moteurs de l’adoption de la loi du 23 mars 1995 réprimant le négationnisme du génocide perpétré par les nazis, alors que son directeur adjoint, le professeur Edouard Delruelle, n’ignore pas le danger que constitue pour notre pays ceux qui nient le génocide des Arméniens et celui des Tutsi et s’est clairement prononcé, à titre personnel, en faveur de l’extension de la loi (1), alors que ce négationnisme gangrène des fonctions vitales pour l’avenir (la politique, le culte, l’enseignement), alors qu’il est à l’origine de violences sans précédents, telles que les émeutes qui ont semé le désordre à Schaerbeek et Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, en octobre 2007, au cours desquelles un café a été saccagé et son patron agressé aux cris de « Tuez-le, c’est un Arménien », le CECLR reste sourd et muet devant la corruption croissante de notre pays par le négationnisme importé de Turquie.
 
Le crime de génocide est la manifestation la plus aiguë et massive du racisme. Le négationnisme de la Turquie et de ses relais en est la prolongation. Tout forme de lâcheté face à l’impunité de la Turquie bloque le processus de démocratisation de ce pays et encourage les Etats à enfreindre la loi internationale.
 
Le CECLR retrouvera donc son honneur perdu lorsqu’il prendra la tête de la résistance belge  face au négationnisme. 
 
Le 16 décembre 2011
 
(1)  « Et puisque il y a aujourd’hui des gens très nuisibles qui, pour des raisons politiques,  nient le génocide arménien ou le génocide tutsi, je pense à titre personnel qu’il faut étendre la loi de 95 à ces deux crimes contre l’humanité ». (Rapport du CECLR pour 2007, page 158).

Correspondance : chaussée de Bruxelles, 281-283, 1190 Bruxelles - T.02/34019 00 -  F.02/372 05 82 mahmourian@armencom.be
www.armencom.be

YSK agrees to put ballot boxes in Turkish diplomatic missions

The Supreme Election Board (YSK) has agreed to install ballot boxes at Turkish diplomatic missions abroad in a move to allow for 3.5 million Turkish expatriates to vote in national elections.

Overseas Turks Agency (TYB) Chairman Kemal Yurtnaç said the agency had drafted the bill with the YSK. “Our citizens have not been able to cast votes at embassies and consulates for years. We have prepared a draft bill in cooperation with the YSK,” he said.

The Cabinet subsequently approved the draft bill to put ballot boxes in diplomatic missions.

In an interview with Today's Zaman, YSK Deputy Director General Ayhan Okurer said the bill was submitted to the YSK and that the board agreed to the implementation of the new system of putting ballot boxes at diplomatic missions.

The bill is expected to be passed by Parliament.

With the new system, Turkish citizens who live abroad will be able to cast votes at Turkish consulates and embassies. The voting will begin one month before election day in Turkey. Each voter will be given a date to visit the relevant mission and vote in an effort to avoid large crowds at the missions. A special registration system will be set up for these voters. Political parties will be able to follow the voting process in the missions if they wish. The ballot boxes will later be taken to Turkey and counted in the presence of political party and YSK observers.

Before every national election, Turks living abroad came to the country to vote or voted at the airport. Turks in neighboring countries would come to customs gates in order to cast their votes. Since the YSK did not place ballot boxes outside the country, only some 129,000 voters submitted their votes in the general elections on June 12, 2011 while about 2,4 million citizens did not cast votes. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan back then criticized the YSK, calling the board's decision of not putting ballot boxes at overseas missions “sabotage.”

Kyrgyz-Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association Chairman Hüseyin Muslu said the new system will pave the way for the association to support democracy in Turkey more strongly. While noting that the YSK was hindering democracy with the soon-to-be former regulation of not having ballot boxes abroad, Muslu added that he is happy to hear the YSK is willing to eliminate the regulation. The president of the Turkish Businessmen Association (TİAD) in Bucharest, Ömer Süsli, said the YSK's support for the draft bill is a positive development, adding that voters will be no longer have to spend time and money to go to Turkey to vote. (TODAY’S ZAMAN, 12 December 2011)


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