16.
August 2000
2. "Hunger strike toll in Turkey
reaches nine", a long-standing hunger strike by Turkish
prison inmates protesting controversial jail reforms claimed two more
victims bringing the toll to nine, a Turkish human rights group announced
Thursday.
3. "Clashes at Turkish crisis rally",
Turkish police have used batons, water cannons and tear gas as violence
broke out at a huge demonstration over the country's financial crisis.
4. "Turkey's Military announces Arms Delays",
Turkey's military, under Western pressure to cut Ankara's defense budget,
said dozens of weapons procurement programs would be shelved.
5. "Barzani to visit Ankara soon",
Leader of KDP Massoud Barzani is expected to visit Ankara at the end
of April amid the increasing American pressure to topple Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein.
6. "Fehmi Koru: 'Journalist who cannot do without
his job'"
1. - BBC - "Hundreds hurt in Turkish clashes":
Police used water cannon to disperse the crowd
About 200 people were injured and over 100 were arrested as Turkish
police clashed with anti-government demonstrators in cities across the
country on Wednesday.
More than 70,000 people demonstrated in the capital Ankara, demanding
the resignation of the government following layoffs, massive increases
in the price of goods such as sugar and fuel, and rising interest rates.
The demonstrators - mainly shopkeepers and traders - are protesting
against the government's handling of the country's ongoing economic
crisis, particularly its acceptance of an austere International Monetary
Fund recovery programme.
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit made it clear he would not resign, saying
that the search for a new government would not be in the country's interest
at present.
Police injured
The injured included over 130 police officers, according to the state
Anatolia news agency.
In the most violent scenes since the crisis began two months ago, protesters
threw stones and bricks at police, tore up paving stones and smashed
shop windows.
Police used water cannon, teargas and batons to try to disperse them.
Eventually they succeeded in forcing the protesters out of a large square
in central Ankara.
Unions have called for more protests on Saturday, but the governor of
Ankara, Yahya Gur, announced after the demonstrations on Wednesday that
he was banning such actions for a month.
Prime minister defiant
Mr Ecevit has said he will not bow to calls for him to resign.
"If they are shouting resign, they also have to provide an alternative.
I am not glued to my chair," he said.
"I do not believe that the search for a new government would help
the country, therefore I am staying at my post."
But the editor-in-chief of the Turkish Daily News warned that the government
had to do something to placate the populace.
"The government has to offer some kind of urgent and radical relief
if it wants to prolong its death", the editor, Ilnur Cevik, said.
Turkey is negotiating with the IMF for a recovery package, and seeking
$10bn-$12bn in foreign loans.
The IMF has indicated it will make available some $6.25bn in aid that
had already been pledged.
Other protests
In other protests on Wednesday, at least 40,000 people took to the street
in the port of Izmir and 20,000 people marched against the government
in the city of Konya.
Meanwhile the Turkish armed forces have announced that they are postponing
32 modernisation projects in the light of the economic crisis.
In a statement in Ankara, the armed forces - the second-biggest in Nato
- said the projects would be put off in the short and long term.
No specifics of the delay were announced.
2. - AFP - "Hunger strike toll in Turkey reaches
nine":
ANKARA
A long-standing hunger strike by Turkish prison inmates protesting
controversial jail reforms claimed two more victims bringing the toll
to nine, a Turkish human rights group announced Thursday.
Two alledged members of extreme left-wing organisations, Celal Alpay,
28, and Abdullah Bozdag, 26, imprisoned in the western town of Izmir
died early Thursday, the Human Rights Association (IHD) president Husnu
Ondul told AFP.
Alpay and Bozdag succumbed in the university hospital of Izmir after
195 days on hunger strike. Last October, hundreds of other inmates began
a fast in protest at the introduction of new jails with three-person
cells replacing dormitories housing up to 60 inmates.
The prisoners, backed by a number of civic groups, say that the new
set-up will leave them more exposed to ill treatment and lead to further
social alienation.
The IHD says between 300 and 400 inmates are on a hunger strike with
some 120 of them hospitalized and a dozen in critical condition.
Since the strike began, some participants have interrupted the protest
at certain times and then restarted it, while others joined several
weeks after the action began.
In a bid to break the protest, paramilitary troops raided 20 jails across
Turkey last December. The four-day crackdown resulted in the death of
two soldiers and some 30 prisoners, many of whom died by setting themselves
on fire. But the hunger strikes continued in jails across Turkey.
Turkish authorities have categorically ruled out a return to the dormitory
system. They maintain that the packed dormitories were the main reason
behind lax security in the crowded jails, where inmates have often been
able to smuggle in weapons and to use them in frequent riots and hostage-taking
incidents.
3. - Reuters - "Clashes at Turkish crisis rally":
ANKARA
Turkish police have used batons, water cannons and tear gas as violence
broke out at a huge demonstration over the country's financial crisis.
A group of protesters broke away from the 50,000 demonstrators gathered
in Ankara's Tandogan Square and threw stones and sticks at police before
attempting to storm the parliament.
A number of people were injured in the demonstrations, the biggest and
most turbulent since Ecevit's public disagreement with his president,
Ahmet Necdet Sezer, in February sparked the financial crisis.
The Turkish lira collapsed, falling by 45 percent against the dollar,
and an $11 billion International Monetary Fund reform plan had to be
abandoned after the currency was floated.
The government is currently renegotiating a package, and new economic
chief Kemel Dervis is expected to announce a new economic programme
at the end of the week.
The government announced plans to ease the burden on small traders on
Monday, including an extension of the period in which to apply for phased
payments of unpaid taxes and to keep interest rates on loans from the
state-run Halkbank at pre-crisis levels.
Turkey's military said on Wednesday it had postponed 32 modernisation
projects worth $19.5 billion to try to ease the financial crisis, NTV
television said.
The spending plans of the military, NATO's second largest, include purchasing
1,000 tanks and 145 attack helicopters.
The protests are being led by tradesman and small business owners angry
at soaring prices, rising unemployment and the collapse of businesses
in Turkey. Trade unions have called for further demonstrations on Saturday.
Ecevit refused to quit on Wednesday, repeating his claim that it would
lead to financial uncertainty and would be damaging for the economy.
"I do not see that upheaval and a search for a new government is
of any help for Turkey and that is why I am staying in office,"
he told a meeting of his deputies in parliament.
He also warned the demonstrators that such public acts
of dissent might damage Turkey's attempts to earn much-needed hard currency
by attracting foreign tourists.
Interior Minister Saadettin Tantan said last weekend that radicals and
Islamists had taken advantage of the unrest by stoking the demonstrations.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Ankara and other cities
on Saturday, with more than 50 people taken into custody as officials
used armoured cars equipped with water cannons to disperse the crowds.
4. - Middle East Newsline - "Turkey's Military
announces Arms Delays":
ANKARA
Turkey's military, under Western pressure to cut Ankara's defense
budget, said dozens of weapons procurement programs would be shelved.
A statement by the Turkish chief of staff said the military would delay
32 projects to modernize the military. The cost of these projects amount
to $19.5 billion.
The military did not list the projects that would be delayed. But they
are believed to include projects to coproduce a main battle tank as
well as an attack helicopter.
The Turkish statement cited Ankara's fiscal crisis for the military
decision. The Turkish lira has dropped by about 40 percent, which has
struck hard Turkey's defense procurement plans from Western contractors.
The statement said the delay would affect short-term, medium-term and
long-term projects. But the military said Turkey's defense would not
be fundamentally affected.
5. - Turkish Daily News - "Barzani to visit Ankara
soon":
Leader of KDP Massoud Barzani is expected to visit Ankara at the
end of April amid the increasing American pressure to topple Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein
ANKARA
The leader of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Massoud Barzani
is expected to visit Ankara at the end of april to have high-level talks
with Turkish authorities in a bid to evaluate the latest developments
in the region. Barzani's visit comes at a time when the two warring
Kurdish factions namely KDP and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have
started to mend the fences.
Barzani's visit is also important as the new U.S. administration has
tightened its grip on Iraq in a bid to end the Saddam regime. Bush administration
has made it clear that they would empower the Iraqi National Congress
to fight more effectively against Saddam and asked its allies to support
its new policy to which Turkey has responded cautiously. Washington
has also voiced its concern over the border trade between Turkey and
Iraq. KDP controls the border trade and profits most from the trade.
While Barzani is expected to visit Ankara soon, a series of meetings
have been taking place between KDP and PUK, sources say. Stressing that
restrictions for transportation between Suleymaniye and Irbil, two cities
controlled by PUK and KDP respectively, have been lifted, sources say
two sides have also agreed on allowing those who left either Suleymaniye
or Irbil because of armed clashes to return their homes. Referring to
the killing of Irbil governor recently, sources say the perpetrators
were radical muslim terrorists backed by Iran and they were returned
to KDP after being caught by PUK forces.
KDP has recently reached an understanding with PUK by which people from
the PUK-controlled region would be able to go to Turkey and abroad by
using KDP-controlled border gate.
Both KDP and PUK have close relations with Ankara and badly need Ankara's
backing in the region. Ankara had occasionally told KDP and PUK that
fighting against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists
in Northern Iraq was essential for Turkey's support. Two parties seem
to have heeded the call to get Turkey's support.
6. - Turkish Daily News - "Fehmi Koru: 'Journalist
who cannot do without his job'":
'This is the portrait of a journalist who reads, reflects, 'lights
a candle' to dispel the dark and will not be forgotten by the media'
'I think that those who say that 'There is need for Article 312 of the
Turkish Penal Code' are embarrassing Turkey'
'We are surrounded by prohibitions which restrict freedoms in a manner
unprecedented in developed countries'
'People are sued either for either ethnic or religious discrimination.
These articles are laid down in such an arbitrary manner that other
courts then hand down different verdicts'
'Whenever freedoms are circumscribed in Turkey, we see dismissals starting
with authors who are known to tell their views loud and clear'
ISTANBUL
Democracy at the age of technology when the production of knowledge
and thought knows no limit... The freedom to share thought and other
products with no limits... On the one hand, new discoveries that pave
the path for the information age... On the other hand, ongoing limitations
and bans... To continue the struggle for democracy... Or to account
to court for the expression of thoughts...
Almost everyone regards the freedom of conscience, or rather of expression,
as virtually the most important human rights issue in Turkey. The State
Security Courts (DGM) in particular have become like a way of passage
of people who express their thoughts. Scores of authors, academicians,
human rights defenders, journalists, artists, unionists, publishers,
jurists and politicians, in sum people who are not limited by the official
ideology and share their thoughts with society, were tried and convicted
for having expressed their thoughts.
Some of the people who express their thoughts are bearing out their
sentences while others are waiting for their turns. Sometimes a word
or a few sentences from a speech, at others a book, essay or play, are
sufficient for the trial and punishment of individuals.
Fehmi Koru is one of these people. The Higher Board for Radio and Television
(RTUK) filed charges against Koru for a speech about the Marmara earthquake
of Aug. 17, 1999 made on Kanal 7 (Channel 7) on Oct. 12 of the same
year, and he is now due to be tried at the Istanbul DGM. The indictment
of public prosecutor Ahmet Ayvaz claims that Fehmi Koru supported in
this televised commentary, first, the oration of Mehmet Kutlular at
the Ankara Kocatepe mosque on the 39th anniversary of the death of Said-i
Nursi, of whose Nur community he is an eminent member, and second, the
brochure called "Divine Warning" which was distributed on
the occasion.
Despite all obstacles
Fehmi Koru is a columnist who is carefully read in Turkey. He is a journalist
with wide experience, who is in command of advanced technologies such
as the Internet, conducts research in his field, and who is an intellectual.
Be it in newspaper or television journalism, Koru's work represents
a high quality, far removed from the show business in Turkey. His articles
are read with interest in Turkey. His knowledge of international politics
and of the Far and Middle East, in particular, is evident. It is known
that not only his own articles but also those which he writes with the
pen name Taha Kivanc are followed with utmost attention. He owes this
wide readership is undoubtedly to his high professional credentials.
He continues his courageous and fearless attitude in his articles despite
the criticism.
He is a journalist who is not shy to write about the delicate issues
in Turkey. Consequently, a number of unfortunate events befell him.
One example was the "Comment of the Day" on Kanal 7. Furthermore,
Koru was to narrate during that program how his conversation had been
listened to earlier that evening. During dinner at a kebap restaurant
in Ankara, someone had dropped an ear on his conversation with Virtue
Party (FP) deputy Nazli Ilicak and journalist Emin Sirin, and the event
had been conveyed to a friend of his. Koru heard about the event from
his friend. But he was not allowed to narrate this "tapping"
story to the television audience, who had to watch the television ads
instead of Koru.
Journalism with a twist
Although he is known as one of the prominent names of the right-wing
press, Koru has won readers from all sections of society with his objective
journalism. Someone who does not want to suffer pressure on his intellectual
work, he works at the daily Yeni Safak where his articles are not censured.
But he regards the daily Hurriyet as the "newspaper of record"
and reads it every day. He is strongly attached to his religion, and
is known for his calmness and honesty. He fervently believes in the
public's right to be informed. His "Behind the Scenes" articles,
signed Taha Kivanc, in particular are very widely read.
We learn from his own articles that he enjoys "small happinesses."
Just like his joy over the publication of a Hurriyet article on March
8 Women's Day in the British daily The Guardian... He shares the joy
of his colleagues and is saddened over their problems and the injustice
they face. He has written objectively his appreciation for Zeynep Atikan,
who was dismissed from the daily Hurriyet. His protection of dismissed
journalists and questioning of the liquidation process in the press
indicate that he is a brave journalist.
Taha Kivanc is actually Fehmi Koru's pseudonym. He shows the courage
to use a pen name, which is a first in Turkish journalism. He does not
care about popularity. Recently, Kivanc's articles have sometimes been
more widely read than Koru's. People feel the need to tell Koru, "Please
do not tell this to Taha Kivanc."
He uses his pen name when he conducts research on an issue, and writes
on topics that are little known and according to some, are suspect.
He believes that Kivanc projects on the future and makes predictions.
He has written a book called "The Notebook of Taha Kivanc,"
where daily events from the world and Turkey are reflected from Kivanc's
perspective.
This is the portrait of a journalist who reads, reflects, "lights
a candle" to dispel the dark and will not be forgotten by the media...
Even the thought that such a journalist may be sentenced for expressing
his thoughts is saddening. Recently in Turkey, we have witnessed the
acquittal of people who were tried for Article 312. We hope that writer-journalist
Koru will be acquitted just like writer Mehmet Uzun and bishop of the
Assyrian Ancient Virgin Mary Church Yusuf Akbulut.
The Turkish Daily News had the opportunity to interview Koru.
TDN: If I am not mistaken, this is the first time for you to be charged
for offenses described in Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code. As
a journalist, how would you describe this experience?
FEHMI KORU: Society and writers like us are actually not aware under
which conditions and against whom this article may be utilized, because
it has been used too much during the last five to six years and has
come up mostly against politicians. Of course since I myself am now
on trial, I reflect on the issue. I expressed my views against this
article ever since it was promulgated. But since I am now personally
impacted, I am also interested in the legal aspect. I see that it is
really not a very intelligent attitude to have such an article in a
country that claims to be democratic. This is why I think that those
who say that "There is need for Article 312 of the Turkish Penal
Code" are embarrassing Turkey.
TDN: How do you evaluate the approach of the political parties to
the freedom of conscience in Turkey?
KORU: There is not much of a struggle for democracy in Turkey. No one
makes an effort even in areas that are most familiar. Political parties
are also not sufficiently sensitive particularly with regard to articles
that restrict the freedom of another person. I believe that there are
not double but multiple standards in this area. The Virtue Party is
most often impacted by this article. It is natural that it should be
concerned with the future of Article 312, but the other parties are
not making much of an effort, although the same article can be used
against them or other parties in the future.
TDN: You mean the third paragraph of Article 312, don't you?
KORU: Yes. Almost all of the paragraphs of this article have been drafted
so they can be used against any party. That is why I am of the opinion
that the work of political parties to expand the range of freedoms will
not be sufficient in a legal framework of which this article makes part.
By the way, we are of course not only talking about this article. It
is in fact said that there are a number of articles restricting the
freedom of the press in Turkey. This is what research indicates. That
is why it is hard to claim that the press is free in an environment
where such laws and articles exist.
TDN: What is the level of personal freedoms and rights in the context
of the freedom of conscience in Turkey? As a journalist, do you have
any initiatives in this area?
KORU: In fact, the only thing I can do is to write about these issues.
In addition, I demonstrated my solidarity in other cases. But I am of
the opinion that it is very difficult to defend the freedom of the media
in a country like Turkey, which has a number of restrictions on freedoms,
and the freedom of conscience and expression in particular, in its books.
People are brought to court either for ethnic or religious discrimination.
These articles are laid down in such an arbitrary manner that other
courts then hand down different verdicts.
TDN: People who are tried for the expression of their thoughts are
just starting to unite in Turkey. What should be done, and what should
civil society organizations in particular do?
KORU: First of all, it is certain that a lot of things are not done.
Even among journalists, there are those who manage to discriminate.
Look at the number of journalists in jail and others who are on trial
for their thoughts. When the freedom of conscience comes up, some people
seek to limit it to a kind of journalism that operates only within certain
criteria.
But I am of the opinion that everyone who was tried for his/her thoughts
is a victim of the restrictions on the freedom of conscience. And I
do not deem the work to end their problems and victimization sufficient.
The press has a lot to do. They are the first to be impacted. A restricted
plane... Nothing or very little is done to expand it. On the other hand,
concern with the freedom of conscience ranks very low in the priorities
of the media because of its structural problems. In that respect, we
are going through an unfortunate period.
TDN: Why is the press not free in Turkey?
KORU: A statement like "It is not free enough"
may sound biased coming from me. But such are the facts. We all know
that we face a mechanism of self-censure resulting from the structural
dysfunctions of the press when we work, try to reach some news and write
our articles. Either there is censure at the administrative level [of
the newspaper], or we may be tried because of a narrow interpretation
of the law.
TDN: Based on your experience and observations, can you tell us if
there is a mechanism in Turkey that determines who will write?
KORU: The newspaper administration is in fact very important. But this
is not the sole factor in the restriction of journalists and writers.
At the same time, we are writing on a highly circumscribed plane. We
are surrounded by prohibitions which restrict freedoms in a manner unprecedented
in developed countries. Amidst all this, the members of the press are
really performing a very arduous duty in Turkey.
TDN: What do you think are the primary causes of the dismissal of
journalists in Turkey?
KORU: As it is, the media is organized according to the boss. That is
why their decisions closely impact the media. The boss perhaps does
not make money from the press or television journalism. But his position
opens other ways of making money for him. When these avenues disappear
or journalism is no longer lucrative, he forgets that journalism is
about informing the public. And he seeks measures to forestall harm.
The most obvious point is the collective dismissals of late. They can
no longer benefit from the power of politics. This is not a political
context where they can draw advantages from being a media boss. This
is why we see collective dismissals starting with reporters who have
the most difficult jobs, and authors who are known for their liberal
ideas and for expressing their views loudly and clearly whenever freedoms
are circumscribed. This is the process in big newspapers that sell a
lot. Our most liberal authors are now unemployed. Our young colleagues
in big newspapers who could have been very useful in the future are
no longer working. We know that over three thousand and perhaps as many
as four thousand journalists are unemployed. This is really very sad.
TDN: Journalism is nearly a full-time job. Are you able to spare
some time for yourself?
KORU: Of course there is time that I use for myself, that is to read
and seek to understand the events in Turkey and the world. But I think
a large part of the day is spent on writing, on collecting information
for tomorrow's article. Even the time I spend reading and watching television
can be regarded as work for future articles. That is why the conception
that journalism is a full-day affair is reflected in my private life
as well.
What do jurists say about Article 312?
[HH] We talked with jurists Turgut Kazan and Ergin Cinmen about Article
312 of the Turkish Penal Code and asked them how the problems resulting
from the enforcement of this article should be discussed in Turkey,
and what kind of action should be taken. Kazan and Cinmen pointed out
that similar articles exist all over the world. But they noted that
the implementation and interpretation of this article in Turkey differed
from the criteria laid down by the European Human Rights Court.
Former Istanbul bar chairman Turgut Kazan: 'You have to let people express
their thoughts, whether you like it or not, whether you are angry and
not'
"Turkey has a serious problem with regard to Article 312. This
problem results from the inability of Turkish courts to think in parallel
with their international counterparts. Turkey accepted a European system
and became part of it. It said that it was part of this system and signed
certain conventions. But its own system does not take heed of the basic
court decisions in Europe. People are not aware of this even if it is
made very explicit. That is the root of the problem, I think.
"In fact articles like 312 exist all over the world with minor
differences. They are necessary to prevent the propagation of religious
and racial enmity. If these factors are not present in thought, the
Turkish court should notice it. But how will it?
"How does the European Human Rights Courts interpret the freedom
of expression? Turkish courts will first read and learn this, and then
will they pass decisions in line with those of the European court. The
main threat for a democratic regime is to praise a violent event and
to propagate racial or religious enmity. Such propaganda would do major
damage on democracy. I am basically saying that you can punish people
in this framework. I don't know Mr. Koru's speech and I don't think
that he will do something like this. You have to let people express
their thoughts, whether you like it or not, whether you are angry and
not. As long as the limits are respected...
"Article 312 can be interpreted in different ways. My impression
is that things are done to please the world, while the Turkish legal
system should have accustomed itself to interpreting the law in this
way on its own volition. Similar verdicts should have been passed for
all citizens of the Turkish Republic, and not just because foreigners
are interested. This would be correct, this is what we deserve."