8 November 2001

1. "Council of Europe anti-torture commission condemns Turkey", the Council of Europe's anti-torture commission Thursday harshly condemned Turkey's controversial prison system and police, saying detainees were subject to inhumane living conditions and numerous human rights violations.

2. "Euro MP says Turkish annexation of north Cyprus would amount to war", Turkey's annexation of north Cyprus if the divided island joined the EU without a political settlement would amount to an act of war against the Union, French Euro MP Jean-Charles Marchiani warned Tuesday.

3. "Turkey: Kurdish party receives envelope with suspected anthrax powder", an envelope was left at the entrance of the HADEP [People's Democracy Party] Ercis district headquarters in Van. The fact that the writing on the envelope was in Arabic and that the envelope contained a white powder resulted in panic.

4. "Turkish defence minister against intervention in Iraq", National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu has said that Turkey's stand vis-a-vis Iraq is clear.

5. "The price is high for everyone", columnist Sami Kohen writes on the recent developments concerning Cyprus.

6. "Amnesty condemns Turkey's human rights record", the human rights group, Amnesty International, has accused the Turkish Government of systematically and regularly torturing its citizens.


1. - AFP - "Council of Europe anti-torture commission condemns Turkey":

STRASBOURG

The Council of Europe's anti-torture commission Thursday harshly condemned Turkey's controversial prison system and police, saying detainees were subject to inhumane living conditions and numerous human rights violations.

In a report published Thursday, the Council's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) criticized in detail what the European Parliament has said is one of the main points working against Turkey's bid to join the European Union. The report said prisoners in Turkish detention centers lived in inhumane conditions, getting little to no exercise, medical attention or contact with the outside world.

Criticism of police stemmed from the case of a young woman who police subjected to sexual harrassment and assault in July 2000. "The psychological impact of such treatment would effectively be the same as rape," the report said. While the CPT praised the Turkish police for reducing -- though not eliminating -- its use of cruel methods such as electric shocks and suspension by the arms, it said certain torture methods were still frequently used. "It would appear that resort to methods such as deprivation of sleep over periods of days, prolonged standing and threats to harm the detainee and/or his family remains commonplace," the report said.

The CPT, whose edict permits it to enter all European prisons, published the report following a July 2000 visit to Turkey. The CPT said the prisons were extremely overcrowded, taking the case of Bursa, Turkey's largest prison, which holds 991 prisoners but has accomodations for just 600. The European Parliament has consistently criticized Turkey's human rights record -- notably its stance on prisons and the death penalty -- saying it has a long way to go before meeting EU criteria on human rights that are needed to begin membership negotiations.

Turkey in October adopted a series of wide-ranging constititional reforms aimed at bringing Turkish law into line with EU norms, although the steps were seen as falling short of those required for EU membership.


2. - AFP - "Euro MP says Turkish annexation of north Cyprus would amount to war":

NICOSIA

Turkey's annexation of north Cyprus if the divided island joined the EU without a political settlement would amount to an act of war against the Union, French Euro MP Jean-Charles Marchiani warned Tuesday.

"Attempts to annex a part of Cyprus would cause a termination of EU-Turkey associate relations and would constitute a casus belli," Marchiani told reporters in Nicosia after meetings with Greek Cypriot political leaders. Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has said Turkey would consider annexing northern Cyprus if the island became a European Union member before a solution to the division.

Last month, European Commission president Romano Prodi said on a visit to Nicosia that Cyprus will be among the first candidates to join the EU even if it fails to find a political settlement in time. The island hopes to complete EU accession by late 2002. Cyprus has been divided since Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third in reaction to a 1974 coup by ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriots, sponsored by the then military regime in Athens.


3. - BBC - "Turkey: Kurdish party receives envelope with suspected anthrax powder":
An envelope was left at the entrance of the HADEP [People's Democracy Party] Ercis district headquarters in Van. The fact that the writing on the envelope was in Arabic and that the envelope contained a white powder resulted in panic. The district headquarters was disinfected and sealed by the Sanitation Directorate due to a suspicion that the envelope might contain the anthrax virus. Furthermore, 12 people, among them HADEP Party Council member Ismail Goldas and three policemen, were taken to hospital.

According to information received, an envelope was left at the entrance gate of the HADEP Ercis District headquarters. The writing on the envelope was reportedly in Arabic. When opening the envelope, party members saw that it contained a white powder. The police were notified immediately. Upon arriving at the scene, the security and fire brigade officials immediately evacuated and disinfected the building.

They were vaccinated against anthrax

Nine HADEP members, among them HADEP Party Council member Ismail Goldas as well as three policemen, were taken to the hospital and quarantined. Ismail Goldas said the following with regard to the incident:

"It was around 1100 hours [0900 gmt]. My colleagues noted that they found an envelope at the entrance of the building and that the envelope contained some white powder. We immediately notified the Security Directorate. Policemen arrived first. Fire brigade teams arrived later. They disinfected the entire building. Nine people who were in the building at the time, including me and three policemen were taken to the hospital. We received medical treatment against anthrax here."

The Sanitation Directorate temporarily sealed the HADEP district headquarters. Furthermore, samples from the envelope were sent to Ankara for testing.


4. - BBC / TRT 2- "Turkish defence minister against intervention in Iraq":

National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu has said that Turkey's stand vis-a-vis Iraq is clear, adding: We maintain the view that as long as relations between Bin-Ladin, Al-Qaida and the Taleban are not proven, as long as there are no serious documents and information on terrorist and financial relations among the three, it would not be right for Iraq to become an area of intervention.

Prior to his departure for Croatia, Cakmakoglu replied to reporters' questions at Etimesut Airport.

[Cakmakoglu] Reports in the press do not directly concern us. What these reports are based on and their sources are not known. Our views on northern Iraq are known. We maintain the view that so long as there are no serious documents and information as to the terrorist links and the monetary resources between among Bin-Ladin, Al-Qaida, and the Taleban and as long as there is no information that these terrorists are being trained in northern Iraq, it would not be right for Iraq to become an area of intervention. This is our view on northern Iraq and Iraq. Turkey, which has gone through the experience of the Gulf crisis, is against such a move because of the refugee influx that will begin in the aftermath of such an operation against north Iraq or Iraq. We experienced such an influx and other adverse affects in the past. We also believe that the mass destruction and chemical weapons and well as the missiles of the Saddam administration should first be monitored through the effective implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions.


5. - Milliyet - "The price is high for everyone":

Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the recent developments concerning Cyprus

Due to the unexpected remarks from Ankara, the Cyprus issue hasreentered a critical stage . The harsh statements by Foreign MinisterIsmail Cem,Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and other government memberscan be explained through various reasons.

The visits by EU high-ranking officials to Southern Cyprus and their statements on the membership of the Greek-Cypriot administration have enraged Ankara as well as TRNC President Denktas. The Turkish government has seen it proper to explain its action plan were this membership granted. The harsh statements from Ankara come at a time when it is sending troops to Afghanistan and its importance has increased in the eyes of the West.

This gives the impression that timing is an important factor taken into consideration. With its stance the government is trying to force the EU to change its policy favoring Greek Cypriot membership. The question is, will it succeed? At the moment there is no indication to suggest that. It also seems that Turkey's sending troops to Afghanistan and its increasing geostrategic importance have not impressed the EU.

This concerns the US more than the EU, and the US seems uninclined to intervene in EU's Cyprus policy. If Turkey takes a series of drastic measures in the face of the EU's refusal to alter its stance, the price will be high. However, this high price willl be paid not only by Turkey, but the EU and Greece as well. For Turkey, such a situation may mean the severing of ties with the EU, the start of new period of tension with Greece, weakening of relations with the West and increasing unrest among Turkish Cypriots.This may cause serious concerns for Turkey both abroad and within the country.

For the EU, admitting the Greek Cypriot administration in a divided and uneasy state would mean bringing a serious problem within itself. The Union may suddenly find itself confronted with a serious security problem. For Greece, there is the danger of disrupting its recently improved relations with Turkey.

Even though the admittance of the Greek Cypriots into the Union may satisfy the Greeks at first, eventually uniting the island will become a dream. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's visit to Greece is taking place under these unfavorable circumstances. However, this may also be an opportunity to form a new understanding on Cyprus.

At the moment, the only path to prevent a crisis entails freezing the Greek Cypriot membership process for some time and starting the negotiation process on Cyprus. Foreign Ministers Cem and Papandreou may come up with a conciliatory solution. If this can be achieved during the talks in Athens no one will have to pay a high price needlessly.


6. - BBC - "Amnesty condemns Turkey's human rights record":

The human rights group, Amnesty International, has accused the Turkish Government of systematically and regularly torturing its citizens.

Calling for an immediate end to what it called the country's endemic torture, Amnesty said the widespread nature of it puts nearly anyone at risk.

The human rights group rejected assurances from the authorities that they were tackling the problem.

It said detainees in Turkey were routinely blindfolded during interrogations and some throughout detention to prevent the identification of their torturers.

Amnesty said beatings, sexual abuse, death and rape threats were all common methods of torture.