11. Januar 2002

1. "Constitutional Court decision on Erdogan confuses all”, the Constitutional Court's decision to order the leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step down as a founding member of the party, created confusion among jurists.

2. “Pivotal Country Turkey”, commenting on the opening of a new think-tank institution called the "Strategic Research and Studies Centre"(SAREM).

3. “General's Statement”, n the aftermath of a think-tank organization's promotional meeting Turkish Chief of Staff, Huseyin Kivrikoglu, met the media

4. "Students at full speed”, the campaign for mother tongue continued with thousands of petitions submitted universities' administrations.

5. "Kurdish would not divide Turkey", Professor Yusuf Eradam who has been teaching English at Ankara University supported the students who have organised a campaign for Kurdish education at universities.

6. “Prison Hunger Striker Dies in Turkey“, Lale Colak, 27, was the 45th person to die in the protest

1. – Turkish Daily News - “Constitutional Court decision on Erdogan confuses all”:

Possible amendment on Article 312 of the TCK will determine the political future of AKP leader

ANKARA

The Constitutional Court's decision to order the leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step down as a founding member of the party, created confusion among jurists.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday upheld prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu's charge that Erdogan could not be one of the party's founding members because of a prior conviction for inciting religious hatred. Lawyers were split on whether the verdict would end the career of a politician whose polls regularly show as one of Turkey's most popular.

Most believe the verdict will force Erdogan to resign as leader, but some say he could then be re-elected. Shrugging off the legal doubts, Erdogan insisted he would remain as leader. "The decision of the court is only related to be a founding member of a political party. Many things can change in 24-hours in Turkey," Erdogan said on Thursday.

Although the court rejected a petition demanding Erdogan's removal from the party leadership, there was confusion over the implications of the verdict. "This decision makes it clear that Erdogan cannot lead a party ... or stand as a candidate for Parliament," said Suheyl Batum, a constitutional law professor at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University.

Meanwhile, AKP deputy group chairman Bulent Arinc said on Thursday that Erdogan will maintain his position as the party leader at least for another six months.

He added that Erdogan can be elected as an ordinary member to the party and can be reelected as the party leader. In the aftermath of the Constitutional Court's ruling, AKP members said that there will be a leadership problem in the party as they believe that Erdogan won't have to quit. Article 312 will determine the future of Erdogan According to the Constitution, a person who was sentenced on charges of violating Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) cannot form a political party and cannot be elected as a lawmaker.

Article 312 covers the crime of "inciting people to hatred and enmity on the basis of ethnic, religious, regional and sectarian differences." Erdogan served a four-month jail sentence on charges of violating Article 312 in a speech in 1999 when he read a poem that was seen as challenging Turkey's strictly secular system. A possible amendment on this article will surely determine the political future of Erdogan. "This is Parliament's duty to remove this provision banning those who were sentenced on charges of violating 312 from active political life," AKP's Arinc said. Meanwhile, Erdogan pointed out that the Cabinet has been working on an amendment for Article 312.

"Citizens of Turkey are expecting the Cabinet to carry this amendment to Parliament as soon as possible," Erdogan said. Erdogan says his views changed Despite the uncertainty due to the decision of the Constitutional Court, Erdogan said that he won't quit from asking for snap polls. AKP was founded last summer after the court-ordered the closure of the Virtue Party (FP). It has 53 seats in Parliament making it the second-largest opposition party in Turkey's 550-seat Parliament. Since its establishment, AKP adamantly denied that it was formed from the ashes of FP and claimed to be a center right party.

Erdogan says his world view has changed, and says the new party favors entry into the European Union, a group previously criticized by Turkish Islamists as a force for Western and Christian imperialism. But many distrust Erdogan's promise that the party will avoid clashes with the secular establishment and focus on social welfare policies. Saadet Meanwhile, Saadet (happiness or contentment) Party (SP) which also formed in the aftermath of the ban of FP, sounded its favor due to another decision of the court.

The court also rejected a petition for the removal of six female founding members who wear the Islamic-style head scarf. Prosecutors had charged that they were using the scarf as a political symbol, in breach of Turkey's strictly secular laws. SP leader Kutan said that he viewed the court's decision not to bar female founding members from being founding members as an important step signalling Turkey's achievement in the democratization process.

2. – Cumhuriyet – “Pivotal Country Turkey”:

ANKARA / by Mustafa Balbay

On the opening of a new think-tank institution called the "Strategic Research and Studies Centre"(SAREM).

The Strategic Research and Studies Centre has a wide horizon which will significantly contribute to forming policies on national security issues.

The statement made by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hüseyin Kivrikoglu at SAREM's inaugural ceremony underlined the significance of Turkey not only concerning its region, but also for the entire world. SAREM will gather together experts from all sectors, military and civilian and will be concerned with regions such as the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Central Asian republics, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Aegean-Cyprus and Europe.

If Turkey's strategic partnership relations with the US are taken into consideration, it will be seen that Turkey is not a 'bridge country' as it is usually defined but rather a 'pivotal country.' The Balkan States have many organizations under the heading 'South-eastern Europe.'

Turkey is a member of these organizations. Various cooperative agreements have been signed under these organizations, mainly among Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. The Black Sea countries came together under the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and Turkey has hosted many of the group's meetings. The countries of the Caucasus don't have a bloc among themselves. In that small area there are many alliances and enmities.

An alliance has been formed between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan as opposed to the one between Iran, Armenian and Russia. Georgia is of great importance to Turkey's reaching Azerbaijan and Central Asia. In the troubled situation in the Middle East, the only country which can talk with both sides is Turkey.

The Mediterranean, which is the base of all civilizations, is in a state of disorder. However, there are many Mediterranean organizations ranging in subject from science to the environment. Turkey is a member of almost all of them.

Our relations with Central Asian republics is being carried out at an institutional rather than personal level. Gen. Kivrikoglu stated that Turkey is a pivotal country both regarding the area it is in and the values it espouses. He added that many fault-lines also passed through Turkey, but that the country was working hard so that these fault lines do not crack open. In other words, Turkey is in a point left between many clashes and studies. This situation is sometimes an advantage and sometimes a disadvantage.

The best way to be ready in countering these moves lies in information and foresight. SAREM is the product of a study made for catching up with the 21st century. All of society's sectors, starting with our politicians, should contribute to it."

3. – Milliyet – “General's Statement”:

ANKARA / by Fikret Bila

In the aftermath of a think-tank organization's promotional meeting Turkish Chief of Staff met the media

Gen. Kivrikoglu talked with journalists for a long time and answered many questions on their minds. The situation in Argentina was brought up, and many questions were asked about the similarities between the two countries.

Gen. Kivrikoglu had optimistic evaluations. He said that Turkey had entered the new year in high spirits and added that he did not expect a social explosion. He also remarked that if corruption was not eradicated altogether, Turkey would not be able to stand on its own two feet. However, he stated that he was hopeful for the future.

On a new banking law, the chief of staff said that he believed everything in the interests of Turkey should be carried out. He said the military was not a party to the new law, and that they were no economists either. However, he believed everything should be done after careful study. Another of his statements was directed against the EU.

Gen. Kivrikoglu pointed out that in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the US made legal the trial of foreigners accused of terrorism in military courts. On the other hand, he said, Europe even while giving support to the US' fight against terrorism, has failed to include an organisation such as the PKK in its list of terrorist organizations.

He asked, 'In such a situation, which criteria should be taken as bases for Turkey's national security and unitary structure?' This question was directed against Europe's double standards and those who defend such views both within the country and abroad."

4. – Kurdish Observer - “Students at full speed”

KURDISTAN

The campaign for mother tongue continued with thousands of petitions submitted to Van, Kocaeli and Sakarya universities' administrations.

In Van 526 students were detained by soldiers. In Van Yuzuncu Yil University 2500 petitions were submitted to the rector while 526 of the students were taken to Van Gendarme Command. In Sakarya and Kocaeli activities continued. In Van Yuzuncu Yil University students submitted 2500 petitions to the rector within the framework of the campaign for education in one's mother tongue. But meeting with the Students' Initiative, university officials stated that they could accept the petitions only if they were submitted individually.

They gathered in front of the rector's office, nearly 800 students signed their individual petitions and submitted them.

At the same time almost 2.000 gendarmes who had been surrounded the university since the early in the morning assaulted on the students. 526 campaigners were taken to Van Gendarme Command by 9 buses. Then they were brought before the prosecutor.

The students stated that they would continued their activities today (yesterday) and tomorrow (today), pointing out that although the campaign coincided with the finals it drew great attraction and repression would not intimidate them. The students noted that they would fax the petitions to the Presidency of the Republic, the Prime Ministry and the Chairman of the Parliament. They will speak only Kurdish On the other hand in Van, one of the important centers of the campaign, students decided to speak only Kurdish in all schools in Van till Friday.

Students who do not know Kurdish will not speak in courses in order to support the campaign. The campaign to speak Kurdish is reported to be successful the other day. Sakarya and Kocaeli The campaign organised by Kurdish Students' Initiative for Kurdish Education continues in other provinces as well. In Sakarya University students submitted their petitions to the rector but they were turned down.

The rector's office claimed that they should also submit copies of their identity cards. And in Kocaeli University students whose mass petitions were turned down began to submit their petitions individually. And Kocaeli University students Bilal Serhat Saridas and Azat Mete who have been detained were released the other day. Campaign transferred to Europe Kurdistan Students' Union (YXK) made a statement in protest of the repression on the campaign and detention of more than 500 students in Van.

YXK said that they organised a similar campaign in Europe. The statement emphasized the following: "We as Kurdish students living in Europe say that we organise a similar campaign in Europe and state that we will not remain silence against the repression and take the matter to all organisations in Europe.

5. - Kurdish Observer - "Kurdish would not divide Turkey":

FRANKFURT

Professor Yusuf Eradam who has been teaching English at Ankara University supported the students who have organised a campaign for Kurdish education at universities.

Eradam stated that he had asked for Kurdish education within the framework of the works of Re-Structuring Committee but been turned down by the university administration. Replying questions of weekly newspaper Yedinci Gundem, Eradam said the following: "While I worked for the Re-Structuring Committee of the faculty, I submitted a written demand for Kurdish to be taught as a supplementary course. But it was turned down by the dean. Then I resigned from the Commission and the dean abolished it."

He drew attention that there were fanatic scholars who supported the ban on Kurdish at universities and academic gatherings.

Saving those who live Saying that ban on mother tongue meant violence, Eradam continued to say the following: "A child who lives in Germany and considers himself a German does not have to learn Turkish only because his parents are Turks. His birth place may be another place but to ban the language he consider an important part of his identity will be the greatest violence to him.

There are living languages. We must not kill them. There are a number of unused, dead languages but they are taught at universities. Languages people living in this country speak should be taught before all else. I'd love to chat in Kurdish with one of my Kurdish students." Eradam stressed that he found Higher Education Council'S (YOK) bans and repression on the campaign wrong, and Kurdish would not divide the country.

Eradam concluded his words by saying the following: "For me they are afraid that Turkey is divided. You are afraid if you do not establish your system good. Some oppose to it claiming that Kurdish is not an academic language. Let's make it, we will see who is wrong.

But to reject it from the very start saying it cannot be an academic language is a groundless, meaningless imposition. And it is also wrong to make legal investigations about the students. Youth will always do it. It is fanaticism, reactionism not to support the youth."

6. - AP - “Prison Hunger Striker Dies in Turkey”:

ISTANBUL

A woman who was among dozens of prison inmates staging a hunger strike in Turkey died Tuesday after fasting for more than seven months.

Lale Colak, 27, was the 45th person to die in the yearlong protest over Turkey's new maximum security prison system.

About 100 inmates continue to starve themselves to death, taking vitamins and sugared water to prolong their fast. The independent Human Rights Association said she died in a hospital in Istanbul 10 days after she was discharged from prison because her health was failing.

Colak had been jailed for being a member of an outlawed leftist group, the Union of Revolutionary Communists of Turkey, or TIKB. Leftist prisoners and their supporters began the fast to protest the government's policy of moving prisoners from large wards housing up to 100 people to one- or three-inmate cells.

Prisoners say small cells leave them isolated and vulnerable to abuse by guards. The government says the large wards became virtual training camps for militants. Militant leftist groups leading the strike have claimed responsibility for a number of assassinations and bombings since the 1970s.