18 October 2004

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1. AFP - "Turkey negotiating purchase of 350 German tanks"

Berlin / 17 October

Unofficial talks on the sale of 350 German Leopard II tanks to Turkey have reached an advanced stage, said a report in a news magazine to appear Monday, in what could mark a decisive change in Germany’s arms export policy.

A Turkish delegation inspected German arms stocks some weeks ago and current negotiations were focusing on the price, said the report in Der Spiegel, made available in advance.

Under German law, arms cannot be exported to countries where they might be used to aggravate domestic conflicts.

In the past Germany has refused to deliver tanks to Turkey because they might have been used against the restless Kurdish minority in southeastern Turkey.

The Turkish government would not make an official request for the purchase of tanks until assured of a go-ahead from the German government, Der Spiegel said.

A German defence ministry spokesman declined to comment, saying only there had been no official purchase request from Turkey.

The Greens, junior members of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s coalition government, have previously vetoed German tank sales to Turkey because of the situation in the Kurdish region.

Recalling this, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, a prominent Greens leader, also noted in an interview with Der Spiegel that his party had expressed past misgivings about Turkey’s human rights record.

"If things change, we will reassess the situation in the light of new realities, " Fischer said.

There were "clear standards by which as a general rule arms cooperation can occur between NATO and European Union partners."

Germany is a member of both NATO and the EU, while Turkey is a NATO member but has yet to fulfil its ambition of EU membership.

This ambition received a boost this month from an EU commission report recommending a start to membership negotiations.

A German foreign ministry spokeswoman said last Monday Germany was considering relaxing restrictions on arms exports to Turkey after Ankara began EU membership negotiations.

According to a report in the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Fischer no longer supports restrictions on arms exports to Turkey, because these would contradict the EU recommendation that Turkey be allowed to start accession talks.

Leaders of the 25 EU countries will convene on December 17 to decide whether Turkey should start negotiations.

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2. Reporters Sans Frontiers - "Questions raised about press freedom in Turkey on eve of Erdogan visit to France"

18 October

Reporters Without Borders has drawn attention to the continuing problems for press freedom in Turkey on the eve of a visit to Paris by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 20 October.

"The undeniable legislative progress achieved in Turkey must not to mask the fact that it is still very difficult for the most critical journalists to function," the organisation said.

"The press is exposed to misuse of authority by the courts, which in practice continue to impose prison sentences and exorbitant fines that push journalists to censor themselves extensively on the must sensitive subjects such as the army and the Kurdish question," Reporters Without Borders said.

The TV and radio stations are still subject to "brazen censorship" by the High Council for Broadcasting (RTÜK), while pro-Kurdish journalists continue to be the target of many kinds of pressure, the organisation continued.

"Despite the progress towards European standards, the gap between the declarations of good intentions and the reality is still considerable, with the result that Turkey still does not fulfil all the necessary conditions for real press freedom," Reporters Without Borders added.

The legislative amendments undertaken by Turkey with a view to joining the European Union have been positive for journalists. Heavy fines have replaced prison sentences in the new press law, adopted in June. The most repressive sanctions, such as the closure of news organisations or bans on printing and distribution, have been eliminated, while the protection of sources has even been reinforced.

Journalists being prosecuted for "complicity with terrorist organisations" were acquitted after the anti-terrorism law and criminal code were amended in 2003. But the new version of the criminal code, which will take effect next April, makes "propaganda on behalf of an illegal organisation or its objectives" punishable by one to three years in prison, or even more if the crime is committed by means of the press.

Article 159, which has led to many journalists being prosecuted for "affront to the state and state institutions and threats to the indivisible unity of the Turkish Republic," was amended in 2002 and 2003, with the prison sentence being cut from one year to six months. At the same time, criticism not intentionally aimed at "ridiculing" or "insulting" state institutions is not longer punishable by imprisonment. A further improvement in the new criminal code is the elimination of the crime of "mocking and insulting government ministers."

Nonetheless, contrary to European standards, the new criminal code stipulates that insult is punishable by three months to three years in prison, with the sentence increasing if the crime is committed by means of the press (article 127).

In practice, judges still interpret the concept of "criticism" very subjectively and abusive prosecutions continue.

Four journalists with the pro-Kurdish daily Yeniden Özgür Gündem who criticised government policy on the Iraq war were brought before the courts in 2003 while online journalist Erol Öskoray was detained for "mocking" and "insulting" the army. Sabri Ejder Öziç, the manager of Radyo Dünya, a local radio station in the southern city of Adana, was sentenced to a year in prison for offending parliament.

Hakan Albayrak, a former editorialist for the daily Milli Gazete, was imprisoned on 20 May and is serving a 15-month prison sentence for "attacking the memory of Ataturk" in violation of the 1951 law governing crimes against Kemal Ataturk. Article 1 of this law punishes any offence against the Republic of Turkey's founder by one to three years in prison. Article 2 doubles the sentence if the crime is committed by means of the press.

Nureddin Sirin, the editorialist of the Islamist weekly Selam, and Memik Horuz, the managing editor of the far-left newspaper Isçi Köylü, have spent years in prison for the views they expressed in the course of their journalistic work.

Three days ago, on 15 October, Sebati Karakurt of the daily Hurriyet was held for 12 hours at the headquarters of the anti-terrorist police in Istanbul and some 10 policemen searched his home because of a report published a few days earlier that included an interview with Murat Karayilan, the military chief of the former Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), now renamed Kongra-Gel. The report included photos showing female rebels in combat fatigues in a favourable light, relaxed and smiling. Karakurt was released after being interrogated by the police and a prosecutor.

Furthermore, while the national radio and TV stations are now allowed to using the Kurdish language, the RTÜK continues to impose disproportionate sanctions - ranging from warnings to withdrawal of licence - on pro-Kurdish media or media that are very critical of the government.

Özgür Radyo, a local radio station in Istanbul, was sentenced by the RTÜK to a month's closure for "inciting violence, terror, discrimination on the basis of race, region, language, religion or sect or the broadcasting of programmes that arouse feelings of hate in society." The station stopped broadcasting on 18 August. In the event of a further offence, the RTÜK could withdraw its licence altogether.

Günes TV, a local television station in the eastern city of Malatya, was also forced to stop broadcasting for a month beginning 30 March after the RTÜK accused it of "attacking the state's existence and independence, and the country's indivisible unity with the people and Ataturk's principles and reforms" under article 4 of RTÜK law 3984. Using the same article, the RTÜK closed down local TV station ART in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir on 15 August 2003 for broadcasting two love songs in Kurdish.

The massive detentions of pro-Kurdish journalists by the anti-terrorist police on the eve of the NATO summit in Istanbul on 28-29 June 2004 were also indicative of the treatment reserved for the pro-Kurdish press.

Finally, nine journalists covering the dispersal of a protest against electoral fraud were badly beaten by police in Diyarbakir during the 28 March local elections and three of them had to be hospitalised. Those responsible have still not been punished.

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3. Kurdistan Observer - "Turkish Journalist Detained Over Interview With Kurdish Rebels"

ISTANBUL / October 15 / AFP

A Turkish photojournalist working for a mass-circulation newspaper was detained for 12 hours in Istanbul early Friday, in connection with an interview he conducted with a member of a banned Kurdish separatist organization, one of his colleagues said.

He said about 10 officers from the anti-terrorist police had raided the home of Sebati Karakurt, a photojournalist for the Hurriyet daily, at 4:00 am (0100 GMT), searched his flat and hauled him into their headquarters for questioning.

"We do not know what he is accused of but it is certainly in relation with the interview, " the colleague, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

Karakurt was released around 12 hours later after being questioned by both police and a prosecutor under an article in the anti-terrorism law, the collegue said.

It was not immediately clear whether any legal proceedings would be launched against Karakurt, he added.

On Sudany Hurriyet published in one of its supplements an interview Karakurt had conducted with Murat Karayilan, the military commander of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), now known as KONGRA-GEL.

In his two-page interview, dotted with photographs, Karakurt said a "transformation" was blooming inside the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The photographs showed smiling young women rebels in military-like outfits hiking down steep slopes, including one carrying a guitar on her shoulder.

The interview unleashed harsh criticism in Turkey, with even the editorialist of Hurriyet openly denouncing the publication of the piece. "It was like we were promoting a youth camp, " he wrote.

But Turkey's press council, the sector's main watchdog, condemned the raid against Karakurt, which it said undermined the country's aspiration to join the European Union.

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4. DIHA - "Kurdish students' Turkish phoby"

BATMAN / 17 October / KEREM ÇELIK

Kurdish students, meeting with an other language out side of their mothertongue during Primary Education, stay silent and maintain a passive attitude at the time of classes. That is why they start to flee from schools after a while. Theachers who have communication problems with students say since kids do not know Turkish and do think in Kurdish, they can neither understand what is said nor express themselves sufficiently.

When Kurdish students, living in the east and southeast of Turkey, start Primary Education, they are facing a language problem. They are compelled to stay behind their western fellows in education since they try to learn Turkish for a long time. The reason why they cannot form a dialogue with their teachers is that they do not know Turkish.

I know that colour is sor (red in Kurdish)

Canan Yilmaz is a teacher who has been working for 9 years in Batman said that Kids whose mother tongue was Kurdish had problems in expressing themselves in Turkish.That was the reason why they became introverts.In order to make experienced situation explicit she told one of his memories:'' I was teaching 5th grader students colours.I wanted a student named Mehmet to list colours.He kept silent, mute as a fish.Though I had taught colours he could not list them.After we left school asked him'why did you not listen to me at class?you could not answer even the most basic question.'He answered:'The question was not difficult.The name of the colour you marked is sor(red in Kurdish).''

Thermometer became 'germometer'

A theacher, from Batman, who did not revealed his/her name said they were prejudiced, when they started school, against teachers who do not speak in their mothertongue and added:''When I went in classroom, they thought I did not know Kurdish however I could see what they were talking about.Onc when I asked a student to tell the name of the instrument that measures heat, he answered:'germometre' (germ:hot, warm and germometre, what measures heat in Kurdish) This shows me that person thinks and can be efficient in his mothertongue.''

'They run from school and come home'

Nihat Demir who has two kids going school in Batman said his younger kid could not speak Turkish when she started school at the beging of this year and Turkish was spoken she became shamefaced, his kid was going to school but after the 2nd class she was coming back home.''Due to language obstacle she can not communicate with her friends and left alone.What is more, her teachers did not show concern needed to her, Zilan came home.''he added.His elderly kid, fourth grader, had experienced the same problems but after he learned Turkish they disappeared.But problems started at home, none that time.The elderly one starts to speak Turkish and forget Kurdish.Nihat Demir stated that:''we are not against his learning and reading in Turkish, we are in favour of that while he is educated in his mothertongue, he can study in Turkish.

'Zilan is afraid of going to school'

Not knowing Turkish causes Kurdish students to be afraid of schools. Although schools have opened for a month, Zilan, one of the students who do not want to go to school said she was afraid of her teachers and that ''I can understand nothing, while teacher lectures. I sometimes speak with my friends in Kurdish. Because they cannot understand anything I do not want to go school.''
If the medium of education were Kurdish...

Zilan's father Deniz Kiliç expressed that because his daughter could find neither friends nor teachers to speak in her mothertongue, she experinced some difficulties.Telling he himeself had been takig Zilan to school, but she came home even half an hour did not passed.''Her Kurdish is very good but medium of education is Turkish.That is the reason why she cannot understand in classes. If medium of education were Kurdish, she would be hardworking and and active.She and her friends play and well understand each other at home because they all speak Kurdish.There lots of students like Zilan, all of them cry and want to go home.''

'There can be no journalist speaking Kurdish'

Recep Kavus who finished primary school and has been working for a great deal of newspapers in Batman told when he went to an Ezidi village of Besiri, he could not succeed in convincing an Ezidi sheik, because of speaking in Kurdish, about that he was a journalist.Kavus said: ''Since I had thought sheik might not have known Turkish I spoke in Kurdish, but he did not wanted to answer my questions.When I asked the reason he answered 'I have not heard of a Kurdish Journalist.'I could not convince him about that I was a journalist working for a newspaper published in Turkish even though I indicated that the news was going to be publihed in Turkish.''

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5. Turkish Press (AFP) - "Cyprus lists conditions for Turkey's EU bid"

ANKARA / 17 October

Cyprus will back the opening of European Union accession talks with Turkey if Ankara makes several gestures to the Greek Cypriot government which it does not recognize, Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou said in a newspaper interview published here on Sunday.

Iacovou said his government would not block Turkey's bid when EU leaders take up the issue in December if Ankara agrees to allow Greek Cypriot ships and planes to use Turkish sea ports and air corridors and acknowledges Cyprus as an equal EU member.

"The Cyprus republic does not wish to use its veto right, " the minister told the popular Turkish daily Sabah.

"But in order to escape such an unpleasant situation, Turkey should fulfill the responsibilities I mentioned or at least make a binding statement that it will do so by the time accession talks start, if it fails to fulfill them by December, " he said.

The leaders of the 25 EU nations will decide on December 17 whether to start membership talks with Turkey, an official candidate since 1999.

The European Commission, the EU executive arm, said earlier this month that the Muslim nation had fulfilled the required democracy norms and recommended the inauguration of talks.

The hostilities between Ankara and Nicosia stem from the three-decade division of Cyprus between its Turkish and Greek communities.

Turkey has maintained thousands of troops in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the island since 1974 when it invaded the enclave with the stated aim of protecting its kinsmen against a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.

An international initiative to end the conflict failed in April when the Greek Cypriots voted down a UN reunification plan, while the Turkish Cypriots, long seen as an obstacle to any settlement, overwhelmingly endorsed it.

The outcome ensured that the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot south joined the EU on May 1, leaving the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north out in the cold.

Ankara has rebuffed calls to recognize the Greek Cypriot government, arguing that it bears the responsibility for the failure of the UN peace plan.

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6. Turkish Daily News - "Mehdi Zana back and free"

Leyla Zana's husband returns to Turkey after a hiatus of 10 years, and is arrested at passport control before being released a day later

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

Former Diyarbakir mayor and husband of former Democracy Party (DEP) deputy Leyla Zana, Mehdi Zana, said on Friday that while he had not been in the country for the last decade, he was aware Turkey had changed for the better.

It was the first time he had entered Turkey since leaving a decade ago after serving a total of 16 years in prison on charges of advocating Kurdish separatism. Mehdi Zana has spent the last ten years overseas, while his wife, Leyla Zana, was in jail on treason charges. Leyla Zana was released earlier this year and went to Brussels to finally receive the European Parliament Sakharov Freedom of Thought Prize she won in 1995. On their return to Turkey Mehdi Zana was taken into custody at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. He spent the night in jail and was taken to Istanbul Court of Justice on Saturday. The judge decided that the charges against him were not applicable anymore and released him.

Mehdi Zana, speaking after his release, said, "They realized there was nothing they could do and then they released me."

Originally, there was an arrest warrant for Mehdi Zana for failing to give testimony in a case, but the law has since been amended and the court decided that he had nothing to answer.

When asked if the timing of his arrival was prearranged, he said: "No. I was going to come before, but my wife asked me to remain there [Brussels] so that we could return together. We met as a family for the first time in ten years in Brussels."

His lawyer Semih Okcuoglu said all the arrest warrants issued for his client were now annulled, adding: "He is now free."