24 May 2006

1. "Turkish pipeline damaged in Kurdish rebel bomb attack: Turkish official", armed Kurdish rebels blew up part of a natural gas pipeline in eastern Turkey early Tuesday, disrupting the flow of gas, a local official said.

2. "Withdraw Anti-Terror Draft, Stop Operations", women from 11 organizations stage sitting protest against new Anti-Terror Bill in front of Istanbul's historic Galatasaray High School. Women say chauvinist and anti-Kurdish policies threaten them the most.

3. "Turkey: AI says new Penal Code hinders freedom of expression", a leading human rights organization's report on “The State of World's Human Rights” has not portrayed a very hopeful picture for the exercise of fundamental rights in Turkey over the last year, particularly drawing attention to the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which went into force last June and which the organization says provided for continuing restrictions on the exercise of fundamental rights.

4. "UN probes Turkey 'forced suicide'", a UN envoy is investigating reports of a sharp rise in the number of women committing suicide in Turkey.

5. "Turkey: No plan for early elections, says Erdogan", Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said there were no plans to call an early parliamentary election, despite the intense speculation about such a move. "Those expecting us to decide on an early election should not get their hopes up," Erdogan said in a speech to his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

6. "Iraq Faces Clash With Kurds Over Oil Deals", Iraq’s newly appointed oil minister said on Tuesday that the central government should handle all contracts related to petroleum exploration and production, putting him on a potential collision course with the autonomous Kurdistan region which has recently begun to develop its own oil resources.

1. - AFP - "Turkish pipeline damaged in Kurdish rebel bomb attack: Turkish official":

ANKARA / 23 May 2006

Armed Kurdish rebels blew up part of a natural gas pipeline in eastern Turkey early Tuesday, disrupting the flow of gas, a local official said.

The blast occurred around 03:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on rural ground near the remote town of Dogubayazit near the border with Greece, Rauf Ulusoy, the town's governor, told the Anatolia news agency.

The explosion partly damaged the pipeline, and a team from the state-run gas company BOTAS were on site to repair the damage and prevent leaks, he added.

Rebels from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) often carry out attacks against gas and oil pipelines as part of a long-running armed campaign against the Turkish state.

Violence in the southeast and east of Turkey has increased significantly since the group called off a five-year unilateral ceasefire in June 2004 and began to enter Turkey from bases in northern Iraq.

More than 37,000 people have been killed since 1984 when the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish-populated southeast of Turkey.

2. - Bianet - "Withdraw Anti-Terror Draft, Stop Operations":

Women from 11 organizations stage sitting protest against new Anti-Terror Bill in front of Istanbul's historic Galatasaray High School. Women say chauvinist and anti-Kurdish policies threaten them the most.

ISTANBUL / 22 May 2006 / by Ayse Durukan

Women members of 11 organisations in Istanbul gathered on Saturday in front of the city's historic Galatasaray Lyceum where they staged a 5 minute sitting protest against the proposed Anti-Terror Law (TMK) saying it promised no solution to the Kurdish problem.

A statement was read out on behalf of the organisations by Gayal Tekin from the Amargi women cooperative after the five-minute protest.

Tekin's statement emphasised that the chauvinist wave of reaction [against the Kurds] in western Turkey and escalating anti-Kurdish violence could be observed in every day social life and stressed that as the problem was not a security problem itself, it needed to be solved through democratic means.

"These developments are affecting us in every walk of life" the statement said. "Escalation of chauvinism is not only reflected in the lynch attempts on the streets or acts of violence. Women get their share of this violence within their family, on the streets, at work and in every field.

"The TMK draft threatens all circles. We know the TMK draft means more oppression and violence and we want this bill to be withdrawn. Us women who are the first victims of violence and operations are on the side of a solution".

The event was attended by women from the Amargi Women Cooperative, Workings Women Association (EKD), Peace Mothers, Free Women Movement, Rainbow Women Association, Prisoners Relatives Support and Solidarity Association (TUHAD), Mesopotamia Culture Centre (MKM), Democratic Society Party (DTP), Labout Party (EMEP), Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), Labour Movement Party (EHP).

3. - REPORTERS.gr - "Turkey: AI says new Penal Code hinders freedom of expression":

24 May 2006

A leading human rights organization's report on “The State of World's Human Rights” has not portrayed a very hopeful picture for the exercise of fundamental rights in Turkey over the last year, particularly drawing attention to the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which went into force last June and which the organization says provided for continuing restrictions on the exercise of fundamental rights.

The year 2005 was defined by hope, wrestling against the duplicity, double speak and failed promises of governments, the London-based Amnesty International (AI) asserted in the report released yesterday.
As for Turkey, the AI started with bringing to mind the fact that the European Union formally opened negotiations for Turkey's EU entry in October last year.

“Practical implementation of reforms intended to bring Turkish law into line with international standards slowed in 2005. The law provided for continuing restrictions on the exercise of fundamental rights. Those expressing peaceful dissent on certain issues faced criminal prosecution and sanctions after the introduction of the new TCK. Torture and ill-treatment continued to be reported, with those detained for ordinary crimes particularly at risk,” the report said.

The continuing lack of freedom of expression and implementation of torture and ill-treatment covered wide space in the report as the AI noted that “a wide range of laws containing fundamental restrictions on the freedom of expression remained in force.”

“These resulted in the prosecution of individuals for the peaceful expression of opinions in many areas of public life. The pattern of prosecutions and judgments often demonstrated the lack of prosecutors and judges' knowledge of international human rights law. In some cases comments by senior government officials demonstrated an intolerance of dissenting opinion or open debate and seemed to sanction prosecution,” according to observations of the human rights organization.

“Torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials continued to be reported, with detainees allegedly being beaten, stripped naked and threatened with death, deprived of food, water and sleep during detention and beaten during arrest or in places of unofficial detention. Reports of torture or ill-treatment of individuals detained for political offences decreased. However, people detained on suspicion of committing ordinary crimes such as theft or for public disorder offences were particularly at risk of ill-treatment.”

The AI questioned the independence of the judiciary in Turkey, touching upon the controversial appointment mechanism of judges and prosecutors.

“The continuing inequality between prosecution and defense and the influence of the executive on the appointment of judges and prosecutors prevented the full independence of the judiciary.”

Article 301 of the new TCK “insulting Turkishness” which has already sparked strong criticism from the EU and several human rights organizations also found a place in the AI's report.

4. - BBC - "UN probes Turkey 'forced suicide'":

24 May 2006

A UN envoy is investigating reports of a sharp rise in the number of women committing suicide in Turkey.
Yakin Erturk, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, will assess claims high suicide rates are linked to tougher laws against honour crimes.

Some girls are suspected of being ordered to take their own lives to cleanse their family's honour.

Ms Erturk will visit four cities during her 10-day fact-finding mission in south-eastern Turkey.

Thirty-six women have reportedly attempted suicide in the region so far this year - already more than in the whole of last year.

She will meet officials, civil society groups and some of the families involved in an attempt to understand what is driving women to suicide and what might be done to help prevent it.

Awareness-raising

Some suggest the key motive for the high number of suicides could be despair at a restricted lifestyle. Many families migrated to the city of Batman from the deeply conservative countryside.

Others suspect many of the cases may be forced suicides, where a girl perceived to have brought disgrace to her family's honour is ordered take her own life, perhaps locked in a room with a rope or a gun.

Recent reforms mean the penalties for the crime of honour killings - which are decided by family council and usually committed by a male relative - are far stiffer.

Women's groups have reported a rise in the number of unexplained deaths labelled as suicide.

The Turkish government has begun work to raise awareness about domestic violence, and mosques have been instructed to preach against honour crimes in particular.

But changing the mentality that drives such killings is an enormous task, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Turkey.

In the meantime, in Batman, there is still no shelter or local hotline for women in danger.

5. - Reporter.Gr. - "Turkey: No plan for early elections, says Erdogan":

24 May 2006

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said there were no plans to call an early parliamentary election, despite the intense speculation about such a move. "Those expecting us to decide on an early election should not get their hopes up," Erdogan said in a speech to his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Erdogan also rejected suggestions that the AKP, Turkey's most popular party, would take risks with the economy for political gains, saying there would be no irresponsible spending or tax cuts as part of a drive to win votes.
Concerns that the government might call an election ahead of schedule in November 2007 have contributed to jitters in domestic financial markets in recent weeks which have pushed the lira to its lowest level against the dollar in two years.

"We want stability and confidence. The date for the election is set in the constitution," said Erdogan, referring to the fact that parliaments are elected for a five-year period.

6. - Fiancial Times - "Iraq Faces Clash With Kurds Over Oil Deals":

23 May 2006

Iraq’s newly appointed oil minister said on Tuesday that the central government should handle all contracts related to petroleum exploration and production, putting him on a potential collision course with the autonomous Kurdistan region which has recently begun to develop its own oil resources.

Hussein al-Shahristani also said at a Baghdad news conference that the country hoped to pass an investment law soon to bring in foreign investment to upgrade the country’s battered oil infrastructure.

“Any oil production, exports or exploration should be handled by the [Baghdad] ministry of oil,” said Mr Shahristani, a member of the Shia-led United Iraqi Alliance, in one of his first statements since a national unity government was announced at the weekend.

He had earlier said that Iraq’s new government needed to get “national agreement” from regional oil officials on ambiguous articles in the constitution governing investment.

Under their own interpretation of the constitutional articles governing oil resources, the northern Kurdistan regional government signed an agreement in November with a Norwegian company to begin the first new drilling in post-invasion Iraq. Since then, a Canadian and a Turkish company have also began drilling in the north.

Mr Shahristani also emphasised the importance of foreign investment, in statements apparently aimed at international companies concerned that a new government with a heavy component of Shia Islamists and Sunni Arab nationalists might draft legislation that limits the kind of contracts they might sign.

“There is [a] need to pass an oil and gas law to guarantee the right conditions for international companies to help develop the Iraqi oil sector,” he said.

Iraqi officials have estimated that the country may need as much as $25bn (€20bn, £13bn) to restore and modernise an oil industry ravaged by pre-war sanctions, post-war looting and sabotage, administrative lethargy and corruption.

Until now, Iraq’s succession of transitional and interim governments has prevented the creation of a national oil policy, while production has remained stagnant at about 2.14m barrels a day in April, less than the pre-war peak of 2.5m.