IHD Nine-Monthly Report Criticises Human Rights Situation
IHD-head Hüsnü Öndül said at a press conference in the IHD headquarters on 21.11.2001, that in the first 9 months of this year 762 people had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment. Öndül said that the EU-Com-mission’s assessment, which could not report any improvements in the human rights situation in Turkey, was to be seen as objective.
Instead of improvements there had instead been an increase in incidents of torture and violations of human rights.
To compare; in the first 9 months of 1999, 472 people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. In the same period for 2000, this figure was 508 and for 2001, 762. (Source: Anadolu Ajansi, 21.11.01)
 

Law Amendment to State Security Court’s Jurisdiction
According to Turkish Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Türk, the Turkish State Security Courts (DGM), which hear offences against the state, are to be aligned with the regular courts.
Like other democratic countries, the DGMs are to be converted to “Specialist Courts”. The removal from the DGMs jurisdiction of Article 313 from the law on organised crime, is to be an important aim in this respect. Law changes will enable differentiation for organised crimes between “those who commit violent acts and those who rob a bank”. Because such a distinction does not currently exist the DGMs activity is being blocked. Of the 4,036 Turkish courts, 20 are state security courts.
A proposal from the Islamic party AKP [an off-shot of the former Fazilet Party] to remove Article 312/2 from the Turkish penal code was rejected. This Article concerns the “incitement of hatred and hostility between groups by accentuating differences of race, language, religion, region, class and social standing”. (Sources: Turkish Daily News, 16.11.01; Turkish Probe, 18.11.01)
 

Concern for the safety of the Human Rights Activist Saban Dayanan (33), the Head of the Istanbul IHD Office Eren Keskin (44) and Other IHD Workers in Istanbul
On 15.11.2001 at around 14:30, Zeki Genc entered the offices of the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Istanbul and threatened to everybody there. He was armed with a pistol and large knife and had a package which he claimed contained a bomb. He shot into the air and forced everybody present to lie on the floor. “I will kill you all. I’m not alone – I have friends”, he threatened.
Some of the IHD workers, including Eren Keskin the head of the Istanbul branch, barricaded themselves into one of the offices. Zeki Genc than threatened to open fire on them. Saban Dayanan and three others present managed to get him on the ground and to disarm him, with Saban Dayanan receiving serious cut wounds to his hand. Zeki Genc was then handed over to police and was taken with Saban Dayanan to hospital. Genc then allegedly threatened Saban Dayanan with the words: “The next time I’ll kill you”. Bomb disposal experts confirmed that the package did not contain a bomb.
According to current information, Zeki Genc had already attacked 2 HADEP offices on 14.11.2001. He had entered the HADEP office in the Istanbul district of Sisli at 14:15, gave his name and stated that he was acting “on behalf of the state” and wanted to revenge the death of his brother who had been killed by the PKK in Diyarbakir. Zeki Genc than shot the 19-year-old Ömer Kalayci in the leg.
Around 10 minutes later he appeared in the nearby Istanbul central offices of HADEP where he stabbed Cemal Kiliki twice in the leg and produced a package which he claimed was a bomb. He then allegedly said to representatives of a HADEP women’s or-ganisation who were present in the office at the time: “If you were men, I would kill you all. You murdered my brother in Diyarbakir. My name is Zeki Genc – I’m acting on behalf of the state and have come to revenge my brother’s death. I have killed the 2 HADEP members from Silopi [he was probably referring here to Serdar Tanis and Ebubekir Deniz, who “disappeared” following their arrests by gendarmes in January  2001 (s. UA 26/01)]. I will be back to kill you all. If you touch the bomb it will explode”. Following the attack, Zeki Genc was able to escape unhindered from the building despite a continual police presence surrounding the HADEP offices. (UA 272/01-1 ai-Index: EUR 44/083/2001 15th  November 2001 – bs) (Further information on UA 272/01 (EUR 44/076/2001, 25th. October 2001)
 

Case Opened on Torture
On 13.11.2001, the case opened in Criminal Court No. 3 in Ankara against the police officers Ilhan Bozkurt, Ali Hasim Erkus, M. Kemal Yildirim, Musa Aktürk, Nedim Binay, Yusuf Büyükoglu and Serafettin Varol for torture against the brothers Metin and Ismail Candogan in a police station in Mamak (Ankara).
The defendants claim that they were on duty on that day, but torture was out of question. The injured Metin Candogan stated that he and his brother had been beaten and kicked by 8-10 police officers. After being released they had to be written off sick for more then 2 weeks. The case was adjourned so that statements could be heard from the defendant Yilmaz Cetin and the complainant Ismail Candogan. (Source: Evrensel, 14.11.01)
 

Before Courts for Insulting the Armed Forces
A case began on 9.11.2001 against the head of the Istanbul IHD Eren Keskin, the chief editor of the magazine Yeni Aydinlik and the reporter Ugur Aildirim. The armed forces were allegedly insulted in an interview with Eren Keskin who was therefore being tried under § 159 TSG.
A case has also opened in Criminal Court No. 2 in Istanbul against Erol Özkoray, owner of the publication Idea Politika. The republic and the armed forces had allegedly been insulted in a variety of articles. (Source: Evrensel, 10.11.01)
 

Raid on Solidarity Hunger Strikers in Kücükarmutlu and Alibeyköy
On the morning of 13.11.2001 police raided a third flat housing solidarity hunger strikers in Istanbul-Kücükarmutlu. Selma Kubat and Vedat Celik (carers) and the hunger strikers Özkan Güzel, Ferhat Ertürk, Gamze Turan, Madimak Özen, Halil Acar and Hüseyin Akpinar were taken to hospital. Because they would not accept any food they were then taken to the police headquarters. Ergin (Ersin) Karagöz remained in hospital because he required treatment for injuries resulting from a gas grenade. Shortly after midday a flat was then stormed in Alibeyköy where hunger strikers were also being housed. The carers Gülten Kahraman, Beser Yildiz, Ali Gül and Fatma Hanbayat were arrested along with the hunger strikers Hüseyin Yildiz, Tekin Yildiz, Aydin Hanbayat, Cemal Keser, Yeter Güzel, Murat Sahin and Orhan Gül. 
On 14.11.2001, 18 of those arrested during the operations were brought before the State Security Courts in Istanbul. Gamze Turan, Selma Kubat and Vedat Celik were held in custody under the suspicion of being members of an illegal organisation. The 10 people from Alibeyköy were initially released but on appeal by the state prosecutor Cemal Keser, Murat Sahin, Aydin Hanbayat, Orhan Gül and Yeter Güzel were also then held in custody. (Sources: TIHV, 14.11.01; Cumhuriyet, Milliyet, 15.11.01)
 

RTÜK Silence the BBC
The Turkish Board for Radio and Television (RTÜK) have silenced the Turkish language broadcasts by the BBC World. The board ordered the Turkish station NTV, who broadcast the BBC programmes, to discontinue BBC broadcasts within a 30 day period.
The BBC reacted with disbelief saying that the RTÜK order was against international agreements. Until further authorisation of FM transmissions, BBC programmes could still be received on short wave.
RTÜK head Nuri Kayis had said that the prevention of renowned international broadcasters such as the BBC or Deutschlandfunk was questionable. (Source: Hürriyet, 18.11.01)
 

Arrested Because of Kurdish Music Cassettes
Because 12 cassettes by Siwan Perver and Dilges were found in his truck, Fehmi Andan was arrested while on the way from Diyarbakir to Lice. . (Source: Evrensel, 14.11.01)
 

Verheugen Criticises and Praises Turkey
According to the EU Commission, Turkey still does not fulfil the constitutional preconditions to enable the commencement of entry negotiations. However, despite continued deficiencies referred to in a progress report for 2001, the commissioner responsible for enlargement, Verheugen, warned against dismissing the reform processes taking place in Turkey as cosmetic. 
He considers the widespread consensus within parliament on far-reaching constitutional reforms, as a clear signal that Turkish policies towards Europe still have the highest priority. There is evidence of initial success and activity should be intensified concerning the scrutinizing of Turkish law and its linking to EU norms. 
Prior to the commencement of any entry talks, the report did request more extensive legislative and administrative efforts, beyond the already “notable” reforms, concerning constitutional guarantees for citizen and minority rights as well as ensuring the primacy of the political above that of the military. (Source: NZZ, 14.11.01)
 

IMF Praise Turkey’s Reform Progress and Reveal New Injection of Funds
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)are considering a new loan for financially stricken Turkey. IMF head Horst Köhler said that he recommended the board of directors to quickly authorise the payment of the next tranche of over 3 billion dollars of an already planned loan and to negotiate another emergency loan for December. He said that Turkey “had made very good progress on reforms”. Köhler gave no indication on the amount of the emergency loan  but IMF sources say it would be around 10 billion dollars. The organisation have already raised Turkey’s credit limit twice this year. 
Meanwhile, the government in Ankara revealed that public spending would be reduced. In this way the country wants to meet the conditions for further IMF loans, said Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit. Amongst other things, health service expenditure would be capped and agricultural subsidies would be ended.
Their own experts allegedly recommended the IMF board of directors to authorise a new loan in the region of 8-12 billion dollars. This was to include 5 billion dollars which Turkey could use for IMF repayments due next year. According to information from Ankara, the country needs around 13 billion dollars to get through next year. The USA also supported a new IMF loan for Turkey praising their reform efforts. The NATO member is considered to be an important bastion in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. (Sources: reuters, Frankfurter Rundschau, 17.11.01)
 

Iraqi Prisons: “Sentenced to death within minutes”
Extract of an interview with Murad Mohammad (name changed - ed), representative of the Iraqi National Congress for human rights issues.

“Apart from regular prisons, there are many secret detention centres. [...]. We estimate the number of people detained in Iraq to be between 700,000 and 1 million. These figures are for all detainees including those held pending trials, people being held without a warrant to do so and detainees in  military prisons. The largest prison is in Baghdad, called Abu Graib, where 5,000-6,000 people are being held. Alone in Baghdad there are 5 further prison which are all over-full. Each secret service department, military as well as those from the ministry of the interior, also run their own prisons. Then there the so-called “Detention Camps” where people are held without a warrant to do so or without any specific charge. [...]. General conditions in the prisons are terrible. Apart from the regular use of torture, people die there daily because of malnutrition or because they are refused medical treatment. Conditions are better only in Abu Graib, which also holds those serving lengthy prison sentences, because family rela-tions are allowed to provide for the prisoners there. But even in Abu Graib there are sections where family relations are not permitted. These are also the sections which remain closed to human rights organisations and the Red Cross. This of course also applies to the secret pris-ons. Foreign organisations may only speak to those prisoners selected by the security forces. They are prepared beforehand so as to give a good impression of prison conditions. [...].
Since the 1991 uprising there have been mass detentions of people suspected of belonging to the opposition or who have behaved in a dissident way. The regime decreed special courts to enable the large number of those arrested, a situation not foreseen by the constitution, to be quickly brought to trial. The largest interior secret service, the security service of the military and interior ministry, support such courts. One court is under Saddam Hussein personally. The trials are secret and the accused have no legal representation. They are usually accused of being spies, of attempting to murder the political leadership or of planning sabotage. As a rule, they are usually found guilty within a matter of minutes and nearly all are sentenced to death.
[...]. There are also quasi martial law executions without any trial. The condemned from the special courts are left waiting, mostly between 2 and 4 weeks long. They know that they are to die because they are held in special death rows, but they are unaware of their date of execution until the very end. Executions regularly take place twice a week – Sundays and Wednesdays. Each time 40-50 people are executed. Their bodies are disposed of in anonymous graves. Representatives of the secret services and Saddam’s Guards are usually present at the executions.
[...]. We know that since 1994/95 around 100 people are executed weekly in Abu Graib. We are only talking of this one prison because we have reliable numbers and also often the names of the victims [...]. But many people are also being killed in other prisons. We do not have any accurate information but we do know that there are also systematic executions taking place in Mossul, Raduaniah and Al-Makassa. Therefore, around 400-500 people are being executed every week in Iraqi prisons. Executions in the death camps can be added to this. Those detained there originate from various groups. Some are Baath Party members themselves who are accused of disloyalty [...]. Others are people with a religious background who had been taken into custody along with their families. We are sure that these have become victims of cleansing because it has been so long since anything has been heard from them. Then there are, for example, the around 8,000 communists who were arrested in 1978. To date nobody knows what really happened to them. We assume that they were killed.
[...]. What is happening in the prisons reveals the innermost character of the regime. It cannot be changed, only eradicated. We are trying to fight the regime at various levels. One level is the demand to enforce UN Resolution 688 which requires the Iraqi regime to end the suppression of the population and guarantee freedom of movement for humanitarian aid organisations. We also support the international campaign that wants to put Saddam Hussein and his clique before an in-ternational tribunal. Despite intensive explanatory work by the Iraqi opposition, there are still people with illusions about the character of the regime. In this respect, many people have recently participated in so-called solidarity flights to Iraq because they wanted to show their solidarity to the Iraqi people. Such people have a completely distorted impression of Iraq and we ask them to just request the Iraqi regime to visit the prisons and detention camps. The regime’s answer would definitely be no.” (Source: Junge Welt, 21.11.01)
 

Kurdish Agriculture Minister Appeals to Australia, Britain and USA for Support
The minister for agriculture and irrigation in the Kurdistan regional government in Suleymania, Dr. Jemal Fuad, revealed on his return from a 2-month trip for talks in Australia, Britain and the USA, that a delegation of Australian governmental representatives and members of parliament would be coming to Kurdistan to investigate the needs of the region and to find ways of supporting the Kurdish people.
The aim of the trip was to obtain support from the UN, governments and NGO’s, which are positive towards Kurdish issues, for a long-term program to revive the region.
In New York the delegation met the UN representative Biton Sivan who is responsible for the “Oil for Food Programme”. They discussed the speeding up of approved projects on health, communications and electricity.
He considered the trip to Australia to be particularly significant and successful. The Australian government expressed their sympa-thy towards the Kurdish people and the democratic experiment of Kurdistan. The Kurdish delegation also had talks there with government representatives on political, technical and academic issues as well as on human rights and the Iraqi stance. 
He urged the Kurdish administration to open a programmes office which would enable the participation in programmes from developed industrial countries such as the USA, UK and Japan, which support development in countries and nations such as Kurdistan. Such programmes include financial help as well as equipment, advice, training, university study and many other possibilities. (Source: KurdishMedia.com, 14.11.01 from: Anba' Kurdistan)
 

Syrian Vice President Meets  PUK Representatives
Syria’s vice president, Abdul Haleem Khadam, has met the director of the PUK office for Arab Affairs, Adil Murad. Murad informed Khadam on the current situation in the Kurdish region and the peace process between the PUK and KDP. Other subjects discussed were the events following September 11th as well as the atrocities by the Al-Islam group in southern Kurdistan, especially the Khaili Hama massacre on 23.09.2001.
Vice-president Khadam expressed his pleasure at the positive developments bewteen the KDP and PUK which were necessary for a stable democracy in the region. He emphasized Syria’s belief in the territorial integrity of Iraq and expressed his wish for continued dialogue between the Syrian and Kurdish leaderships. (Source: Kurdistan Newsline, 12.11.01)
 

“Modern” Shackling in Deportation
The so-called Body-Cuff System was used for the first time in Germany while deporting a Kurd back to Turkey. According to information from the regional interior ministry in Bremen, special police bound the man’s hands and legs so that he could no longer move. Previous attempts to deport him had failed because of his resistance. A helmet was not used during the deportation. According to information from the federal ministry of the interior, the use of the newly developed helmets is not expected until the beginning of 2002. The reason? The ministry banned the use of the helmet after a Nigerian was strangled while wearing one during deportation. (Source: TAZ Bremen, 13.11.01).
 

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