Compromise Formula to End Death Fasts: "Three Doors, Three Locks"
A proposal from the presidents of the 4 largest Turkish Lawyers' Associations (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya), to moderate isolation conditions in the new F-Type prisons with the formula "Three Doors, Three Locks" has been rejected by Justice Minister Sami Türk. He said that it was not legally possible because it contravened Article 16 of the Anti-terror law. Article 16 indicates that prisoners may only meet each other at social settings such as communal mealtimes and at certain leisure activities. Just leaving a door open would breach the law. He said further that such a proposal would lead to gatherings in the corridors and that security could not then be guaranteed. 
The presidents from the lawyers' associations had proposed that 3 cells should have a shared corridor accessed by opening the doors. This was a compromise intended to bring an end the crisis of the death fasts.
The proposal, put forward at a podium discussion by a prisons study group from the Human Rights Center of the Istanbul Lawyers' Association, was welcomed and supported by the death fast activists and their families as well as from civilian organizations and artists. 
The deputy head of the Islamic Saadet Party, Mehmet Bekaroglu, who also participated in the event, welcomed the proposal and said , "in a secure prison, there cannot be a risk to state security if 9 people have the opportunity to come together". The proposal was also greeted and supported by the well-known "Artists Initiative".
The Justice Minister did, however, have his own proposal for a compromise. He has prepared a ruling which would come into effect after the prisoners have ended their protest. According to this, groups of up to 10 prisoners may meet once a week for up to 5 hours.
Meanwhile, the Committee Against Isolation Detention (IKM) have called on the public to take part in a planned protest trip to Istanbul from 16.02.2002-20.02.2002. (Sources: Radikal, 10.01.02; KurdishMedia.com, 06.01.02, Hürriyet, 05.01.02; Cumhuriyet, 26.12.01) 

Ankara Submits Amendment to Controversial Criminal Law
The Turkish government have submitted proposals for a new controversial criminal law article in order to comply with EU requirements on increasing freedom of opinion. Central to 
the reform is a change to the incitement paragraph 312. In the past many human rights activists, as well as Kurdish and Islamic politicians, have been convicted on the basis of this paragraph. The new version of the law will apparently deem that there is only a case to answer for incitement if comments have led to a disruption of public order. Until now simply mentioning ethnic or religious difference in a public speech was enough to be in breach of the law. The reform package, which is yet to be passed by parliament, is part of the constitutional reforms from last year. (Source: afp, 17.01.02)

Ankara Orders Mass Arrests: 500 Students Arrested for Demanding
Kurdish Lessons
The Turkish military have reacted to a demand for lessons in the Kurdish language with the largest mass arrest of students in years. Five hundred mainly Kurdish students were detained by soldiers, with agreement from the university administration in the southern Anatolian city of Van, as they submitted a petition to the university principle. Prior to this the principle had refused to accept the 3,000 signatures from a student delegation. The students had then decided that each of the signatories should personally submit his or her demand for native language lessons. (Source: junge Welt, 11.01.02)

Court Cases on Torture
At a seminar in Izmir the Turkish minister of state responsible for human rights, Nejat Arseven, revealed that in the years 2000 and 2001 a total of 1,472 police officers had been charged of mistreatment and 159 of torture. Of these 36 had been sentenced to prison and 50 had been dismissed from duty. (Source: Evrensel, 27.12.01)

State of Affairs in the South East
The Ministry of the Interior have revealed figures for incidents in south and southeastern Anatolia for the period 1987-2001. In regions under police control (urban) there had been 1,334 political murders of which 457 remain unsolved. In regions under gendarmerie control (countryside) there were 1,580 political murders of which 1,291 remained unsolved. Regarding areas which had been cleared, the ministry said that 318 villages and 2,260 hamlets in 25 provinces had been affected. Between June 2000 and October 2001 30,244 people had returned. The number of closed schools had reduced from 2,239 (1997/98) to 78 in 2001. (Source: Zaman, 18.12.01)

ANAP Member of Parliament Calls for the Release of 4 Imprisoned Former DEP Members of Parliament
Sebgetullah Seydaoglu, ANAP member of parliament for Diyarbakir, has demanded the release of 4 former DEP members of parliament who have been imprisoned for the past 10 years. He called on president Sezer to use his right of amnesty. In a speech at a meeting of his parliamentary party Seydaoglu said, "The era of democracy has arrived in Turkey. I have visited the former members of parliament and have seen how they have aged. I call for their release....I expect the Turkish Republic to forgive these people. I expect Sezer to use his right of amnesty and to release these 4 people".
ANAP leader and deputy prime minister Mesut Yilmaz said at the meeting that the new legislation passed by parliament was valid for the whole of Turkey and nobody could ignore this reality. If these laws were not being applied in some regions then that was because of the states of emergency there. He said his party called for the ending of the states of emergency as soon as possible. But this could not simply happen through a demand from the ANAP. There were still 400-500 armed terrorists in these regions. Thousands more were residing in neighboring states. Because of the continued terrorist threat the state of emergency in 4 provinces would remain. (Source: Turkish Daily News, 17.01.02)

State Prosecution Investigation into Calendars with Kurdish Month Names
State prosecutors are investigating 15 local leaders of the pro-Kurdish HADEP party in Hakari because of a calendar containing Kurdish month names. According to the liberal newspaper Radikal, they are accused of propaganda and of supporting the PKK. The newspaper wrote that "while it is necessary for EU membership for Turkey to take concrete steps on native language lessons and TV and radio broadcasting, legal proceedings are being brought against a calendar in Hakkari whose months have been printed in English, Turkish and Kurdish". 
One lawyer has described the state prosecutor's actions as being unlawful. Speaking and writing in Kurdish had not been an offence prior to the constitutional reforms, "and still isn't now". According to the constitutional reforms which were passed in the autumn of last year, Kurdish TV and radio broadcasting should now be allowed. However, the corresponding legislation has not yet been passed. (Source: dpa, 14.01.02)

Murderers of Ugur Mumcu and Other Intellectuals Sentenced to Death
The "Umut" case (Hope that political murders will be resolved) came to an end in Ankara's State Security Court on 7.01.2002. A total of 24 people were charged with 22 acts of violence including the murders of the well known people Ugur Mumcu, Dr. Bahriye Ücok, Prof. Dr. Muammer Aksoy and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Taner Kislali. Those charged again claimed their innocence and their defense called for an inquiry into accusations of torture. The court rejected this on the grounds that the case would then be unnecessarily prolonged. Ferhan Özmen, Necdet Yüksel und Rüstü Aytufan were sentenced to death in accordance with § 146/1 of the Turkish Penal Code. The other 21 people charged were mainly sentenced to long term prison terms.
The journalist Ugur Mumcu, who was killed by an explosion at his house in 1993, was known for his investigative journalism against the extreme right and extremist Islamic groups. He had also exposed a link between the state and the underworld. (Sources: Yeni Safak, 08.01.02; AA, ap, dpa, 07.01.02)

Lawyers' Association and Jurists Criticize Restrictions on the Right of Defense
The president of Istanbul's Lawyers' Association, Yücel Sayman, as well as a number of other jurists, have criticized changes to the law on prison administration for being problematical to defense lawyers  because of a massive infringement on the right to defense regarding Article 6. A total of 47 presidents of lawyers' associations from every Turkish province, as well as many other jurists, assembled to discuss the new law. The legal forum represented 35,000 from a total of 45,000 jurists. The jurists emphasized that the new law puts at risk the lawyers' right of confidentiality. Paragraph 2 of Article 6 stipulates that the prison administration is to be informed of the lawyer's case when he enters a prison or a place of custody. "Nobody can demand to hand over confidential defense documents to the prison authorities", said Sayman. "Lawyers have a duty of confidentiality. This law will impose restrictions on the citizens' right to a defense". According to the lawyers such restrictions would lead to the lifting of prisoners' freedom to seek legal representation. 
Amongst the critics of the new law is a member of parliament from the AK Party in Sanliurfa, who is also a member of the parliamentary Justice Commission, the DSP member for Istanbul, Necdet Saruhan, the ANAP member for Istanbul, Sühan Özkan, the DYP member for Istanbul, Celal Adan, the SP member for Istanbul, Ali Oguz and the MHP member for Istanbul, Mehmet Pak. (Source: Cumhuriyet, 24.12.01) 

AI Urgent Action:
People Being Held Incommunicado and at Risk of Torture and Ill Treatment
Orhan Armutci, (24) employee of the newspaper "Özgür Halk", Erkan Yildirim, (22) employee of the newspaper "Özgür Halk", Mahmut Bugrahan, (29) Bauer, Türkan Bugrahan, (24) the wife of Mahmut Bugrahan. Ahmet Akbas, (23) shop owner, Sirac Budancir, (15, now released)
The above people have been detained since 09.01.2002 in the central police station in Bingöl, southeast Turkey. According to reports they have no contact to the outside world and are at risk of being ill treated or tortured. 
They had been arrested together with the 15-year-old Sirac Budancir who they later released on 11.01.2002. Following his release he claimed that he had had his eyes bound, was forced to lie in the snow and had been tortured with electric shocks and high pressure water. He also said that he had seen how Orhan Armutci had been subjected to the same treatment. He also heard him screaming in the snow.
Local human rights groups have not yet been informed of the official reasons for arrest but presume that they are being held for suspected links to the PKK. (Sources: AI-Urgent Action 15/02 ai-Index: EUR 44/002/2002, 11th January 2002 - bs)

AI-Urgent Action:
The Legal Status of and Concern for the Safety of 
 patients and employees of the "Turkish Human Rights Foundation " (TIHV),amongst whom are:
Sezgin Tanrikulu, 38-year-old lawyer, Dr. Recai Aldemir and Dr. Emin Yüksel.

The police have now returned all the documents, including patient files, which they had previously confiscated from the TIHV. But Amnesty International are still concerned that TIHV employees, doctors and patients are at risk of reprisals, harassment, arrest and torture because they could be identified through the confiscated documents.
The TIHV is again under pressure since the opening of the court case against a TIHV representative in Diyarbakir, the lawyer Sezgin Tanrikulu. Two doctors employed by the TIHV, Dr. Recai Aldemir und Dr. Emin Yüksel, have apparently been transferred from Diyarbakir to different locations following disciplinary procedures against them. Amnesty International are concerned that the transfers were a form of harassment to prevent the doctors from carrying out their legitimate human rights activities. 
On 10.10.2001 the police returned all confiscated documents concerning patients and doctors. The raid on the TIHV offices on 7.9.2001 was not just an attack on the confidential relationship between doctor and patient but also frightened away people who may have turned to the TIHV for treatment and rehabilitation. The number of visitors has gone down since then. Local authorities have begun inquiries into the legality of the raids and the seizing of documents.
On 25.10.2001 an investigation by the state prosecutor and state security court in Diyarbakir into the TIHV and the lawyer Sezgin Tanrikulu for suspected support of the illegal "Kurdistan Worker's Party", was stopped. However, new legal proceedings have begun against Sezgin Tanrikulu who is alleged of setting up a medical and rehabilitation treatment center without permission from the authorities. In similar cases against TIHV offices in Adana and Istanbul, the courts decided that such permission from the health ministry was not necessary. (Source: AI-Urgent Action 228/01-1 ai-Index: EUR 44/004/2002, 15th January 2002 - bs; see also UA228/01, ai-Index: EUR44/046/2001)

AI-Urgent Action:
Concern for the Safety of Ms. Fehime Ete and her 5-year-old Child Sahadet Ete at Risk of Torture and Ill Treatment
Amnesty International continue to be greatly concerned for the safety of Fehime Ete, who had been taken back to prison in Bitlis on 14.12.2001 from the gendarmerie headquarters. According to reports she had been tortured and ill treated while in their custody.
The Kurd Fehime Ete had been arrested on 21.10.2001 and transferred to the prison in Van on 25.10.2001 by the state security court for "supporting an illegal organization". According to eye witnesses who had seen Fehime Ete in court, she was in a poor physical condition. One week later she was transferred to the prison in Bitlis where she was placed in the female wing with her 5-year-old daughter Sahadet. On 25.11.2001 she was taken to the gendarmerie headquarters for questioning. The authorities have, however, not informed her lawyer about the latest transfer. 
According to reports she had been ill treated and tortured during her detention in Diyarbakir. She was blindfolded, beaten with a truncheon, forced to undress and sprayed with high pressure water. She lost consciousness several times during the torture and her family as well as herself were warned against making any complaint about torture. There were also threats that Fehime Ete's daughter would be tortured. When she was finally allowed to be examined by a doctor she was afraid to say anything about the torture because of the gendarmes' threats as well as the fact that they were present during the examination. As a consequence of the torture she is suffering from breathing problems and can only move her arms with a lot of effort. Sahadet Ete allegedly heard her mother's cries as she was being tortured and, according to a doctor's diagnosis, is therefore suffering from shock. 
On the grounds of § 3/c of Regulation No. 430 Feline Tee was taken back into custody of the gendarmerie. This regulation allows the state prosecutor, following an application to a judge by the governor of a state of emergency province, to place an already officially detained prisoner back into police or gendarmerie custody for a period of up to 10 days. This regulation has already twice been used against Feline Tee despite Van and Battles not being state of emergency regions. (Sources: AI-Urgent Action, UA 271/01-1, ai-Index: EUR 44/003/2002, 14th January 2002 - bus; further information on UA 271/01 (EUR 44/074/2001, 24th October 2001)

AI-Urgent Action:
Risk of "Disappearance", Torture and Ill Treatment to
Mullah Aragon, (23) student, Mustafa Year, (29) welder, Frau Remise Dig, (51) housewife, Hatip Allay, (41) trader, Femi Ak, (26) crane driver
According to current information the above 5 people have been transferred to a prison after having been tortured and ill treated while in the custody of gendarmes in Diyarbakir. 
Mullah Aragon and Mustafa Year were transferred to the prison in Sanliurfa on 11.12.2001. They had been held in the gendarmerie headquarters in Seyrantepe since 28.10.2001. According to the information available, during this time they were forced to sign blank sheets of paper and statements which they were unable to read. For 44 days they were continually questioned and, according to reports, ill treated and tortured. They were allegedly blindfolded and forced to undress, were beaten, nearly strangled and had their testicles crushed. They were also sprayed with high pressure water and then placed out in the cold. They were prevented from sleeping and were not allowed to lie down. 
Mustafa Yasar was also tortured with electric shocks to his genitals and was forced to stand out in the snow. Emrullah Karagöz had to lie on his back with his arms stretched above his head. Blankets were then wrapped around his arms and legs. He was then placed on his elbows and knees. Because of the pain suffered in doing this, he lost consciousness. 
On the 33rd day of his detention Emrullah Karagöz was examined by a doctor, who claimed: "... if this continues he will die". But according to the information available Emrullah Karagöz continued to be tortured until he was transferred to prison on 11.12.2001. Mustafa Yasar is in a poor state of health because of the torture to which he has been subjected. He is suffering from kidney pains, sleeplessness, nausea and shaking fits.
According to reports Hatip Alay was tortured for 14 days and had to be taken to hospital. Following treatment he was taken to the prison in Diyarbakir (Type E). According to the information available he had been beaten, hung from his arms, had his testicles crushed, was sprayed with high pressure water, and had a plastic bag placed over his head so that he nearly suffocated. Ms. Remziye Dag and Fehmi Ak, who were held in custody for 24 days, were also allegedly tortured. 
The 5 detainees were held under § 3/c of Regulation No. 430. This regulation allows the state prosecutor, following an application to a judge by the governor of a state of emergency province, to place an already officially detained prisoner back into police or gendarmerie custody for a period of up to 10 days. Emrullah Karagöz and Mustafa Yasar have had their custody under the gendarmerie extended 4 times. On 10.12 2001, the Turkish president of state Ahmet Necdet Sezer criticized the use of such regulations as well as the long-term detentions in Diyarbakir, a province which is under a state of emergency. (Sources: Amnesty International Urgent Action 280/01-2, ai-Index: EUR 44/001/2002, 03.01.02 January 2002 - bs; further information on UA 280/01 (EUR 44/079/2001, 5th November 2001, and EUR 44/085/2001, 20th November 2001)

Winter Conditions Intensify Suffering of Kurdish Refugees
The particularly harsh winter conditions that have broken out in the south east of Turkey have dramatically intensified the suffering of Kurdish refugees there .This was revealed by the German International Society for People at Risk (Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker International (GfbV)) following talks with Kurdish refugee organizations and Turkish-Kurdistan city administrations. The president of GbfV International, Tilman Zülch warned that, "For most of the 1.5 million Kurdish refugees who are living in poverty on the outskirts of the Kurdish towns and cities of Diyarbakir, Batman, Gaziantep, Siirt, Hakkari, Van and Mardin, life-saving medicines against cold and lung infections are too expensive". The elderly, the sick and children were now particularly at risk. Without prompt aid the number of deaths will rise dramatically over the coming weeks. 
Infectious diseases are rampant in the refugee quarters. Zülch said that as a rule at least 5 people lived together either in 1 room, a tent or in a corrugated hut. Because of a shortage of heating material, one heater has to be shared between 2 or 3 families. Only one third of the refugees have a separate kitchen and three quarters use communal toilets outside their accommodation. Only a minority have direct access to drinking water.
Two thirds of the refugees are unemployed. Occasional work on building sites, farms or street markets is no longer available because of the weather. The halving of the standard of living in Turkey has particularly hit the refugees. The distribution of bread and other foodstuffs by town administrations has been prevented by provincial governments and only occasionally reaches those in need. This desperate situation has driven some, particularly women, to suicide. 
The GfbV has called on the European Union and EU member states to set up a programme for the return of the refugees and also to put pressure on Turkey to enable the refugees to return to their villages. According to estimates from the GbfV two thirds of a total of 2.5 million refugees would then return to their homes. A total of 40,378 families have meanwhile submitted applications to return home. (Source: Pres Statement from the Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker, Göttingen/Luxemburg, 10.01.02)

Spectacular "Parliamentary Revolt" Provides First Victory to Reformists in Iran
In the years long battle against the ultra-conservative clergy, reformers around President Mohammed Khatami have achieved their first triumph. In a spectacular exodus, reformist politicians, around their speaker Mehdi Karrubi, have forced the release of their colleague Hossein Loqmanian. He had been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment around 3 weeks previously for insulting judicial officers.
In this "parliamentary revolt" Karrubi has also written a new chapter in the 23 year old history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. There has never before been such a protest against the rule of the ultra-conservative Mullahs. Angered that a reformist colleague had to go to prison despite parliamentary immunity, Karrubi had threatened a "policy of empty seats" until Loqmanian was released. More than 200-290 parliamentary members supported him.
The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, personally instructed the orthodox controlled judiciary to release Loqmanian who campaigns for greater democracy. 
Supporters of reformist president Khatami, who last August was voted in for a second term until 2005, have waited for a long time for such a "liberating act". Out of frustration they have repeatedly demonstrated their obvious impatience. Students, who have been especially supportive of Khatami, have let it be known in the past few months that he should "stop talking and show his authority - otherwise resign".
In the opinion of observers in Teheran, the big breakthrough is still be awaited. Two further members of parliament have been sentenced to prison terms, dozens of dissidents and journalists have been imprisoned and over 40 publications have been banned. Proponents of an uncompromising Islam, who mainly hold the reigns of power, suspect that some extreme reformists are really only concerned with the separation of religion and politics with the aim of completely abolishing the Islamic system. Supporters of an Islamic democracy deny such accusations. (Source: dpa, 15.01.02)

Penalties Against Iranian Journalists and Intellectuals Decrease
According to their lawyer in Teheran, the prison sentences have been significantly reduced against many of the Iranian journalists and intellectuals who had taken part in the Heinrich Böll Foundation's Berlin Iranian Conference. An Islamic special court had sentenced 10 of the conference participants to long prison terms in January. The religious holders of power in Teheran considered the conference on political and religious reform in April 2000, as "anti Islamic". They accused the conference participants of threatening national security. (Source: afp, 29.12.01)

"Gas Chamber Victims" Executed in Special Prisons set up by Governmental Authorities
On 31.10.2001 the Iranian Center for Human Rights reported the Nazi-style execution of 15 political prisoners in gas chambers on 10.8.2001. The executions took place under the direct supervision of Saddam's younger son Qusay. The Iraqi Communist Party have now revealed that more information has now become available. 
Executions using gas took place in a special prison directly controlled by governmental authorities. Political prisoners and people with special convictions were being held there. The prison is situated on an agricultural site near the town of Falluja. A wall of concrete blocks surrounds the prison. Victims are taken to specially constructed chambers and a poisonous gas is let in through openings. The prisoners die within 27 seconds. 
These crimes have been recorded on video and shown to Qusay. The events are closely monitored by members of his "special security forces". The gas chambers were built last year and put into service  with Qusay's agreement. It appears as if this barbaric method has been developed to enable the mass killing of prisoners as quickly and with as little effort as possible. The dictator regime continues with its notorious prison cleansing action which to date has cost more than 3,000 prisoners their lives. The Center for Human Rights has made public the names of the perpetrators as well as some of the victims. (Source: Statement from the Iraqi Communist Party Shaqlawa, Fax: 0044(207)4192552 Tel: 0044(79)39529280)

US Government Stops Financial Aid to Leading Iraqi Oppositions Group
The American government have stopped their financial support to the largest Iraqi opposition group because of irregularities in the use of the money. The US Foreign Office have accused those responsible of mismanagement and poor internal controls.
According to a spokesperson from the Foreign Office's Middle East Section, the American government still consider the group as an important factor in the opposition to Saddam Hussein 
A spokesperson for the Iraqi National Congress (INC) criticized the decision. He pointed out that the American government had originally given them until 15.01.2002 to get their finances under control. The Foreign Office had been told that this deadline would have been met.
The INC are active in setting up resistance to the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. (Source: dpa, 05.01.02, ap, 06.01.02)

Syrian Opposition Alliance Surfaces After 20 Years Underground
After more than 2 decades underground the Syrian opposition alliance the "National Democracy Assembly" (NDG) now wishes to present itself publicly. In a public statement in Damascus the NDG leadership called on its members who had gone into hiding for fear of their safety, to return to a normal way of life. 
According to a high-ranking NDG member, this is consistent with the political reforms that have taken place under the new President Baschar el Assad. The NDG, formed in 1979 from 5 left wing parties, is also calling for the release of all political prisoners as well as the rehabilitation of those who have been persecuted. 
The Syrian government released 113 political prisoners at the end of November. According to a Syrian human rights group most of them belonged to religious groups. They said that there were still more than 1,000 political prisoners being held. (Source: dpa, 05.01.02)

Numbers of Asylum Applicants Increases Again in 2001 Numbers Accepted Still Low
Clearly more asylum seekers arrived in Germany last year than in 2000. According to the Ministry of the Interior 88,287 people submitted applications for asylum. This represents 12.4% more than last year. In 2000 the number of asylum applications were at their lowest level for 13 years.
With the exception of December, more asylum seekers arrived each month in 2001 than in the previous year's corresponding month. Top of the 2001 list for country of origin was Iraq with 17,167 applications. This represented 48% more than in the previous year. There were 10,869 applicants from Turkey , 21.2% more than 2000. The greatest increase in applications was from Russia. Their numbers rose by 63.7% to 4,523. In contrast, the number of applicants from Yugoslavia clearly decreased by 30.2% to 7,758. 
However, still only a few applicants are being accepted. In 2001 the Nurenburg Bundesamt decided positively on only 5,716 or 5.3% of all applicants. In 2000 it was only 3%. A good half of the 107,193 pending applicants were rejected. Nearly a quarter were dealt with for different reasons. The "small asylum" under the Genevan Refugee Convention is clearly being granted more often, especially to Iraqis and Afghans. A total of 17,003 people (15.9% of all applicants) received protection from deportation. In the previous years this figure was 7.9%. (Source: dpa, 09.01.02)

8,216 Deportations to Turkey: Arms Exports to Turkey Despite Human Rights Abuses
Despite continued human rights abuses in Turkey, German authorities deported 8,216 refugees to Turkey during the period January 2000 to October 2001. This fact arose from an answer to a question submitted by the PDS to the German government on human rights abuses in Turkey. The PDS spokesperson for internal politics, Ulla Jelpke, pointed out in a press statement that the government had also confirmed that there were severe human rights violations in Turkey. The government were aware of 154 registered murders by "unknown perpetrators", 173 deaths while in custody, 594 registered cases of torture alone in the year 2000, 792 cases of torture in the first 9 months of 2001, 10 temporary closures of radio and TV broadcasters and threats of closure to the pro-Kurdish HADEP party.
According to Jelpke, all this has had had no effect on German policy towards Turkey. Deportations continue, credits are provided and arms are still being supplied to Turkey. As an EU entry candidate, Turkey has received alone from the EU around 177 million Euros in subsidies since 2000 as well as a loan of 1.44 billion Euros from the EIB. To promote German exports to Turkey, the German government have agreed export guarantees worth 6.2 billion DM. The government have rejected criticism of the arms exports to Turkey because, "....as part of the decision-making process, the human rights situations in Turkey was taken into particular consideration as was Turkey's NATO membership". (Source: junge Welt, 10.01.02)

Refugee Council Calls For Prison Exemption 
The Refugee Council in Germany's Lower Saxony has been campaigning on behalf of a Kurdish woman who was tortured in Turkey following her deportation from Germany. The Council said in Hildesheim that following a renewed escape to Germany and application for asylum, she is now being held in custody ready for deportation. They called for the German foreigners law to be amended so that in future torture victims cannot be imprisoned. 
In a statement from the council it said that this was particularly so for those refugees who "were sent to the Turkish torture chambers because of a wrong decision by the German foreigners authorities and courts". The Kurdish woman has been held in custody in Hanover for the past 4 weeks. A ministry doctor has certified that she would be a suicide risk if she is deported again. (Source: Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung, 12.01.02)

Number of Refugees in Greece Doubles
The number of refugees wanting to get to Greece by sea nearly doubled in 2001. According to the merchant navy, Greek authorities apprehended 6,864 illegal immigrants and 137 people smugglers. In the previous year this figure was 3,664.
As the most easterly of EU member states, Greece has become a focus point for refugee movement. The refugees mainly attempt to reach the country on fishing boats, yachts and merchant ships. The majority of the ships come from Turkey with whom Greece signed a repatriation agreement last November. Just a week ago a boat with 246 refugees aboard got into distress before the island of Crete. (Source: Frankfurter Rundschau, 09.01.02)

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