Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
December 2000 for Altan's article "To Be Afraid One Morning"
published in Aktuel. Charged with "insulting the army". The article is
accused of having criticized army generals for refusing to acknowledge
abuses, and for the immunity they enjoyed. Altan was subsequently
âcqi.iitted-6iithis clfârge~ Ällapp-èal-against the acquittal bytheprosecution
services was rejected on 25 July 2001. 2) another similar charge is
pending for an artiCle entitled 'Political Adultery and Murder', before the
Istanbul Bakirköy Criminal Court. This trial opened on 2 July 2001 on
charges of "insulting the government and the armed forces". He was
acquitted of this charge in early December 2001.
Fatih ALTAYLI and Dogan SATMlS: A columnist and the chief editor
respectively of the daily Hurriyet [Liberty]. A trial was launched against
them by the Ankara Public Prosecution office, demanding prison terms
between 6 months and 3 years on accusations that Altayli had insulted
the members of the Supreme Election Board in one of his articles. Fatih
Altayli faces fresh charges for "insulting the state minister A. Sami Turk"
in his column in December 1999. Satmis was also on trial in April 2pOl
among several other newspaper editors who had published leters by
mafia leaders. All are accused of aiding gang members. A 24 April 2001
hearing was adjourned to a later date.
*Celal BASLANGIÇ, Osman Nihat TUNA: Journalist for the centre-left
daily Radikal and writer; representative of the lletisim Publishing House.
On 21 August 2001, a third edition of Baslangiç's book Temple of Fear
was seized and proceedings initiated against him and his publisher.
Accused under Article 159 of the Penal Code of insulting the Turkish
armed forces. The book contains testimonies that suggest that human
rights violations were carried out by the military against the Kurdish
Worker's Party (PKK) in the late 80s and 90s. He faces up to six years in
prison. Born in 1956, Baslangic started work as ajournalist after graduating
in Public Relations from Ege University in 1971. He is the founder
and first editor in chief of Evrensel and since 1996 has concentrated on
writing. He has published 5 books and has won numerous awards (or his
journalism. Trial to start on 25 January 20()2.
*Burak BEKDIL: journalist for Turkish Daily News and some western
publications. Called to hear charges of "insult" to the Turkishjudiciary c.
26 September 2001. Relates to article published in the TON on 28
August 2001, entitled. "Turkey's de jure Untouchables". A first trial
hearing was held on 21 December 2001. adjourned to 14 February 2002.
Akin BIRDAL: former President of the Turkish Human Rights
Association and writer. Started a one year sentence in June 1999 but
released on medical grounds in September that year. Returned to prison
in March 2000. Freed in September after completion of sentence less
remission. However, on 1 March 2001, trial opened on charges under
Article 159/1 for the Penal Code for "insulting the Turkish Nation" for
articles published in Gözcü and Hürriyet in October 2000. Mayalso be
linked to his speeches on abuse of democracy and human rights. On 18
September 200 l, an Ankara court heard charges against him related to
speeches made in Germany on the Armenian genocide. Court adjourned
to 23 October and again to 4 December.
*Mehmet BONCUK, Halil SAillN: reporter and editor in chief of Life at
the Euphrates. Judicial proceedings opened 24 July 2001 against the two
men, alongside Professor Fikret Baskaya currently detained on different
charges (see above) for an interview entitled "New Means for
Apolitizing: Civil Society", deemed to contain "separatist propaganda".
. Ahmet BULUT, Mehmet EREN: correspondent and representative of
the Kurdish daily Dema Nu. Trial started against them at Diyarbakir
Penal Court for "entering banned publications to the State of Emergency
region". They were originally detained in March 2001. The case
continues.
Sami CEBECI, Saban DÖGEN, Cemil TOKPINAR, Abdil
YILDARIM: four writers for Yeni Asya. Convicted to 20 months in
prison each on 30 May 2001 by the Istanbul State Security Court for an
article stated "the earthquake is a warning for religion". The are free
pending appeal.
*Muggades ÇELlK (f): publisher. Currently on trial for I) Asiye Guzel
Zeybek (see below) book Rape Under Torture under Article 168 of the
Turkish Penal Code. 2) Our Cakir. The Life of A Revolutionary, about
Çelik's husband, killed in 1980. Charged under Article 169 of the
Turkish Penal Code for "disseminating enemy propaganda". Next
hearing due 16 November 2001.PEN seeking information on trial
progress. . .
*Mustafa DÖKÛLER: editor in chief of Yeni Asya International.
Originally acquitted in October 2001 of the charge of incitement to
hatred and enmity by religious discrimination. However, this decision
overturned by the prosecutors and trial to re-open. Charges linked to an
article published in the 19 September-5 October 2000 edition of his
newspaper entitled "A Catastrophe Close to an Earthquake" by Sükrü
Bulut.
*Can DÛNDAR, Hazim Oktay BASER, Eren GÜVENER, Selam
ÇALISKAN: writer for MilIiyet and Milli Gazete, owner of MilIiyet,
owner of Milli Gazete, and journalists respectively. Trial started on 13
November 2001 at the Istanbul State Security Court for articles
appearing in MilIiyet and Milli Gazete. All are accused for an article by
Dündar published in April 2001 seen to breach the Anti-Terror Law. The
article entitled "European Call on the Turks: Be Flexible" is seen to have
'''snownihe ]usiice-Minister HikmlTSamÎTurk as a target for illegal
organis3;!Î0ns".[For more on Güvener and Çaliskan see elsewhere]
Nese DUZEL (f) and Hasan ÇAKKALKURT: columnist and editorin-chief
of.Radikal respectively. Appeared before the Istanbul State
Security Court No.6 on 27 June 2001. Charged for an article published 8
January 2001 containing an interview with the chair of the Pir Sultan
Abdal Foundation. The prosecution referred to the statements "young
. Alevites are driven towards terrorism", "during ... 1970 the Alevites
were tortured and thrown into prison", and "Alevites are under pressure
because of their identity and there is high unemployment among them".
These statements are deemed to breach Article 312 of the Turkish Penal
Code (inciting the people to hatred and enmity). Carries sentences of
between 2-6 years. In her defence, Düzel stated that the interview was on
problems faced by the Alevite population that needed to be solved. The
court was adjourned to a later date. 2) Düzel the trial started on 22
October 2001 following investigation into her book The Hidden Face of
Turkey published in 1996. Specifically an article included in the book
which had been published in Yeni Yüzyil, also on the Alevite community.
Also to be called is its publisher Nihet 'funa. of the I1tesim Publishing
House.
Sükrü ERBAS: poet and writer. 1) On 6 July 2000 a trial was launched
under Article 159 of the Penal Code for a book by Vedat Cetin (see
above) entitled Villages Destroyed/Evacuated and Migration, which
included an article by Erbas. See also Vedat Cetin above)2) Indicted in
mid-December 2001 for readings of his poetry at an event in Hakkari
held 21-25 June 2001 entitled "An Art Bridge Between Istanbul to
Hakkari". Accused of "disseminating separatist propaganda" under
Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code.
Muzaffer Ilhan ERDOST:
D.o.b: 1932 Profession: Writer and publisher. Author of Uc Sivas
(Three Sivas) and about 19 other titles, including poems and non-fiction.
Date of Arrest: Not yet arrested, His sentence was ratified in March
1999. The Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court appealed against the
sentence, but the General Penal Board of the Supreme Court again
upheld the sentence on 20 April 1999. Sentence: 12 months in prison and
a fine of 100 million Turkish lira. Details of trial: He was convicted of
"spreading propaganda which questions the indivisible integrity of the
Turkish State" under the Anti-Terror Law. His sentence was ratified by
the Supreme Court of Appeal despite reservations expressed by the
Attorney General's office on his case. The charges were based on his
book Three Sivas, which examined three occasions in recent history
when there were killings of civilians in the town of Sivas. His sentence
was confirmed by the Supreme Court in late 1999 but as yet he has not
been required to enter prison. Professional details: Erdost is one of
Turkey's most prominent opposition activists in the literary arena. Many
of his books question the Turkish authorities' human rights record. He
has written columns in many newspapers. Previous political imprisonmenUproblems:
Erdost was imprisoned for three years during the 1970s
for his publishing activities with Sol Publishing House. In 1980, he was
re-imprisoned with his brother, the director of Onur Publishing House
and witnessed his brother being beaten to death (see extract in the PEN
anthology This Prison Where I Live). WiPC seeking confirmation of
details.
Bülent FALAKOGLU: editor in chief of Evrensel. Has had several trials
against him since 2000 for articles in his newspaper most recently fined
on 10 September 2001 for an article entitled "Newroz, a Shirt of Fire"
written by Ender Imrek published on 17 March 2000.
Memik HORUZ: Editor-in-chief of Özgür Gelcek and Isci-Köylü.
Arrested on 6 June 2001 and held for 6 days before being freed to stand
trial on charges of membership of an "illegal" organisation. Trial started
at Istanbul State Security Court on 3 September 2001. A I October 2001
hearing adjourned the trial to 30 November, which again forwarded the
trial to 26 December. At this last hearing, the prosecutor reportedly
requested that Horuz be freed. However the court did not take up this
recommendation and scheduled another hearin.g for 23 January 2002.
Charges linked to an interview that appeared in Ozgür Gelecek. Horuz is
accused of membership of the Turkish Communist PartylML- Workers'
and Peasants' Liberation Army of Turkey (TKPIML TIKKO) for his
interview with two members of the organisation.
*AJj Kemal KAHRAMAN: editor in chief of Özgür Gelecek. On trial in
September 2001 under article 169 of the Penal Code. Charges linked to
Memik Horoz (above)
Gulcan KAYA (f): editor of the MEM publishing house. 1) On trial in
June 2001 for publishing Mabson Safak's book Uluslarararsy Komplo
ve Onderliksel Gelisme (The International Plot and the Development of
Leadership). 2) Also on trial in June 2001 for publishing essays by Ali
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