"Right to Conscientious Objection instead of 'Paid' Exemption"

Oğuz Sönmez from the Pacifist Group said that exemption from military service by paying a certain amount of money would not become an issue of the agenda in Turkey in the near future, despite of the referring announcement made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In Turkey, conscripts can considerably shorten the period of their military service by paying a certain amount of money.

Sönmez pointed out that both the General Staff Presidency and the Conscription Department Presidency of the National Defence Ministry (ASAL) are against exemption from military service by payment. According to Sönmez, conscientious objection should be recognized as a "human right" instead of the regulation of exemption by payment.

"Turkey does not abide by international conventions"

Military education and service, carrying weapons and using them can be refused by a conscientious objector for reasons of moral choice, religious belief, philosophical concepts of political views.

"We are pacifists. People should not be confronted with elements of war in order to prevent war. Rejecting war for the lack of a human element is conscientious objection", Sönmez stated.

"Conscientious objection is the direct use of the human right of freedom of conscience and religion. The United Nations Universal Declaration and the European Convention on Human Rights both define conscientious objection as a human right. Turkey is part of these conventions. International agreements are binding according to article 90 of the Constitution [Ratification of International Treaties]. The recognition of the right to conscientious objection is required for the membership of the Council of Europe as well. The Council of Europe warns Turkey to recognize the right to conscientious objection in every meeting".

Conscientious objectors doomed to "civil death"

According to a statement made by Defence Minister Vecdi Gönül, one million people are deserters, new conscripts who were not present at their fist muster and were thus charged with desertion or conscripts whose service was postponed. Sönmez criticized that these people are confronted with "civil death".

"Turkey was convicted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Osman Murat Ülke in 2006. The court determined that a full deprivation of all public rights dooms the convict to 'civil death'".

"People are deprived of their entire public rights for refusing military service. They are forced to live without identity. They cannot work or leave their homes. Moreover, this punishment lasts a lifetime. Life becomes unbearable. We know a conscientious objector who has left his house only once in two months since 2007, and this was just to go to the barber shop".

UN Human Rights Commission recognizes right to conscientious objection

The United Nations Human Rights Commission recognized the right to conscientious objection on the grounds of compulsory use of force that can possibly cause death conflicts with the rights related to freedom of conscience, religion and belief.

Many countries recognize the right to refuse military service because of reasons of conscience based on "freedom of thought, conscience and religion" as described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Civil and Political Rights.

Conscription has been lifted in France, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Serbia, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Malta. In many countries with compulsory military service people can alternatively work in the area of social services. (BB/VK)