Turkey Protests Anti-Terror Bill Today

The campaign starts at noon as Parliament Justice Commission begins debating new Anti-Terror Bill. Activists using phone and mobile networks to lodge protests to Commission members and MPs. 5-minute protest over 11 provinces may mark major civil action.

Erol Önderoğlu

Human rights activists throughout Turkey are launching a nation-wide campaign today to peacefully protest the government's new controversial Anti-Terror Bill as it goes before the Parliament Justice Commission to be discussed for approval.

National telephone and mobile networks are planned to be used in at least 11 provinces to lodge protests to members of the commission as well as members of parliament to appeal to them for a withdrawal of amendments that are widely believed to be an about-turn from the country's previously announced democratization plans in line in with European Union accession talks.

Appeals have been made by various organizations, human rights groups and unions to rights and freedom activists nation-wide to volunteer and use the national phone and mobile networks to make simultaneous telephone calls to members of the Commission and MPs saying "stop the terror bill" at exactly noon on Wednesday.

The campaign, that is scheduled to last 5 minutes in total, aims to bring together activists primarily in larger cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Diyarbakir to first make a phone call to commission members and MPs and then send text messages against the Anti-Terror Law amendment to members of parliament.

"We do not need a new Anti-Terror Law" the phone messages are to say. "There was no need for the old one either. The Penal Code already brings excessive punishment. The new draft is full of traps that will see everyone and every opinion as criminal. This law will not stop terror but will incite it. Renounce it".

SMS messages to the 550 elected deputies of parliament are part of the campaign target depending on finding 55 volunteers from various cities who will send 10 SMS messages each to different members of parliament. These brief messages are to say "Renounce this Draft".

Participants have also been invited to send separate SMS messages targeting members of the Commission who will be debating the draft with details of their phone numbers published at various sites,

16 of the Commission members are from the ruling Justice and Development Party, 7 from the main opposition Republic Peoples Party (CHP) and 1 from the Motherland Party (ANAP). (EO/II/YE)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.