NEWS - Bianet

NEWS

Page 305

"Stop Screening Discriminatory Documentary to Pupils"

International Hrant Dink Foundation prepares to apply to court in order to avert Ministry of Education's directive on screening a controversial documentary on the Armenian issue.

19 February 2009

Kurds Protest Police Violence

Thousands marched in Diyarbakır and Batman, condemning police violence against protesters during meetings on the commemoration of PKK leader Ocalan's arrest. DTP co-chairs Turk and Ayna challange AKP to local elections.

19 February 2009

Judges, Prosecutors and Doctors to Receive Training in Documenting Torture

The Turkish Medical Association will first train a team of 250 trainers; they in turn will educate 5,500 lawyers and doctors who are not experts in forensic medicine.

19 February 2009 Tolga Korkut

Unemployment: Who is Standing in the Queues?

Unemployment: Who is Standing in the Queues?

Sebahattin became ill and was dismissed without compensation. Ayşe is trying to get through red tape to receive unemployment benefits. Adnan has found out that he will not receive benefits, as he has not paid enough contributions.

18 February 2009 Tolga Korkut,Bawer Çakır

"Ignoring Ocalan Won't Serve Peaceful Solution to Kurdish Issue"

"Government tries to undermine Ocalan's influence on Kurds" says peace activist Tahmaz. "Despite 10 years under arrest, Ocalan and the PKK are still determining factors in the equation to a peaceful solution."

17 February 2009 Emine Özcan

Official Figures Reveal Nearly 3 Million Unemployed

The Turkish Statistical Institute has announced the data of November 2008. Unemployment has risen among young people, and the total number of unemployed is nearly three million.

16 February 2009

“We Will Not Pay for The Crisis” Vow İstanbul Workers

“We Will Not Pay for The Crisis” Vow İstanbul Workers

Some 40,000 workers rally in Kadıköy, Istanbul, in the weekend to protest against paying the price for global capitalist crisis. There were clashes between members of the right-wing and left-wing metal workrs unions.

16 February 2009 Emine Özcan,Bawer Çakır

10 Years Since Ocalan's Arrest, Turkey Failed to Solve Kurdish Issue

PKK leader Ocalan was confiscated in Nairobi on February 15th, 1999. The state hoped that the PKK would dismantle without Ocalan but the Kurdish movement managed to reform itself, analyst Kalyon said.

12 February 2009 Bawer Çakır

DTP MP Akın Birdal Candidate for Greater Istanbul Mayor

MP Akın Birdal has become DTP’s candidate for mayor of Greater Istanbul in the upcoming local elections. Parties and organisations of the left have announced collaboration and their support for Birdal.

11 February 2009 Tolga Korkut

Birdal Joint Candidate for Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor

Following a long career as a rights activist and a socialist politician, Diyarbakır MP Birdal bids for mayor in upcoming local elections. Socialist parties and groups will support him as their joint candidate.

11 February 2009

Istanbul Independent Film Festival Starts

Around 70 films will be showing at Istanbul’s 8th Independent Film Festival from 12 to 22 February. The festival will then move on to Ankara.

11 February 2009 Bawer Çakır

“Municipality has 1,000 Buses, Disabled Can only Get on 10”

The Turkish Association of Disabled People has accused local authorities of token gestures towards the disabled rather than real service.

5 February 2009 Bawer Çakır

Oral History Workshops Draw Public Interest

A joint project by the Ottoman Bank Museum and Sabancı University was attended by 200 people. Assistant Professor Leyla Neyzi led the workshops.

5 February 2009

Architects Organise Symposium on Local Administration

In the run-up to the Turkish local elections in March, the Istanbul branch of the Chamber of Architects is discussing local administration at a symposium.

5 February 2009

Blind Urge Local Government to See The Disabled

Blind Urge Local Government to See The Disabled

The "Six Dots" Association for the Blind is calling on municipalities to finally start providing services for the blind, and disabled people in general. So far, they have been shirking their responsibilities.

5 February 2009 Bawer Çakır

MPs Least Interested in Meeting Local NGOs

Only 17 out of 237 MPs positively responded to invitations meeting NGOs in their electoral region, Seeking cooperation with the MPs the NGO initiative repeats the call. Next meeting is due February 28 in İzmir.

3 February 2009

"Saturday Mothers" Urge for Renewed Action for The Disappeared

"Saturday Mothers" Urge for Renewed Action for The Disappeared

The "Ergenekon" investigation probing into Turkey's "stay behind" operations, revokes public memory. Relatives of the "disappeared" people under police custody revive their successful campaign of the 90's to raise the issue.

2 February 2009 Emine Özcan

One Child Dead, His Friends in Prison – Justice?

Currently dozens of children around Turkey are in prison. They are being kept in unacceptable conditions and may face steep prison sentences.

30 January 2009 Erhan Üstündağ

A Chilling Account of JITEM Murders

Abdülkadir Aygan, a former PKK member who then worked for the clandestine JITEM gendarmerie organisation for nine years, now lives in Sweden. Taraf reporter Neşe Düzel talked to him there. This is the first part of the interview.

29 January 2009 Neşe Düzel

Actor’s Words Spark Debate on Cyprus 1974

An actor's confession of killing a Greek Cypriot prisoner of war during Turkish military intervention of 1974, a confession later retracted, sparks debate on the missing persons in Cyprus.

29 January 2009

Crisis Will Increase Child Labour

Crisis Will Increase Child Labour

An increase in poverty will lead to more children working. Children’s centres need to be improved to prevent children from working in the street and education support must be a priority.

28 January 2009 Ercüment Erbay

Man Paralysed by Police Bullet, Officer not Arrested

19-year-old Kırbaş has been paralysed by a police bullet. While a warrant for his arrest is still valid, the officer involved remains free. The court case continues.

25 January 2009 Emine Özcan

Ergenekon: New Arrests

Ergenekon: New Arrests

Operations in 16 provinces resulted in the arrest of 39 people, among them police and army officers, as well as a trade union leader and a researcher.

23 January 2009

Israel Bombs Hospital and UN Building

The UN General Secretary has condemned Israel and at least three of its workers have been wounded. Defence Minister Ehud Barak has admitted "a grave mistake." A hospital was also bombed.

16 January 2009

Human Rights Archive on the Internet

The Political Science Department of Ankara University has made its “Human Rights Centre Journal” (1991-1996), published in Turkish, and its “Revue des Droits de l’Homme/Human Rights Review”, published in French and English, available on the Internet.

13 January 2009

Call for Special Parliamentary Committee for Ergenekon

Call for Special Parliamentary Committee for Ergenekon

Following the statement of former special operations police officer Şahin, lawyer Tanrikulu has called for a special parliamentary committee, as “a prosecutor’s investigations are not enough to face up to Turkey’s past.”

13 January 2009 Tolga Korkut

Kurdish Question Key to Ergenekon Investigation

Kurdish Question Key to Ergenekon Investigation

The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) claims that the intricacies of the underground Ergenekon organisation can only be solved if the Kurdish Issue is reconsidered.

12 January 2009

Number One Suspect Of The Ergenekon Conspiracy Denies Unsolved Murders

Retired General Veli Küçük, number one suspect in the Ergenekon case, claims there were no unsolved murders at the place to which he was assigned while he was commissioned. He also claimed the discourse of JİTEM is an attack on the Armed Forces.

15 December 2008

“Revolutionary Headquarters" Assumes The AKP Explosion

The organization which calls itself “Revolutionary Headquarters” assumed the responsibility for the explosion at the Istanbul building of the Justice and Development Party that resulted in ten wounded.

2 December 2008

“Sexual Discrimination Will Not End Before Islam’s Perception Changed”

Hidayet Tuksal, representative of the Capitol City Women’s Platform, says, “The reason the social sexual discrimination does not end has to do with the fact that religious perspective is not improved.”

1 December 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Explosion In AKP’s Istanbul Building, 10 Wounded

There was an explosion in the Istanbul building of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), wounding ten people. The governor says it is likely that it was a fragment bomb.

1 December 2008

Italian and Turkish Students Defend Education Rights

On Friday at 10.30, about fifty Italian and Turkish students gathered in Istanbul to protest against Berlusconi’s government education reforms that will cut funds for school and universities favouring a process of privatization.

28 November 2008 Alberto Tetta