NEWS - Bianet

NEWS

Page 313

AI Says Time for Equality

Quoting recent highlights of cases where womens basic rights are violated from around world, Amnesty International called for the end of violence against women and the end of discriminatory laws at the 98th anniversary of International Womens Day.

HRW Urges Action from UN Human Rights Body

The Human Rights Council, which replaced the much-criticized UN Commission on Human Rights last year has begun its 4th session. HRW released a brief profiling serious human rights situations in 26 countries and urged the Council to tackle them.

Turkeys Roma People Advocate for Rights

Improving the Rights of Roma People in Turkey, a project co-organized by hYd, EDROM and ERRC reveals the apalling conditions of Roma people as well as providing an insight into the pluralist Roma society and their struggle for rights.

12 March 2007 Tolga Korkut

Court Bans pro-Kurdish Newspaper

An Istanbul court temporarily banned the publication of pro-Kurdish daily Ülkede Özgür Gündem for a month following news that the ex-guerilla leader Abdullah Öcalan is being poisoned in prison. The government denied such allegations.

12 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

YouTube Block Lifted After Three Days

The ban on reaching YouTubes website from the country, imposed by a Turkish court order regarding a video alleged to insult the republics founder on Wednesday has been lifted. The ban caused controversy around the world regarding freedoms.

Women Marched Against Patriarchy

A thousand women marched through the busiest avenue in Istanbul to voice their reaction and objection to the male-dominated society and their solidarity with all women, exploited or subjected to violence. March 8 celebrations continue.

9 March 2007 Ayça Örer,Emine Özcan

Perinçek Fined Over Genocide Remarks

Nationalist Turkish political party leader Doğu Perinçek has been given a suspended sentenced and fined by a Swiss court in the case where he was tried for his remarks which labelled the Armenian genocide claims as a international lie.

Pro-Kurdish Party Harassed

Pro-Kurdish DTP leader Ahmet Türk has been condemned to six months in prison for referring ex-guerilla leader Öcalan in a respectable manner. Three other local party administrators have been arrested for making propaganda of the terrorist organization.

8 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Political Parties Lack Gender Awareness

Political parties in Turkey have different approaches to womens issues and the general elections later this year would be a testing ground for their sincerety. Several parties have introoduced quotas to increase womens representation in politics.

8 March 2007 Ayça Örer

ECHR Rules on Right to Free Assembly

On 12 peoples application to the court, ECHR rules that use of tear gas and strong intervention of police to disperse the protesters against the maximum security F-type facilities didnt constitute a violation of the right to free assembly.

Disclosed Army Secret Report Classifies Media

Weekly Nokta discloses an internal army report which classifies media outlets as trustworthy or precarious and bases the General Staffs accreditation process accordingly. 53-page report evaluates individual journalists as pro-army or not.

Workers Union Offices Attacked

Unidentified aggressors attacked and burned down the offices of leftist Education and Science Workers Unions Sakarya branch. Protesting the incident, Antalya branch chair Zeybek urged the authorities to catch and bring the aggressors to justice.

6 March 2007 Hüseyin Ülker

Hrant Dink Commemorated

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was gunned down on January 19 has been commemorated on the 40th day of his death. Hundreds attended the ceremony. Patriarch Mesrob II urged the authorities to find those behind the killing.

6 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Union Leader Killer Acquitted After 26 Years

Ünal Osmaoğlu, nationalist gunman and suspected killer of ex-leader of DİSK Kemal Türkler, has been acquitted once again on insufficient evidence. Caught 19 years after the incident, he stays in jail for other killings during 70s.

Womens Day Celebrations Begin on Streets

Thousands of women took to the streets this weekend to voice their demands as celebrations for March 8, Womens Day begin. From honor killings, sexual harassment and violence to gender discrimination at work, women chanted for another world.

5 March 2007 Ayça Örer,Emine Özcan

Government Parry the Fight Against Torture

Responding to a parliamentary motion, Minister of Justice said that the government doesnt have a dateline for ratifying the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture. TİHV cticizes the response, urging for independent monitoring bodies

5 March 2007 Tolga Korkut

Police Harasse Journalist and Complain

Local journalist Emin Bal faces a trial on deprecating police officers, who he claims have harassed him while under custody. They offered me to serve as a police agent and when I rejected, they retailated in this manner, Bal claims. Case continues.

5 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

State Secrets or a New Base for Censorship?

Journalists organizations criticize the new draft legislation on States secret information as a new tool for oppression on journalists and freedom of expression in general. The draft leaves the control to decide whats secret or not to the government.

5 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Health Workers Take to the Streets

Four organizations gathering doctors, dentists, health services workers and pharmacists together have begun a series of street protests to condemn governments policies to further commercialize the system. Protests will continue throughout March.

2 March 2007 Emine Özcan

Girl Dies of Neglience in Road Construction

A five-year-old girl had dropped and drowned in the manhole in Sirinevler district, which has been left nearly open during road construction. Metropolitan Municipality blamed the contractor company but experts says its their responsibility to inspect.

2 March 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

IHD Report 2006: Flashback in Human Rights

Turkeys Human Rights Association discloses its 2006 report, which files 972 cases related to the violation of the right to life and 3 472 cases resulted in injuries. State of human rights detoriated in the country last year, says İHD chir Alataş

28 February 2007 Tolga Korkut

Kurdish Politicians Sentenced to Imprisonment

A court ruling sentenced pro-Kurdish DTP co-chairs Tuğluk and Türk to imprisonment. Another attempt to block DTP from functioning, says DTP vice president Kaplan. Government turns a blind eye to peace in the Kurdish problem, socialist party leaders agree

28 February 2007 Tolga Korkut

Cindy Sheehan Attends Anti-War Meeting

Iconic voice of the opposition in the US to Bush administrations occupation of Iraq, Sheehan urges everybody to take to the streets on March 17 Global Day of Action. We need millions of people she said.

27 February 2007 Tolga Korkut

Letter From an F-Type Facility

I will tell you a day in the so-called F-type maximum security prisons. Just as I am writing this letter we heard that the Ministry of Justice has just issued a declaration about the F-type. To tell the truth, I think nothing will change.

27 February 2007 Sami Dundar

Killing In the Name Of....

No need to be afraid of living without an identity. As individuals were, we dont need to hold on to our identities. They only bring pain and sadness. Get rid of your identities of all sorts and unite under the roof of humanity.

27 February 2007 Ebru Tutu

Students Disciplined at Universities

University administrations collaborate with public prosecutors to oppress dissident students by constant inquisitions and disciplinary penalties, says Eliaçık from the new Students Union Initiative. Recently,33 students sentenced to 3,9 years in Edirne.

27 February 2007 Emine Özcan

Conference on Facing the Past

A conference titled Facing the Past organized by Heinrich Böll Stiftung Turkey branch will bring together academics, activists and experts from Turkey and around the world in Istanbul, between February 24-25 to share experiences.

22 February 2007

Religious Leaders Promote Peace in Cyprus

Religious representatives from Turkish northern and Greek southern Cyprus met for the first time with the initiative of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. They agreed to work together towards a climate of peace on the divided island.

22 February 2007

ECHR Condemns Turkey on Journalists Cases

ECHR condemned Turkey on three accounts involving the right to a fair hearing and to liberty and security. Mustafa Benli, editor and propriator of three political magazines had been imprisoned for being a member to an illegal organization by DGM in 1999.

22 February 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Cultural Diversity and Heritage at Stake

UNESCO says half of the worlds 6 000 languages are to die out. Expressing the importance of mother language Its the medium for learning respect for oneself, ones history and ones culture and for others and their differences said Mr. Matsuura.

21 February 2007

US Condemned for Groundless Extradition

Assoc. Prof. Haluk Gerger received 2, 63 dollars with interest from the US embassy in Ankara, in consequence of his and his wifes extradition despite having valid 10-year visas during a visit to New york in 2002.

21 February 2007

Woman Judge Attacked at Court

A woman judge has been attacked at the Court of Justice by relatives of a culprit whose demand for acquittal was turned down. Such attacks are a result of the male-dominant mentality and lack of political will to combat violence againts women, Arın said.

21 February 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü