NEWS - Bianet

NEWS

Page 337

Leftist Parties View on EU Report on Turkey

Gur from DEHAP, Tuzel from EMEP, Kozanoglu from ODP and Kocali from SDP talked about their views on the EU, and commented on the EU progress report on Turkey. They argued that the report was inadequate in reflecting shortcomings in democratic rights.

19 October 2004 Özge Gözke

Rights Violations Should be Investigated

TIHV and IHD chairs argued that prime minister is not being democratic in his messages toward human rights organizations, and in his speech at the EC. They said its wrong to make a connection between voicing human rights violations and terrorism.

18 October 2004

Ozgür Der: Commission Report is Hypocritical

Ozgur Der argued that the European Commissions progress report on Turkey only focused on the problems faced by the non-Muslims and the non-Sunni in practicing their beliefs, but completely ignored the problems of the Sunnites.

15 October 2004

Military Steps Back, Yet Media Bans Contiue

Military control over RTUK ceases, yet radio broadcast bans continue says the report BİA² media monitoring report. 11 cases against 13 journalists have continueed; 6 journalists have been detained during July-September period.

15 October 2004 Erol Önderoğlu

IPA Calls for Amendment to Penal Code

International Publishers Association sent a letter to the Presidency of the EU and the Commission seeking their assistance in calling upon the Turkish Authorities to abandon the Armenian Genocide, a measure jeopardizing freedom of expression.

Silent Fight Against Weapons

On the Personal Disarmament day, the Hope Foundation commemorates 3,000 people who die every year in Turkey through personal weapons. Gezer from the Foundation said owning weapons can only be prevented through peaceful solutions to problems.

6 October 2004 Özge Gözke

Erdogan: Different Beliefs Freely Practiced

When one of the parliamentarians said that today was an historic day for Turkey and Europe, Prime Minister Erdogan said, yes, it is. We hope that our expectations will be met.

Commission Signals Green Light for Turkey

European Commission today recommens start accession negotiations with Turkey.provided that certain key legislation which is in preparation enters into force. The Commission report will be finally decided by the European Union Summit in December.

Commissions Assessments Generally Balanced

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said, We find the Commissions assessment and analysis generally balanced.

30 of 35 Demands by Women Were Accepted

Sexual crimes are listed under crimes against individuals; the notion of honor is removed from the TCK; partner rape is considered punishable; domestic violence is defined as torture; the article on women marrying their rapists is removed.

30 September 2004 Burçin Belge

The Faster The Better!

EU experts think that the meeting between Prime Minister Erdogan and EU Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen was positive. Dr. Kaleagasi and Dr. Aktar believe that the government first created an unnecessary controversy, and then cleaned up the mess.

29 September 2004 Burçin Belge

15 Thousand Girls Dont Go to School

While the Come On Girls, to School campaign is continuing, two sisters in the Gazlikuyu village are still working in cotton fields. The girls could not talk to the reporter since they cannot speak Turkish.

29 September 2004 Gül San

Mayor: Everyting is For the Citizens Comfort

Mayor Yilmaz made a press statement and denied the morality guard reports in the media. He argued that the incident was a ploy. Cakir, who reported the incident said the implementation has been going on for months and said he is behind his news story

29 September 2004

Anti-Democratic Articles in the New TCK

Turkish Parliament finally adopted the controversial reform of the Turkish penal code. Although applauded exaggeratedly by Verheugen and some EU leaders because of absence of the mention of adultery, the new TCK is full of many anti-democratic articles.

27 September 2004

Cicek: No article of TCK restricts freedoms

Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that any article of the Turkish Penal Code could not be interpreted as restricting rights or freedoms.

27 September 2004

400 Activists Gather for New Tactcis

Activists from across the globe gather in Ankara in the New Tactics in Human Rights International Symposium. At least 400 representatives from a wide array of organizations will discuss new approaches to further human rights situation in the world.

24 September 2004

Adultery Break to Revolution on TCK

AKP tried to include the adultery crime in the code with a formula of sexual disloyalty, risking the agreement with CHP. The initiative failed with the staking of CHP saying, If you do that, we will desert Parliament. Then, TCK Draft was withdrown.

17 September 2004

The draft TCK is Withdrawn

TCK draft can be reconsidered after new Justice Commisson members are elected, said Justice & Development Party deputy leader Firat.

17 September 2004

Turkish and Greek Artists Exhibit in Istanbul

An exhibition of Turk and Greek Modern artists called Greece-Turkey Meeting Point: Modern Art, will open on October 17th at the Istanbul Aya Irini Museum.

17 September 2004

AKP is Seeking Support From Conservatives

AKP wants to make adultery a crime to get the support of its conservative voters, said Prof. Narli, who spoke about the debate on making adultery a crime in the TCK. Anatolian women did not use to complain about their husbands who had two wives.

14 September 2004

AKPs About Turn on Adultery

Parliament is discussing the Turkish Penal Law (TCK) motion. The last-minute summit between CHP leader Baykal and Deputy PM Gul produced a compromise of AKP not to launch the adultery motion to Parliament.

14 September 2004

Turkey Should Be Welcomed in The EU

An independent Commission comprising of prominent European politicians such as Martti Ahtisaari former Finland president and former EU commissioner Hans van den Broek concludes that Turkey is eligible for EU membership negotiations.

8 September 2004

Government Urges for Penalty on Adultery

The Turkish government has announced that it is determined to restore soon adultery like an offence liable to a prison sentence in spite of the reactions of the secular circles and the European Union.

6 September 2004

Kurdish Villagers Still Far From Home

GOC-DER and TOHAV said the title of the law on Compensating for Losses Arising from Terrorism and Anti-Terrorism Operations, is problematic. They said the village guards may be an obstacle in the villagers return.

1 September 2004 Yıldız Samer

Teachers Want the Mentality to Change

Egitim-Sen presented their report titled, The Structural Problems of Our Education System and Proposals to Solve the Problem, to the Education Minister. 1 million children do not go to school. The classrooms are overcrowded.

1 September 2004 Özge Gözke

Bring The Junta to Justice

The Seventy-eighters Initiative urges for prosecution of the leaders of the 1980 military coup. Labor unions, political parties and professional chambers join in a rally, Bring Them to Justice, on the 24th year of the military take over.

Change of Mentality on August 30

The Turkish Armed Forces implemented a series of changes at the August 30 Victory Day celebrations, launching civilianization. In this years celebrations, a complete civilian mentality revolution was observed.

Adultery War Between AKP and CHP

Justice and Development Party AKP called on Parliament for an extraordinary session on September 14, to tackle the Penal Law motion. The party also called on for the replacement of 5-6 provisions in the original motion, including the ones on adultery.

Ankara Has Busy Diplomacy Traffic inSeptember

Ankara will have a busy diplomacy traffic in September, diplomatic sources said on Thursday. Sources said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who would come to Turkey next week, would be the first Russian leader visiting Turkey in the last 32 years.

MIT and Mafia Must Be Disconnected

Deniz Baykal, the Chairman of the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) said that The National Intelligence Agency (MIT) should be totally disconnected from the underground and Mafia.

Women Are Against Virginity Tests

The Supreme Court of Appeals overturned a decision about a defendant who confessed to raping 12 girls, all under the age of 15. The court ordered the girls to take virginity tests. Women want the TCK amended to abolish virginity tests.

26 August 2004 Burçin Belge

Erdogan: It is an Issue Irrelevant to Us

Prime Minister Erdogan made a comment to the criticisms that the government kept silent at the crisis concerning the High Appeals Court-MIT Cakici triangle: There is no event requiring us to be the intervene. Why should we be a party?