RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

Page 179

An Arrested Student Without an Arresting Story

An Arrested Student Without an Arresting Story

Law enforcement officials arrested college student Ezgi Özgün on the same day and for the same reasons as Sevil Sevimli, a French-Turkish student who had arrived in Turkey as part of the Erasmus exchange program. While authorities released Sevimli, however, Özgün still remains behind bars. “Is justice not blind?” she asks.

23 August 2012 Ayça Söylemez

Scores of Militants, Troops Die in Clashes in Hakkari

Scores of Militants, Troops Die in Clashes in Hakkari

Two specialist sergeants died and one soldier was injured after members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) detonated a roadside bomb in the southeastern province of Hakkari. Another troop and 15 PKK militants also lost their lives during a military operation in the area.

PKK Releases Opposition Deputy Hüseyin Aygün

PKK Releases Opposition Deputy Hüseyin Aygün

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) released Hüseyin Aygün, a deputy of the main opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) who was kidnapped on Sunday.

PKK Kidnaps Opposition Deputy Hüseyin Aygün

PKK Kidnaps Opposition Deputy Hüseyin Aygün

Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) kidnapped Hüseyin Aygün, a deputy of the main opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP,) in the southeastern province of Tunceli (Dersim) on Sunday, sparking fierce criticism from nearly all quarters.

13 August 2012 Nilay Vardar

Displaced Villagers Unwilling to Return for Fear of More Clashes

Displaced Villagers Unwilling to Return for Fear of More Clashes

The Governor’s Office in the southeastern province of Hakkari announced the end of some of the most fierce clashes in recent times between government forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK,) but villagers displaced by the conflict are unwilling to return back to their homes for fear of more violence to come.

Education Reform Bill to Introduce Caucasian Language Courses

Education Reform Bill to Introduce Caucasian Language Courses

The new education reform bill is set to introduce elective Adygea and Abkhazian courses, but the conditions required to open classes make it nearly impossible to teach the two Caucasian languages in schools, according to Vacit Kadıoğlu, the head of the Caucasus Associations Federation (KAFFED.)

12 August 2012 Nilay Vardar

“May Peace Reign and Life Return to Normalcy”

“May Peace Reign and Life Return to Normalcy”

As intense fighting between government forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continue unabated in the southeastern province of Hakkari, bianet reporter Nilay Vardar has travelled to the heart of the conflict zone to relate the developments there which mainstream media has given only superficial coverage to.

9 August 2012 Nilay Vardar

A Name That Lives On With A War That Never Yields

A Name That Lives On With A War That Never Yields

As intense fighting between government forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continue unabated in the southeastern province of Hakkari, bianet reporter Nilay Vardar has travelled to the heart of the conflict zone to relate the developments there which mainstream media has given only superficial coverage to.

8 August 2012 Nilay Vardar

Time of Honey and Vine Harvest Gone Sour in Şemdinli

Time of Honey and Vine Harvest Gone Sour in Şemdinli

As intense fighting between government forces and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continue unabated in the southeastern province of Hakkari, bianet reporter Nilay Vardar has travelled to the heart of the conflict zone to relate the developments there which mainstream media has largely ignored.

8 August 2012 Nilay Vardar

Kurdish Journalist Released in Wake of Judicial Reform

Kurdish Journalist Released in Wake of Judicial Reform

A court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır ruled to release Ozan Kılınç, the former chief editor of the Kurdish daily Azadiya Welat, in compliance with new amendments that came into force following the ratification of the Third Judicial Reform Package in early July.

7 August 2012 Çiçek Tahaoğlu

Different Prosecutor, Same Demands in Torture Trial

Different Prosecutor, Same Demands in Torture Trial

The prosecutor in the trial on Engin Çeber, a journalist tortured to death under police custody in 2008, requested aggravated life imprisonment for two arrested suspects as in the first trial and the release of two other defendants. The court rejected the latter demand.

6 August 2012 Ayça Söylemez

Prosecutor Confirms Villagers Could Be Discerned in UAV Footages

Prosecutor Confirms Villagers Could Be Discerned in UAV Footages

The Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the villagers who died in last year’s Roboski massacre were clearly discernable in footages obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV.) 34 villagers had lost their lives in the deadly air strike that took place in the southeastern province of Şırnak.

Georgians Demand Education in Their Mother Tounge

Georgians Demand Education in Their Mother Tounge

The Turkish Georgians Platform (TGP) issued a press release demanding Georgians’ right to education in their mother language as well as constitutional guarantees for all native languages spoken in Turkey.

2 August 2012 Samet Akten

A Single Person Arrested in Mob Attack Against Alevi-Kurdish Family

A Single Person Arrested in Mob Attack Against Alevi-Kurdish Family

Officials arrested the traditional Ramadan drummer as part of their investigation into the attack against an Alevi-Kurdish family in the eastern province of Malatya. Opposition deputies who arrived in the province also castigated the authorities for their inadequate response to the incident.

Court Relieves Kurdish Mayor of His Duties

Court Relieves Kurdish Mayor of His Duties

The Council of State ruled to dismiss Mayor Selim Sadak of the southeastern province of Siirt from his post following an appeal by the Ministry of Interior in relation to a 10 month long prison sentence he received on terrorism related charges.

Court Adjourns Selek Trial, Rejects Plea in Kurdish

Court Adjourns Selek Trial, Rejects Plea in Kurdish

An Istanbul court ruled to adjourn the case of sociologist and writer Pınar Selek, who has gone through a grueling 14 year long trial in connection with a blast in Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar in 1998, despite three verdicts of acquittal in her favor. The court also denied suspect Maşallah Yağan the right to plea in Kurdish.

1 August 2012 Samet Akten

European Court of Human Rights Convicts Turkey of Torture

European Court of Human Rights Convicts Turkey of Torture

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) sentenced Turkey to pay a fine in the amount of 45,000 euros in respect of non-pecuniary damages to Tamer Taylan, a casino operator who was tortured by the police in 2000.

Aerial Bombing Forcing Mass Exodus from Şemdinli, Mayor Warns

Aerial Bombing Forcing Mass Exodus from Şemdinli, Mayor Warns

Around 500 locals have abandoned their homes in the district of Şemdinli in the southeastern province of Hakkari due to the Turkish military’s ongoing aerial strikes in the area, according to District Mayor Sedat Töre.

31 July 2012 Ayça Söylemez

Turkey’s First Conscientious Objector Tayfun Gönül Passes Away

Turkey’s First Conscientious Objector Tayfun Gönül Passes Away

Turkey’s first conscientious objector to mandatory military service passed away at the age of 54 due to a heart attack on Monday night. A doctor by training, Tayfun Gönül had made critical contributions to the antimilitarist movement in Turkey, according to his friends.

31 July 2012 Ekin Karaca

“Human Rights Defenders in Need of Support”

“Human Rights Defenders in Need of Support”

Front Line Defenders (FLD) has launched a campaign called “Olympic Dreams” to draw attention to 15 human rights advocates around the world, including Osman İşçi who remains under arrest in connection with the ongoing Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK.)

Journalist Ahmet Şık Facing More Charges in Wake of His Release

Journalist Ahmet Şık Facing More Charges in Wake of His Release

An Istanbul court accepted the indictment against journalist Ahmet Şık in relation to a brief speech he delivered on March 12 immediately upon his exit from Silivri Prison where he had spent a year under arrest in connection with the OdaTV trial.

Attack on Kurdish Alevi Family Draws Protests, Condemnation

Attack on Kurdish Alevi Family Draws Protests, Condemnation

Mobs attacked a Kurdish Alevi family and torched their barn in the eastern province of Malatya over the weekend after family members argued with a traditional street drummer who wakes up the faithful for their pre-dawn ritual meal in the month of Ramadan. The incident has drawn condemnations and protests from various quarters.

30 July 2012 Ekin Karaca,Ahmet Saymadi

Police Defends Promotion of Staff Member Accused of Torture, Rape

Police Defends Promotion of Staff Member Accused of Torture, Rape

The Turkish Police Headquarters issued a public statement in defense of their controversial decision to promote Sedat Selim Ay, the newly appointed deputy director of the Istanbul Anti-Terror Police Department who had been convicted of charges of rape and torture.

30 July 2012 Ekin Karaca

Court Decides to Release Chief Editor of Kurdish Daily

Court Decides to Release Chief Editor of Kurdish Daily

A court ruled to release Vedat Kurşun, the chief editor of the Kurdish daily Azadiye Welat, in accordance with the Third Judicial Reform Package that came into force earlier this month. Officials jailed some 95 journalists in July, according to the BIA Media Monitoring Report.

Appeals Court Refuses to Recognize Alevi Houses of Worship

Appeals Court Refuses to Recognize Alevi Houses of Worship

Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals Wednesday ruled against a non-governmental organization (NGO) that builds “cem houses,” the traditional houses of worship for the country’s Alevi minority. Only mosques and masjids constitute proper houses of worship, the appeals court said in its verdict.

Press Freedom Day with 95 Journalists Behind Bars!

Press Freedom Day with 95 Journalists Behind Bars!

Turkish courts have sentenced 24 people, including six journalists, to a total of 91 years, nine months and 18 days in prison, as well as to pay 40,000 Turkish Liras in fines during the second quarter of 2012. They now stand among the ranks of some 95 journalists and 35 distributors who spent those three months behind bars.

25 July 2012 Emel Gülcan

Roboski Victims’ Relative Seeks Compensation After Four Detentions

Roboski Victims’ Relative Seeks Compensation After Four Detentions

Ferhat Encü filed a suit for 20,000 Turkish Liras in respect of non-pecuniary damages after police took him under custody four times over on the same charge. Encü, who lost 11 relatives in last year’s Roboski massacre, believes that it was his quest for justice that prompted officials to take action against him.

24 July 2012 Ayça Söylemez

Court Rules to Release Journalists, Citing Judicial Reform Package

Court Rules to Release Journalists, Citing Judicial Reform Package

An Ankara court ruled to release five journalists employed in Yürüyüş magazine on Friday, after they remained under arrest for one and a half years. The court cited in its verdict the amendments that came into force following the ratification of the Third Judicial Reform Package.

“Human Dignity Shall Prevail Over Torture”

“Human Dignity Shall Prevail Over Torture”

The Human Rights Association (IHD) celebrated its 26th anniversary with a press release in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square on Monday. “The only thing we believe we have succeeded in is the proliferation of the idea that human rights constitute a value and that any struggle is worth waging for it,” IHD member Ümit Efe said.

17 July 2012 Ece Zeren Aydınoğlu

Police Brutality Takes Hefty Toll in BDP’s Diyarbakır Rally

Police Brutality Takes Hefty Toll in BDP’s Diyarbakır Rally

The Human Rights Association (IHD) released a report concerning the rampant acts of violence committed by the police during the banned demonstrations organized by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) over the weekend in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Court Refuses to Release Suspect Lawyers in KCK Trial

Court Refuses to Release Suspect Lawyers in KCK Trial

The defendant lawyers in the second Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) trial in Istanbul requested a stay of proceedings and the release of the defendants. The court rejected all their demands in the suit where some 46 lawyers are currently facing terrorism related charges.

17 July 2012 Nilay Vardar

Court Rules to Release Prof. Büşra Ersanlı After 8.5 Months

Court Rules to Release Prof. Büşra Ersanlı After 8.5 Months

A court finally released eminent academic Prof. Büşra Ersanlı during the eighth hearing of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) trial in Istanbul along with 15 other suspects. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.