RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

Page 261

Return Poisoned for Hostage Soldiers

Return Poisoned for Hostage Soldiers

Taken hostage on 21 October 2007 by the PKK, released on 4 November and then arrested on their return to Turkey, the eight soldiers are facing heavy sentences.

7 January 2008 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Dink Murder Suspect Was Over 19, Says Forensic Report

O.S., the young man suspected of shooting Hrant Dink, was 19 years old biologically at the time of the crime, says a Forensic Medicine report, issued after the court decision to ewnd the controversy regarding the suspect's age.

6 January 2008 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Parliamentary Investigation Finds No Further Evidence in Dink Murder Case

Agirbas of the Parliamentarian Human Rights Investigating Commission says that nothing new has come out of the commission's investigations so far.

6 January 2008 Gökçe Gündüç

Turks Need Peace Journalism, Kurds Too...

If Turks could criticise Turks, and Kurds could criticise Kurds, this would be a good distribution of roles. An independent Kurdish media must be as critical as I am of the Turkish mainstream media.

4 January 2008 Roni Yıldırım

Roma Call for Support Against Destruction of Neighbourhood

The Roma of Sulukule have called on the public to protest against the destruction of their neighbourhood to mayors, the President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

4 January 2008 Emine Özcan

Deadly Blast in Diyarbakir Kills 5, Wounds 67

Deadly Blast in Diyarbakir Kills 5, Wounds 67

The explosion of a car in Diyarbakir Thursday evening causes the lives of 5, including school children. 67 people reported wounded, 3 of whom seriously.

4 January 2008 Emine Özcan

General Staff: 436 People Killed in Clashes in 2007

According to General Staff data, 312 PKK militants, 114 soldiers and 10 village guards died in 2007.

3 January 2008 Tolga Korkut

Kurdish Issue: A New Concept Based on Class Divisions

The USA has finally made its choice for Turkey and against the Kurds. Whether the Kurds on the two sides like it or not, US-Turkey relations are being pulled in that direction.

3 January 2008 Roni Yıldırım

"Cross-Border Operations Damage Turkey's Economy"

"Cross-Border Operations Damage Turkey's Economy"

Acar of the Erbil Businesspeople's Association says: "Violence is affecting economic relations, this is to Turkey's detriment. There are people on both sides feeding from violence."

3 January 2008 Erhan Üstündağ

Peace Parliament: Solve Kurdish Question in 2008

The Peace Parliament called on the government to allow different identities to develop: “The Kurdish question should be solved within Turkey, not across the borders.”

1 January 2008 Gökçe Gündüç

Foundation Investigates Human Rights in School Books

The History Foundation is aiming to scan the books prepared for the new curriculum in a repetition of its 2002-2004 "Human Rights in School Books" project.

28 December 2007 Gökçe Gündüç

Unpublished Nazim Hikmet Poem Found

A previously unpublished poem by Nazim Hikmet was discovered in his wife's collection and published by the Sözcükler magazine.

28 December 2007

Activist Keskin's Case Awaits 301 Changes

The court hearing the case of human rights activist Eren Keskin has decided to wait for the announced changes in Article 301.

26 December 2007 Tolga Korkut

General Staff Confirmed Another Air Operation

The General Staff announced that it bombed the Zap region in Northern Iraq on Wednesday morning.

26 December 2007 Tolga Korkut

One Month Closure Penalty for Yürüyüs Magazine

The Yürüyüs magazine featured Kevser Mizrak, who was killed by police in a raid on her home, on its cover. It has been punished with a one-month closure.

26 December 2007 Emine Özcan

Remembering the Maras Massacre in 1978

Remembering the Maras Massacre in 1978

According to official numbers, 111 people, mostly Alevis, died in the Maras Massacre from 19 to 25 December 1978. The ÖDP has called on Turkey to face up to its history.

26 December 2007 Emine Özcan

Claims of Fourth Operation in Northern Iraq

Based on reports by the Reuters News Agency, Turkish news websites have stated that the Turkish Armed Forces carried out a fourth operation in Northern Iraq.

26 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Changes in 301 Presented to Cabinet within 15 Days

Minister of Justice Sahin has said that changes in the controversial Article 301 will be presented to the cabinet within 15 days.

26 December 2007 Tolga Korkut

The Bombings as Seen from Hakkari

The Bombings as Seen from Hakkari

People in Cukurca, the district of Hakkari closest to the Iraqi border, have lived with the sound of bombings for years. They ask for investment in the area rather than operations.

26 December 2007 Erkan Çapraz,Erkan Çapraz

"Army and AKP Rely on 'Muslim Brotherhood' in Kurdish Question"

However much the upper echelons of the army may dislike the AKP because of the headscarf and its religious discourses, they are willing to cooperate with the party as long as it does not threaten their territory.

25 December 2007

Why is There No "Return Home"?

The lack of success of legislation to allow for the return home of PKK members is not due to lack of information. Rather, legislation has been faulty.

25 December 2007 Hüseyin Aygün

Bush and Erdogan Satisfied, Talabani Guarded, Barzani Angry

Bush and Erdogan Satisfied, Talabani Guarded, Barzani Angry

Erdogan and Bush have agreed on continuing to share intelligence in the fight against terrorism. Barzani condemned the operations, while Talabani's complaint was more muted.

25 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Peace Education at Bosphorus University

The Bosphorus University has opened a new Centre for Peace Education Practice and Research. Centre manager Prof. Dr. Erkman said the media played an important role in creating peace.

24 December 2007 Kudret Deneme

Another Operation in Northern Iraq

Another Operation in Northern Iraq

The General Staff announced that it hit further PKK targets in Northern Iraq on Saturday and that"similar operations would continue within the country and across the borders independently of the terrain and the weather."

24 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

General Staff Confirms Ground Operations

The General Staff has confirmed that ground units carried out a small operation on the Turkey-Iraq border in the night from 17 to 18 December.

19 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Operations: 20 Million Dollars and 1,800 Displaced People

Operations: 20 Million Dollars and 1,800 Displaced People

The Hürriyet newspaper estimates that the four-hour operation cost Turkey around 20 million dollars. The UNHCR reports that around 1,800 people have been displaced as a result of the operations.

19 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü,A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

DTP Chair Demirtas Arrested by Military Court

Nurettin Demirtas, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish DTP, was arrested at the airport in Ankara on his return from Germany. The DTP has condemned the arrest.

19 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Invigorating Rotation at bianet

Invigorating Rotation at bianet

As an experiment in democratisation, our staff are rotating duties. This also means that new areas of expertise are explored.

19 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Ergil: Operations "Necessary" But Not On Their Own

According to Prof. Dr. Ergil, the PKK will be weakened, but not destroyed by the attacks. A more comprehensive package addressing the Kurdish question is necessary.

18 December 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Another Attack on a Priest

In the last two years, there have been three murder cases of Christians in Turkey. Now a priest in Izmir has been wounded by a young man.

18 December 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Opposition to Operations

Opposition to Operations

The European Peace Parliament, the Human Rights Association and the Labour Party have protested against cross-border operations: "Violence has not solved anything up to now."

18 December 2007 Emine Özcan

Writer Magden Receives Suspended Prison Sentence

Writer Perihan Magden has been given a one year and two month suspended prison sentence for reporting on what people said about the then district governor (kaymakam) Aytac Akgül in Yüksekova, in the southeastern province of Hakkari.

16 December 2007 Erol Önderoğlu