Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RIVISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN ÖZETi
Turkish Dairy News
:
J
Thursday May 4, 1995
Ya~ar Kemal, still faces jail threat
Minister halts
prosecutor's
Kemal probe
DGM: State Security
Court inquiry on famous
author to continue
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- Minister for Justice Mehmet
Mogultay, in a rare move on Wednesday, by
using the powers vested in him, halted a judicial
inquiry by the public prosecut?r on .the
famous author Y~ar Kemal over an mtervlew
he gave to the German Der Spi.egel on
Turkey's Kurdish problem.
The inquiry opened by the prosecutor of the
State Security Court (DGM) against Kemal
will, however, continue and, while
there was no clarification of the
matter, it is thought this is because
the justice minister has no powers
over the State Security Court.
The inquiries on Kemal were
opened because of allegations that
he had promoted separatism with
his remarks to Der Spiegel when
responding to questions concerning
Kurds in Turkey.
Mo~ultay, a deputy from junior
coalitIon partner the Republican
People's Party (CHP), which is currently
locked in a deep debate with
senior coalition partner the True
Path Party (DYP) on the issue of
freedom of expression, cancelled
the permission given by his ministry
for the inquiry by the public
prosecutor in Istanbul.
As the reason for his decision,
Mogultay cited the heavy penalty
that will be sought by the Istanbul
State Security Court if Kemal is
charged under Article 8 of the Anti-
Terrorism Law.
Mo#,ultay said that the penalty
that wlll be sought under Article
159 of the penal code if the public
prosecutor decides to charge Kemal
IS much lighter than what would be
sought by the State Security
Court.
Thus this is not a situation where
the public interest will be served,
Mogultay is said to have indicated
when issuing his order to close the
file on Kemal. Under these circumstances
Kemal will not face the
prospect of facing charges of
"demeaning the state by means of
the press" but still faces the
prospect of being charged under the
currently much talked of Article 8
?f the law on combatting terror-
Ism.
In other words, Ya~ar Kemal still
stands a chance of facing trial for
allegedly "disseminating propaganda
on behalf of terrorism."
US State Dept. believes Iraqi
leader' Saddam Hussein will
be in power for another year
By Ugur Alanel
Turkish Daily News
W ASHINGTON- A once-classified letter
sent by Wendy R. Sherman, U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative
Affairs, to Sen. Arlen Specter (Republican),
chairman
Committee
of the U.S.
on Intelligence
Senate
reveals
Select
that the
State Department's intelli~ence analysts do
not believe Saddam Hussem is about to fall
from power soon - contrary to what has
been maintained in public so far by quite a
few top officials of the State Department.
An unclassified copy of the March 10,
1995 letter that TDN has obtained says
"despite indications that Saddam Hussein is
increasinsly concerned about the internal
situation m Iraq, he is likely to retain power
for another year. One of the perverse
strengths of Saddam' s regime is that he has
involved many supporters in his numerous
crimes against the Iraqi people. These individuals
and 'groups fear for their lives and
futures if he were to disappear from the
scene; they have a strong stake in his survival."
Sherman complained to Sen. Specter that
"there is no question that Kurdish infighting
undercuts international efforts to maintain a
safe haven for the Kurds and other ethnic
and religious groups in northern Iraq."
Yet Sherman also pointed out a problem
that lies in the way of the autonomy aspirations
of the KurdIsh factions: ''Turkey and
Iran will continue to oppose Iragi Kurd
efforts to gain autonomy, prefernng that
they should accept a return to control from .
Baghdad.
After noting that "a new regime in
Baghdad and the Kurds could reach out to
one another in order to reestablish security
throughout Iraq," Sherman also remarked
that "at the same time, the Kurds have had
their differences with every regime in
Baghdad since the monarchy was overthrown
in 1958."
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