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 Probe May 5,1995
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Human Bights Diary
Minister halts inquiry on Kemal- The Minister for
Justice Mehmet Mogultay, in a rare move on May 3, by
using powers vested in him, halted a judicial inquiry by the
public prosecutor into the famous author Ya~ar Kemal over an
interview he gave to the. German Der Spiegel on Turkey's Kurdish
problem. The inquiry opened by the prosecutor of the State Security
Court against Kemal will, however, continue and, while there was no clarification
on the matter, it is thought that Mogultay took the action because the
justice minister has no powers over the DGM. The inquiries against Kemal were
opened on allegations that he had promoted separatism with his remarks to Der
Spiegel when responding to questions concerning Kurds in Turkey. Mogultay, a deputy
from the junior coalition partner the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), which is currently
locked in a deep debate with the 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 steep penalty that will be
sought by the Istanbul State Security Court if Kemal is charged under Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
Mogultay saidthat the penalty that will besought under Article 159 of the penal code if the public prosecutor
decides to charge Kemal is much less than what would be sought by the State Security Court. But the public
prosecutor's penalty would nonetheless be added to a potentially heavy DGM sentence if both inquiries were
to continue. Mogultay reportedly indicated that the public interest will not be served under such circumstances
and issued his order to halt the inquiry against Kemal. (Turkish Daily News, May 4)
Family says missing Journalist held by PKK- Ferit Demir, the only local reporter in Tunceli, is thought to
have been abducted by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), local sources told the TON on May 2.
Demir had been covering clashes in Tunceli between Turkish security forces and the PKK for a number of
news and TV networks as well as for the Reuters agency. He went missing on Sunday and members of his
family are claiming that he was abducted by the PKK. Local security officials have disclaimed any knowledge
of Demir's disappearance and have also said that they have not detained anyone with that name. The PKK
last week released two Turkish journalists, one working for the French AFP and the other for Reuters, after
having abducted them some weeks ago in southeast Anatolia shortly after Turkey launched a massive anti-
PKK cross-border operation in northern Iraq on March 20. (Turkish Daily News, May 2)
Lawyers for DEP file appeal- Lawyers for the banned pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) presented on
April 2B a detailed 1DB-page appeal to the Appeals Court. According to the DEP appeal, the trial process of
DEP deputies Ahmet Türk, Hatip Dicle, Leyla Zana, Orhan Dagan, Selim Sadak, Sim Saklk and independent
Mahmut Ahnak, was unjust and the imprisoned deputies should be released. DEP was closed down by the
Constitutional Court in June 1994 and the deputies' memberships in the Turkish Parliament were revoked.
Seven DEP deputies were then imprisoned, but six others fled to Europe to avoid prosecution. Pro-Kurdish
but independent deputy Mahmut Alinak's parliamentary immunity was also lifted at the demand of the state
prosecutor and he was tried with the DEP deputies. The DEP members and Ahnak were sentenced to
between three and 15 years of imprisonment. (Turkish Daily News, May 1)
Journalists testify at court- Five journalists out of the 1,080 people who signed and republished the book
"Freedom of Thought" which had been confiscated and outlawed by the state testified at the Istanbul State
Security Court on April 28 following their self-accusation and surrender, the Anatolia news agency reported.
The decision takenwas that the 1,080 people may be presented with a lawsuit for "publishing banned books"
according to Article 1B2 of the Turkish Penal Law. The prison terms they might receive vary between two
and six years. (Turkish Daily News, April29)
Missing HADEP executive found dead- Hüseyin Koku, HADEP chairman in the
Southeastern town of Elbistan, was found dead in the nearby town of Poturge, in Malatya
province on April 28. He had been missing since Oct. 20, 1994. The office of the local
prosecutor ordered that Koku's body be taken to a local coroner for an autopsy.
Sources told the TON that when the body was found, identification was only possible
through an electricity bill bearing Koku's name and address that was found
in his pocket. Reports allege that Koku was taken into custody last October
while shopping with his wife in Elbistan by two men in civilian clothing
who were driving a white Renault car. They were carrying radios
and introduced themselves as undercover police officers and
requested that he accompany them to give testimony at the
police station. Koku told his wife to go home and said he
would join her later, but never did. (April29, Turkish
Daily News)
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