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

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RNISTA
STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN ÖZET;
Turkey has no free press,
says Freedom House
According to last year's survey, the
Turkish press was 'partly free'
Turkish Daily News worst possible score. .
WASHINGTON - A Freedom In terms of repressive actions
House survey of the press around (killings of journalists, self-centhe
world placed Turkey with the sorship, harassment, expulsion,
category of countries with no violence against journalists or
free press. Last year's survey facilities, etc.), Turkish broadclassified
Turkish press as "part- casting was rated Il and Turkish
ly free."
press a full 20, where 20 was the
The detailed report "The worst possible scare.
Press: Pressed and Oppressed," Turkey's total score of 73, out
writfen by Leonard R. Sussman,of a worst-possible of 100 put in
said Turkey fell from "partly the "not free" category, which
free" to "not free" along with comprised those countries with a
nine other countries: Albania, total score of 61 or worse.
Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Total "press freedom" scores
Malaysia, Nigeria, Sing~pore, of some other countries are as
TuniSia, Yemen and Zambia. follows (the lower the score,
Laws and regulations th~t more freedom of press):
influence media content ID Argentina 29; Armenia 57;
Turkey received a score of 7 in Australia 7; Azerbaijan 69;
broadcasting, and 9 in print, on a Belgium 7; Bolivia 17; Bulgaria
scale of 0-10, 10 being the most 39; Burkina Faso 37; Burma 99;
repressive. Burundi 88; Canada 18; Chad
. In terms of political pressures 72; China 83; Croatia 56; Cuba
and controls over the media con- 90; Cyprus 24; Denmark 9;
tent, Turkish broadcasting got an Egypt 81; Greece 26; Guyana 28;
8, and print media.got 7. The Haiti 51; Iraq 100; Iran 83;
worst possible score IS 10. Kuwait 70; Malawi 43;
Economic influences over Madagascar 44; Libya 85;
media content was evaluated at 4 Zimbabwe 59; United States 12;
for Turkish broadcastingand 7 Uganda 38; Norway 8;
for print media, with 10 the Turkmenistan 84.
Court adjourns trial of
Kemal for.two months
Turkish Daily News
1STANBUL- The'. State
Security Court on. F~iday
adjourned to July 7 the tn~l of
Turkey's best-knowp wnter,
Yasar Kemal, charged with advo- ,
cating separatism and fannin&
public ~nrest w,ithan article p~blished
ID the German magazIDe
Der Spiegel last year.
Responding to charges, Kemal
too the court that he was against
racism and had upheld unity contrary
to charges of separatism.
Score~. of local and foreign
reporters and newsmen.with .television
cameras Jostled with on~
another inside the tiny, packed
courtroom to film the bùrly
author, often blocking the view of
the judges ~d ~efense .attorneys.
More foreign Journalists were
present than Turks to observe the
trial. "I am not a racist. I have
never been a Kurdish or a gypsy
nationalist. I arn a socialist,' the
69-year-old Kemal declared.
"For the past 50 years, as a
writer, I fiave fought against
racism. I have always sou~ht to
be a unifier through mywntings,
not a separatist."
SATIJRDAY. MAY 6.1995
Turkish Daily News
The barrel-chested-author as~erted he was on trial not
because of his Der Spiegel article, byt due to mistranslations
published by the newspapers HUrriyet and Milliyet.
"The prosecutor did not build his case against my
words, but on"the so-called summary reporting by
Milliyet and HUrriyet, based on their so-called translations
from German," Kemal said. "Sentences are takerr
out of context. Passages have been removed by tweezers
and changed... It would not be a lie to say this is not mr.
writing. This is Hürriyet's and Milliyet's writing, •
asserted the tall, six-foot writer.
"A writer stands as a complete whole. A text is also a
complete whole. If we can attribute offenses to a writer
on the basis of pieces of sentences plucked and distorted
out of a writing, then there is no writer in Turkey who
will not be found guilty even by the most conscientious
judge," said he. He accused the prosecutor of frivolity for
bringing totally unfounded charges. "He would have at
least the German version translated by a neutral p,arty, or
he would have asked me for the Turkish version, ' Kemal
said to the judges.
If found guilty, Kemal could face two to five years in
prison. Imprisoned many times for his political views,
Kemal is best known for his novels depicting rural life in
the southern region of Çukurova. He gained international
attention in 1957 with the publication of his novel
Memed, My Hawk. He has been nominated for the
Nobel Prize in Literature several times, and the publicity
surrounding his indictment is thought to aid his chances
of winning the prestigious award. Kemal also repeated
his appeal to the government to end Turkey's war with
rebel Kurds in the southeast. He said more than ,three
million people had been displaced by the 11- year carnp'ajÂ~against
the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party
(Pu). Nearly 15,000 people have been killed in Turkey
since the PKK launched a bloody terrorist insurgency in
the southeast in 1984.
"We are obliged to end this dirty and dirtying war," he
said. "First, I arn calling mothers who lost their sons in
the war in the east. This war bums your hearts more than.
anyone else' s. I arn calling all'Jou also esteemed judges,'
to join those who want to en. this war. This country
belongs to us all and deserves to live much longer in the
history of mankind." Kemal, dressed in a dark suit,
appeared calm and confident .the charges against him
would be dropped.
SlI)lling and relaxed, he joked with reporters before
entenng the courtroom. .
"President Süleyman Demirel has never learned any
lessons from my books. How do I know? Eve!}' time I
see him, he says he has read all of my works,' Kemal
said to the assemble journalists, chuckling.
But he càlled for sweeping changes in the constitution
and accused former PreSIdent Kenan Evren of dictatorial
desi2Ilsfor having penned it. '
"lte (Evren) represents the blackest page in Turkey's
history," Kemal said. .
Evren, the leader of the 1980 military coup, served as
president ofTurkey from 1982-1989. Widespread human
rights violations were reported and thousands of writers,
intellectuals and workers were imprisoned during the
1980- 1983 military regime led by Evren and his fellow
generals. Opponents bf the 1980 constitution claim it
restricts political and civilliberties.
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