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

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RwISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN OZETi
Human Rights. This figur~ .~s expec~ed !o
increase... Because of the billions .o~~ In
compensation these case~ fore~ee It IS likely
that a bill of trillions of liras will be presented
to Turkey" Okta}' s~d in his letter published
in Monday's Hümyet. .
"Material consideratio~s aside, the good
reputation of the country InCW'5untold damage
with every case ...The pro~lems ~f !he
country can not be overcome With palliative
approaches and empty words" OIcta:yadded.
He went on to say it was imperative ~at
Parliament pass the bills proposed ~y him
for corrections in the field of tiuman nghts.
Officials sources have say that the figure
of "300 cases" against Turkey is an exaggeration
and conjecture that wha~ O~tay IS
referring to is the number of applications to
the European Court.
They say that there are "countless" applications
many of which have to be processed
before being accepted by the European
Human Rights.Commission as bone fide
cases before being sent to the Court, or
rejected as not genuIne.
These officiais concede, however that
there are at least 30 cases against Turkey in
the European Court, mostly to do with the
Southeast and the Kurdish issue, and say
this is "bad enough as it is." .
"The PKK have learned how to use the
human rights issue against Turkey to good
effect" one official, who wished to remain
anonymous told the Turkish Daily News.
He pointed out that it appeared to be getting
more and more difficult for Europe to
differentiate between the PKK and the
human rights issue. . .
'The basic problem IS, however, that With
the human rights situation in Turkey t~e
PKK is being hél!lded a golden opportum.ty
to use this subject to Its advantage ID
European organizations," this official conceded.
In.response to Foreig.n Minist~r Cetin, the
Mimster for the Intenor, Nahlt Mente~e,
Iraqi leader Saddam makes
peace gesture to Arab foes
R~UI~rs
BAG H DAD- Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein said on Sunday he
was ready to strike peace and security
deals with Arab foes if they
ceased hostility towards his government.
In a speech marking the 26th
anniversary of the revolution that
brought his ruling Baath party to
power, Saddam also said he was
prepared to forget past wounds for
the sake of peace and stability in the'
re~ion.
'We stress the offering of peace
and security to the one who needs
them, including rulers who misbehaved
towards us," Saddam said in
the nationally televised address.
"To he who would to heal the
disease of his soul and has firmly
determined to mend what has been
spoiled...Iraq is ready to react positively,"
he said.
Saddam did 110t mention any
country by name, but the offer was
clearly duected towards Kuwait,
which Iraq invaded in 1990, precipitating
the Gulf War.
ft also appeared aimed at conser-
vative Saudi Arabia and at Syria,
whose President Hafez al-Assad's
branch of the Baath Party is a rival
of Saddam's party.
Saddam warned that his offer
should not be viewed as a sign of
weakness as his battered nation
reels under United Nations sanctions
imposed after the Kuwait
invasion.
"It has become known to everybody
- and I do not imagine that
they (Arab rulers) do not realize -
that we fear no one but the
Almighty," he said.
He said the past few years had
shown that all efforts to undermine
his government were in vain.
"The years that have passed
between 1990 and the present are
enough to guide those for whom
God wishes wisdom ..to desist from
reverting to ill will... for their overt
wishes shall not be fulfilled," he
said. .
No conditions were set by
Saddam and he did not say whether
his government would abide by a
Security Council resolution asking
Baghdad to recognize Kuwait with.
reportedly sent a copy of the letter, with a
secret circular dated July 14 to all provincial
governors.
Mente~e in his circular said that "behaviour
which might give the impression of torture
and ill treatment should be avoided."
Recalling that most of the cases ~$ainst
Turkey at the European Court of Human
rights, were brought by "PKK sympathizers,"
Mente~e is reported to havesaid in his
circular that avoiding such behaviour was
necessary "to disprove allegations by these
people against Turkey."
Mente~e is also reported to have repeated
Oktay's expectation that the number of
applications against Turkey at the European
Human Ri,ghts Commission could be
expected to Increase in the near future.
He is said to have warned provincial governors
andother relevant officials that
behaviour which would provide justification
to those circles which are working against
Turkey should be avoided and that the security
forces should carry out their duties
"carefully" and "meticulously."
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
in newly demarcated borders.
Iraq says it recognizes Kuwait's
old borders, but senior Iraqi officials
have hinted the issue could be
resolved.
Baghdad invaded Kuwait in 1990
but was ejected by a U.S.-led multinational
force seven months later.
The Security Council clamped stringent
trade sanctions and has said
they would not be lifted until
Baghdad meets cease-fire terms.
Iraqi TV and radio broadcast
national songs along with the
speech while a banner headline in
newspapers said: "Saddam
Hussem ...the greatest leader of the
greatest revolution."
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