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

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RwISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE lA PRENSA-BASlN ÖZETi
Latest human rights report
looks no better for Turkey
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- According to the latest
monthly Human Rights report prepared by
the human rights association IHD, Turkey
again had nothing to boast about in tenns of
its human.rights' record. A total of 643 people
were reported to have lost their lives as
a result of clashes between the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants
and the government security forces. In a
press conference to announce the May
report, the chairman of the IHD, Akin
Birdal, said: "Turkey is condemned to live
with the malfunction of its legal system.
The ignorance in Turkey of extra-judicial
executions, tortures, crimes of conscience
and the ban on a free press and publications
presents a very thought-provoking picture
that ~ets a lot of attention in Western countries.
' He went on to say that political parties
now look favorably on constitutional
change but added that all changes must
comply with international law.
BlrdaJ said that the attempt to democratize
the Constitution of 1982 was a test of
the Turkish Parliament's commitment to
human rights, in particular as regards the
152 articles that currently restrict freedom
of expression in the country. Stressing that
all views have to be represented freery. he
went on to say:
"Therefore article 8 of the anti-terror law
has to be lifted immediately and urgently. If
all parties are encouraged to participate in
the democratization process, then thIS article
has to be eliminated." He pointed to the
98 journalists, writers and publishers
wesently in jail for the violation of the
'crimes of conscience" article and
explained the heavy tines they were forced
to payas follows: "Obviously the govern-
ment wants to pay its domestic and foreign
debts from the tines exacted from journalists
and writers."
According to the IHD report, Turkey's
human rights abuses for the month of
May included:
• Disappeared while in custody: 28
• Died as a result of torture while in custody
or summarily executed: 31
• Unsolved murders: 19
• Journalists, writers, publishers, union
members, scientists, and deputies currently
in jail: 98 (with total possible sentences of
348 years)
• Banned publications: 50. Seven publications
and democratic organizations were
raided by the police.
• Villages and settlements evacuated and
burned: 74.
• Claims of torture: 13.
A delegation of the IHD to North Iraq
On the Initiative of the IHD, trips by various
organizations to examine the situation
{lf the Kurds in Northern Iraq are being
planned. The pUl-pose of the trip planned for
June 13-16 is to mvestigate the people who
have emigrated there from Turkey. The
IHD chainnan said: "Whatever the causes
of the migration might be, the effects of
such a displacement of population are wellknown
from its precedents." He said that
health, education, food, and shelter were all
problems for people forced to migrate, and
all of them needed to be examined on the
spot so that the necessary reports could be
made.
Apart from the IHD delegation, members
of many Turkish human nghts organizations,
judicial associations and political parties
WIll take part in the proposed visit.
INTERNATIONAL .Q:EMLD TRIBUNE, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 11-12, 19940
Turks' Plan
For Iraqi
Oil Hinges
On Details
R.~ter1
ISTANBUL - Secretary of
State Warren M. Christopher said
Friday that Washington backed
Turkey's plan to cleanse an Iraqi
oil export pipeline running across
its territory, but technical details
were still being worked out.
"We have of course agreed in
principle that the pipeline should
be flushed," he said in Istanbul.
Talks on technical details of the
operation were proceeding with
Turkey and at the United Nations.
"The problem has not been completely
resolved," Mr. Christopher
added.
Turkey wants the UN Security
Council to approve a technical resolution
to let it empty, flush and
refill the 985 kilometer (610 mile)
pipeline, disused since Ankara
clOsed it in response to Iraq's invasi0.!l.
of Kuwait in August 1990.
There are about 12 million barrels
of crude oil in the pipeline.
which runs from Iraq's Kirkuk oil
fields to a Turkish Mediterranean
terminal. Of this; Turkey sàys it
owns 3.8 million barrels.
Mr. Christopher said the Turkish
prime ministtr,'Tansu Ciller, had
stressed the importance of flushing
the pipeline when they met on
Thuisday on the sidelines of a
NATO foreign ministers' ':!lecting.
Ankara says its proposals do not
violate UN trade sanctions against
Baghdad because oil from the pipeline
would be refined and sold in
Turkey, rather than sold on the
world market, and no money would
go to Iraq.
Most of the l'roceeds would go to
buying humamtarian goods for the
Iraqi people as approved by the
United Nations. Some would flow
to a UN compensation fund for
victims of the Gulf War.
"The proceeds of the flushing
would be handled in a way consistent
with the UN resolution," Mr.
Christopher said.
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