Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
RE\VE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RwISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN ÖZETi<br />
Senate moves to restrict use of US weapons sold to Turkey<br />
Foreign Operations Subcommittee <strong>de</strong>bates langllage of first draft and suggests banning use of weapons for internal security<br />
Tllrkish Daily News<br />
WASHINGTON/ANKARA- The United<br />
States senate has moved to restrict the use<br />
of American weapons to be supplied to<br />
Turkey in 1995, owing.to the .alle~ed ~<strong>et</strong>e~oration<br />
in the human nghts sItuatIon 10 this<br />
NATO-member countrY<br />
Diplomatic sources said on Thursday that<br />
the Senate Forei~n Operations<br />
Subcommittee was working on a strong.lywor<strong>de</strong>d<br />
draft criticising a~leged Turk.lsh<br />
human rights abuses and asking US officIaIs<br />
to outline wh<strong>et</strong>~er Ame~can ~~~pons. were<br />
-being used agamst Kurdish cIVIlians 10 the<br />
Southeast.<br />
The move comes after the House of<br />
Representatives reduced military aid to<br />
Turkey requested by the administration, cuttincr<br />
down 25 percent of the amount of<br />
authorized aid contingent on progress on<br />
Cyprus and improvement in human rights<br />
with special emphasis on the Kurdish issue.<br />
Diplomatic sources said, however, that<br />
the language of the draft would possibly be<br />
changed and that it's tone could also be<br />
softened.<br />
The 'holy alliance'<br />
is active again<br />
More than 70 <strong>de</strong>puties<br />
from different parties act<br />
as one on Islamic issues<br />
TDN Parliament Bureau<br />
ANKARA- Over 70 <strong>de</strong>puties who are m~mbers of<br />
various parties act as one with the pro-Islalllic Welfare<br />
Party (RP) regarding Islamic issues, giving the impre.ssian<br />
that a "holy alliance" has been s<strong>et</strong> up In<br />
Parliament.<br />
The 39 RP <strong>de</strong>puties along with 39 <strong>de</strong>puties from the<br />
ruling coalition partner True Path Party (DYP), 20<br />
<strong>de</strong>puties from the main opposition Motherland Party<br />
(ANAP), 13 <strong>de</strong>puties from the Nationalist Movement<br />
Party (MHP) and 10 <strong>de</strong>puti~s from th~ other small parties<br />
and in<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nts constItute the bl~gest obstacle te<br />
amending the Constitution by behavmg like a "holy<br />
alliance:l' .<br />
Some acthities of the 'holy alliance'<br />
• Twenty <strong>de</strong>puties from the DYP, ANA? and the<br />
RP submitted a draft of a proposed law wh.lch wou!d<br />
ban Constitutional Court judges from makmg public<br />
The draft, which recognizes the role<br />
Turkey plays as a member of NATO and<br />
ally of the United States "in a dangerous<br />
region of the world," also stresses<br />
Washington's appreciation of "Turkey's<br />
ongoing support for the humanitarian relief<br />
effort to aid the Iraqi Kurds."<br />
"For this reason, the<br />
(Appropriations) Committee recommends<br />
substantial military and economic<br />
assistance to Turkey," it says.<br />
But the draft also notes that in past<br />
years the Committee "has reiterated<br />
Its concerns about pt;rsistent reports<br />
of serious human nghts problems in<br />
Turkey, particularly torture by<br />
rurkish security forces and attacks<br />
against Kurdish civilians." It says the<br />
State Department and human rights<br />
organizations <strong>de</strong>scribe a <strong>de</strong>teriorating<br />
human rights situation in Turkey<br />
and recalls claims that U.S. military<br />
equipment, including helicopters,<br />
lJ.as been used in attacks against<br />
civilians in southeastern Turkey. The<br />
draft also points out that "abuses<br />
against Kurdish civilians by Turkish<br />
Armed Forces" are graphically<br />
<strong>de</strong>scribed in the State Department's<br />
human rights report.<br />
If lhis draft IS approved without<br />
amendments, the Appropriations<br />
eommittee may' be recommending<br />
"~ubstantial military assistance to<br />
Turkey for strategic reasons," bul<br />
with an apral not to ignore "the situation<br />
0 Kurdish civilians in<br />
Turkey." .<br />
Therefore, the Committee could<br />
inclu<strong>de</strong> ,a requirement in the bill that<br />
any agreement for the sale or provisiôn<br />
of United States military equipment<br />
to Turkey during fiscal year<br />
1995 shall expressly state that it will.<br />
not be used for internal security or<br />
police purposes.<br />
The Committee mayalso request<br />
the Secr<strong>et</strong>ary of State, in consultation<br />
with the Secr<strong>et</strong>ary of Defense,<br />
to report on allegations that<br />
American-supplied equipment and<br />
material to Turkey, eitner grant, sale,<br />
or <strong>de</strong>fense draw down, has been used<br />
in "counterinsurgency operations<br />
against civilians."<br />
statements. This was done in reaction to Constitutional<br />
Court Chief Judge Yekta Güngör Öz<strong>de</strong>n's pro- secularism<br />
statements and speeches .<br />
• Thirty-nine DYP <strong>de</strong>puties who favor Shariah<br />
issued a jomt <strong>de</strong>claration stating that "Shariah aims to<br />
~~alt human beings," The <strong>de</strong>claration also con<strong>de</strong>mns<br />
Oz<strong>de</strong>n for his criticism of Shariah .<br />
• Deputies from the DYP, ANAP and the RP eliminated<br />
the provision regulating the basic education system<br />
from the text of the authorization law. Thus preventing<br />
the Education Ministry.'s closing down the<br />
junior rugh school section of the tmam-Hatlp lycees by<br />
raising compulsory basic education from five to eight<br />
years .<br />
• Members of the "holy alliance" tried to prevent<br />
Education Minister Nevzat Ayaz from dismissing highlevel<br />
"pro-Shariah-sectarian" bureaucrats from hIS Illinistry.<br />
Despite intensive pressure, particularly by the<br />
"holy alliance" <strong>de</strong>Euties within the DYP led by Kocaeli<br />
Deputy tsmail Amasyall, Ayaz has not changed his<br />
mind .<br />
• DYP Isparta Deputl Ertekin Durutürk with support<br />
from "holy alliance' <strong>de</strong>puties is leading a drive to<br />
convert Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque, The necessary<br />
majority was obtained to inclu<strong>de</strong> <strong>de</strong>bate on the<br />
draft of the relevant law which has been sitting in the<br />
parliamentary commission for one year on the parliamentary<br />
agenda,<br />
• DYP Çanakkale Deputy Süleyman Ayhan is leading<br />
the attempts to prepare joint motion regarding the<br />
launching of a probe lOto the activities of .the Fener<br />
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.<br />
Members of the 'holy alliance'<br />
From lime to time the number of <strong>de</strong>puties from different<br />
parties who act like a separate party within<br />
69