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

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