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
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Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Basm Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
Helsinki Commission: Prosecution can nix torture in Turkey<br />
Wasb/agto ..- Turld8b Dally News<br />
• A sparsely-atten<strong>de</strong>d Congressional hearing<br />
on torture in Turkey conclu<strong>de</strong>d that<br />
there were enough laws on the books to<br />
Prevent torture if only those who are<br />
résponsible were prosecuted and the existing<br />
laws were implemented.<br />
: At the hearin, organized by the<br />
Helsinki Comullssion, the Congressional<br />
aim of the Organization for Security and<br />
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Holly<br />
Cartner, executive duector of Human<br />
Rjghts WatchlHelsinki; Erik Holst, presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
of the Rehabilitation and Research<br />
qenter for Torture Victims; and Douglas<br />
Johnson, executive director of the Center<br />
for Victims of Torture, testified.<br />
The hearing highlighted the trial of<br />
rehabilitation center workers in Adana.<br />
Johnson said if Turkey prosecuted the<br />
perp<strong>et</strong>rators<br />
overnight."<br />
"torture would stoy<br />
He said the roots 0 torture<br />
could be traced back to a culture and tolerance<br />
of domestic violence in Turkey.<br />
Referring to a survey of 30 forensic doctors<br />
in Turkey, Johnson said 75 percent of<br />
the doctors did not recognize beating as a<br />
form of torture.<br />
."~n a country of sixty million .. nlyone<br />
nulhon Turks are members of CIVIC associations<br />
because of fear of involvement,"<br />
Johnson said.<br />
Dr. Holst said "continued international<br />
pressure is necessary to convince Turkish<br />
authorities that the world cannot tolerate<br />
or excuse the use of torture for any reason<br />
by law enforcement agents in a member<br />
country of the Council of Europe and a<br />
member country of NATO."<br />
Holst also ad<strong>de</strong>d that, although torture<br />
was continuing in Turkey, .it ~as not .<br />
exclusive to Turkey. MentiOnIng c~untnes<br />
like South Africa, Greece and Ru~sla,<br />
Holst said torture was a problem ln these<br />
countries as well.<br />
But in Greece "these episo<strong>de</strong>s of torture<br />
were rapidly put behind." In general he<br />
called torture "a challenge with which we<br />
have no good way of <strong>de</strong>aling."<br />
Holly Cartner, after giving graphic<br />
examples of torture m<strong>et</strong>hods she claimed<br />
still applied in Turkey, said one factor<br />
which complicated the picture even further<br />
was the "increased politicization of<br />
police." She mentioned the Susurluk inci<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
of Nov. 1996 as corroborating evi<strong>de</strong>nce<br />
of the links b<strong>et</strong>ween security forces<br />
and un<strong>de</strong>rgro~nd<br />
She mentioned<br />
elements.<br />
the recent legal amendments<br />
Turkey adopted, including reduction<br />
in <strong>de</strong>tention periods, as good but not<br />
totally sufficient steps in the right direction.<br />
No questions<br />
Perhaps the most interesting part of the<br />
hearing arrived when the floor was opened<br />
to questions after the panel members compl<strong>et</strong>ed<br />
their presentations. When no one<br />
had any questions to ask the panelists, the<br />
hearing adjourned 45 minutes earlier than<br />
scheduled.<br />
A Congressional observer suggested that<br />
the total absence of questions, <strong>de</strong>spite the<br />
fact that there were representatives from<br />
various Greek, Kurdish and Armenian<br />
organizations in the audience, could be a<br />
telling sign that the issue of "human rights<br />
violations in Turkey" has been "overexposed"<br />
in the U.S. Congress.<br />
Turkish Dally News fhursday, AprillO. 1997<br />
Turkey's Human Rights Association says<br />
abuses continue <strong>de</strong>spite the new law<br />
IHD report: After this legal<br />
change, there has not been any<br />
<strong>de</strong>crease in the use of torture<br />
IstalJbul<br />
- Reuters<br />
• A Turkish rights group said on<br />
Wednesday human rights abuses were<br />
continuing in Turkey <strong>de</strong>spite a new law<br />
enacted to improve the country' s rights<br />
record. .<br />
Turkey last month passed a law cutting<br />
the maximum period a suspect can<br />
be held without charges to 10 from 30<br />
days in the nine emergency rule<br />
provinces and to seven from 14 days in<br />
the rest of the country.<br />
"After this legal change, there has<br />
not been any <strong>de</strong>crease in the use of<br />
torture," according to the March report<br />
of the Human Rights Association<br />
(tHO).<br />
The tHO report said 12 people had<br />
applied to the group in March claiming<br />
they had been tortured, up from three<br />
in February.<br />
''This clearly shows the direction<br />
which things are taking," tHO<br />
spokesman Mehm<strong>et</strong> Ekinci said.<br />
Turkey has touted the new <strong>de</strong>tention<br />
law as proof that it is taking European<br />
concerns over its human rights record<br />
seriously.<br />
The March report also said one person<br />
had died as a result of police gunfire,<br />
23 prisoners had been beaten in<br />
prison or in court, 14 journalists arrested<br />
and 29 publications confiscated.<br />
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