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 ()z<strong>et</strong>i<br />
stem the anti-regime activities of religious<br />
fundamentalist movements.<br />
Noting that there has ~en no change<br />
in the tension being experienced<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween the military and civilian wings<br />
of the MGK, one of the comman<strong>de</strong>rs<br />
said, "Nothing that had not been voiced<br />
out in the open in the past was articulated<br />
during the me<strong>et</strong>ing. What was left to<br />
say anyway?"<br />
'<br />
At its Feb. 28 me<strong>et</strong>ing, the MGK had<br />
<strong>de</strong>man<strong>de</strong>d, along with many other steps,<br />
the introduction of an eight-year compulsory<br />
education scheme. This has<br />
caused a dispute within the coalition<br />
with the semor partner Welfare Party<br />
(RP) in oppositIOn since this would lead<br />
to the closmg of the junior-high levels<br />
of the clerical schools. Prior to the<br />
MGK's April26 me<strong>et</strong>ing. RP lea<strong>de</strong>r and<br />
Prime Minister ~ecmenin Erbakan discussed<br />
this issue with his coalition partner<br />
Tansu Çiller. During that me<strong>et</strong>ing,<br />
True Path Party tDYP) lea<strong>de</strong>r and<br />
Depul¥ Prime Minister Çiller put f~':lh ,<br />
conditIOn to continue WIth the coahtlon<br />
government, telling Erbakan that the<br />
partners must jointly present to the<br />
Parliament a "go\'ernment-spons~red<br />
bill" introducing eight-year "contlnuous"<br />
compubory education. Erbakan<br />
agreed to this, although it is no secr<strong>et</strong><br />
that his party opposes the scheme. But<br />
other RP officials told the press,<br />
"Presenting to Parliament a government.<br />
sponsored bill to this effect would not<br />
cause a change in our stance. We would!<br />
obstruct it during parliamentary<br />
<strong>de</strong>bates."<br />
The latest MGK me<strong>et</strong>ing began at the<br />
preSi<strong>de</strong>ntial palace at 3:00 p.m. and was<br />
chaired by Presi<strong>de</strong>nt Süleyman Demirel.<br />
First, the National Intelligence<br />
Organization (MIT), Interior Ministry<br />
and Foreign Ministry un<strong>de</strong>rsecr<strong>et</strong>aries<br />
gave information to the MGK members<br />
about events of the past month involving<br />
Turkey's internal and external security.<br />
Significant external political<br />
<strong>de</strong>velopments which dire~tly<br />
pertain to Turkey's secunty<br />
were discussed as well as law ,<br />
and or<strong>de</strong>r throughout th~ country.<br />
In this context, the sItuation<br />
in eastern and southeastern<br />
Anatolia was also discussed.<br />
MGK members agree~<br />
that in those regions the secun"<br />
ty forces had been successful<br />
in the fight against the outlawed<br />
Kurdistan Workers'<br />
Party (PKK), and. that ~e level<br />
,of security estabbshed m th.e<br />
region by now would penmt<br />
the implementation of the economic,<br />
social and cultural<br />
"suPP'?rt programs" .prepared<br />
speCially for the regIOn. They<br />
<strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong>d that these programs<br />
must be launched as soon "'s<br />
possible.<br />
1be MGK members also<br />
reviewed the planned mea'iures<br />
for the forthcomin~ May Day<br />
celebrations. IndiVidual ministries<br />
willlist the names of<br />
thosecivil servants who do not<br />
show up for work on Thursday,<br />
May l, and have no valid<br />
excuse.<br />
At the end of the initial part<br />
of the MGK me<strong>et</strong>ing, Tourism<br />
Minister Bahattin Yücel was<br />
invited into the room. He provi<strong>de</strong>d<br />
information about expectations<br />
of the tourism sector for<br />
the summer of 1997, as well as<br />
the security measures involved.<br />
The MGK <strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong>d that the<br />
measures successfully implemented<br />
in tourism resorts to<br />
ensure tourist saf<strong>et</strong>y in 1996<br />
should be maintained and<br />
expan<strong>de</strong>d in 1997.<br />
~n the MGK members<br />
compl<strong>et</strong>ed <strong>de</strong>bates on this specific<br />
item, Yücelleft the room<br />
and Justice Minister ~evk<strong>et</strong><br />
'Kazan was invited insi<strong>de</strong>.<br />
Kazan gave information about<br />
the implementation of earlier<br />
MGK <strong>de</strong>cisions regarding the<br />
problems involving the country's<br />
prisons. When it became<br />
apparent that a large portion of<br />
these <strong>de</strong>cisions could not be<br />
implemented due to a lack of<br />
Justice Ministry funds, the<br />
MGK <strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong>d that extra budgefall<br />
funds sbould be allocated<br />
to the ministry for this purpose.<br />
During this part of the me<strong>et</strong>ing,<br />
no conversation took place<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween Kazan and the military<br />
about the investigation the ministry<br />
has launched into Erzurum<br />
regIOn gendar:t:nerie comm~<strong>de</strong>r<br />
Gen. Osman Ozbek's publtc<br />
criticism of Erbakan and the<br />
RP. Neither the military nor<br />
Kazan ma<strong>de</strong> any reference,<br />
direct or indirect, to this inci<strong>de</strong>nt.<br />
After KaZan left the room.<br />
the MGK startin~ <strong>de</strong>alin~ with<br />
the most crucial Item on Its<br />
agenda. MGK Secr<strong>et</strong>ary-<br />
General Gen. tlhan KIltç provi<strong>de</strong>d<br />
information about the<br />
stage reached in the implementation<br />
of MGK <strong>de</strong>cision 406,<br />
,that is, the anti-fundamentalist<br />
measures package the MGK<br />
had recommen<strong>de</strong>d to the government<br />
on Feb. 28.<br />
Klllç un<strong>de</strong>rlined the unsatisfactory<br />
nature of the stage<br />
reaclied in the implementation<br />
of the measures the MGK had<br />
sought against the anti-regime<br />
activities of the fundamentalist<br />
movements "which are aimed at<br />
creating an anachronistic platform<br />
against the Turkish<br />
Republic which the Constitution<br />
<strong>de</strong>scribes as a <strong>de</strong>mocratic and<br />
secular welfare state <strong>de</strong>voted to<br />
Kemalist nationalism which<br />
upholds the rule of law."<br />
Interior Minister Meral<br />
Aqener said that the eight-year<br />
"continuous" basic education<br />
was not an issue which concerned<br />
her own ministry. She<br />
said that for the implementation<br />
of all the rest of the Feb. 28<br />
measures package they had prepared<br />
and sent to the provincial<br />
governors and security directors<br />
a tim<strong>et</strong>able. She said that thë<br />
schools and hostels being used<br />
for fundamentalist activities<br />
would be <strong>de</strong>tennined in one<br />
month's time, and that due procedures<br />
regarding the administrators<br />
of these facilities would<br />
be compl<strong>et</strong>ed in two months'<br />
time.mspectionofKonm<br />
courses would be compl<strong>et</strong>ed in<br />
one month' s time. In two<br />
months it would be <strong>de</strong>termined<br />
wh<strong>et</strong>her there were any active<br />
religious cult centers or r<strong>et</strong>reats<br />
and, in four months' time, due<br />
measures would be taken<br />
against these. The names of the<br />
members of fundamentalist<br />
movements and terrorist organizations<br />
who have pen<strong>et</strong>rated the<br />
state. if any, would be <strong>de</strong>termined<br />
in two months and due<br />
action would be taken against<br />
them in six months. Referring to<br />
the MGK <strong>de</strong>mand for the<br />
implementation of the "Reform<br />
Laws" such as the Dress Co<strong>de</strong>,<br />
she said that checking would be<br />
done on a pcnnanent basis with.<br />
no time limit.<br />
Members of the military<br />
wing of the MGK said that a<strong>de</strong>quate<br />
steps had not been taken<br />
in the past month to check on<br />
fundamentalist activities. that<br />
.such activities continued <strong>de</strong>spite<br />
the internal memo the Interior<br />
Ministry had sent to the provincial<br />
officials. They played two<br />
vi<strong>de</strong>os. one involving "An<br />
enemy of God," a controversial<br />
theatrical play perfonned in<br />
Erzurum triggering bitter<br />
remarks from the regiQp' s gendarnlcrie<br />
comman<strong>de</strong>r Ozbek,<br />
and the other <strong>de</strong>picting stre<strong>et</strong><br />
scenes from Istanburs Fatih<br />
district teeming with peo{>le<br />
dressed in an anachronistic<br />
manner in violation of the Dress<br />
Co<strong>de</strong>. The comman<strong>de</strong>rs criticized<br />
also the way the RP<br />
<strong>de</strong>puties had turned this year' s<br />
pilgrimage to Mecca into a<br />
political show. In the face of<br />
this criticism, Erbakan remained<br />
silent. Deputy Prime Minister<br />
Tansu Çiller spoke out, sayinj!;<br />
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