ACTION IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

More from Europe:

From MEP Vittorio AGNOLETTO and MEP Feleknas UCA

TO: ALL MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
+ their assistants and advisers
+ info Cabinet of the President

***************************

Dear Members and Colleagues,

We just need some minutes of your time to inform you about the seriousness of the political situation in Turkey (as far as the Kurdish question is concerned) and about facts recently registered in Turkey, where a totally unacceptable repression has been lunched by the security forces and the so-called Turkish justice system ...


1) ... against the pro-Kurdish DTP party ("Democratic Society Party"). As you know, the DTP is a fully recognised, legitimate and legal party with an important parliamentary group in the Turkish Grand National Assembly; after an important victory of the DTP candidates in the recent local / regional election, the Ankara's authorities launched a violent repression against Kurdish and DTP representatives; please note that until now, more than 300 DTP members, executives and activists, including the three DTP's Vice-presidents are detained or involved in police operations (which are still going on)!

Only the DTP leader, Mr Ahmet Turk, a politician very well-known and very appreciated here in the European Parliament and abroad, is not -for the moment- under arrest. This political move by the Turkish police follows the impressive results of the DTP in the local elections on 29 March 2009, in which the party almost doubled the number of municipalities it won (from 56 to 98). Immediately after these results, a number of statements were made by representatives of the Turkish government and the security forces, for example regarding the success of the DTP! Against this background, the police action can only be seen as politically motivated. We therefore call on the Turkish authorities to respect the will of the people, expressed in the recent local elections, and to guarantee citizens their rights, especially freedom of activity for political parties in Turkey, in this instance the DTP, of other regional organisations, such as the Union of South-East municipalities, and of the media. Please find attached the formal DTP-Ankara statement of the 14th of April, plus a DTP-Brussels note / information on the most recent situation.

2) ... against also (again and again) Mrs Leyla ZANA, European Parliament's 1995 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Let us underline that Leyla Zana has been sentenced in December 2008 to ten years of prison for speeches she gave (even) in the EU European Parliament and the UK House of Lords! This is an unacceptable violation of her fundamentals rights and political freedom, inspired and orchestrated by the Turkish government: please note, for example, that she's facing more than 35 investigations for simple declarations or speeches she made, she doesn't even know how many trials she has to face! On March 31st, 2009, took place -in Diyarbakir- the last session of one of those trials. Mrs Leyla Zana is officially invited to address the European Parliament's Conference of the Groups' Presidents on the 30th of April, 2009, in Brussels; she will have the opportunity to inform our Parliament about her situation.Please find attached an (incomplete) "list of trials" she has to face (in one of those, the Turkish Prosecutor, not satisfied for a condemnation to 10 years of prison, is now asking for 50 years of prison...). Please also find the speech she made during the trail on the 31st of March; an informal report of a relevant member of the UK Bar Human Rights Committee is also attached.


We invite you and your groups to show your solidarity with these people and organisations, such as Mrs Leyla Zana and the DTP, which are fully involved in the promotion of a political solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey. We'll keep you informed on the situation, as far as on possible initiatives.


Thank you for your attention,

MEP Vittorio AGNOLETTO and MEP Feleknas UCA

Leyla Zana's statement:

10 April 2008
Diyarbakır


TO: DİYARBAKIR CRIMINAL COURT

Respectable Judges,

I would first like to point out that I consider it a disgrace for the democracy of Turkey that I am being tried because of my thoughts. The fact that expression of thought is being considered within the scope of the fight against terrorism underscores yet another topical and burning issue.

It is fact that to be able to express one’s thoughts is a guarantee for all other freedoms. Being deprived of the freedom of thought is synonymous with being deprived of the most basic human freedoms. In generally accepted terms, freedom of thought is borne out of the combination of three main elements: Freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom to disseminate one’s thoughts... The lack of one of these makes it impossible to talk about freedom of thought in any country. The said deficiency causes pluralism to be disregarded also. On the other hand, universal law has gone through an evolution whereby it has moved on from the idea of “the state comes first” to “man comes first”.

Whenever there is talk of the freedom of thought and its exercise, they always remind you that even in developed countries freedom of thought is not infinite and unrestricted. According to research done on this issue, “In almost all countries other than Turkey, the restriction brought on the expression of thought is based not on ‘the security of the state’ but on ‘social peace’ and the ‘security of the people’. Therefore, the claim that there are similar legal arrangements in other countries has no purpose other than distorting the issue.”

Respectable Chief Judge,

Kurdish people are one of the oldest indigenous settled peoples of the Middle East. Kurds living within the borders of Turkey-Iran-Iraq and Syria have been struggling for survival for the past 200 years. Kurds with a population of nearly 40 million, who have been subjected to many massacres during this time frame, have been deprived of all of their national and democratic rights. Despite the fact that some historians have observed that their population is larger than that, an objective census specifically for Kurds can not be carried out. Throughout one hundred year extending from Sheikh Mahmud Berzenci to Sheikh Said, from Seyid Riza to Melle Mustafa Barzani, from Mahabad uprising to the PKK, the Kurdish people have fought for their “status”.


Although Kurds, with a population of around 20 million within the borders of Turkey, who have remained ‘Turkish’ based on their legal description have tried all legal means in different periods, the democratic channels have never opened up at the desired level. The fact that Kurds’ democratic rights were not placed under constitutional safeguards when the Turkish Republic was founded and that they were not granted the right to express themselves in the legal domain, brought with it ‘resistance against oppression’.

The policy of “Divide-Fragment and Rule” and “Deny-Refuse and Destroy” brought about counter violence. The PKK emerged as a rebellion to the injustice entailing this dramatic pressure and destruction. The anti-democratic implementations developed with the justification that “throughout history Kurds rebelled 28 times, and PKK is the 29th rebellion and this rebellion will also be suppressed” were turned into a rigid official state policy. Changing times and various governments unfortunately could not change this policy. While those who were streamlined into the system became members of parliament, ministers, generals, high level bureaucrats, businessmen with money, property and wealth; those who denied assimilation and insisted on their national identity were victimised and considered as non-existent. They were pushed about, humiliated, and silenced by being confronted with an unchanging oppression.


While the shock of denial in the 1924 constitution was still not overcome, the injuries the democracy of Turkey suffered with regular military coups that took place every decade was felt most deeply among the Kurds. The inhuman treatment and severe human rights violations they suffered at the Diyarbakır Prison in particular became a milestone in the recent history of the Kurds. Probably because what they experienced was worse than fire, people placed their very bodies in fire.

Many things were tried: Kurdistan was turned into a place of exile, Kurds were turned into the “other”, state of emergency and martial law were imposed in the area for over 20 years, Kurdish was banned, the yellow-red-green colour combination was considered an offence, extra judicial killings were committed, villages were evacuated, village guard system was put in place. Even during civil disobedience actions entailing democratic demands, many of our people lost their lives for a life of freedom. While the perpetrators of these losses arising from uncontrolled use of force were not punished, Kurds were once again made targets through counter-guerrilla actions based on organisations of gangs and confessions. The feudal structure was strengthened by the support of state policy. Yet another method used for suppressing the demands of the people was to keep tribalism alive. Other important dimensions of this multifaceted problem include forced relocation from villages to urban areas, differences in regional development and inadequate provision of health and education services.

This wave of violence of course wasted many human, ecological and economic resources of the country. These implementations dating back to the beginning of the republic did not just result in numerical losses. Hearts that turned into places of devastation after fire, lives that were broken and lives without a trace slipped away from our hands.

As a result there is not a single Kurd that has not been offended in Turkey. Almost all started life with anxiety and prohibitions imposed on them. Even when they were still a baby, their name suffered prohibitions. During their childhood their language was banned and when they became young men and women their identity and their stance in life were placed under prohibitions. They were forced to think in a single language, express themselves through a single language and think from a single angle of perception. Lullabies their mothers sang to them, their fathers’ cultural characteristics and preferences were denigrated, their preferences ridiculed and they were pushed outside the society. This feeling of anxiety often forced them to speak their mother tongue secretly behind closed doors. They were moreover ridiculed for speaking the official state language with an accent. They were the brunt of jibes and ridicules. ‘Kurdishness’ which was revived due to political, sociological and psychological reasons, gradually turned into will power. The difficulties of being Kurdish in the public domain politicised each and every Kurdish youth ever more. Kurds who did not initially have this political awareness started questioning the reason for their suffering as time went on. From ‘individuals who were ashamed’ of their characteristics originating from their birth, a social awareness and demands that came along with that awareness were born. The burning fire that started off from a small ember started covering every place Kurds lived in without exception. Every prohibition, excluding behaviour or insult brought the mountains a little closer. In time, every Kurdish family started finding a piece of it in the mountains. Thus it became apparent that being “Kurdish” was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Respectable Judges,

Today, the reason for my being in this court has been described as praising crime and criminals and undertaking propaganda for an illegal organisation. I do not think we need to further analyse the legal aspect of this problem, which is in essence a constitutional problem. No democratic country can carry the burden of the 12th of September constitution developed by army generals and one which, let alone being the answer to the requisites of our age, exacerbates existing issues.

If the issue in hand is ‘crime’ and ‘praising criminals’, what is ‘crime’ and who is the ‘criminal’? I would like to state that I do not regard defending a people’s demands for respect, equality and freedom as a crime. My premise in this is not victimisation! In fact I have never adopted the policy of victimisation as a method for seeking rights. I have lived through experience showing that material force, power, and the might that comes with that power will never stand against the will of the people. The definitions of ‘crime’ and ‘criminal’ for those who approach the world on the basis of democracy, human rights and the will of the people are relative concepts. In fact the concepts of crime and criminal are delicate concepts on which universal agreement has not been reached throughout history. We all know that depending on periods, incidents and historical realities, the concepts of ‘crime’ and ‘criminal’ have undergone a process of update. The real crime is to meticulously distract attention from issues that need to be discussed in the democratic public opinion.

Reflecting reality and explaining it in a way different from what it really is, does not solve problems. It is not possible to explain and understand without talking. Then, we must open up ways and means of being able to discuss the issue. How much longer can one hide the truth or ignore it in an age when technology is advancing at a dizzying pace? The traditional ‘statist’ approach has gone bankrupt in the face of a world that has become much smaller. Social reality makes itself felt and compels one to accept it. It is amply clear that those who are regarded as ‘criminal’ in one part of society are regarded as a value in another part of that society.

The world becomes ever more divided and complex day by day. People fear uncertainty. Producing solutions for this division requires that faster decisions are taken against uncertainty. There is a growing need for contributions that underscore respect for differences.


Distinguished Judges,

In this context, developing societies need leaders that develop them. Leadership is a role. People need to be convinced about the leadership, creativity and problem solving power of the person who takes on that role. The leader must first convince people about the necessity of the cause that is being defended. It is difficult to strike a balance between yesterday, today and tomorrow. The leader is the one who builds bridges between the ‘today’ that we want to leave behind and the ‘tomorrow’ that we dream about. He also convinces us that we will be able to cross that bridge and encourages us to do so. That is why their leadership is approved by people.


In this framework I think it is a historic duty for me to express a reality one cannot avoid underlining. During the Newroz celebrations held last year, I said in front of millions that Kurds have three leaders and we are grateful to all of these three leaders. My intention here is neither to make propaganda for an organisation nor to praise it. In fact, I do not think the personalities in question need any praise anyway. I believe that my speech should only be perceived as an observation of a historical situation.


In the indictment, the prosecutor excluded Mr Barzani and Talabani from his evaluation due to their political position. I would like to remind the prosecutor that only yesterday Mr Talabani and Mr Barzani were blamed with the same accusations that Mr Öcalan is subject to today.

Although each of these has a different sphere of influence, all three leaders have an important place in the feelings and thoughts of the Kurdish people. None is an alternative to the other. And because they have demonstrated the skill to turn differences into unity, our people mention them with gratitude. Gratitude, in its simplest sense is the “expression of indebtedness, of a heartfelt debt, of pleasure for a ‘good deed’ that has been done”. In this framework, ‘good deed’ is the ability to prevent peoples from cutting each other’s throat. It is a voluntary reflection of the will to live together. This meeting on the axis of peace and freedom can be described as the greatest “good deed” done throughout history for the sake of Kurds.

The initiators of this effort that has reawakened a nation—a nation that even history itself had forgotten-- will certainly be mentioned with gratitude. Not to say that a great majority is impressed by the ideas of these leaders who, while seeking a future without frontiers, have embraced the culture of social peace and democracy and taken it to their people would be a travesty of truth. In this framework, it is inevitable and natural for Kurds to accept these three leaders as persons of value. What I wanted to voice in behalf of our people was giving unto those who deserved what they duly deserved.

“Leaders come on the stage of history with a call for social needs. The goal of the leader is victory. The struggle against evil, the inadequate, and the mediocre also aims for victory. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that great leaders emerge and show the way for solving problems in war or peace or during times of a drive for change, in other words during turning points in history.”


It should be known that if, despite decades of conflict, the Turkish and Kurdish people have not confronted each other, Mr Öcalan’s role in that is great. This role is also the guarantee for an honourable, just and lasting peace. Preparing society for the historical journey called change is possible when the right people become leaders at the right time. There are many people with great goals and who spend a great deal of effort to achieve them. But those who act in the name of their people and who accomplish their mission alongside their people are regarded as great leaders. It is because of these reasons that our people have repeatedly stated both in writing and verbally that he is accepted as the Kurdish People’s Leader. In the eyes of our people just as speaking Kurdish, saying Kurdistan and saying Mr Öcalan is not a crime, believing in this cause is not a crime either. Taking ownership of one’s leader is a human, conscientious, moral and political responsibility. In this context, the message distilled from the cries of millions of our citizens taking to the streets with the slogan, “PKK is the people, the people are here” should be understood correctly. Describing the Kurdish people’s demands for peace, freedom and equality as “terrorism” offends the Kurdish people.


One should not forget that at a place where there is war, one day there will definitely be peace. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’ reading the peace declaration with Mr Yasser Arafat whom he called a ‘terrorist’ for years, the courage of the South African President Mr De Klerk and Mr Mandela in ending the three hundred year white supremacy are still clear in our memories and remembered with respect. Peace, which will be a new life is not divisive, destructive and dislocative; on the contrary, it is unifying, bringing together and inclusive; because peace is the very act of building itself.

Respectable Judges,

As I conclude my presentation on this portion of the trial, I would also like to take this opportunity to announce an important decision of mine. From now on, whatever the ‘charge’ may be, I am thinking of not using my right to defend myself in trials. Since I started my struggle, irrespective of time and place, at squares or at trials I have always defended the same ideas. I was sometimes the witness and sometimes the defendant. I also stayed in prison for many years. The direction of my thoughts did not change either when I was a ‘prisoner’ or when I was ‘free’. You may not approve of my ideas; in fact we can defend conflicting and different ideas as well. But now I believe in the senselessness of repeating ourselves. I wish for a process where an evolution of thought has been completed in which our people will not be suspects, defendants or prisoners because of their thoughts.

Leyla Zana

Trial observer statement:

REPORT ON OBSERVATION OF TRIAL OF LEYLA ZANA

MARCH 31ST, DIYBAKIR

Margaret Owen. Member Bar Human Rights Committee.


Leyla Zana appeared in the Diyabakir Court on March 31st to answer charges that she is a terrorist, praises crime and undertakes propaganda for an illegal organisation (the PKK). She is indicted under the Anti-Terror Law and under certain articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TPC), as evidenced by her speeches made abroad between 2007 and 2008.

Over a hundred foreign observers many from Germany and Italy, and others from Sweden, the UK and representing the European Parliament and the Commission) had come to attend the trial, which was due to open at 10.am. However, since only 2 days earlier the DTP had won a resounding victory against the AKP and other parties in the local elections in the South-East, and tensions were running high, which were thought might severely influence the judge and prosecutor in the case, the defence lawyers sought and obtained an adjournment to June 2nd. The judge accepted Leyla’s lawyers’ plea that they needed further time to formulate the defence. Nevertheless there was still a short hearing.

As always (to a UK observer) the physical geography of the court room both shocks and surprises, since it seems to reflect the Kafkaesque features of the Turkish judicial system. High up behind the platform sit 4 people in it seemed, identical judges’ robes; but the one sitting close to the central figure, the chief judge, is in fact the Prosecutor. On the other side are the two other judges who appear to take little part in any discussions on the bench, show little interest in what is said, while they twiddle with the mouse on the laptop. (Could they be playing solitaire?) Lower down in the court-room, to one side, sit the defence lawyers, Meral Bestos, Muharrum Erbey and another. Visually there is clear inequality between prosecution and defence, and the proximity of prosecutor to judge raises questions of course about the independence of the judiciary and the fairness of any trial given this scenario.

Although we had been told that an adjournment had been granted, there was still a short hearing in which Leyla Zana read out, in turkish, (or rather repeated) the speech she had made as her defence to her prosecution in April, 2008 for the speech she had made at the Newroz of 2007, defending her defence. She said “Respectable Judges, I would like first to point out that I consider it a disgrace for the democracy of Turkey that I am being tried because of my thoughts. The fact that expression of thought is being considered within the scope of the fight against terrorism underscores yet another topical and burning issue. It is a fact that to be able to express one’s thought is a guarantee of all other freedoms”. She spoke about fundamental rights of the Kurds to freedom of expression, assembly and of their language rights. Concluding she said “I would also like to take this opportunity to announce an important decision of mine. From now on, whatever the “charge” may be, I am thinking of not using my right to defend myself in trials. ….I believe in the senselessness of repeating ourselves. I wish for a process where an evolution of thought has been completed in which our people will not be suspects , defendant or prisoners because of their thoughts”.

After the adjournment the observers were invite to a lunch with her lawyers, and later on the day the UK delegation, and others had a further meeting with Muharrem Erbey. There we learnt more detail about the danger for Leyla Zana of the indictments under a combination of laws, under both the TPC and the Anti-Terror Law. Under the TPC, Article 304 para.2 and Article 220 para. 6 in particular. The latter spells out that even if a defendant is not an active member of an illegal (terrorist) organisation, and does no work on its behalf, if he or she “ acts like a member” the charge of terrorism can be sustained. TPC Article 222 para. 4 provides for the Prosecutor to appeal when he considers the court has given an inadequate and too lenient a sentence. Whilst the charges arising from the speeches made between 2007 and 2008 outside the jurisdiction but recorded and circulated in the country ( including one made at a meeting held at a House of Lords Committee room last summer, 2008), will be prosecuted on June 2nd, Leyla Zana also faces an appeal, by the Prosecutor, at the Court of Cassation in Ankara, against the sentence of 10 years imprisonment for other speeches and writings on the grounds that the sentence is “not enough” for a conviction on both providing propaganda for an illegal organisation and for being a member of a terrorist group. He is asking for a further 23 years. However, Leyla’s lawyers emphasized that the hearing on June 2nd. is the crucial one, rather than the Ankara appeal, for which no date is expected to be given for another 4 or 5 months. They earnestly request the presence of foreign lawyers to observe this hearing, and hope that the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) can be persuaded to send observers to report on the fairness of this coming trial.

The "List of Trials" is available upon request.

THE "UNKNOWN LANGUAGE"

"All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue."
~ The UN

.

Ahmet Türk speaks Kurdish in Parliament for UNESCO's International Mother Language Day and Meclis TV/TRT 3 (Turkey's version of CSPAN) cuts its live broadcast of the DTP leader.

According to Hürriyet, Türk was cut off "because using a language other than Turkish in speeches in Parliamentary is forbidden under the Constitution of the Republic."

Well, so the hell what? Let's remember that TRT 6, aka TRT CEHŞ aka KORUCU TV, Turkey's first channel broadcasting in the "unknown language"--is completely in violation of broadcasting laws and Katil Erdoğan is allowed to speak the "unknowwn language". Şerafettın Elçi goes around making political speeches in the "unknown language". But nothing happens to Turks or fake Kurds who use the "unknown language", does it?

Yet the "unknown language"--oh, by the way they use this term of stupidity of "unknown language" because they're so freakin' racist that to say the words "Kurd" or "Kurdish" would absolutely choke them to death--yet the "unknown language" is forbidden in prisons--especially if you're an "unknown language" person prisoner and you have visitors who speak nothing but the "unknown language"; it's forbidden for use by political parties for political purposes; it's forbidden for use in correspondence by associations; it's forbidden for use in sermons; and it's forbidden for use in naming "unknown language" persons if said "unknown language" persons have a name in the "unknown language" that contains one of the FORBIDDEN LETTERS! For more on that see IHD General President Öztürk Türkdoğan's speech at the EUTCC's 5th International Conference on the EU, Turkey, and the "Unknown Language" Persons (copy-and-paste: http://kurdish-info.net/News-sid-Oeztuerk-Tuerkdogan-lawyer-General-President-12392.html )

And if you happen to be an "unknown language" person infant with the FORBIDDEN LETTERS in your name, you will be refused medical treatment!

Why is it that when Katil Erdoğan invites Shimon Peres to speak in the TBMM, and Peres makes his speech in another "unknown language", Katil Erdoğan and Peres are not investigated?

Moreover, why is it when I have to write about stuff about this, I feel like I'm writing from the Twilight Zone?

Ahmet Türk and the DTP are following in the honorable steps of Leyla Zana and the DEP parliamentarians so let us see just how far the investigation will go. For the time being, just as in Leyla Zana's time, Kurdish is still forbidden for Kurds.

Happy Freakin' Belated International Mother Language Day, Kurdistan!

THE EUTCC ON LEYLA ZANA'S CONVICTION

"The seed of revolution is repression."
~ Woodrow T. Wilson.

Kurdish Spokesperson and EUTCC Patron Leyla Zana Convicted to Ten Years in Prison by a Turkish Court

6 December 2008

Press Release: For immediate release

Kurdish Spokesperson and EUTCC Patron Leyla Zana Convicted to Ten Years in Prison by a Turkish Court

Leyla Zana, a well know political spokesperson for the Kurds in Turkey, was Thursday convicted to ten years in prison by a Turkish Court in Diyarbakir. The court ruled that Leyla Zana had violated the penal code and the anti-terror law in nine different speeches. She is accused of having supported and spread propaganda in favour of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party). At a Newroz celebration in Diyarbakir Leyla Zana stated that PKK leader, Mr. Abdulla Öcalan, should be regarded as one of three Kurdish leaders. It is expected that Zana will appeal the verdict.

Leyla Zana was the first Kurdish woman to win a seat in the Turkish Parliament in 1991. Her decision to give the Parliamentary Oath in Kurdish led to immediate calls for her arrest. This was the first time Kurdish had been spoken in the Turkish Parliament. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released in 2004 due to international pressure. Zana received the Rafto Prize in 1994 and the Sakharov Prize the following year.

Despite Leyla Zana’s sufferings and personal losses during the previous 10 years of imprisonment in Turkey, she has continued to speak on behalf of her people. Since her release in 2004 Leyla Zana has been an outspoken, courageous and loyal ambassador to the Kurdish people. She demands recognition for the Kurdish language, Kurdish identity and freedom of expression in addition to political and cultural rights. Zana seeks a non-violent and democratic solution for the Kurds living within Turkey's borders.

Leyla Zana sent the following statement to the EUTCC Chair Kariane Westrheim today:

“The case against me is a violation against freedom of thought, and represents a threat to every Kurd in Turkey. The decision of the court is just another way to repress, silence and punish the Kurds. The mentality governing this country is that problems can be resolved by anti democratic and repressive means and that unfair trial can provide political and social peace. But despite all this, our people will claim their legitimate rights, and will continue to struggle for this as long as it takes”.

EUTCC calls on the European Union and the international community to take political action and strongly condemn Turkey for having convicted Leyla Zana to ten new years in prison.


For further information
Kariane Westrheim
Chair of EUTCC
Menneskerettighetenes plass 1
5007 Bergen, Norway
Telephone: +47 976 42 088

OPPRESSED AND OPPRESSORS: THE ERGENEKON DOG AND PONY SHOW

"From the beginning of their first term the AKP, starting from their leader to the lowest-ranking party member, created and shared a mythology of being oppressed."
~ Ece Temelkuran.

It looks like Leyla Zana may be going to prison for ten years. From the BBC:

A Turkish court has sentenced a Kurdish politician to 10 years in prison for spreading propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The court ruled that Leyla Zana had violated the penal code and the anti-terror law in nine different speeches.

Ms Zana, 47, has already spent 10 years in prison for links to the PKK, though that conviction was later overturned.

Ms Zana was not in court, and this latest conviction will not be imposed until her appeal has been heard.

Her lawyer called the sentence an "unfortunate" decision in a country working to join the European Union, and said her client's words were well within the bounds of free speech.

The prosecution sought a sixty year conviction for Leyla's crimethink. She had spoken out in London earlier this year when she spoke in London. Hevallo also had an eyewitness report on Leyla's speech in the UK parliament.

The next step will be to hear the outcome of the appeals process. I wonder if all the world's liberals will be concerned with the case of this Sakharov prize winner this time around? I'm inclined to doubt it. Our only friends are the mountains.

Of course, Leyla's conviction, and all similar prosecutions, expose clearly the weakness of the Ankara regime, which functions out of terror that truth will be spoken and heard.

Speaking of liberals, there's a very good article at Counterpunch from a Turkish Leftist, female political columnist. Thanks to the Vineyardsaker for sending the link. From the heart of the article:

A friend from the socialist left stopped me on the street the other day. His voice was anxious: “You know what, maybe you should not write about Ergenekon for a while”. He paused and sulked: “I think the way you do on this issue but you know… They made two little boxes: a Kemalist box and a liberal one. Even if you don’t fit to either of the boxes they break your arms or legs and make you fit one of them at the end. They don’t open a third box for you. This is a dangerous political climate and we are all going to be wasted in the end”.

He is right. If you ask questions about the indictment, or even if you express your concern about the seriousness of the case, there you go into the Kemalist box. If you clap your hands whenever you hear the name of the Ergenekon case, then you can be considered a democrat and can inhabit the same box as those I mentioned above. In that box the concept of democracy is reduced to freedom of faith, and its links to social justice or equality have been cut mercilessly. That is why in Turkey at the moment, if you are coming from the left, in order to be recognized as ‘not a fascist’ you are obliged to bow your head before right-wing perceptions of democracy. Even though it was the left that has been the ultimate victim of the deep state, they are for the time being the ones accused of being the deep state itself. This discourse or political climate has such a strong character that even the most intelligent and experienced spin doctors on the left have been stammering since last January about the Ergenekon case. Meanwhile the right-wing democrats, the liberals, are making noise saying that this time the gang was caught before it managed to carry out the coup. Thank god, the AKP government at the last minute busted them in the very act!

This reduction of politics to barren dualities didn’t actually start with the Ergenekon case; on the contrary, it had already been creating an intellectual industry with interesting products since the political polarization deepened with the start of the AKP’s second term. On almost every news channel there are talk-shows featuring a pro-AKP liberal democrat and an anti-AKP democrat. Since their controversies are the product on sale, these programs are visually exaggerated as well. In one of them, before the show begins they show two tigers attacking each other and in another program one, side has a black, the other a white background. The AKP, beyond its other achievements, gave Turkey this amazing present: intellectual and political discussions are now made in little boxes between black-and-white tigers!

I urge a close reading of the entire piece, particularly for the history that is recounted and the role of the Islamists in that history, particularly the fact that the Fethullahcı were founded in the wake of the 12 September coup. Not coincidentally, that was the same timeframe that saw the implementation of the Turkish-Islamic Synthesis and Turkish Hezbollah.

Finally, check Hevallo's recent post on defense lobby conflicts of interest in the UK. What a shock--they are linked to Lockheed Martin! Or, maybe not so shocking.

LEYLA ZANA ON HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE KURDISH PEOPLE

"I love life and want to hold onto it. But my passion for justice for my tormented people, for their dignity and freedom, must be greater still. For of what value is a life of slavery, of humiliation and contempt for that which you hold most dear: Your identity! I will therefore not give in to the Turkish Inquisition."
~ Leyla Zana.

From the email, a statement from Leyla Zana to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus:

13 September 2008

Diyarbakır


Esteemed friends, dear participants;

First, I greet you all with love and respect. As someone who has devoted her entire life to the struggle for freedom, peace and democracy, I do not think I have to tell you how sad I am for not being able to be among you today, on a day dedicated to democracy. Sometimes both time and words are inadequate for explaining things. I am currently passing through such a time of turmoil. While on the one hand, I am trying to heal the damage inflicted on my body due to years of imprisonment, on the other hand, in court rooms I am paying for the price of the things I have said and spoken about. Regardless of all these, I wish to be with you in subsequent events.

Just as Aung San Suu Kyi has said, "Peace, justice and development are inextricably bound together." In fact, when we go to the root of all the pain and suffering in the world, we see that we are confronted with governments that have not been able to adequately internalize the vital importance of rights, law, equality, freedom and democracy. Aren't the fighting and wars handed over from generation to generation fought in order to create a democratic mechanism in a just, free, honourable and secure environment? Aren't the pains suffered by mankind since it came into being, based on the wish to live in peace? Alas, the world is still not just, still not safe and unfortunately still not democratic at all! Probably because governments regard democracy as something confined to their use alone, they stifle opposing voices and do not hesitate to shut them up for good. Does democracy mean equalising the differences?

As I believe you have been following the Kurdish issue with interest, I do not deem it necessary to tell you its historical development chronologically. Nevertheless, in countries without a developed democracy like Turkey, where democracy remains on paper alone, democratic gains require a heavy sacrifice. I will just try to depict the current picture for you. Today, the aftermath of the unpalatable picture of war shaped by blood and tears is as follows: over 30 thousand soldiers, guerrillas, village guards and civilians who have lost their lives...Thousands of people who have been maimed...Thousands of villages that have been evacuated, burned and razed...

Millions of people who have been displaced and became refugees in their own country...Torture, and hundreds of state perpetrated murders recorded as 'perpetrator unknown'...

Tens of thousands of widowed women, thousands of orphaned children, parents whose hearts are bleeding...

People lost while in detention... rape and sexual abuse...

A disrupted environmental balance, cities becoming encroached by slum areas and lopsided urban development...

Overcrowded prisons and tens of thousands of people tried unlawfully in courts with extraordinary powers...

Increasing pressure on the opposition media, newspapers and magazines which are expropriated because they are witnesses to and the voice of the truth...

A constitutional order where people are banned from using even their mother tongue and where they are regarded as entities abstracted from their national identity and culture...

A constitution -- developed during the military junta period by the generals who made the coup --which regards all different entities in the country as Turkish...

Political systems that get clogged up and that get mired in corruption the more they do so...

Unemployment and poverty that have become a lifestyle for tens of millions of people...

An 80 year old state policy that has become increasingly decadent and turned into a gang mentality through bribery, corruption and moral decay...

Many things have changed in the world; the cold war has also ended. Many years have passed by. Walls and blocs came tumbling down.

From Asia to Europe to Africa...many peoples became free, new sates emerged, borders were removed. Concepts like human rights, democracy and peace have become issues, areas of interest and passions not just for countries with problems in these areas but for the entire mankind. Everything that makes life easier has entered homes and offices through small screens that create wonders. The earth became too small for mankind and it started seeking life in different planets. And we, a bunch of people are coming together for "democracy", coming from four corners of the world, from Canada, Mexico, Zimbabwe and Ecuador...We do not know each other at all, but our paths with different starting points intersect here, in this struggle…

Our identities, beliefs, tastes, elegies, dirges and pains are different; so are our smiles, joys and colours. But there is one thing where we do not think differently at all: a unique thing that turns tens, hundreds, thousands and even millions of hearts into a single heart; and that is an honourable, just and lasting peace...

It is because of this that government policies becoming concrete in the person of the Kurdish leader Mr. Öcalan who is being held in a one man island prison break our hopes for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue and gives concerns firstly to the Kurdish people and also to the democratic public opinion. We unfortunately believe that we are justified in our concerns. The isolation of Mr. Öcalan is being insisted on; his requests for relocation to another place where he could meet his people are rejected. The government is insensitive to his severe health problems stemming from climatic conditions and although he has declared that he is ready for democratic change, transformation and solution, the same old policies are being insisted upon. Radical legal reforms that have been enacted within the framework of EU relations examples of which have been seen in many countries are not put in place.

Is there another people that you know, with a population of over 40 million, one of the most crowded of its kind, that is devoid of its political, social and cultural rights, that cannot even use its mother tongue? Turkey has signed many international treaties and made commitments to the entire world. One of these is the UN Twin Conventions. But despite signing this convention, Turkey does not fulfil its commitments. The spirit of these conventions necessitates that people determine their 'political status, their economic, social and cultural development freely'.

The 12th of September Constitution developed in a military coup environment has still not been changed. A legal and constitutional arrangement in which the treatment of Kurds is uncertain will not be accepted by the Kurdish people. The new constitution must be developed within the framework of a democratic social contract. Clearly, the traditional stance of the Middle East that tries to maintain the status quo is resisting against change and against our country's objective of integrating with the age of democracy and civilization; and it does this by being emboldened with external dynamics.

Dear friends and fellow travellers,

If these issues we are discussing today are one side of the coin, we need bolder, more concrete and practicable steps to reveal its other side. If we do not provide the encouragement, those who nourish war, those who are nourished by war and conduct their politics over war will never give up war. I would like to take this opportunity to share my belief that duties with a gravity of importance that are too profound and intense to define by any concept fall upon all individuals and institutions that support living in peace.

The interest and support you have not denied us despite distances of thousands of kilometres between us, gives strength to me and the defenders of peace and democracy. We have to bear in mind that solidarity and being in communication with each other might not entirely lift pressure but it would at least have an alleviating and slowing down effect. I think the common denominator of bridges of hearts formed through friendships is love for humanity. I therefore attribute great value to the feelings of solidarity towering over this denominator. It is of course not easy to break prejudices. While prejudices are broken, there will naturally be a lot of speculation. But somebody must show the bravery of starting somewhere to break them.

With my feelings of friendship and respect...

Leyla Zana

Thanks for the email, heval.

LEYLA ZANA SPEAKS IN UK PARLIAMENT

“Kurds are fire, if approached correctly they get warm but if approached wrongly they burn.”
~ Leyla Zana.

The only thing that's really worth your time today is to stop over at Hevallo's place and check out his post on his trip to London to hear Leyla Zana speak in the British Parliament.

Zana defended the Kurdish people, the Kurdish freedom movement, and Abdullah Öcalan's proposals for a political solution to the Kurdish situation. I have no doubt that Zana would also defend PKK's offer of a democratic solution from August 2006, and PKK's ceasefire, which was offered in October 2006.

Zana also calls out the members of the Kurdish Diaspora to remind them of their duties.

Anyway, go check out Hevallo's excellent piece and see for yourself.

LEYLA ZANA: 60 YEARS FOR CRIMETHINK

"It is a shame in the name of Turkish democracy that I have appeared before the judge for my thoughts."
~ Leyla Zana.

There may be a change in Leyla Zana's term of imprisonment, from Yeni Özgür Politika:

60 years demanded for Zana

Former DEP parliamentarian Leyla Zana has been sued for nine separate speeches and 60 years have been demanded for her conviction.

The Diyarbakır chief prosecutor sued Leyla Zana for nine separate speeches she gave in Amed, Batman, Bingöl, the European Parliament, and for several other speeches she delivered within the past year. Her speeches violate the Struggle Against Terrorism Act (Anti-Terror Law) 3713, Article 7/2, "praising illegal organizations," and TCK Articles 314/2 and 314/3, "being a member of an illegal organization" and "committing a crime on behalf of an illegal organization". Sixty years of imprisonment is being demanded of Zana.

According to the indictment against her, Zana has been convicted of "praising the PKK and the Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan," "inciting hatred in the youth for serving in the military," "referring to Southeastern Turkish provinces as 'North Kurdistan'", "referring to Northern Iraq as 'Southern Kurdistan'", "referring to Öcalan's capture as 'an earthquake in the hearts of the Kurdish people'", "referring to TSK operations as 'raining bullets on the Kurdish people'", and for participating in the Êdî Bes e movement.

I've only seen this in English in one other place, so I've been wondering: where are all those humanitarians, progressives, European politicians, and others who took up the cause of the imprisonment of the DEP parliamentarians? Where are those who awarded Leyla Zana the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought? Or is this prize not given so much to honor those who've sacrificed for human rights as to assuage the guilt and stroke the egos of the European Parliament?

I mean, Zana said that this current conviction was for crimethink: "It is a shame in the name of Turkish democracy that I have appeared before the judge for my thoughts."

Now that we have the bullshit Global War on Terror, Inc., crimethink is the order of the day.

NEWS FROM THE "MODEL OF DEMOCRACY"

"Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses."
~ H.L. Mencken.

There has been an identification of two bodies from a mass grave of Kurds extra-judicially murdered by Turkey's Bolu commandos in the Kulp district, from Yeni Özgür Politika:

The identities of two of the eight people who had been taken by Bolu Brigade from their homes under the pretext of showing them an address, and then returning them, have been revealed. These people were Hasan Örhan and his brother, Mehmet Selim Örhan. In 1994, during a Bolu Command Brigade operation, these eight people were raided and their bodies were burned. Recent DNA results revealed the identity of the two, out of eight. IHD Diyarbakir branch held a press conference in order to declare the results of the DNA test.

As the deputy chief of IHD, Reyhan Yalçındağ, gave a brief background of the incident: "14 years ago, on 24 May 1994, the soldiers who held an operation in Diyarbakır Kulp district, Çağlayan village, Deveboyu region, detained Mehmet Selim Örhan, Hasan Örhan, and Cezair Örhan. Despite their family members' resistance, who are today among us, a high-ranking soldier mentioned that he would take them in order to show them an address and then he would release them. However, no one heard from them since."

According to Yalçındağ, regional departments and prosecutors conclude that there are approximately 5,000 similar cases. Since IHD could not find any resolution for these cases because of [Turkey's] internal law, it has applied to the European Court of Human Rights. Regarding these issues, ECHR found Turkey guilty.

In 2004, the Örhan family found eight unidentified bodies. After the DNA testing of these bodies, it became clear that two of these bodies were Hasan and Mehmet Selim Örhan.

IHD revealed the results of the DNA tests in a press conference at which the Örhan family was present without knowing the results. When the results were announced, indicating that the bones of Hasan and Mehmet Selim Örhan were found, many family members suffered breakdowns. Thus, IHD had to cut short the press conference.

So there we have yet another example of why the Bolus are particularly hated in Kurdistan and why the TSK should be brought before an international tribunal on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Human Rights Association (TIHV) suffered a highly suspicious robbery on 24 March:

Thieves who broke into the TIHV center stole 18-years worth of archives of torture victims. Without touching anything else in the center, the thieves escaped.

Even though there is an alarm system in every room, some unidentified people stole the server which contained torture and human rights violations reports. Without stealing anything else, valuable or without value, it was revealed that the thieves had attempted to commit this robbery three days' prior--an attempt that failed.

TIHV General Secretary Metin Bakkalci said it was no coincidence that the server was stolen. Metin Bakkalci says: "Despite the security precautions, three days' after the first attempt, they succeeded in getting into the building. Here, there were applications regarding human rights violations and some related information dating from 1990." He indicated that the archive that was stolen was Turkey's human rights violations and torture "memory".

Thus, the thieves stole Turkey's human rights violations and torture reports "memory".

The biggest question here is who were the thieves working for? The Kemalist Deep State or the Islamist Deep State? Both would benefit by wiping out the records of Turkey's dirty history.

In some good news, it looks like Russia is shutting down Fethullah Gülen:

Russian constitutional court banned Fethullah Gülen's "Nurcu cemaat" and their activities as the court considered them an "illegal Islamic movement". According to BBC news, the case that has been brought by the chief prosecutor, resulted in the banning Fethullah Gülen's activities in Russia. According to the Russians, the Nurcu houses turn into illegal madrassas that teach an extreme religious ideology. In additon, many Gulen schools, mainly in St. Petersburg, have been considered illegal also by this court, by saying their activities are illegal.

A check of BBC English and BBC Türkçe revealed no report as quoted here. However, the news has been fairly prominent in Turkish media, such as this example from Hürriyet. According to Hürriyet, the Russians had previously closed down Gülen schools. Were the Fethullahcı attempting to bypass the previous Russian ban by referring to themselves as Nurcular? This would not be unusual since Gülen, the bawling village idiot, stole the writings of Seîd Kurdî (aka Said Nursi by Kurd-haters) to sucker people into his cult.

It's too bad the Americans won't follow in Russia's footsteps and ban the wildly out-of-control Fethullahcı in the US. Perhaps the Russians really banned the Fethullahcı because the US is using them as a fifth column against Russia, just as it did with the mujaheddin in Afghanistan in the 1980's. And we all know how well that turned out.

Please note that Amnesty International (AI) has issued a statement about Cüneyt Ertuş. Also available in German, if you're so inclined.

AI also has something on Eren Keskin's recent conviction:

Human rights activist Eren Keskin has been sentenced to six months and 20 days in prison after being convicted of “denigrating the Turkish army”.

The conviction comes under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which Amnesty International has long campaigned against.

Eren Keskin's sentence can be converted into a fine of 4,000 Turkish Liras (US$3,250) but she has refused to pay it. Instead, she is appealing the verdict. Should she be imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider her to be a prisoner of conscience.

Okay, so how does one actually "denigrate the Turkish army"? I mean, they do that well enough on their own. Fittingly enough, Eren Keskin has a page at Heroes for a Better World. If you need to know more about Eren--and you probably do--check this.

Finally, the word has gotten around that Leyla Zana has been convicted for her remarks at Newroz last year. Some feckless articles have claimed in headlines that she's been jailed already, but do not mention jailing at all in their text. So far I have not seen anything at all in Turkish-language media that says Zana has been imprisoned or jailed yet, so I am not certain about it. The question is whether an appeal is filed automatically and whether or not she remains free pending the results of an appeal. I will continue to watch for further news on this issue.

What I have noticed, however, is that the Turkish media has been unusually silent over Zana's conviction. Would this have anything to do with the fact that her conviction was announced on the same day that those two great defenders of democracy, Olli Rehn and Manuel Barroso, arrived in Turkey? Barroso even went to the TBMM to bleat about political and social "reforms", and went so far as to praise efforts to "reform" the excruciatingly vague new version of the excruciatingly vague old version of Article 301.

At this point, I suspect that Zana will once again be sacrificed on the altar of "democracy".

Since I have mentioned two courageous Kurdish women in this post, let me also point out that a new website is in the works that will focus on Kurdish women. You can take a look at Kurdistan's Women.

WAR NEWS ROUNDUP

"Kurds are fire, if approached correctly they get warm if approached wrongly they burn."
~ Leyla Zana.

Pop quiz, boys and girls: How do you spell "gewad"?

Istanbul, Turkey (KurdishMedia.com) 26 February 2008: Jalal Talabani, the head of PUK, stated that the PKK is a terrorist organsiation and they must evacuate their bases in Mount Qandil. Talabani was interviewed by the Turkish KANAL D at 19:00 local time on Tuesday.

[ . . . ]

Talabani, a Kurd, praised the Turkish parliament and government. He stated that he believes that there is a democratic elected parliament in Turkey. Talabani stated that Erdogan and Gül are elected politicians and they should be respected by the Kurds. He stated there are elected Kurds in the [ruling Islamic party] AKP

Talabani further declared that the PKK is a terrorist organization, as it is accepted by the international community. The PKK must be disarmed, Talabani added.

Talabani stated that he would visit Turkey in the near future because it was very important for him.

His interview angered northern Kurds. A Kurdish activist, Cengiz Apaydin, in Istanbul told KurdishMedia.com after the interview, “Talabani is a good Kurd for Turks. I am sure he has no links to the Kurdish people. A Kurd who praised by Turks is a bad Kurd.”

If you answered: M-A-M C-E-L-A-L, then you are 100% correct! Give yourselves gold stars and move to the head of the class!

Remember, "If we are for lunch, Talabani, you will be for dinner!" and more on the Bakûrî reaction in Amed (Diyarbakır).

It sounds like someone else wants to be just like Mam Celal when he grows up:

KurdishMedia.com: In a recent press meeting in the city of Erbil (Hewler) in Iraqi Kurdistan, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) downplayed the recent attacks by the Turkish military in the Kurdistan federal region. The Kurdish PM, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, answered questions from the press and commented on the recent invasion by the Turkish military in the northern most part of the Kurdistan federal region. Barzani made surprising comments that civilians had not been affected by the attacks when several different media reports indicate otherwise.

[ . . . ]

Barzani's comments came across very lightly as several news media reports and even footage of the region has clearly shown civilian areas to have been damaged by Turkish air assaults.

[ . . . ]

The Kurdish public remains curious about the intentions of the downplaying of such events. In the meantime, Turkish strikes on both rebel targets and the civilian population continue in the region.

Okay, maybe I'm being a little hard on Nêçîrvan; he wouldn't have anything to say if he weren't told to say it by Mesûd. But what does it matter since only 83 villages have been targeted since last Thursday. It's not like it was their personal bank accounts the Ankara regime was targeting.

If you want more on the lies of the regime that the Southern Kurdish leadership worships, take a look at something the hevals at KurdishInfo have translated for you. Just so you know, "asparagus news" means "bullshit news".

KurdishInfo also reports that some of the TSK's body count is a result of Turkish soldiers freezing to death and there's something about a TSK order of body bags. There's another mention of frozen Turkish soldiers at IraqUpdates along with a description of a recent battle:

Fighters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) waged a four-pronged attack on Turkish forces in the area of al-Zab, near the Iraqi-Turkish borders, a PKK official said on Tuesday.

"The Turkish side lost 21 soldiers and still the PKK fighters keep the bodies of five of them. Our fighters also seized their M-16 weapons," Ahmed Deniz, the PKK official in charge of foreign affairs, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

"The PKK has lost only one fighter, though," Deniz said.

Uh-oh, Mr. Erdoğan, it looks like PKK has some American-made weapons.

He said the PKK also thwarted a landing by Turkish paratroopers in the area of Jamjou, adding "our fighters withstood the landing and forced the Turks to withdraw.

"The fighting is still flaring up in the areas of Bazia and al-Zab but it ended in Irsh, where the Turkish troops pulled out," he said.

Roz Wallat, a commander of the PKK, said "the Turkish troops' position is very hard due to the ferocious resistance showed by our fighters."

Wallat, however, expected military escalations on the Turkish side, noting "they (the Turks) are preparing for fresh operations."

The PKK had admitted on Tuesday the killing of four of its fighters in clashes with Turkish forces in northern Iraqi, affirming that the Turkish offensive was repulsed and troops denied further advances.

"Fighting is still going on for the sixth day running in several areas, including the Avashin, al-Zab and Bazia, where we managed to repulse the Turkish attack and deny Turkish forces more advances," Wallat told VOI.

"The number of Turkish fatalities reached 80 while some others froze to death due to snowfall in the area," Wallat said.

The WaPo tells us that "[m]any Pentagon and State Department officials are upset with the Kurds for failing to take strong measures against the PKK despite repeated promises to crack down on the group." Oh, too funny! I mean, after all, it's Pentagon and State Department officials who've been taking bribes from the Turks all these years and selling American nuclear technology to the Turks. The Turks, in turn, sold the technology to Pakistan and at least attempted to sell it to Libya, according to Sibel Edmonds. Who knows who else they sold to? North Korea?

Hevallo has you covered for lots of ongoing news, like Leyla Zana speaking in Amed, Aliza Marcus speaking in the IHT, and a video report from Al-Jazeera. Make sure and look at the old MedTV footage he dug up and partnered with an article on the recent shootdown of a Cobra by HPG in the Zap region. Some may remember the helicopter shot down in 1997 was carrying some paşas--meaning that PKK got a lot of bang for its buck.

RojTV has footage of the Cobra shootdown, video follows. Thanks to a reader who left the link in comments:

One more video, also from a reader who likes to share--Thank you, anonymous--and this one's a bit more personal:

Serkeftin!

A CONFERENCE, A BOOK, AND A BODY COUNT

"If the PKK and Abdullah Ocalan are not seen as part of the problem and are not incorporated into the process of a solution, then we cannot be sure of a solution, because it is not possible."
~ Ahmet Türk.

Hevallo has been doing a great job keeping up with speeches and statements coming from the EU conference on Kurds, so I urge everyone to go over there and browse through the information he's posted. I'm not putting a specific link here, because he has several posts, so you'll just have to browse.

However, I will post a link to one specific post that makes me absolutely boiling with envy, and that's Hevallo's post on Ahmet Kahraman's new book, in English. It's called Uprising, Suppression, Retribution: The Kurdish Struggle in Turkey in the Twentieth Century and it covers, in detail, the long history of the Turkish state's genocide of the Kurdish people. This book will be an absolute must read for anyone interested in the Kurdish people under Turkish occupation. It isn't available through US Amazon, so it must be ordered from Amazon UK for £17.00, which should set you back $35.00, give or take, depending on the exchange rate of the day. However, this price is a minor investment for spreading the true history of the Kurdish people, and I will have to order a copy immediately, if not sooner. I strongly urge others to do the same.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kristiina Koivunen has posted a little note on her presence at the EU conference, and she's included a photo of her with Ahmet Türk and Nurettin Demirtaş. She promises us that she will write something more extensive on her adventures and impressions of the conference, so we will have to hold her to that promise.

At the conference itself, Leyla Zana spoke of the need to end taboos:

"It is time we started talking about our problems by doing away with our taboos. Regarding that the sensitivities of people are noteworthy makes a lasting peace possible. What is expected of the world is to respect this will and exclude it from bargaining issues in international relationships. Unless the issue is approached from a human perspective and from a perspective of conscience, it will continue to be a potential risk threatening regional and world peace. It is for this reason that the policy of “good Kurds-bad Kurds” that has been tried for some time has gone bankrupt. What befits a modern country is to hand over a tradition of tolerance that will strengthen diplomatic, cultural, economic and social relations to the future rather than escalating tensions across borders and countries."

Unsurprisingly, Joost Lagendijk, the AKP representative in the EU Parliament, did his best to present the fascist argument.

And we have war stats for the month of November from the hevals:

Number of operations: 24
Number of operations that made contact: 23
Number of enemy soldiers killed: 42
Number of enemy soldiers wounded: 12
Number of military vehicles destroyed: 1
Number of helicopters hit: 1
Number of gerîla şehîds for Kurdistan: 7

Şehîd namirin!

6 NOVEMBER 1991

"I am Kurdish, I will remain Kurdish until the end (of time), I am forced to take this oath and I am taking it under pressure. I am still a Kurd, I will remain a Kurd."
~ Leyla Zana.

THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

ANKARA

STATE SECURITY COURT

[Honorable Judges,]

Leyla Zana took part in the elections of October 20, 1991 as a candidate of [the People's Labor Party (HEP), which aligned itself with] the Social Democratic People's Party (SHP) and was elected as a representative from the city of Diyarbakir. On November 5, 1991, a day before the General Council meeting of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), the representatives of the People's Labor Party (HEP) held a press conference in the TGNA under the leadership of Fehmi Isiklar.

[In that conference, the HEP Representatives] distributed a press release which read, "The text of the oath composed for the newly elected representatives in accordance with Article 81 of the Turkish Constitution was prepared with racist and chauvinist considerations. The text of the oath denies the existence of the Kurdish people. This text is against democracy, human rights and peace. We, the elected representatives who have signed this press release, disagree with the content of the text of this article. But because the constitution mandates it, we will take the oath. We wish to inform the public." The defendant, Leyla Zana, also signed the press statement.

That, on November 6, 1991, defendant Leyla Zana attended the general council meeting to take the oath with a headband made up of the colors red, green and yellow and a scarf made up of the same colors. That defendants Hatip DICLE, Ahmet TURK, Mahmut ALINAK, Orhan DOGAN, Sirri SAKIK and other representatives in the HEP displayed kerchiefs of the same colors in the upper left pockets of their jackets; that red, green, and yellow represents the flag of the Kurdistan Labor Party (PKK); that by acting in unison in this manner, the defendants conspired to carry the flag of the PKK into the General Council Meeting at the TGNA.

That defendant Leyla Zana, after reading the text of the oath, shouted slogans in Kurdish from the pulpit of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. That when she was asked to reread the oath for the second time - since, due to her Kurdish slogans, her oath was considered invalid - like before, after reading the text of the oath, she shouted slogans in the same manner and said [in Kurdish], " I am Kurdish, I will remain Kurdish until the end (of time), I am forced to take this oath and I am taking it under pressure. I am still a Kurd, I will remain a Kurd."

Read the rest of the State Security Court indictment.