Turkey’s outlook bleak on human rights day

Turkey’s outlook bleak on human rights day

This year eight people have died in Turkey while in custody and 36 others were killed serving jail time in various prisons, right groups announced on Wednesday, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Nine others were killed under fire by security forces, while Turkey was not doing well in freedom of expression, press freedoms and bans, according to statistics released by the rights groups.

In a common statement they made on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Association (İHD) leader Öztürk Türkdoğan and Turkey Human Rights Foundation (TİHV) head Yavuz Önen expressed their concern that the world has yet to create an international order based on the rights and freedoms included in the universal declaration. "The demands the world has today are to establish peace based on rights and freedoms," said Türkdoğan.

The groups in their statement called for changing the Constitution to improve rights and freedoms in Turkey. Türkdoğan said human rights and democracy remained in the country as a chronically fundamental problem and that a change to the Constitution as well as many other laws was an absolute must to make certain democratic principles function.

Türkdoğan said Turkey's political parties laws, which impose anti-free speech provisions as well as language bans; the country's election laws that have higher election thresholds, making it hard to find representation for minority groups; and the ease of shutting down political parties in Turkey still marred the country's democratic improvement.

"The civilian and military relationship has still not been raised to that of a democratic country," Türkdoğan said. "The current legislation has aspects that are restrictive to freedom of thought and expression."

In the statement, Türkdoğan also called on the authorities to make deep-state gangs accountable for the crimes they committed. "Turkey now has to save itself from being a country where security forces torture people, where people are killed in police stations, on the streets and in jail through torture," he said. "Murders with assailants yet uncaught have to be resolved, and those responsible be punished. Gangs that have clustered themselves in the state should answer for their deeds by making the jurisdiction process work. Those organizations like the [clandestine cold-war era NATO organization] Gladio have to be exposed."

"We want a country where the supremacy of law and the right to live are seen as sacred; a country where everybody absolutely obeys legislation outlawing torture. We want respect to everybody's language, religion, beliefs and culture. We want a pluralistic democracy. We want a new Constitution. We want violence to end, and we want peace."

Önen called on the country's democrats and intellectuals and the people to stand in solidarity and own up to human rights principles and defend these values ceaselessly.

Rights, freedoms trampled underfoot

According to a report jointly released Wednesday by the TİHV and İHD, 36 died in Turkish prisons last year. Nine people were killed this year by security forces for not obeying orders to stop, while 12 others were injured.

The country has at least 15 provisions that restrict freedom of speech in its penal code. In the first 10 months of this year, 291 cases were filed based on these provisions against writers, intellectuals and journalists.

There were closure cases against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Democratic Society Party (DTP). There were also attempts to shut down civil society organizations such as the İHD; Lambdaİstanbul, a gay and lesbian association; the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Association; the People's Homes; GÖÇDER, the immigrants' solidarity association; and the Caucasian Students Association (KAÖ-DER).

Leader satisfied with Turkey's rights status

Turkish leaders were more optimistic about the state of rights and freedoms in Turkey. President Abdullah Gül, in a speech he made on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the human rights declaration said: "Turkey has reached higher standards in human rights thanks to the reforms it has made. It is also pleasant to see that there is a common awareness in the Turkish public to make sure that these high standards are applied perfectly."

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his speech called on increasing joint international efforts against rights violations.

Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan said, "Protecting and improving human rights is a priority target for Turkey, a strong member of the contemporary world."

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said, "Protection and improvement of human rights in our country is one of the priority targets of our government policies."

Excerpts from Turkey's rights record for 2008

Feb. 15: Sixteen-year-old Yahya Menekşe, who demonstrated at an illegal protest in Cizre, was crushed to death by a police panzer.

Mar. 22: Zeki Erik, who was hit by police fire during Nevruz festival protests, was killed on the spot. Ramazan Dal, heavily injured by police clubs in the same demonstration, died 10 days after being hospitalized.

May 1: Tens of people including two journalists were injured as a result of police brutality in İstanbul May Day protests.

Oct. 10: Engin Çeber, taken into custody after a press statement by the Rights Association Initiative (HDG) in İstanbul, died in Metris Prison. The reason of his death was established as torture.

Oct. 20: Ahmet Özhan died as a result of police fire in pro-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) demonstrations in Ağrı.

Oct. 27: Eighteen-year-old Çağdaş Gemik was killed by police as he rode his motorbike in Antalya for not obeying a police officer's order to stop.

Nov. 11: Fourteen-year-old Ahmet Yıldırım was wounded in Adana by a gunshot fired by a police officer who accused the young boy of stealing a motorbike.

Nov. 19: Soner Çankal was shot to death in the Altındağ district of Ankara for not obeying a call to stop by the police.

12 December 2008, Friday
TODAY'S ZAMAN İSTANBUL