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Wed, 09. Aug 2006
CGD Chair Abakay, IHD Istanbul Chair Sener and DTP Deputy Chair Kaplan
condemn 15 day closure of Ulkede Ozgur Gündem daily under recent amendments
made to Anti-Terror Law. Daily executive warns they will take the issue to
Europe if persecution continues.
A Turkish Court has for the first time used relevant articles in the
country's newly amended Anti-Terror Law (TMY) to close down the pro-Kurdish
daily Ulkede Ozgur Gundem newspaper on charges of "conducting continuous
organizational propaganda" in apparent reference of its coverage of
developments in the Southeast region and activities of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court decision based on a request made by
the Public Prosecutor's Office was relayed to the newspaper on August 4,
effectively banning it from print for a stretch of 15 days as of August 5,
Saturday.
Contemporary Journalists Association (CGD) Chairman Ahmet Abakay, Human
Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Chairwoman Hurriyet Sener and
Democratic Society Party (DTP) Deputy Chairman Hasip Kaplan reacted to the
decision as a spokesman for the newspaper warned they were considering an
application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) if the persecution
continued.
Firat: If illegality continues we will go to the ECHR
The Court's decision cited article 6 of the Anti-Terror Law allowing the
banning of printing and distribution of a publication as preventative
measure after concluding that where "the issue of the newspaper subject to
offence and the previous issues that have been investigated are evaluated in
whole, it is established that the Ulkede Ozgur Gundem continuously publishes
content that is propaganda of the terrorist organization".
It said that as a measure the printing and distribution of the newspaper had
been suspended for 15 days.
Holding a press conference at the IHD Istanbul Branch on August 5, Gundem's
news editor Nurettin Firat noted that the court had based its closure
decision on an article of the Anti-Terror Law which President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer had himself taken to the Constitutional Court.
Firat said that if the process of what he called "illegality" against the
newspaper continued, they would file an application with the European Court
of Human Rights.
Saying that the TMY granted authority to prosecutors to rapidly close down
newspapers, Firat argued that the penalty of suspending from print had not
even gone through a trial proves and that this in itself was not legal.
He referred to a past court case at the ECHR against Turkey which resulted
in favour of the Vakit newspaper and said they might do the same.
Sener and Sarisozen: The people will not learn what is happening
IHD's Sener who also spoke at the press conference stressed the newspaper's
critical role in reporting on and uncovering human rights violations and
counter-guerrilla murders in the Southeast region, saying the decision would
prevent the people from being informed.
Veysi Sarisozen, a columnist of Gundem also argued that the sole intention
behind the decision was to prevent the people from being informed of
developments in the Southeast region.
A number of institutions including the DTP, Socialist Democracy Party (SDP),
Education and Science Workers Union (Egitim-Sen), Mesopotamia Culture Center
(MKM), Peace Mothers, Science Education Esthetic Culture and Arts Research
Foundation (BEKSAV), Gokkusagi [Rainbow], Labourer Womens Association (EKD),
Socialist Youth Association (SGD), Public Workers Unions Confederation
(KESK) and Association of Solidarity With Prisoner Families (TUAD) supported
the press conference.
CGD: We need to work to correct the TMY
Saying that the decision did not come as a surprise, CGD Chairman Ahmet
Abakay argued that based on preparations made with laws, Turkey had quite
recently entered a period of closing down newspapers and arresting
journalists.
"Those who passed this law [TMY] are at fault. The government is responsible
for this" Abakay said, adding "Justice Minister Cemil Cicek was saying in
relation to this law that he hoped it would not be enforced. Laws are made
to be enforced". Abakay said he hoped the President's own application to the
Constitutional Court would be a success.
According to the CGD executive, initiatives to amend the TMY were
particularly made against publications such as Ulkede Ozgur Gundem and
added, "it is not enough to protest the TMY. We need to do everything we can
to get this law put into correct shape".
DTP: Freedom of opinion and organization at threat
Another reaction to the closure of Gundem newspaper came from the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party. DTP Deputy Chairman Hasip Kaplan said
the closure was directed at "restricting the opposition press" and defined
the order as being in violation of the Constitution and international
conventions which would effect the harmonization period with the European
Union. "It is a situation that eliminates the freedom of opinion and freedom
of organizing" he said.
Erol ONDEROGLU