5 June 2001

1. "Rumsfeld: U.S. emphasis on Asia will not come at the expense of Europe", U.S. Defense Secretary Donals Rumsfeld arrived in Turkey on Sunday, pledging that the United States would not shift its emphasis to Asia at the expense of Europe.

2. "In order to stop the dying...", Common demands of all prisoners on death fast are formulated as 4 articles. All demands of the death fast activists are humane and acceptable. The prisoners ask for an unconditional negotiation before all else.

3. "Pact could end Turk objection to EU force", Diplomats from Britain, the United States and Turkey have drafted an agreement that would eliminate one of the main barriers to the establishment of a new European defense force.

4. "Hunger strikes", European Parliament delegation to visit Turkey to see F-type prisons

5. "Peace is a result of PKK", Making a statement on the expedition of President of the Republic Sezer to Van and Hakkari, Osman Ocalan, member of PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Council of Leaders, said that the propaganda by Turkish state officials that the peace, although it may be temporary, is a result of the Turkish Army is misleading. Ocalan said, "The peace is a result of PKK Leadership, is an effort of PKK itself."

6. "Turkish crisis puts 300,000 people out of work", Turkey's jobless rolls have jumped by almost a quarter in the first quarter, as the country's latest economic crisis has put more than 300,000 people out of work, the National Statistics Institute said on Monday.

1. - CNN - "Rumsfeld: U.S. emphasis on Asia will not come at the expense of Europe":

ANKARA

U.S. Defense Secretary Donals Rumsfeld arrived in Turkey on Sunday, pledging that the United States would not shift its emphasis to Asia at the expense of Europe.

"Yes, Asia is growing and is an important part of the world," Rumsfeld told reporters traveling on his plane with him to Europe, but "any suggestion that the United States is going to, or ought to, or might turn away from Europe is fundamentally flawed in logic."

Rumsfeld said while the United States is reviewing its military force structure in Europe, there are no plans to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed there below 100,000.

"There's been no discussions about any troop adjustment in Europe. And it would be wrong to inject that into the discussion, and cause tremors unnecessarily and inaccurately," Rumsfeld said.

Rumsfeld said the United States is looking at "rearranging" how U.S. troops are deployed, not reducing the overall number.

Rumsfeld called the U.S. commitment to NATO, "central, important and indispensable."

Rumsfeld meets Monday with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and other top Turkish officials before flying to the Incirlik Air Base, where U.S. troops enforcing the northern no-fly zone over Iraq are based.

Rumsfeld said the Pentagon is reviewing how the U.S. and British-imposed no-fly zones are enforced, but insisted any change would come as a result of refining the overall U.S. strategy toward Iraq.

"We don't have any proposals to alter that at the present time," Rumsfeld said, referring to the current no-fly zone patrols. "That is a piece of the total picture and it will be addressed in its totality, as it is being done through the National Security Council process."

Rumsfeld said he has had extensive discussions in recent days with the two U.S. generals in charge of the no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq, and has passed their input the National Security Council.

Pentagon sources said Air Force Gen. Joe Ralston, who is responsible for the northern zone, has expressed the opinion that the United States should curtail or eliminate allied patrols in the north because of the increasing risk to pilots.

The United States has been enforcing northern and southern no-fly zones in Iraq since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

Iraq, which considers the zones violations of its territorial sovereignty, has been actively challenging the patrols since December 1998 and has been firing more at U.S. and British planes in the last few months.

2. - Ozgur Politika - "In order to stop the dying...":

Common demands of all prisoners on death fast are formulated as 4 articles. All demands of the death fast activists are humane and acceptable. The prisoners ask for an unconditional negotiation before all else.

Detainees and convicts from DHKP-C, TKP(ML), TKYP, TKP/ML, Resistance Movement, TDP, MLKP, DY, MLSPB are determined to continue their actions until their demands are accepted.

Here are the demands of activists which are neglected by the ruling people and cause tens of deaths:

"1- Unless an architecture changes are made, cells for one and three people are closed, and captives are put together unconditionally, isolation can not be said as nonexistent. Isolation should be put an end.

2- All bans against our thought should be lifted.

3- Negotiations with representatives of captives should be started unconditionally.

4- Forced medical treatment is torture. It results in disabled persons. It should be put an end."

Women took action again

On the other hand a group of women from non-governmental organizations made a sit-in action. About a hundred women from IHD (Human Rights Association), March 8 Women's Platform, ODP (Freedom and Solidarity Party), Female Laborers' Unity, Public Houses, Free Women Magazine, Feminist Group and HADEP (People's Democracy Party) asked for putting an end to the dying. Sending faxes to Justice Minister, women called the minister to be sensitive to the death fast.

"Releases are not legal"

Kiraz Bicici, Deputy General Chairman of IHD, stated that they support the releases of prisoners under critical health condition but the releases are not legal. Calling attention that the releases are decided by Justice Ministry without a legal procedure, Bicici emphasized that releases are tried to be presented as a solution.

Bicici said the following: "Some of the death fast activists have passed over the critical point. 60 detainees and convicts are now like a child and it is not possible for prison administrators to treat them. They are handed over to their family, not to be used as a propaganda. The 4. Group has started death fast and the 5. Group is preparing. The problem will grow."

On the other hand, Ozlem Durmaz, one of the lawyers of convicts released, stated that the release practice is not legal but a political one. Pointing out that the decision by Justice Ministry is disputable, says the following: "While a prisoner is released, another one under the same condition is not. Media says that prisoners who gives up the death fast action are released. But some of the prisoners are released while continuing to their action as well as prisoners who gave up the action not released.

3. - International Herald Tribune - "Pact could end Turk objection to EU force":

by Michael R. Gordon

Diplomats from Britain, the United States and Turkey have drafted an agreement that would eliminate one of the main barriers to the establishment of a new European defense force.
.
Under the draft accord, Turkey would withdraw its objections to a proposed European Union force of 60,000 members.

Turkey would not be given a veto over military activities undertaken by the European Union, but it would have a voice in the organization's deliberations about the use of military force as well as a potential role in managing military operations, especially those near Turkish territory.

The compromise, which was hammered out in secret talks in Istanbul late last month, has yet to be formally approved by the European Union or Turkey. But diplomats hope a final agreement can be reached by mid-June when President George W. Bush visits Europe and a European Union summit meeting is held.

The question of Turkey's role has merged as one of the main barriers to the establishment of the new rapid reaction force, which European Union nations hope to develop by 2003.

Turkey is not member of the 15 member European Union. As a result, Turkey has sought to maintain some control over the union's operations in its region, especially since Greece, its rival, is an EU member.

What has made Turkey's objections so important is that the European Union would like to be able to use NATO's bases, aircraft, planning capabilities and other assets in conducting major military operations. As a NATO ally, Turkey is a position to block that.

The United States has an important stake in the issue as well. To maintain NATO's primary role and avoid confusion, it wants the European Union to rely on NATO's planners and, generally, coordinate closely with the alliance. That would be precluded, U.S. officials say, if the Turkish issue was not resolved and the European Union went its separate way.

But it was the British who have played the key role. As the United States closest European ally and one of the prime movers behind the new European Union force, the British are in a special position to bridge the gap.

The Istanbul talks centered on a British paper, which was presented by Emyr Jones Parry, the political director of the British Foreign Office, and which developed previous EU understandings to try to address Turkey's concerns.

The compromise covers European NATO members who are not members of the European Union, like Turkey. Under the proposed arrangements, such nations will have "interlocutors" who will meet periodically and in the event of crises with the European Union's Special Political Committee.

These nations will also have military liaison officers who be permanently attached to the European Union defense staff.

The key elements of the British paper, however, are the procedures it outlines for managing a military operation. If it looks like a military operation is likely, a special Committee of Contributors would be convened.

The committee would be able to review the commander's plans and oversee the day-to-day management of the operation. Turkey would be a member if an operation was planned for its region. The committee was provided for in early European Union agreements, but to address Turkish concerns the British considerably expanded its powers.

Under the compromise, Turkey would also have the right to participate in any operation that used NATO assets. The compromise also contains a political assurance that the European Union force will not intervene in the political disputes of NATO allies, a reference to Greek-Turkish disputes.

The next step is for the British to present the compromise to the rest of the European Union and for Turkey to given its final verdict. The resolution of this issue would not resolve all the questions about the EU's relationship to NATO, but it would remove a major irritant.

4. - Turkish Daily News - "Hunger strikes":

European Parliament delegation to visit Turkey to see F-type prisons

SAADET ORUC

As hunger strikes go on in Turkish prisons and with the demise of new prisoners each day, the European Parliament has rolled up its sleeves to take action to end the death fasts.

A European Parliament delegation is to visit Turkey within the next week to visit the F-type prisons and examine the situation regarding the ongoing hunger strikes.

The first group of the European delegation, to be headed by Turkish-European Parliament Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) co-chairman Daniel Cohn-Bendit, will arrive in Istanbul on Wednesday and visit Istanbul's Bayrampasa prison in the afternoon on the same day.

The delegation will visit Kandira F-type prison on Thursday.

The second group, to be headed by Johannes Swoboda, will arrive in Ankara on Thursday and will visit the Children's Prison in Ankara's Kecioren district on the same day. The delegation will also go to Sincan F-type prison. The two separate delegations will meet in Ankara and visit Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk on Thursday afternoon.

Alain Lamassoure, new European Parliament reporter for Turkey, is also included in the delegation, diplomatic sources who briefed the Turkish Daily News on the issue said on Monday.

5. - Kurdish Observer - "Peace is a result of PKK":

Making a statement on the expedition of President of the Republic Sezer to Van and Hakkari, Osman Ocalan, member of PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Council of Leaders, said that the propaganda by Turkish state officials that the peace, although it may be temporary, is a result of the Turkish Army is misleading. Ocalan said, "The peace is a result of PKK Leadership, is an effort of PKK itself."

Ocalan took part by telephone in a program in MEDYA TV called "Special" attended by Remzi Kartal, member of Kurdistan National Congress (KNK); Nuray Sen, representative of KON-KURD (Federal Union of Kurdish Organizations in Europe); and Sabri Agar, representative of Democratic Cultural Movement as well. Ocalan said "Sezer's tours saw a crowded people. People expressed their peace demand under the slogan "Neither Separation nor Denial, Democratic Republic". This alone shows that the peace is not a result of the army and institutions of the Turkish Republic but PKK Leadership. The peace has been secured although temporarily."

Pointing out that the expedition is considered as a positive effort by their party, saying the following: "But it should be known that a lasting peace is depended on the solution to Kurdish problem. Otherwise the existing peace will be only temporary. Everybody should see it, hear it and talk about it. They wear a military cloth to a two-years-old child. It is meaningless. The child should be taught peace, brotherhood. It was of course not a good scene."

"When we want..."

Speaking on the slander campaign by Turkish media that "PKK lost its strength, there are conflicts between the leaders", Ocalan had to say the following. "Surprisingly there is a dialogue within the PKK administration. PKK administration has the ability to work together. Our people should know it well, PKK administration knows its responsibility to our people. The culture we have inherited from Leader APO dictates this. There are people from all parts of Kurdistan willing to go to mountains everyday. It should not be understood as a threat. But we can start war when we want. Nevertheles we do want peace but politics; not guerrilla but political serhildan (popular uprising)."

"The time is not for remaining still"

Osman Ocalan attracted attention to the Identity Declaration Campaign, inviting all Kurds to take action as soon as possible. The member of Leaders' Council said, "All intellectuals and lawyers in Europe should go to courts with groups consisting of hundred, five hundred people. They should make historical defenses. They should say 'I am a Kurdish national liberationist and a member of PKK'. All courts should be get full by Kurds. The actions are good. The statements are good. But they should be supported by democratic actions. All Kurds should make non-violent democratic actions and send millions of letters to European Human Rights Court, United Nations and German and British governments in order to correct the historical injustice. We must not miss the opportunity."

"Imrali trials are a big tragedy"

Osman Ocalan brought up the second anniversary of Imrali trials, saying that the trials were not legitimate: "The one who is tried took place of the one who should be tried. It is a big tragedy. The ones who should give account have never called account. Unfortunately in this trial this was the case and the world witnessed it. The main players on it are international ruling forces including England."

6. - AFP - "Turkish crisis puts 300,000 people out of work":

ISTANBUL

Turkey's jobless rolls have jumped by almost a quarter in the first quarter, as the country's latest economic crisis has put more than 300,000 people out of work, the National Statistics Institute said on Monday.

The Turkish economy plunged into crisis in February, forcing a 40-percent devaluation of the lira, after political confidence was undermined by a row over the government's ineffectual attempts to root out alleged corruption. The number of unemployed rose by more than 358,000 in the three months to March 31 to 1.809 million from 1.451 million at the end of December, a rise of 24.7 percent, the institute said, reported by news agency Anatolia.

The official unemployment rate has risen to 8.6 percent from 8.3 percent, although the figures were widely seen as being far from giving the true picture in Turkey, where the informal economy plays a big role. In February, the statistics office said that the previous stabilisation programme, backed by the International Monetary Fund and put in place in December 1999, had led to the loss of 120,000 jobs in the second half of 2000. A November financial crisis prompted the IMF and World Bank to step in with an emergency package of 10 billion dollars (11.7 billion euros) aid, which was followed by another bail-out of eight billion dollars in the wake of the February turmoil.