25 May 2001

1. "Turkish deputies discuss ending death penalty, Kurdish rights", a Turkish parliamentary group has begun debating constitutional amendments including abolishing the death penalty and granting Kurds cultural rights, in a bid to improve the country's chances of joining the European Union.

2. "More than 50 detained in new raids on Turkey's pro-Kurdish party", Turkish police have detained 54 people in new raids targetting offices of the Pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HADEP) in the southern province of Icel, a HADEP official said Friday.

3. "'We support the TUSIAD report'", PKK Council of Leaders member Duran Kalkan said that they support the comprehensive democratization report prepared by TUSIAD and stressed that they would give the necessary support to it.

4. "Turkish- Israeli cooperation", the Turkish daily al-Zamman ( the times) quoted the Turkish minister of state responsible for villages and rural areas affairs Mustafa Yalmaz as saying that the administration of the GAB project, to the Southern East of Turkey is technically cooperating with the government and private establishments in Israel in a way similar to its cooperation with other international cooperation.

1. - AFP - "Turkish deputies discuss ending death penalty, Kurdish rights":

ANKARA

A Turkish parliamentary group has begun debating constitutional amendments including abolishing the death penalty and granting Kurds cultural rights, in a bid to improve the country's chances of joining the European Union. But a far right-wing coalition partner is resisting the proposed changes, a parliamentary source said.

The special panel of deputies from all five parties in parliament was examining amendments to 51 articles in order to bring Turkey up to European standards, the source said. Proposed amendments also aim to improve freedom of expression, expand workers' rights to unionize and limit the president's powers. Turkey, anEU membership candidate since 1999, must meet EU criteria on human rights and democracy, including an end to capital punishment, granting Kurds cultural rights and reducing the army role in politics, before it can start membership negotiations. But the reform package has caused objections from the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), led by Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, especially over abolition of capital punishment and introduction of Kurdish language rights.

The MHP opposes lifting the death penalty on the grounds that this would allow Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan -- sentenced to death in 1999 for treason -- to go unpunished. A Turkish court sentenced Ocalan to death for treason in 1999. His Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been campaigning for a separate state for the Kurdish minority of south-eastern Turkey. Ankara put his execution on hold last year pending an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Bahceli and his deputies also argue that Kurdish-language broadcasts or education could encourage separatist-minded Kurds and fan ethnic conflicts in Turkey. "It is possible that the commission will reach a compromise formula which would alleviate the MHP's concerns," the source told AFP. "But the discussions are still at their initial stage." He predicted that the commission's debate on the envisaged amendments would last months before the draft changes were put to a vote in the general assembly.

Under the package, the constitution will be amended to read that Turkish is the "official language", and not the "language" of the Turkish state, opening the way for the country's Kurdish community to use their mother tongue without restrictions. But since the constitution itself bans amendments to the article on the state language, the commission has decided to discuss the issue with legal experts first. If the commission achieves compromise on the package, it will be debated in the parliament's constitutional commission before reaching the general assembly.

2. - AFP - "More than 50 detained in new raids on Turkey's pro-Kurdish party":

ANKARA

Turkish police have detained 54 people in new raids targetting offices of the Pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HADEP) in the southern province of Icel, a HADEP official said Friday. The raids, on Thursday, were launched on orders of state security prosecutors following a court ban on an unspecified publication, HADEP deputy chairman Hamit Geylani told AFP. Anti-terrorism officers swooped down on the main HADEP party building in Mersin, the biggest city in the province, and then raided two more HADEP offices in the towns of Toroslar and Akdeniz, he said. In addition to the detentions, which included HADEP members, police seized three sacks of party documents.

Twenty-six of those detained were released after questioning, while the remaining 28 were still being held, he said. "The raids are the result of unease over our party's work," he said. Turkish authorities frequently take action against HADEP, detaining or jailing its members on suspicion of links to armed rebels who waged a 15-year armed campaign against Ankara for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Turkey. Last week security forces in Ankara arrested more than 50 people, including HADEP officials, on suspicion of links to the Kurdish rebels. HADEP denies the charges, but nonetheless faces a possible ban for alleged association with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkey's normally tense southeast has been relatively calm since September 1999, when the PKK declared an end to its armed campaign to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict following peace calls from its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan. But sporadic fighting between troops and rebels continue, with one clash reported by the army early this week leaving 15 rebels dead.

3. - Kurdish Observer - "'We support the TUSIAD report'":

PKK Council of Leaders member Duran Kalkan said that they support the comprehensive democratization report prepared by TUSIAD and stressed that they would give the necessary support to it.

GURSEL YUMLI

The reported prepared by the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) entitled "Democratization Perspectives in Turkey and the EU Copenhagen Political Criteria - Views and Priorities" has found support from the PKK.

PKK Council of Leaders member Duran Kalkan stressed that they placed great value on the ten-article demands that TUSIAD said must be accomplished "no matter what," and continued to say the following: "We see this as a courageous action taking Turkey's realities into account and as responsible thinking about Turkey's future... From this aspect, even if they were listed in ten items, these ten items can say 'no' to the crisis and process of collapse that Turkey finds itself in and has the contents to form the deep-rooted beginning of restructuring and democratic development in Turkey."

Kalkan said that the press and public had ignored the TUSIAD report but that they should follow up on it, adding: "Undoubtedly, even though we may have different and more desires, the elements mentioned in this package are ones we want to be realized also. There is a very clear statement in it on education in mother tongue and TV-radio broadcasting. Those presenting the report to the public stated this in very clear language in their explanations. They saw it as one of the indispensable conditions of democratization. At the very least they pointed out that this was absolutely necessary for European-type democratization and that this was a measure of European democracy and there was a general standard for everyone, not a special standard just for Turkey. This is correct. Mother-tongue education, TV and radio broadcasting, in other words, lifting the pressure and assimilation from culture, is one of the prerequisite conditions - as for Turkey, it's the first - for democratization, democratic society, democratic politics, and creating a democratic system. It is necessary for every type of culture in such a mosaic - and Anatolia, Turkey, is recognized as a mosaic of cultures - to have the opportunity to freely develop itself."

Kalkan said that the path for mother-tongue education and TV and radio broadcasting must be opened from the aspect of solving the Kurdish question and called for these rights to be systematized in the constitution and legal order.

Kalkan said that this step could move forward with new reforms within a framework of democratic standards, continuing to say the following: "But solving problems currently, and thereby opening the path to democratic transformation in Turkey, will be a strong start removing one of the basic influences blocking [democratization] and in creating a democratic Turkey in a societal and political framework. When these are started, democratic change and transformation will be realized, and the solution for the Kurdish problem will arise." Kalkan added, "We can openly say here that we will lend support, secure a contribution."

Strong step for the EU

Kalkan stressed that fulfilling the ten demands made by TUSIAD would make it much easier for Turkey to join the European Union, noting that [the PKK] had put forward parallel demands. TUSIAD had called for changes and reforms in the fields of Political Parties Law, the election system, the right to life and capital punishment, freedom of thought and expression, freedoms in cultural and individual life, the right of assembly and civilian society, violations of human rights, the National Security Council (MGK), and the state of law.

Kalkan explained that the TUSIAD program filled in the deficiencies of the National Program which Turkey had presented to the EU in the following words: "TUSIAD's ten-item program consists completely of these important, sensitive, and strategic points and gets rid of these deficiencies. In this sense, it is an important step from the aspect of completing the National Program. In our opinion, it undoubtedly has insufficient aspects. There are many more things that Turkey needs to do. Turkey and Turkish society need and deserve more democracy, a happier life. For that, of course it is necessary to foresee openings that would let society live better further ahead. But the existing 10-point TUSIAD program opens the path to this. In includes lifting the basic obstacles in front of such a development. From this aspect, it is an important beginning. It fills in the deficiencies of the National Program to a very great degree."

We will contribute

PKK Council of Leaders member Kalkan recalled that TUSIAD had previously prepared similar reports and programs, and wanted the organization to be decisive and follow up on the implementation of the program. Kalkan made the following comments: "If they are really consistent, they must take on such an attitude and develop its implementation with determination. We will support and present contributions to work and efforts they carry out in this direction til the end. Let them ask, and we will do. Whatever they want us to do as the Kurdish side, we will respond to it. If they want to work in partnership, let's work in partnership. Only if it happens that way can the resistance of those opposing democracy be broken. The balance will slip to the side of the democratic forces, the side of democratic development. It can change in their favor. If TUSIAD now acts decisively on this matter, undoubtedly they have a significant strength."

Kalkan said that TUSIAD's strength to prepare such a report did not spring from its capital strength alone, explaining in the following words: "There are a great variety of circles in Turkey that want democracy, which have come to the point that they cannot live without democracy. Kurds are in this situation and are ready to lend support. Therefore, TUSIAD's strength is enough. It's strength springs not from capital but from the level of the need for democracy of Turkey and the Kurds and from demands for democracy becoming an urgent demand, an indispensable element."

The international system is of the same view

Kalkan reminded that the international system also wanted Turkey to democratize and called attention to the following: "For example, the EU has gradually shown a greater tendency to create such a Turkey and take it in. The US is showing such a tendency. Of course, TUSIAD has relations with these circles; it is taking strength from there; it's related to international capital. Therefore, is has serious ties with Europe and the US; they are also giving it strength and influence. They are increasing its sources of strength. If TUSIAD knows how to take good advantage of these, to unite them well, then of course it will be strong in implementing its own program, it can take an initiative."

Contribution to Democracy Conference

Kalkan said that TUSIAD's package would made a strong contribution to the Democracy Conference they were proposing and made the following call: "We are pleased that such a response has been given. When we made a call for a Democracy Conference, TUSIAD had a similar call. We tried to establish relations with various circles and held joint debates. At that time also we evaluated TUSIAD's approaches and found them positive. In fact, we expressed that these approaches could be included and evaluated in a democracy conference. Now, if a democracy conference can be gathered, this 10-item democratic political reform package contains elements that could be debated at such a conference. In other words, this program could be submitted and worked with. As a minimum program, we would want it to be approved. Undoubtedly, if it is enriched and developed, that is good and we are in favor of it. But we are ready, for example, for joint efforts with TUSIAD if they want to form an alliance in this framework to put this program into effect as a minimum program. The Kurdish side and all its institutions can provide every type of contribution to bring such a program to life, they can work together. In this sense, we can call this a debate program for a possible democracy conference, which needs to be held. We would like to see that various forces in Turkey, all democratic powers, parties, civilians, military powers, nongovernmental organizations, and again the organized forces of the Kurdish national democratic movement would come together to debate such a program, engage in this debate, and from there that a democratic initiative, a democracy bloc would arise. In our opinion, this is the step that needs to be taken. Seeing that such a program was presented, this is good. We won't take a different approach just because it was presented by TUSIAD; in fact, everyone in Turkey could pay some attention to TUSIAD. Maybe it is more appropriate to Turkey's realities that TUSIAD presented it. Then the program is already presented, what remains is putting it into practice. We are calling for it to be put into practice, let a democracy conference to debate this program be held; we developed a conference, this democracy conference thesis as an idea. TUSIAD's program presents the minimum subjects to be debated at a conference... Our call to everyone is on this basis. If this happens, it could genuinely open Turkey's path."

4. - Arabic News - "Turkish- Israeli cooperation":

The Turkish daily al-Zamman ( the times) quoted the Turkish minister of state responsible for villages and rural areas affairs Mustafa Yalmaz as saying that the administration of the GAB project, to the Southern East of Turkey is technically cooperating with the government and private establishments in Israel in a way similar to its cooperation with other international cooperation. The Turkish minister denied any Israeli investment at this project at the meantime or for the long run.

The paper noted that the statement of the Turkish minister was made in reply to inquiries raised by one member of al-" Fadila" opposition Turkish party on the Israeli interest in " Gab project to the southern east of Anadolia.

The paper added the irrigation project of "Byake" Plain which falls in the course of the lower Euphrates project offered the Israeli " Tahal" company, noting that financial and technical discussions on this project were completed and that it will be completed by the year 2004.

The paper added that the administration of GAB project cooperates with the Israeli Mashaf company in order to organize training seminars for governmental officials of the two countries on this project. It indicated a technical cooperation to be carried out by the two Turkish companies Kotche Wata with Israel with the aim of setting up a consumer complex in Harran Plain in Orfa province at a cost of $ 17 million where 4 Israeli engineers are working.