NEWS
1. Court verdict: Roj TV should not be closed
2. Roj TV: We welcome the court decision with respect
3. Eight thousand 190 people under arrest for “terrorism”
4. Kurds ask for rights amid 40 detentions
5. Gen. Özel: We do not want to call our citizens ‘terrorists’
6. General Staff: Turkey to achieve PKK destruction
7. Mass grave in JITEM central building
8. Pro-Kurdish deputy Zana says weapons ‘insurance of Kurds
9. Turkish PM Erdoğan to controversial Kurdish MP Zana: Head to the mountain
10. U.S. drone initiated strike on Kurds
11. Diplomat confirms Turkey hosting US drones
12. Biden calls Turkish PM on Iraq
13. Turkey’s public security undersecretary in talks with US officials on terror
14. ‘Turkey must end US, Israel intel. coop’
15. European Parliament tells EU to cooperate against terrorist PKK
16. Child asylum seekers win compensation for 13-month detention
COMMENT, OPINON AND ANALYSIS
17. Evidence shows Kurdish raid may have been intentional
18. Erdogan, justice and the rule of law
19. Death upon death
20. Parliament should question KRG silence in the face of Turkey’s weapons purchases
21. Öcalan Lawyer Discusses PKK Leader’s Detention
22. AKP’s silent revolution has a blemish
23. Uludere and burying the guns
24. New Turkey, the PKK and jet lag
25. 2012: Springtime for Kurdistan?
26. The Turkish Model: Can It Be Replicated?
27. Syrian-Iraqi-Iranian triangle to leave Turkey on slippery slope
28. Editorial: The Turkish Counteroffensive
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
29. EUTCC responds to Morton Abramowitz article
30. Administration of Justice and protection of Human Rights In Turkey: Report by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarburg. 10 January 2012
31. The massacre at Roboski: Report by the Human Rights Association (IHD). 3 January 2012.
PETITIONS
32. Write to President Obama!
EVENTS
33. “Stop Stoning, Stop Executions” Conference, Saturday 14 January
34. Can Assad survive? A Lecture by Patrick Seale, Tuesday 17 January
35. How to start a revolution, with Gene Sharp live from the USA 1 February
36. Challenging capitalist modernity: Alternative concepts and the Kurdish Question, Friday 3 – Sunday 5 February
37. No Borders Convergence, with Goldsmiths University, 13 – 18 February
38. Defending Human Rights Defenders, Friday 24 February
NEWS
1. Court verdict: Roj TV should not be closed
10 January 2012 / ANF
The judges in Denmark ruled that Kurdish satellite channel RojTv should not be closed. While the Copenhagen City Court charged the Kurdish channel with making propaganda for the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), the license of the channel wasn’t revoked by the court. Ruling that there is no legal ground for the revocation of the channel’s licence and the seizure of channel’s assets of EUR 20 million, the Court punished Roj TV A/S and Mesopotamia Broadcasting A/S by a pecuniary penalty of 65 thousand DKR (EUR 8700) on the grounds of violating the anti-terror law of Denmark.
http://en.firatnews.eu/index.php?rupel=article&nuceID=3877
2. Roj TV: We welcome the court decision with respect
10 January 2012 / ANF
Making a statement following the verdict of the Danish court, Roj TV Executive Board said that; “We welcome the court decision with respect however we don’t believe we commit any crime.” Copenhagen City Court has announced the verdict of the closure case against Roj TV on the Working Journalists Day on 10 January. Charging the Kurdish channel with making propaganda for the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), the court rejected the demand for the closure of Kurdish satellite channel.
http://en.firatnews.eu/index.php?rupel=article&nuceID=3878
3. Eight thousand 190 people under arrest for “terrorism”
7 January 2012 / Dicle News Agency
Eight thousand 190 people are under arrest for allegation of “terrorism” according to data released on November 31 by the Ministry of Justice. According to these data, even children are easily accused for being involved in “terrorism” under the Turkish Criminal Code (TMK) legislated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) administration. The number of arrested and convicted prisoners in Turkey is 127 thousand 831, among whom eight thousand and 190 are accused of “terrorism”. The framework of “terrorism” accusation consists of children, students, journalists, union members, soldiers and politicians.
http://www.diclehaber.com/2/22/1/viewNews/289864
4. Kurds ask for rights amid 40 detentions
12 January 2012 / Hurriyet
More than 40 people were detained as part of the ongoing Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) operations yesterday in Istanbul and southeastern Turkey. Law enforcement officials conducted sweeping operations in Istanbul and the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, rounding up dozens of suspects in connection with the ongoing KCK trials.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kurds-ask-for-rights-amid-40-detentions.aspx?pageID=238&nID=11254&NewsCatID=339
5. Gen. Özel: We do not want to call our citizens ‘terrorists’
5 January 2012 / Todays Zaman
Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel has said the military does not want to refer to members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as terrorists as they think that they are citizens of Turkey who were deceived by the PKK. In an interview with the Milliyet daily’s Fikret Bila on Thursday, Özel commented on the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) recently revised counterterrorism strategies when asked about a photograph published in almost all Turkish newspapers last month from a military operation in Bingöl which showed a 15-year-old PKK member captured in a ground operation.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-267665-gen-ozel-we-do-not-want-to-call-our-citizens-terrorists.html
6. General Staff: Turkey to achieve PKK destruction
5 January 2012 / Milaz.info
Turkey will destroy the terrorist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and thereby remove this issue from the agenda, Haber7 newspaper quotes the head of the Turkish General Staff Necdet Ozel as saying. “Turkey has achieved considerable results in the fight against terrorism and the important thing was the use of alignment reconnaissance in this issue,” Ozel said. He stressed that over the past six months, the Turkish security forces neutralized 327 terrorists. 165 of them were killed, 50 – captured and 112 gave themselves up.
http://milaz.info/en/news.php?id=7268
7. Mass grave in JITEM central building
11 January 2012 / ANF
Human bones were found during restoration works in an area in Diyarbakır which was used as interrogation and execution place between the years of 1993 and 1999 by JITEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terror Unit). Announcing privacy decision on the event, the prosecutor remarked that the number of bones could increase. The area where former Diyarbakır Courthouse, Gendarmerie Central Command and Central Closed Prison were located was evacuated and assigned to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1999.
http://en.firatnews.eu/index.php?rupel=article&nuceID=3883
8. Pro-Kurdish deputy Zana says weapons ‘insurance of Kurds
10 January 2012 / Today’s Zaman
In remarks that are likely to spark controversy, pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Leyla Zana has said “weapons are insurance for Kurds” as long as the Kurdish issue exists. Commenting on recent debates over the possibility of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declaring a “unilateral cease-fire,” Zana said she does not believe that “anything that is unilateral would be meaningful.” “We have now reached a point in the armed struggle. I never debate laying down arms. They [weapons] are Kurds’ insurance. As long as this problem [the Kurdish issue] exists, those weapons are a guarantee for Kurds,” she was quoted as saying by a Frankfurt-based daily on Tuesday.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-268145-pro-kurdish-deputy-zana-says-weapons-insurance-of-kurds.html
9. Turkish PM Erdoğan to controversial Kurdish MP Zana: Head to the mountain
10 January 2012 / National Turk
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has harshly slammed independent deputy Leyla Zana, who earlier stated weapons were Kurds’ ‘insurance policies,’ by mentioning her to join the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist in the mountains of south eastern Turkey.
http://www.nationalturk.com/en/turkish-pm-erdogan-to-controversial-kurdish-mp-zana-head-to-the-mountain-15807
10. U.S. drone initiated strike on Kurds
8 January 2012 / UPI.com
A U.S. Predator drone mistakenly targeted smugglers in southeastern Turkey, killing 35 Kurdish civilians, a report said. The drone, was one of four based at Incirlik Airbase in southern Turkey, launched the airstrike in December on the village of Ortasu, sources told Turkey’s Aydinlik. A senior Turkish politician has called on the government for an immediate end to its intelligence cooperation with the United States and Israel, Press TV reports.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/01/08/US-drone-initiated-strike-on-Kurds/UPI-86051326030052/?spt=hs&or=tn
11. Diplomat confirms Turkey hosting US drones
9 January 2012 / Rudaw
Turkey’s Consul-General in Erbil, Aydin Selcen, confirmed reports that the US deployed drones to Turkey’s Incirlik air base following its troop withdrawal from Iraq. In a wide-ranging interview with Rudaw, Selcen addressed Turkey’s policies regarding Syria, the US and Israel, and its efforts to strengthen democracy on its own soil.
http://www.rudaw.net/english/news/turkey/4307.html
12. Biden calls Turkish PM on Iraq
6 January 2012 / Ahram Online
US Vice President Joe Biden called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss regional security, including Iraq’s political crisis, the White House said Thursday. The call followed up on Biden’s visit to Turkey in December, and included an undertaking to work to support the rule of law and encourage democracy in the region, the White House said in a statement. The two men spoke after the latest explosion of violence in Iraq, in which attacks against Shiite Muslims killed at least 68 people on Thursday, the worst toll in nearly five months.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/31054/World/Region/Biden-calls-Turkish-PM-on-Iraq.aspx
13. Turkey’s public security undersecretary in talks with US officials on terror
11 January 2012 / Today’s Zaman
Turkish Undersecretary of Public Security and Order Murat Özçelik has had a series of talks with high-level US officials since last weekend to discuss US-Turkey cooperation on counterterrorism efforts and measures aimed at preventing foreign financing for the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Özçelik, who is scheduled to stay in the US until the end of the week, will have met with four undersecretaries and a special envoy by the end of his visit.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-268334-turkeys-public-security-undersecretary-in-talks-with-us-officials-on-terror.html
14. ‘Turkey must end US, Israel intel. coop’
5 January 2012 / Press.tv
“Turkey’s reliance on Israel and the US for gathering intelligence in fight against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) can create serious problems for Turkey,” Mustafa Yilmaz, the deputy leader of Turkey’s Felicity Party, said on Wednesday. Yilmaz highlighted a recent botched airstrike in southeastern Turkey that killed 35 civilians as yet another proof that Ankara needs to develop its own defense and intelligence infrastructure and end reliance on Israel and the US in this regard.
http://presstv.com/detail/219479.html
15. European Parliament tells EU to cooperate against terrorist PKK
6 January 2012 / Today’s Zaman
The European Parliament is preparing itself to tell European Union member states to help Turkey and intensify cooperation to combat against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorism. The EP is also planning to tell EU members for the first time to consider seriously extradition requests by Turkey, which have so far been largely neglected by European countries.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-267752-european-parliament-tells-eu-to-cooperate-against-terrorist-pkk.html
16. Child asylum seekers win compensation for 13-month detention
6 January 2012 / Guardian
Four children who were incarcerated in detention centres for 13 months – the longest time children have ever been locked up in the UK – have won a six-figure compensation payout from the Home Office more than eight years after their release. The case of the Ay family, Kurdish asylum seekers from Turkey, hit the headlines because of the length of time they were detained and the ages of the children – the youngest, Medya, was just seven when the family were arrested and locked up in 2002, Dilovan was 11, Newroz was 12 and Beriwan was 13.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/06/child-asylum-seekers-win-compensation
COMMENT, OPINON AND ANALYSIS
17. Evidence shows Kurdish raid may have been intentional
7 January 2012 / The National
When the bombing started, Haci Encu and his fellow smugglers ducked for cover. Mr Encu, 19, and about 40 other Kurds from villages on the Turkish side of the border with Iraq, had set out with their mules to smuggle cigarettes and petrol from Iraq into the Turkish province of Sirnak, just like many times before. Such smuggling has a long tradition in this poor region of Turkey, and civilian or military authorities rarely interfere. But on the evening of December 28, it was different. Mr Encu and others said they heard the unmanned drones, followed by the roar of warplanes and the sound of heavy explosions. Mr Encu and two other smugglers found shelter in a little river bed, but others were not so lucky.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/evidence-shows-kurdish-raid-may-have-been-intentional
See also: “Airstrikes in Turkey That Killed Civilians May Have Been Intentional: by Antiwar.com http://news.antiwar.com/2012/01/07/airstrikes-in-turkey-that-killed-civilians-may-have-been-intentional/
18. Erdogan, justice and the rule of law
10 January 2012 / Financial Times
Since coming to power in 2002 Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has led his country some way down the road to becoming a more open and liberal democracy. But a report on Turkey’s judicial system published by the Council of Europe this week highlights the increasingly halting nature of this advance. The report cites “longstanding, systemic shortcomings in the administration of justice in Turkey (that) adversely affect the enjoyment of human rights”. These include lengthy proceedings and detentions, sometimes up to 10 years; the use of secret witnesses; arrests of scores of journalists; and uncertainty about the judiciary’s independence from the executive.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/46463fa0-3b8e-11e1-bb39-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1jGEkn6zO
19. Death upon death
7 January 2012 / The Economist
A TRAGIC blunder, a cynical massacre or a deliberate attempt to undermine Turkey’s government? The question was raised on December 28th, when Turkish F-16 war
planes dropped bombs on a group of Kurdish civilians just south of the Turkish border in the mountains of Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, killing 34 of them.
http://www.economist.com/node/21542459
20. Parliament should question KRG silence in the face of Turkey’s weapons purchases
8 January 2012 / Kurdistan Tribune
On July 25, 2009, more than two million Kurds went to the polls and, fed up with corruption, nepotism, and the ruling families’ abuse of power, delivered the establishment parties a stunning rebuke. The Gorran list, led by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani’s former deputy Nawshirwan Mustafa, won a stunning victory in Sulaymani and would have made greater inroads into Erbil and Duhok had it not been for Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) fraud.
http://kurdistantribune.com/2012/parliament-should-question-krg-silence-face-of-turkeys-weapons-purchases/
21. Öcalan Lawyer Discusses PKK Leader’s Detention
9 January 2012 / Spiegel Online
Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party, is locked up in a remote island prison and denied access to legal representatives. His lawyer Mahmut Sakar, who fled to Germany, discusses Öcalan’s isolation, secret talks with the government and Turkey’s recent military escalation against the Kurds.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,807931,00.html
22. AKP’s silent revolution has a blemish
6 January 2012 / Middle East Youth
While we hear about the achievements of Turkey’s AKP government especially in the Middle East after the Arab Spring, AKP’s government internally is facing a real challenge after the further detonation recently in ties with the minority Kurds that are making around 20% of Turkey’s population.
http://www.mideastyouth.com/2012/01/06/akp%E2%80%99s-silent-revolution-has-a-blemish/
23. Uludere and burying the guns
6 January 2012 / Today’s Zaman
Not just because I have an optimistic approach towards life but also I have been following the process pretty closely, I have been thinking that the Uludere disaster might become a turning point for the Kurdish and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) issue. This position is difficult and unusual to hold at such a dark time. But my mind and heart tell me this and I am writing it.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-267847-uludere-and-burying-the-guns%E2%80%A6.html
For further comment from the Turkish and international press on the massacre at Uludere, see:
Uludere gives lesson on volatility in Turkey’s Southeast
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-267797-uludere-gives-lesson-on-volatility-in-turkeys-southeast-by-othman-ali*.html
Lessons learned from ‘Uludere’
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/lessons-learned-from-uludere-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=10733&NewsCatID=419
Tension between Ankara and the Kurds boils over
http://tehrantimes.com/opinion/94244-tension-between-ankara-and-the-kurds-boils-over
‘Unremarkable’
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/unremarkable–.aspx?pageID=238&nID=10839&NewsCatID=396
24. New Turkey, the PKK and jet lag
6 January 2012 / Hurriyet
Recently, Turkey has made considerable efforts to overcome its historical jet lag. On one side Turkey lives in “Western time,” while on the other it lives in “Eastern time.” While some live in the post-millennium world, others live in the Cold War era; while some live in the 21st century, others are stuck at the end of 20th century, or even at the late 19th century.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/new-turkey-the-pkk-and-jet-lag-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=10832&NewsCatID=436
25. 2012: Springtime for Kurdistan?
10 January 2012 / Jerusalem Post
Can 2012 be the year that Kurdistan will finally regain its place on the geopolitical map? In 2009, thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest a fraudulent presidential election that restored Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. Bereft of any real external support, the demonstrators were beaten and intimidated into submission, although public signs of disapproval toward the regime continue to re-emerge periodically.
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Opinion/Article.aspx?id=252976
26. The Turkish Model: Can It Be Replicated?
6 January 2012 / NPR
In the Arab states that have ousted dictators and begun building new political and economic systems, many are looking to Turkey as an example of a modern, moderate Muslim state that works. Perhaps no country has seen its image in the Arab world soar as quickly as Turkey, a secular state that’s run by a party with roots in political Islam. As part of our series on the Arab Spring and where it stands today, NPR’s Peter Kenyon examines whether the “Turkish model” can be exported.
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/06/144751851/the-turkish-model-can-it-be-replicated
27. Syrian-Iraqi-Iranian triangle to leave Turkey on slippery slope
7 January 2012 / Hurriyet
The dramatic events in the neighborhood unleashed many dynamics forcing Turkey to face an equation with several variables, says a former diplomat and head of intelligence. What happens in the Syria-Iraq-Iran triangle will affect Turkey, says Sönmez Köksal. ‘The Kurdish issue is a factor that could be used against Turkey’
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syrian-iraqi-iranian-triangle-to-leave-turkey-on-slippery-slope.aspx?pageID=238&nID=10906&NewsCatID=338
28. Editorial: The Turkish Counteroffensive
7 January 2012 / Armenian Weekly
The battle lines are drawn. The next three years leading up to the 100thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide will witness a continued, steady, but firm advance of truth and justice in academic, legal, and political arenas on both sides of the Atlantic. The “Return of Churches” resolution in Congress; the lawsuits in the U.S. and Europe demanding the return of church properties stolen from the Armenians during and after the genocide; the bill criminalizing genocide denial in France; and the discussions in the Israeli Knesset—all within the last weeks of 2011—are a harbinger of things to come.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/01/07/editorial-bracing-for-the-turkish-counteroffensive/comment-page-1/
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
29. EUTCC responds to Morton Abramowitz article
Read the statement here: http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/eutcc-responds-to-abramowitz-article/
30. Administration of Justice and protection of Human Rights In Turkey: Report by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarburg. 10 January 2012 http://www.coe.int/lportal/en/web/coe-portal/press/newsroom?p_p_id=newsroom&_newsroom_articleId=767929&_newsroom_groupId=10226&_newsroom_tabs=newsroom-topnews&pager.offset=0
31. The massacre at Roboski: Report by the Human Rights Association (IHD). 3 January 2012. http://www.ihd.org.tr/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=727:report20120103eng&catid=14:joint-press-releases&Itemid=30
PETITIONS
32. Write to President Obama!
A letter writing campaign and a Change.org petition have been started. For more information on how to write to the President and sign the petition, follow this link:
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/sign-this-petition-to-president-obama/
EVENTS
33. Saturday 14 January 2011, 11-5pm
“Stop Stoning, Stop Executions” Conference
The aim of the conference is to bring attention to the laws and legislations in countries in countries practicing stoning and death penalty, and to empower and encourage womens organisations and activists to fight against femicide. Speakers include Sebahat Tunsel, Kurdish female MP for the BDP; Houzan Mahmoud: Political activist from Iraqi Kurdistan, Representative of Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq; Anna Cristin Kowarsch: International Free Women Foundation Representative; Meral Cicek: Journalist, Ozgur Politika Newspaper; Nezaket Khalifeh (Kurdish activist from Iran); Shokhan Faraj: (Kurdish women’s rights activist from Iran).
Venue: Amnesty International- UK / The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA
Organised by International Free Women Foundation, Roj Women Organisation, Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq. For more information please contact: Munevver 07796378722 & Ilkay 07792360628
34. Tuesday 17 January 2012 5.45pm
Can Assad survive? A Lecture by Patrick Seale, journalist and writer.
Venue: Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street,
Russell Square, London, WC1H OXG
Hosted by the London Middle East Centre at SOAS.
The event is free and there is no need to book. For more information, contact: lmei@soas.ac.uk
35. Wednesday 1 February 2012, 6.30-8.30pm
How to start a revolution, with Gene Sharp live from the USA
A screening How To Start A Revolution, a new award-winning documentary about Gene Sharp’s life and work – and followed by a live link-up with Gene Sharp himself, speaking from his home in Boston.
Venue: Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Hosted by the All Part Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues. RSVP to: appgci2@gmail.com
36. Friday 3 – Sunday 5 February 2012
Challenging capitalist modernity: Alternative concepts and the Kurdish Question
Exchanging ideas at the academic level about the worldwide theoretical and practical measures that are needed to intervene effectively against capitalist hegemony. Debates will also – but not exclusively – be focused on the Kurdish example.
Venue: Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany. Organised by the Network for an Alternative Quest. For further details and the full programme, visit: http://networkaq.net/
37. Monday 13 – Saturday 18 February 2012
No Borders Convergence, with Goldsmiths University students
A week long convergence to share knowledge and experiences in relation to freedom of movement. The 16th -18th will also include demonstrations and actions against migration controls.
Venue: Goldsmiths University, New Cross, London SE14 6NW
For further information, visit http://london.noborders.org.uk/convergence2012 or email noborderslondon@riseup.net.
38. Friday 24 February
Defending Human Rights Defenders
An international conference with delegates from Colombia, Turkey, Palestine, Philippines, and Swaziland, which will focus on protecting social justice activists and human rights defenders whose own work is being threatened. Organised by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Amnesty International UK, and European Association of Lawyers for Democracy.
Venue: Amnesty Human Rights Action Centre, London, EC2A 3EA
Price: £30 UK waged/£20 non-UK/£25 students. Registration necessary.For further information, contact: dhrd@haldane.org