Can Turkey Learn Tolerance?

[Gavur]

Truth over Semdinli incident will be revealed: Aksu

The Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu called on the public to be calm.


NTV
Güncelleme: 09:22 ET 11 Kasım 2005 CumaANKARA - A full investigation was being conducted into the bombing that left two dead and a dozen wounded in the south eastern town of Semdinli, Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said Friday.

Speaking in an interview aired by television station NTV Friday, Aksu vowed that the truth would be revealed over the circumstances of the bombing of a bookstore in Semdinli. The attack, which some have blamed on Turkish security forces, took place Wednesday and has prompted protests and unrest in the town in the following days.

“No one should suspect the facts will not come out. Let us wait calmly to see the result of the investigation,” Aksu said.

Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who is also the spokesman for the Turkish cabinet, said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the whole government were ready to give all the necessary support to shed light on the incidents.

Spokesman for the Police Force Ismail Caliskan called on the citizens of Semdinli not to use violence.

Osman Baydmir, the mayor of the south eastern city of Diyarbakir, said that he agreed with statement decribing the incident as a second Susurluk scandal and called for the facts to come out this time. Barydemir also warned that if the circumstance of the incident were not made public that the region could return to the conflicts of the 1990s.

[Umay]

Jake Hess

At this time four years ago, I was spending my political energy writing letters to the Turkish government. Our chapter of Amnesty International at Winnacunnet High School was demanding that Leyla Zana, a Kurdish political prisoner, be freed immediately. She – a fairly elected parliamentarian - had been locked up since 1994. Her crime? Peacefully agitating for Kurdish rights and speaking her native tongue in the Turkish parliament.

Leyla Zana did not peacefully agitated for Kurdish rights. She has been threatening Turkish Goverment, turkish people since then. Offical Labguage of Turkey is Turkish and a fairly elected parliamentarian(?) must speak the ofiicial languge of the country int the partliament. It is as simple as that.
she was not just elected to serve Kurdish people. She was elected to serve Turkey which she failed to do so.


She was not just speaking in Kurdish parliament. She was simply using her
ethnic identity for propaganda.

[Gavur]

Wasn't her constituent's mostly Kurds?

[Gavur]

Susurluk Case Suspicion over Incidents in Semdinli

By National News Desk
Published: Friday, November 11, 2005
zaman.com


Automatic weapons, an action map and a name list were obtained from the vehicle used by bombers in Semdinli. The vehicle was found to belong to Gendarme Intelligence Special Operation Team (JITEM) giving rise to the interpretation of the incident as the second Susurluk case.

While the Prime Ministry and Chief of General Staff took action against the crisis, the deputies of the region began preparations to carry the debate to the parliament.


The fact that the vehicle used by the bombers in the incidents that claimed the lives of two people in the Semdinli town of Hakkari (an eastern city in Turkey) belongs to JITEM, sparked a new debate.


The incidents began on Wednesday after an explosion occurred in a book store belonging to Seferi Yilmaz, reportedly a PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party) activist, and continued through Thursday.


While it is claimed that an incident similar to the Susurluk case is at issue, the Chief of General Staff and Internal Ministry took action to clarify the issue. The three people who were caught by the citizens and whom the police struggled to save from public attack are claimed to be JITEM members. Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz told he would not make a statement about this issue to the journalists. Governor Gurbuz reportedly told in a telephone call with Ankara that the police had no relationship with the incidents; however the names of some JITEM members were mentioned to be involved. It was revealed that the person who was about to be attacked by the public was not a master sergeant, but a PKK confessor and others were officials working for gendarme intelligence. Hakkari Mayor Metin Tekce made an interesting allegation and told it was a master sergeant who opened fire towards the crowd and killed one citizen, while the pubic prosecutor was inspecting the vehicle after the explosion. In the vehicle the claimed attacker took refuge, a military identity card belonging to Gendarme Officer A.K. and a duty paper for the vehicle for 9 November 2005 were found. The name and the signature of the same person was used while buying gas and changing the engine oil of the vehicle.


On the other end, the political circles made different allegations about the cases occurring in Semdinli. Republican People's Party (CHP) Hakkari deputy Esat Canan pointed out that there were documents belonging to JITEM found in the vehicle and noted they would carry the obtained name list to the parliament. The Parliament Susurluk Case Research Commission member, Fikri Saglar, interpreted the cases as being the continuation of the Susurluk case. The Internal Ministry sent two inspectors to the region. Strikingly, the Chief of General Staff did not remain indifferent to allegations about JITEM and made a statement about the issue. It was noted that the incidents were conveyed to judicial authorities and the necessary legal proceedings are being realized. Provocations realized by anonymous people have been occurring in the region for the past three months.

A vehicle loaded with bombs had exploded in Semdinli on November 1st.


Susurluk case: Surfaced after a car accident revealed a "wanted" hit man was in the same car with those who were supposed to bring the man to the justice. The case has promoted debates on rule of law in Turkish public opinion since 1996.


The traffic accident on 3 November 3 1996 in Susurluk, led to a lawsuit against 14 people including special police teams, Ibrahim Sahin, Korkut Eken and Haluk Kirci.


In the trial conducted in Istanbul's 6th State Security Court (DGM), Sahin and Eken were sentenced for 6 years each and the others were imprisoned for 4 years each as ordered by the Court of Appeals. Sedat Bucak, who was included in the same case, could not be tried as long as he was an active deputy. His trial has to be postponed until he could no longer be re-elected.




Istanbul

[neutral]

Incidents in Semdinli will not be Kept in Dark

Incidents in Semdinli will not be Kept in Dark
By Political News Desk
Published: Saturday, November 12, 2005
zaman.com


Incidents in a southeastern Turkish town, Semdinli, put the state on alert; both opposition and the locals provided full support to the government's determination to shed light on the events that occurred in the county.

Attacks by unknown perpetrators in the region for the last three months are claimed to be orchestrated by the Gendarme Intelligence Special Operation Team (JITEM). As this has become one of the most important issues waiting to be resolved, the General Staff’s demand of information regarding the incidents in which a soldier was involved was interpreted as a "good will" gesture and an indication of "determination".

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured the events in the region will not be put aside and expressed his sensitivity towards information that there is a similarity between this event and the Susurluk Case of 1996 that shook the country's agenda, rising suspicions about a state and criminal link and rule of law in Turkey. “No one should expect any special or different treatment or a favor from the prime minister,” Erdogan warned.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said necessary directives have been issued and the incidents in Semdinli will definitely not be kept in the dark.

The National Movement Party (MHP) leader, Devlet Bahceli, stressed the public was not informed correctly, demanding the realities behind the turmoil should be brought to the forefront. Turkish Parliament Ugur Mumcu Investigation Committee head Ersonmez Yarbay is waiting for an explanation from the General Staff regarding the suspicions that relate the Semdinli incidents to a former case that took place in 1996, which raised questions about state and criminal cooperation and set the stage for debates on rule of law in the country. Yarbay noted they expect clarification about the involvement of gendarme personnel in the incident and whether they were acting in the line of duty or on their own.

[neutral]

There is less censorship in Turkey than you think.



Riots erupted in the Kurdish south-east of Turkey this week after a bomb attack blamed on secret police.



The bomb killed one person at a bookstore in Semdinli said to have Kurdish rebel links.



Guns were found in the boot of a car being driven by intelligence agents, Turkish prosecutors confirmed.



Crowds took to the streets of the mountain town which has seen PKK rebel unrest in the past.

[neutral]

There is less censorship in Turkey than you think.



Emotions were high at the funeral of the man killed in the bookstore in Semdinli.



His coffin was draped in Kurdish colours and was followed by a large crowd.



Slogans in support of the Kurdish PKK rebels could be heard in the streets.



Semdinli walls bear graffiti in support of the PKK rebels, who ended a long truce last year.

[neutral]

Turkey will Interfere in Iraq if US Withdraws

McCain: Turkey will Interfere in Iraq if US Withdraws
By Cihan News Agency, Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Saturday, November 12, 2005
zaman.com



The US ruling Republican Party senator, John McCain, defended some countries including Turkey may interfere in Iraq if the US forces leave Iraq early.

McCain, in the speech he made at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank organization, he stressed that the situation in Iraq is more important for the US than that in Vietnam and he opposed withdrawal demands.

McCain expressed a civil war will probably break out if the Americans leave Iraq before stability is reached. "An early withdrawal will reinforce the effect of Syria and Iran that oppose the US policies and support terrorism. All neighbor countries from Saudi Arabia to Israel and Turkey will feel that their security is in danger and will have to take action."

McCain, opposing the idea of disintegration of Iraq, noted this is not supported by the Iraqi people. "If Iraq is divided, you will see many things including Turkey's refusal to accept a Kurdish state and a Sunni-Shiite clash." The Vietnam veteran, McCain, defeated by President George W. Bush in the pre-election within the Republican Party before the 2000 presidential polls is considered to be one of the possible candidates of the 2008 presidential race.

The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, paid an unexpected visit to Musul (Mosul) Friday morning, during her tour of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. Rice, who met Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafaari there, will reportedly support removing the disagreements among Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds; and look for a consensus before the elections are held next month.


I support a US withdrawal and I urge everyone else to.

[Gavur]

Neutral-I support a US withdrawal and I urge everyone else to.

Yeah but your goverment obviously doesn't,infact they're trying to escalate the situation by pressuring U.S. to interfere by force the Kurdish issue they can't/wont solve within their borders.Turkey has to tolarate justice if they are going to the join the western democracys.

[Gavur]

Turkish, US defence officials discuss new measures against Kurd rebels

NTV television, Istanbul
11 Nov 05


New measures against the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] are being
discussed at the high-level joint defence group meeting between Turkey
and the United States, which convened after a lapse of two
years. Peter Flory, the US Assistant Secretary of Defence for
International Security Policy who is heading the US delegation at the
talks, said that the real solution expected by Turkey would take some
time.

At the talks held in Ankara, the Turkish delegation was headed by
General Isik Kosaner, the deputy chief of the General Staff, and the
US delegation by Flory. Flory also held a meeting with Defence
Minister Vecdi Gonul. In an informal chat with reporters, Flory said
that the group worked on new measures against the PKK. Explaining the
reasons why it was difficult for the United States to launch a
military operation against the PKK or to detain the leaders of the
organization, Flory said that the real address for a solution was the
Iraqi Government.

Flory said: We are exerting efforts against terrorism in Iraq on many
fronts. The struggle against the PKK is one of those fronts. Primarily
the Iraqi government is responsible for dealing with this problem. The
PKK problem is part of a more comprehensive project. Our goal is to
maintain Iraq's unitary structure. The Turkish government well
understands our stand. It will, however, take some time to bring about
a real solution.

Assessing the possibility of Turkey launching a cross-border operation
into Iraq, Flory said: This border has nothing to do with the United
States. This is between Turkey and Iraq. We, however, do not believe
that such a move would be beneficial.