A non-government information center on Turkey - Un centre d’information non-gouvernemental sur la Turquie
INFO-TURK N°408 A non-government information center on Turkey Un centre d'information non-gouvernemental sur la Turquie Droits de l'Homme Pression sur médias Question kurde Minorités Politique intérieure Forces armées Affaires religieuses Socio-économique Turquie-Europe Turquie-USA Relations régionales Chypre et Grèce Immigration 38th Year / 38e Année Août 2012 August N° 408 53 rue de Pavie - 1000 Bruxelles Tél: (32-2) 215 35 76 - Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60 Chief Editor /Rédacteur en chef: Dogan Ozgüden Responsible editor/Editrice responsable: Inci Tugsavul Human Rights Pressures on media Kurdish Question Minorities Interior politics Armed Forces Religious affairs Socio-economics Turkey-Europe Turkey-USA Regional Relations Cyprus and Greece Migration Site searchWeb search powered by FreeFind Titres des évènements du mois Titles of this month's events IMC TV'de Doğan Özgüden'le Röportaj Hüseyin Kalkan tarafından 28 Temmuz 2012'de Belçika'da gerçekleştirilmiş, 19 Ağustos 2012'de Haberin İçinden programında yayınlanmıştır. 44 dakikalık röportajın video kaydı için yukarıdaki imajı ya da bu satırı tıklayınız. Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights Peace Council of Turkey to Roboski on World Peace Day “Syrian Rebels Working in Collaboration with Turkey” Le QG terroriste d'Erdogan 3,777 children convicted in the last seven years Bomb Blast Kills Nine, PKK Refuses Responsibility Au secours la police! un numéro contre la violence policière Interior Minister’s ‘healthy pepper gas’ remarks stir outcry A police chief, convicted of torture, yet promoted Number of students in jail hits 2,824 in Turkey Disabled Student Accused of Battery Serving Jail Time Pression sur les médias / Pressure on the Media The Biggest Lawsuit of the press in Turkey! Premières images d'un journaliste turc capturé par les soldats syriens RSF: Des journalistes ciblés par une violente campagne de diffamation Médias pro-pouvoir en Turquie nuisibles pour l'humanité Hacker group says to have ‘friends’ in anti-hacker team EU urges Turkey to protect freedom of speech 83 journalists still in Turkish prisons at Ramadan Feast US Ambassador chides Turkey on media RSF réagit contre les attaques et exactions commises par l'opposition syrienne Turkish PM slams columnists, media bosses Demessine (PCF) dénonce les atteintes à la liberté de la presse en Turquie Court Adjourns Selek Trial, Rejects Plea in Kurdish Kurdish Question / Question kurde 40 millions de Kurdes dans ce Moyen-Orient en pleine recomposition Les Kurdes syriens tentent de prendre en main leur destin Severe clashes in Şemdinli city center BDP launches new rally for PKK leader Kurdish History Magazine Hits the Bookshelves BDP deputies’ meeting with armed PKK militants under probe Rencontre des députés d'opposition avec la guérilla kurde à Semdinli Les Kurdes, les oubliés du Moyen-Orient Displaced Villagers Unwilling to Return for Fear of More Clashes Kalkan: Revolutionary Operation in Şemdinli is the beginning Attaque contre un véhicule militaire dans l'ouest: un soldat tué 22 morts dans une attaque de la guérilla contre un poste de l'armée La bataille de Semdinli et de Hakkari Liberals concerned over ban on Kurdish names The battle of Semdinli Court Relieves Kurdish Mayor of His Duties KNK: "The vicinity of Semdinli under the control of Kurdish Guerillas" Minorités / Minorities New Book Published on Embattled Assyrian Monastery in Turkey Urfa Jews’ cemetery demand disapproved Aramean request for education in mother tongue rejected Minister: "Halki’s reopening not on the agenda" “Scientific” Racism in Divinity School Magazine Gül will not let the report on Dink's murder be shelved Newest lynch wave against Kurds and Alevis Bibliography covering literary publications on the Armenian Genocide Politique intérieure/Interior Politics The Economist: Erdogan’s counterproductive ambition What Is Going on at the Apaydın Syrian Rebel Camp? Tensions fuel debate over Syrian refugees Interior minister attacked with stones in Turkey's southeast Freed MP’s remarks on peace show rift in CHP CHP slams AKP, MHP over convention failure PKK released CHP deputy Aygün after two-day captivity Des rebelles kurdes enlèvent un député kurde CHP asks for transparency on operation Forces armées/Armed Forces Supreme Military Council forces all jailed generals to retire Top ex-soldier admits coup plot bid on AKP Affaires religieuses / Religious Affairs Alevi house of worship set on fire Alevi Homes Marked in Istanbul Kılıçdaroğlu calls on conservative voters to support CHP Quran lesson enters in school curriculum Survey on Turkish Muslims' Beliefs and Practices The Gülen Empire's ramification in Belgium under FEDACTIO Altruistic Society or Sect? The Shadowy World of the Islamic Gülen Movement Un avocat turc d'Al-Qaïda tué dans les combats à Alep IHD: Houses of Alevi families were attacked by a mob of nationalists Socio-économique / Socio-economic Rentrée scolaire religieuse et boycottée Schools not prepared for new education system, experts warn DHL must respect the right to join and form union in Turkey Relations turco-européennes / Turkey-Europe Relations Ankara demande des zones tampons, Londres et Paris restent prudents "Le régime syrien doit être abattu", dit Fabius en Turquie EU silent on chapter readiness in negociations with Turkey Turkey will ‘pay’ EU price Fabius en Jordanie, Liban et Turquie du 15 au 17 août Turquie-USA/ Turkey-USA Américains et Turcs réunis à Ankara pour préparer l'après-Assad Nouvelle complicité turco-américaine contre les Kurdes US report criticizes Turkey Relations régionales / Regional Relations Antioche la cosmopolite s'alarme du flot de réfugiés syriens Le rêve évanoui d'un nouvel ordre régional - Guillaume Perrier La Turquie conseille à ses ressortissants de ne pas se rendre au Liban Iraq denies visa request for MHP leader's Kirkuk visit L'Iran suspend les exemptions de visa pour la Turquie et d'autres pays Turkey, Iran friction deepening on Syria Turkish delegation in Myanmar for aid Les réfugiés syriens font le beaux jours des hôtels turcs Erdogan accuses "enemy countries" of supporting the PKK Iraq summons Turkey envoy to protest over Davutoglu's visit L'armée turque en manoeuvres près de la frontière syrienne Joint Declaration After Barzani-Davutoglu Meeting Chypre et la Grèce / Cyprus and Greece Cypriot Minister: "EU asked to use both carrot, stick on Turkey" Immigration / Migration Encore un élu turco-"belge" qui se croit en Turquie... Allemagne: 45% des immigrés turcs veulent rentrer en Turquie French gov’t backs student as prosecutor seeks 32 years in jail Sevil Sevimli risque 32 ans de prison L'étudiante franco-kurde Sevil Sevimli libérée, mais… Inquiétude pour la santé d'une étudiante franco-kurde emprisonnée Droits de l'Homme / Human Rights Peace Council of Turkey to Roboski on World Peace Day The Peace Council of Turkey will be in the village of Roboski on September 1, International Day of Peace, to demand the disclosure of those responsible for the massacre in late December of 2011, to voice demands for a democratic solution to the Kurdish problem and for the continuity of negotiation process between the authorities of the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). No military and political authorities have been taken to court so far for the Roboski massacre in which 34 Kurdish civilians were killed with Turkish warplanes on 28 December 2011. Members of the Peace Council of Turkey will be standing by the families of victims on World Peace Day to support Roboski families’ call for justice and peace. Council members will also visit the graveyard of victims. Giving information about the visit to Roboski, Council activist M. Şirin Tunç said that the delegation would make a press statement to give a message from Roboski on the International Day of Peace. “We mainly demand a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem, disclosure of those responsible for the massacre and re-initiation of a dialogue process in a fair way” , said Tunç about the Roboski visit tomorrow. (ANF, 31 August 2012) “Syrian Rebels Working in Collaboration with Turkey” Haitham Qdemathi, a U.S. citizen of Syrian descent who introduced himself as one of the political leaders of the Free Syrian Army (FSA,) told bianet they were grateful for the contributions of both the Turkish government and foreign fighters, such as Al-Qaeda militants, for their contributions to the rebel movement. We met with Qdemathi at a location right next to the Cilvegözü Border Gate in the southern province of Hatay toward the evening. He explained that he had been residing in the U.S. for 30 years but had returned back to the region following the establishment of the FSA. Qdemathi said his Arabic was not very fluent and thus proceeded to speak to us in English. "A win-win situation for everyone" The region where we spoke to Qdemathi contains a tent-camp surrounded by barbed wires and which provides logistical support for FSA fighters. In the middle of the camp sits a flagpole with a gigantic FSA banner on top bearing green, white and black colors, while a Turkish flag is also attached right underneath. Qdemathi said he mostly lived on the Turkish side of the border, as also attested by the fact that his vehicle bore a Hatay license plate. He told us he had just left some food and medicine in the tent-camp and was back on his way to Hatay. Following an exchange in which he questioned our identities and the reasons why we had come there, Qdemathi spoke on their role in border controls and their relationship to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK): "We are trying to put an end to border smuggling. We are working in conjunction with the Turkish government on this; we are helping them," Qdemathi said, adding that the inhabitants of the camp were leaving off at day time to join the fight in Syria and returning back at night, while the wounded were also receiving medical treatment inside the camp. PKK militants sometimes infiltrate into Turkey through this region, he said. Qdemathi claimed they denied PKK militants entry into Turkey by closing down the border in such times. "We warned them not to come to this region, but if they do come, then we are also armed. We would respond to them. We would not let them through here," Qdemathi said. Nevertheless, he also added they had never been involved in an armed engagement with the PKK until this day. They were providing security for the border entry while bringing critically wounded fighters into Turkey for treatment, he said. Authorities have already allocated the Mustafa Kemal University Training and Research Hospital to FSA fighters. Syrian doctors are also employed in the medical institution. "We are working in collaboration with the Turkish government. We keep watch on the Syrian side of the border. This is a win-win situation for everyone," he said. They were also conducting identity and passport checks for those crossing the border, he added. Thanking Al-Qaeda militants "We want freedom. Our goal is to unite the entire opposition. We are calling on everyone to join our ranks. If we end up in a fragmented structure after the regime falls, the reign of chaos would inevitably ensue, followed by a civil conflict, or even possibly by a regional war," he said. There are Al-Qaeda militants in the FSA coming from a variety of backgrounds, including Yemen, Qatar, Afghanistan and Lebanon, according to some reports. In fact, some Turkish citizens accused of being Al-Qaeda members also lost their lives in the Syrian conflict. "I am aware of the presence of Al-Qaeda members in the FSA coming from outside of Syria. I have never personally met any of them, however. Nonetheless, we are grateful to all of them for fighting on our ranks," he replied when inquired about these allegations. Qdemathi also claimed there were Christians and Alevis fighting for the FSA. Just as we were conversing over this matter, however, a quarrel broke out between our guide and Qdemathi's escorts. FSA troops then began walking toward our guide while shouting "Alevi, Alevi!" Other troops subsequently intervened and broke up the fight, while Qdemathi chose to end the conversation there. (BIA, Ayça SÖYLEMEZ, 28 August 2012) Le QG terroriste d'Erdogan Des années durant, les autorités turques ont exercé des pressions diplomatiques sur les pays qui accueillaient les bureaux d'information de mouvements turcs ou kurdes d'opposition. Ces pressions ont conduit à la fermeture de nombreux bureaux et à l'emprisonnement de leurs administrateurs. Les sympathisants du mouvement de la gauche anti-impérialiste turque DHKP-C de Londres, Bruxelles, Paris ou Berlin en savent quelque chose. Aujourd'hui, une organisation militaire syrienne, nommément l'Armée syrienne libre (ASL) qui utilise ouvertement le terrorisme pour parvenir à ses fins est accueillie à bras ouverts par le régime d'Ankara. Elle y dispose d’un bureau d’information en bonne et due forme. Son site officiel est: http://www.free-syrian-army.com On y découvre que sa base principale (main base) est le Hatay, une province frontalière majoritairement arabophone qui accueille les réfugiés syriens. Cette province dont la population s’inquiète de la militarisation en cours dans la région est devenue la plaque tournante de l’internationale djihadiste sous le regard bienveillant du régime d’Ankara. L’ASL dispose par ailleurs d’une ligne téléphonique turque, le 00905369631274 Pour entrer en contact avec l'ASL, les nouvelles recrues peuvent également écrire à l'adresse suivante: [email protected] Mais l’ASL en Turquie n'a pas que pignon sur rue. Elle a même le pouvoir de faire interdire des manifestations pacifiques en Turquie. Dans les colonnes du quotidien Libération (5 août 2012), un militant des droits de l’homme connu et actif à Antioche dénommé Ilyas Oruç a déclaré, médusé : «Nous n’avons pas pu organiser un meeting contre la guerre en Syrie à cause de l’Armée syrienne libre [ASL, ndlr]. Le directeur de la sûreté m’a dit qu’il ne pouvait pas assurer notre sécurité du fait des militants de cette armée qui vivent dans les camps de réfugiés tout au long de la frontière turco-syrienne». Par ailleurs, de nombreuses familles alaouites de cette même province soupçonnées de sympathies envers le gouvernement syrien disent avoir été menacées d’extermination par des miliciens de l’ASL. Ankara avec Al Qaïda contre Assad Ces dernières semaines, les autorités turques ont multiplié les provocations à l'encontre de la Syrie. Des actes terroristes visant des personnes et des biens en territoire syrien ont été préparés au vu et au su de l'armée turque. Comme le révèle le journal turc Yurt, des véhicules immatriculés en Turquie ont été utilisés dans un récent attentat commis par l’ASL dans le village syrien de Sabanli où huit soldats syriens ont perdu la vie. Sur des images vidéo envoyés au quotidien turc (http://www.yurtgazetesi.com.tr/gundem/katliami-yapan-teroristler-turkce-konusuyor-h16130.html), on constate que l'un de ces véhicules utilisé dans cet attentat, un camion, portait l'inscription en turc "Allah Korusun" (Que Dieu protège). Autre détail saisissant, les auteurs de l’attentat parlent tous un turc sans accent. Début août, l'avocat des militants turcs d'Al Qaïda en Turquie Me Osman Karahan est mort armes à la main à Alep. D'autres militants de la branche turque d'Al Qaïda, responsables de la mort de dizaines de 57 citoyens turcs dans les attentats d’Istanbul de 2003 combattent actuellement dans les rangs de l'Armée syrienne libre (ASL). Deux d'entre eux au moins (Metin Ekinci et Baki Yigit) ont été tués dans des affrontements avec l'armée gouvernementale syrienne à Alep. Officiellement, Ekinci était recherché par la police turque. Mais comment comprendre que Baki Yigit n’ait fait que six ans de prison pour avoir participé à un massacre alors que des centaines d’étudiants de gauche sont condamnés à plusieurs dizaines d’années de prison et torturés sauvagement pour avoir déployé un simple calicot demandant la gratuité de l’enseignement ? On peut difficilement croire que les autorités turques ignorent la mobilisation des terroristes de la branche turque d'Al Qaïda en Syrie d’autant plus que les habitants de la province du Hatay témoignent de la présence anormalement élevée de ressortissants tunisiens, libyens ou tchétchènes à la frontière turco-syrienne. Manifestement, comme la France et l’Arabie saoudite, la Turquie aussi aime ses djihadistes lorsqu’ils s’en vont combattre en Syrie. (Bahar Kimyongür, [email protected] , 29 août 2012) 3,777 children convicted in the last seven years Turkish Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin stated in his reply to a parliamentary written question that Turkish High Criminal Courts have tried 8,828 children and convicted 3,777 of them in the last seven years. According to the Ergin’s answer which exposed the figures of the people tried at high criminal courts and specially authorized courts since the abolishment of state security courts (DGM), 209,750 people were tried at high criminal courts between the years 2004 and 2011 and among them 8,828 were aged under 18. Within the same period, the courts convicted 137,692 people among whom 3,777 minors, the Minister of Justice said. Referring to the figures before the year 2004, Ergin notified that state security courts had tried 32,863 people, including 903 minors, in 11,174 cases opened in 2002 and 2003. Among those tried, 13, 619 people were convicted, included 222 children aged under 18. (ANF, 29 August 2012) Bomb Blast Kills Nine, PKK Refuses Responsibility An explosion that took place near the Karşıyaka Police Station in the southeastern province of Gaziantep killed nine people and injured 60 at around 20:00 on Monday. The blast occured after someone detonated the explosives loaded inside a vehicle, Gaziantep Governor Erdal Ata told the broadcasting station NTV. The victims of the blast were passengers inside a nearby automobile and a minibus, according to reports. Two buses also caught fire in consequence of the explosion, while other vehicles in close vicinity were also damaged, and the glass windows of some houses and shops were also shattered by the blast. Officials also called in doctors who were on vacation for the Ramadan holiday due to the large number of injuries. A crowd began to gather in the area following the explosion and subsequently attacked the Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) Şehitkamil District and Gaziantep Provincial offices. Authorities dispatched police and firefighters to the scene. Reports indicate that the crowd started marching while carrying Turkish flags and chanting slogans. Meanwhile, Ömer Çelik, the deputy leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP,) said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) had begun directly targeting the people. "We are going through a tragic incident all together," Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin also commented during a press meeting at the Gaziantep Police Headquarters. The HPG, armed wing of the PKK, declared on Tuesday that the Kurdish guerrilla was not responsible for the car bomb that killed nine people in the southeastern town of Gaziantep near Turkey's border with Syria late on Monday. "Our fighters have nothing to do with this explosion," Firat News, a website close to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, cited the HPG as saying in a statement. As for the BDP, its co-presidents Demirtas and Kisanak have severly condemned the explosion. (BIA-Reuters, August 21, 2012) Au secours la police! un numéro contre la violence policière L’Association des avocats contemporains (CHD) lance un numéro contre la violence des policiers turcs, suite à de nombreux cas de violences et de tortures. Le sentiment d’être sans protection face à la violence policière et aux excès de la justice se repend dans le pays. Les citoyens sont sous la menace quotidienne de la police… truncated (311,548 more characters in archive)