Subject: TURKEY TRIAL (L ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN/ANKARA
Topic: voa
From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)
 
DATE=5/5/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-177995
TITLE=TURKEY TRIAL (L ONLY) 
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN 
DATELINE=ANKARA 
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  TURKEY'S MOST FAMOUS LIVING AUTHOR, YASAR KEMAL, HAS GONE
ON TRIAL, CHARGED WITH PROMOTING KURDISH SEPARATISM UNDER A 
CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-TERROR LAW.  AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM 
ANKARA.

TEXT:  MR KEMAL, AN ETHNIC KURD, IS BEING ACCUSED OF PROMOTING 
KURDISH SEPARATISM BECAUSE OF AN ARTICLE HE WROTE FOR THE GERMAN 
MAGAZINE DER SPIEGEL IN WHICH HE SPOKE AGAINST THE TURKISH 
MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST REBELS OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY 
OR P-K-K.

MR KEMAL, WHO HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR 
LITERATURE, DENOUNCED THE ALLEGED BURNING AND EVACUATION OF 
THOUSANDS OF KURDISH VILLAGES BY THE TURKISH ARMY IN WHAT HE 
DESCRIBED AS A DIRTY AND DIRTYING WAR.

APPEARING IN A COURTROOM CROWDED WITH FELLOW WRITERS, 
JOURNALISTS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, MR KEMAL SOUGHT TO 
DEFEND HIS ARTICLE SAYING IT HAD BEEN TRANSLATED INCORRECTLY AND 
WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.

HE, NONETHELESS, REPEATED THE ALLEGATIONS CATALOGUED IN THE DER 
SPIEGEL ARTICLE AND CHALLENGED THE COURTROOM TO PROVE THAT THEY 
WERE  NOT  TRUE.

IF CONVICTED AS CHARGED UNDER THE CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-TERROR LAW, 
MR KEMAL COULD SERVE UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON, WHERE HE WILL 
JOIN HUNDREDS OF OTHER WRITERS, ACADEMICS, AND INTELLECTUALS 
IMPRISONED FOR EXPRESSING SIMILIAR VIEWS.

ACCORDING TO WESTERN OBSERVERS, THE CASE AGAINST MR. KEMAL, COULD
NOT  COME AT A WORSE TIME FOR TURKEY. THE COUNTRY FACES THE 
SHELVING OF A CRUCIAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IT SIGNED WITH THE 
EUROPEAN UNION LAST MARCH.  THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SAID IT WOULD
NOT  RATIFY THE DEAL UNLESS TURKEY TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO 
IMPROVE ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD.

LAST WEEK THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, OF WHICH TURKEY IS A FOUNDING 
MEMBER, ISSUED A JUNE DEADLINE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF 
LONG-DELAYED DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, SAYING IT WOULD RECOMMEND 
SUSPENSION OF TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IF IT FAILED TO DELIVER BY THAT
TIME.

TURKISH PRIME MINSTER TANSU CILLER ASSURED U-S PRESIDENT BILL 
CLINTON DURING A TRIP TO WASHINGTON LAST MONTH THAT HUMAN RIGHTS 
ARE A PRIORITY FOR HER GOVERNMENT AND THAT DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, 
INCLUDING THE LIFTING OF ARTICLE EIGHT OF THE ANTI-TERROR LAWS, 
WOULD SOON BE APPROVED BY THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT.

BUT HARDLINERS, WHO MAKE UP THE ULTRA-NATIONALIST BLOC WITHIN MRS
CILLER'S CONSERVATIVE TRUE PATH PARTY, CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THE 
SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIZATION PACKAGE SAYING IT THREATENS THE UNITY 
OF THE TURKISH STATE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/AZ/MH/JWH

05-May-95 10:33 AM EDT (1433 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America