TURKEY/HUMAN RIGHTS (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN/ISTANBUL
DATE=6/23/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-180945
TITLE=TURKEY/HUMAN RIGHTS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ISTANBUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
// NOTE -- COMPLETE TURKISH ACTUALITY IS NOT AVAILABLE. //
INTRO: THE TURKISH HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION HAS LAUNCHED A
NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN TO PUBLICIZE THE PLIGHT OF HUNDREDS OF
MISSING PEOPLE. AS AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ISTANBUL, MANY
FAMILIES HOLD THE TURKISH STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF THEIR LOVED ONES.
TEXT: OFFICIALS AT THE TURKISH HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION SAY THEY
HAVE DOCUMENTED THE CASES OF AT LEAST 500 PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DISAPPEARED SINCE 1980 WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY, AND THEY ARE
LAUNCHING A NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM.
ON SUNDAY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION, AS
WELL AS RELATIVES OF THOSE LISTED AS MISSING, PLAN TO STAGE A
SIT-IN IN FRONT OF THE INTERIOR MINISTRY BUILDING IN ANKARA TO
PROTEST WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS THE GOVERNMENT'S INDIFFERENCE TO
THEIR PLIGHT.
IRFAN BILGIN IS THE BROTHER OF KENAN BILGIN, A LEFTWING ACTIVIST
WHO, HE SAYS, WAS ARRESTED NINE MONTHS AGO BY THE STATE
ANTI-TERROR SQUAD IN ANKARA. HE HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM SINCE.
/// BILGIN ACT IN TURKISH AND FADE UNDER ///
IRFAN BILGIN SAYS HIS FAMILY HAS REPEATEDLY SOUGHT INFORMATION
ABOUT HIS BROTHER FROM THE INTERIOR AND JUSTICE MINISTRIES. THE
TURKISH AUTHORITIES, HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO DENY THAT KENAN WAS
EVER ARRESTED. BUT IRFAN BILGIN SAYS 11 OTHER LEFT-WING
ACTIVISTS WHO WERE DETAINED WITH HIS BROTHER LAST SEPTEMBER AND
LATER RELEASED TOLD HIM THAT THEY SAW KENAN AT ANTI-TERROR SQUAD
HEADQUARTERS IN ANKARA. HE SAYS HE FEARS HIS BROTHER MAY HAVE
BEEN KILLED BY TURKISH SECURITY PERSONNEL.
ALGAN HACALOGLU, WHO IS TURKEY'S STATE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF
HUMAN RIGHTS, RECENTLY LAUNCHED AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION INTO
THOSE LISTED AS MISSING. HE HAS COME UNDER FIRE FROM FELLOW
CABINET MEMBERS, WHO ACCUSE HIM OF BETRAYING THE STATE. DESPITE
SUCH CRITICISM, MR. HACALOGLU IS PRESSING AHEAD WITH HIS INQUIRY.
// HACALOGLU ACT//
THERE ARE MISSING PEOPLE IN TURKEY. BUT THE FIGURES I
DON'T KNOW -- AS A MINISTER OF STATE IN CHARGE OF HUMAN
RIGHTS NOW, EVEN TODAY. MY ADVISORS ARE WORKING AT THE
CORONER'S OFFICE. ALL OF THE FILES ARE WITH US. THERE
ARE ABOUT 265 CASES, AND AN ADDITIONAL 30 CASES WHICH
ARE NOT YET IN THE FILES. WE ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY
THE CAUSES OF DEATH AND TRY TO MATCH THEM WITH THESE
MISSING PEOPLE.
// END ACT //
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HAVE WELCOMED MR. HACALOGLU'S EFFORTS TO
SHED LIGHT ON THE FATE OF THE MISSING. BUT MANY, LIKE MAHMUT
TALI ONGOREN, REMAIN SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT
TO HUMAN RIGHTS.
// ONGOREN ACT //
NO, THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING NOTHING EXCEPT MAKING
CERTAIN PROMISES ONLY AT CERTAIN TIMES. NEW LAWS HAVE
TO BE INTRODUCED AND TORTURERS, ESPECIALLY THE
POLICEMEN, MUST BE TAKEN TO COURT AND, IF FOUND GUILTY,
PUNISHED. NO SUCH MEASURES ARE TAKEN NOW. ALSO
UNIDENTIFIED MURDER CASES, THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING
NOTHING.
// END ACT //
MR. ONGOREN AND OTHER ACTIVISTS BELIEVES IT IS CRUCIAL THAT
WESTERN GOVERNMENTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE TO
APPLY PRESSURE ON THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO CRACK DOWN ON HUMAN
RIGHTS ABUSES. OTHERWISE, HE WARNS, THE SITUATION HERE WILL ONLY
GET WORSE. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/SKH/MMK
23-Jun-95 10:35 AM EDT (1435 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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