26. June 2001

1. "Germany slams ban on Turkish Islamic party", Germany's justice minister on Monday described as a "very unpleasant surprise" the decision by Turkey's constitutional court to outlaw the pro-Islamic Virtue Party for anti-secular activities.

2. "Turkish inmate alleges beating by guard", a Turkish prisoner has filed a lawsuit alleging he was beaten by prison guards in a case that highlights widespread charges of mistreatment in new maximum-security jails, officials said on Monday.

3. "Crucial week in Turkish-EU relations", as all eyes turned into Luxembourg where Turkish-EU Association Council meeting will be held in the wake of the closure of Turkey's main opposition party, a crucial week await Turkey in its relations with EU.

4. "IHD calls for measures to prevent torture in Turkey", The Human Rights Association (IHD) in a press release issued on Monday named a number of measures in order to prevent torture in Turkey. Human Rights Association waits DGM investigation.

5. "Fuel prices surge in Kurdish north as government tightens blockade", Arbil, Iraq Press, June 22 - Petrol prices soared in the semi-independent Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq following a campaign the authorities have mounted to cut off supply routes to the region.

6. "IAF hails joint exercise in Turkey", the Israeli Air Force (IAF) will complete its joint exercise with American and Turkish air forces in southern Turkey.

1. - AFP - "Germany slams ban on Turkish Islamic party":

ANKARA

Germany's justice minister on Monday described as a "very unpleasant surprise" the decision by Turkey's constitutional court to outlaw the pro-Islamic Virtue Party for anti-secular activities.

In one of the first European reactions to the verdict, German Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin said that "with all due respect to the court, it was a very unpleasant surprise." Daeubler-Gmelin was speaking during a press conference in Ankara with her Turkish counterpart Hikmet Sami Turk. "The (Turkish) minister knows of the laws in Germany and knows that the conditions for closing down a political party in my country, and many others, are much more draconian," she said.The constitutional court on Friday outlawed the Virtue Party but expelled only two of its 102 deputies from parliament in a bid to avoid political turmoil at a time of vital economic reforms.

Daeubler-Gmelien, however, praised recent moves within Turkey's parliament that would make the closure of political parties more difficult. It is "a sign of hope, which will be strongly taken into consideration" when assessing Turkey's relations with the European Union, the justice minister said. The court ruling is likely to tarnish Turkey's image at a time when the country has to carry out far-reaching democratic reforms to promote its candidacy for European Union membership. Daeubler-Gmelin is also due to tour Turkey's controversial new jails, involving smaller cells that will replace large dormitories of up to 80 people. A total of 23 people have died in a hunger strike launched by inmates in October to protest the new cells, which they say would leave them isolated and vulnerable to ill-treatment by prison guards.

2. - Reuters - "Turkish inmate alleges beating by guard":

ANKARA

A Turkish prisoner has filed a lawsuit alleging he was beaten by prison guards in a case that highlights widespread charges of mistreatment in new maximum-security jails, officials said on Monday.

Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said an inmate at a prison in Sincan, west of the capital Ankara, had filed a suit against four prison guards that accuses them of beating him in March after the inmate returned from a meeting with his lawyer.

The wardens have told the court they were beaten by the prisoner, the minister told reporters.

Turk refused to say whether he believed a single prisoner could beat four guards. "I cannot comment on an ongoing legal case," he said.

The inmate's lawyer was not immediately available for comment.

Hundreds of inmates have been on hunger strike for several months in protest against new cell-style prisons which are replacing large communal prison rooms. They say the new jails isolate them and leave them vulnerable to police abuse.

EU candidate Turkey has rejected the accusations and says the jails, known as F-type prisons, meet European standards.

The prisons replace overcrowded dormitory-type jails and contain rooms for one to three prisoners. Contact among inmates is limited and subject to authorisation.

Turkish authorities have turned a deaf ear to calls for a dialogue with the jailed hunger strikers even after the death of more than 20 inmates. Officials say the protest is orchestrated by "terrorist groups."

Prisoners and human rights activists are demanding inmates have free use of communal areas, such as library or sports halls, in the cell-type jails.

3. - Turkish Daily News - "Crucial week in Turkish-EU relations":

As all eyes turned into Luxembourg where Turkish-EU Association Council meeting will be held in the wake of the closure of Turkey's main opposition party, a crucial week await Turkey in its relations with EU.

The European Union expressed concern Monday over the closure of an FP in Turkey saying the ban underlined the need for Turkey to push through democratic reforms if it wants to make progress toward joining the EU.

"The European Union notes with concern the decision of the Turkish Constitutional Court on June 22 to order the closure of the Virtue Party, to confiscate its assets and to ban certain members from being members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. This decision has implications for democratic pluralism and freedom of expression in Turkey, a candidate for membership in the EU," the 15-nation bloc said in a statement.

"The decision highlights the need for Turkey to move ahead with political reforms."

In it's statement, the EU noted that the Turkish government was trying to push through amendments to the country's constitution to make it harder for courts to close down parties.

"The EU assumes that this process will be concluded in the near future," so Turkey can meet the criteria, the Union said.

Earlier on Monday, German Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin told reporters in Ankara that the court's ruling worried Germany and the EU.

"With due respect, this raises some concerns among the German and European public," Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin told reporters in Ankara.

"Party closures in Germany and other European nations are tied to different standards and are more difficult. But we are hopeful, since constitutional reform (in Turkey) looks likely. Considering Turkey is a European Union candidate, we believe this issue will develop positively," she said.

Turkish-EU Association council meeting

The Turkish-EU Association Council meeting will start today in Luxembourg in the wake of the Virtue Party's (FP) closure by the Constitutional Court on Friday.

The council meeting unofficially will commence with a "breakfast" meeting in which the participants are expected to discuss the regional developments including the Caucasus, Middle East, Balkans and Cyprus. After the participants explain their views on these issues, they will lastly deal with developments in Turkish-EU relations.

Diplomatic sources told the Turkish Daily News that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem would speak about the latest developments in Turkey, particularly about legislative changes in recent months in Turkey. The EU is expected to request Turkey to accelerate reforms, particularly on human rights issues.

Although Turkey has taken important steps on economic issues to comply with EU rules in recent days, it is no secret that no serious step has not been taken in political issues. But the political parties leaders' agreement to change Article 37 of the Constitutional, which mainly regards political issues, may be helpful to the Turkish side during the meetings.

Financial cooperation with EU

Chairwomen of Economic Development Foundation Meral Gezgin Eris said on Monday that Turkey's regional location and dynamism create a unique opportunity for EU companies and investors.

"EU-Turkey Business Partnerships" project supported by EU Commission and aimed at establishing partnerships between the EU and Turkish companies commenced yesterday in Istanbul.

Stressing that integration with EU will be benefit of both EU and Turkey Eris maintained: " Both Turkish businessmen and our partners in EU support this integration. Therefore, Turkey should take part in more EU programs together with the other candidates, " she said.

EU Commission's Turkey Representative Karen Fogg also said that financial cooperation between Turkey and EU had reached another dimensions by starting a new coordination.

Speaking at the same meeting Fogg said that politic and legal amendments were very important to accelerate membership accession.

Stating EU will grant 450 million euro for Turkey Fog said: " We will open business centers concerning with small and medium size enterprise (KOBI) in three different cities, Kocaeli, Izmir and Gaziantep valued at 18 million euro," she said.

4. - Turkish Daily News - "IHD calls for measures to prevent torture in Turkey":

The Human Rights Association (IHD) in a press release issued on Monday named a number of measures in order to prevent torture in Turkey.

The IHD called on the government to amend Article 16 of the State Security Court (DGM) Law in an effort to eliminate the conditions enabling torture.

According to the current law, a person who is detained cannot see his attorney for four days and the detention period is seven days. The current law states that in emergency conditions, the detention period can be prolonged to 10 days.

The IHD claimed that the detention period is too long and carries isolation elements, creating a condition for torture. The IHD stated that the detention period should have a time limit and a detainee should have the right to see an attorney as soon as possible.

The IHD also said that testimonies taken during the absence of an attorney should not be taken as evidence.

Turkey is suffering from a bad human rights record. According to figures from the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (THIV), the number of applications to treatment and rehabilitation centers due to torture doubled in January.

In 1999 a total of 686 people had applied to the five centers established by the THIV. In 2000, the number of applications reached 1,003. In the first month of 2001, THIV witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of applications.

Istanbul ranks first and the notorious Diyarbakir comes last in the number of torture complaints in January, 2001.

IHD chairman Husnu Ondul said that solidarity with torture victims will not be enough to prevent torture and stated that torture is a joint problem for people living in Turkey.

Human Rights Association waits DGM investigation

Ankara Number 24 Criminal Court has ruled to await the outcome of an investigation being carried out by Ankara State Security Court (DGM) into the activities of the Human Rights Association (IHD) before reaching a verdict as to whether or not to ban the IHD, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The case against the IHD is on grounds that is acting outside of its stated aims. The investigation in question is being run by Ankara DGM and after six months has failed to produce any results. The hearing was attended by IHD chairman Husnu Ondul and his lawyers, one of whom likened the trial to the Sword of Damocles hanging over the IHD's head. He called for the trial to be rejected and ended before it went on any longer saying that otherwise it would put both Turkey and the IHD in a difficult situation. "If there is an ounce of justice in Turkey, this association should not be closed down," said Ondul.

5. -IP - "Fuel prices surge in Kurdish north as government tightens blockade":

ARBIL

Petrol prices soared in the semi-independent Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq following a campaign the authorities have mounted to cut off supply routes to the region.

A liter of gasoline has already climbed 50 percent leading to a slowdown in movement of both cargo and passengers within the region. Prices of essential commodities have also gone up.

The curbs on transfer of petrol to the north were imposed as the central government was massing troops along villages bordering the Kurdish-administered enclave.

The measures are bound to have an adverse impact on the economy of the region which began to improve since early 2000 with the area's population of nearly 3.5 million people faring better economically than the government-held parts in center and south.

The crackdown was started by the newly-appointed governor of Nineveh (Mosul), Lieutenant General Abduwahid Shannan al-Rabat, who is said to have strengthened checkpoints bordering the Kurdish enclave.

The serious shortage in supply comes as prices of gasoline and kerosene are cheaper than bottled water in central government-held areas. The government offers gasoline for sale at less than one cent a liter.

Al-Rabat wants to eliminate the flow of fuel to the Kurdish north and is said to be trying to mobilize Arab tribes for a blanket blockade.

Al-Rabat visited the Kurdish-populated Makhmour district and warned of severe consequences if the smuggling does not come to an end. Kurds in Makhmour and other Kurdish areas as well as an army of petty traders rely on the exchange of goods between the Kurdish region and government-held areas for a living. Makhmour is under government control and analysts believe al-Rabat is trying to force the inhabitants to leave.

Protected by an allied air power based in southern Turkey, Iraqi Kurds are effectively running their own affairs away from the authority of the government in Baghdad.

6. - Ha'aretz Daily Newspaper - "IAF hails joint exercise in Turkey":

By Amos Harel

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) will complete its joint exercise with American and Turkish air forces in southern Turkey.

The exercise, running for the last two weeks, is the largest held between the three countries.

IAF sources described the exercise as a success and repeated that cooperation with other air forces "is not directed against anyone - the whole purpose of it is to learn from others."

The exercise was organized along similar lines as Red Flag, an exercise in the southwestern U.S. in which air force pilots train in an artificial hostile environment, practicing combat maneuvers, and ground-attack sorties.

Much of the training in Turkey was on air to ground operations in which the IAF took part with fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters.

Next year, the IAF will send a number of its aircraft permanently to the U.S. and rotate pilots to train with their U.S. counterparts.

In recent months the IAF has invested NIS 300 million and $50 million in U.S. aid to ensure that the majority of its aircraft are fully combat ready, following increased regional tension.

Earlier this month, Israel signed a contract with Lockheed-Martin for 102 F-16I fighter-bombers, with delivery to start in 2003 and last for five years. In coming months the air force is also expected to absorb a squadron of Blackhawk utility helicopters.

The IAF is considering whether to transfer its base in the Lod area to the Negev to ease congested air space in the central region. However the cost of a move is an issue - one possibilities is to sell some property of the current base to help pay for the transfer.

The air force is expected to decide in the coming months which aircraft it will be choosing for intelligence gathering. Contending are Boeing and Gulf-Stream, both U.S. companies.