15 March 2004

1. "Kurdish Unrest Spreads in Syria; Toll Is Put at 15", unrest set off by Kurdish demonstrators demanding minority rights spread across northeastern Syria on Saturday, with Kurdish leaders saying up to 15 people were killed and scores wounded over two days as the riot police put down the rare protests with gunfire.

2. "Turkish media covers Kurdish uprising in Syria", meanwhile, Kurds in the Syrian-occupied Kurdish city of Heleb (Aleppo) near the Turkish border have begun and Syrian police have wounded at least two Kurds. Kaplan is now reporting from the border, where one can look into Syrian-occupied Kurdistan and see smoke.

3. "Turkish court rejects 12th appeal to free jailed Kurdish activists", a Turkish court on Friday again rejected an appeal for the release of human rights award winner Leyla Zana and three other former Kurdish lawmakers at the 12th hearing since the trial reopened last year.

4. "No Turkish EU membership in this generation, says Nyrup", more than one generation will pass before Turkey will be a member of the European Unions, claims former Danish Prime Minister and Social Democrat top candidate for the June European Election, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

5. "Confusion Between Turkey And The West", Turkish leaders' opinions are somehow reversed. In fact, the Turks are confused because they were unable decades ago to convince Europe about the European aspect of their country, but today, Europe is welcoming them although the government adopts Islam as a reference.

6. "Cyprus is a glimmer of hope in Mideast gloom", the world may be watching, albeit through a glass darkly, the actual resolution of one Middle East conflict - on the island of Cyprus. To be sure, the trajectory of history in that part of the world wobbles wildly, up and down. In this case, the positive ramifications of success would be enormous.

7. "Thousands attend opening of Kurdish language course in Turkey", some 3,000 people turned out for the opening ceremony on Sunday of one of Turkey's first Kurdish language teaching centres in the mainly-Kurdish southeast of the country under EU-inspired reforms, the owner said.

8. "Turkish army probes 'civilian' spying", Turkey's stop general has ordered an investigation into attempts by local army units to spy on civilians, a move decried by public opinion which fears the military is still out to control society.

1. - The New York Times - "Kurdish Unrest Spreads in Syria; Toll Is Put at 15":

DAMASCUS / 13 March 2004 / by NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Unrest set off by Kurdish demonstrators demanding minority rights spread across northeastern Syria on Saturday, with Kurdish leaders saying up to 15 people were killed and scores wounded over two days as the riot police put down the rare protests with gunfire.

The unrest spread to Damascus, where several hundred riot officers wearing helmets and bearing plastic shields were stationed around Damascus University and in a predominately Kurdish suburb. Students and Kurdish residents of the suburb had staged sit-ins to protest events in the north, human rights activists said.

Syrian Kurds, inspired by the changes next door in Iraq — where the Kurds are seeking to enshrine their distinct identity in a new constitution — have become increasingly vocal in demanding minority rights. The government suspects them of seeking autonomy or even trying to break away to join Iraqi Kurdistan.

The 11 main Syrian human rights and other civic organizations issued a joint statement on Saturday calling on the government to end the unrest through dialogue and to increase rights for Kurds through government action rather than violence. It said the security forces should be held accountable for opening fire on unarmed demonstrators.

"This tragic situation comes under a state of political and social inflammation in the country, due to the absence of democratic life and public freedoms, including the disregard of the rights of Kurds," said the small but vocal groups said in the statement.

The unrest began Friday at a soccer match in El Qamishliye, 450 miles northeast of Damascus.

Some soccer fans began waiving a Kurdish flag and held aloft signs blessing President Bush, while chanting "We will sacrifice our lives for Bush," said a report in the newspaper Sharq Al Awsat, published in London. The other side responded with jeers, denouncing Iraqi Kurdish leaders. That caused violent clashes that ended with the riot police moving into the stadium.

The first few victims died there, some shot and some trampled in the melee, Kurdish rights advocates said. The demonstrations spread around the area and continued into a second day on Saturday as the funerals for the first victims started.

Eight people died Friday, while four died in El Qamishliye on Saturday, as well as three in nearby Malkiya and Dereek, said Abdel Baki Youssef, a Kurdish advocate speaking by telephone from the city. He said scores of protesters had been wounded and many arrested, with normal street life suspended because of the number of security policemen on the streets.

It was unclear how many of the victims had been trampled in the original melee and how many had been shot. Although there were no reports on Syria's state-controlled press on Saturday, Ahmed Haj Ali, an adviser to the minister of information, said 14 people had been killed and up to 60 had been wounded.

Speaking on the Arab satellite news channel Al Arabiya, Mr. Ali said there had been damage to public property. Al Arabiya showed pictures of flames and smoke erupting from the center of El Qamishliye — from which the press was barred. He denied that the unrest was politically motivated, saying it was like soccer violence anywhere.

The official SANA news agency acknowledged the violence on Friday and said a number of people had been killed, but provided no details.

But the government has clearly been concerned about how its Kurdish minority might react to events in Iraq. President Bashar al-Assad said on a visit to Turkey in January that Syria opposed any attempt to divide Iraq, a common stand among all neighboring nations.

The Kurds here have begun aggressively demanding recognition, including the granting of Syrian citizenship to up to 200,000 who have been denied it, the right to register their land and the right to use their language. Kurds make up 1.5 million of Syria's population of 17 million.

The tension is such that one general, charged with stopping an very rare protest in Damascus last Monday by human rights activists demanding an end to emergency laws, blamed the Kurds and their American allies for the entire situation.

Syrian Kurds deny seeking an independent homeland, but say the government should start treating them like citizens rather than driving them into the arms of outsiders.

"The regime should not force us to be the Trojan horse for whoever comes," said Marwan Othman, a Kurdish rights advocate.

2. - KurdishMedia - "Turkish media covers Kurdish uprising in Syria":

LONDON / 15 March 2004

On Saturday the Turkish media reported on "football riots" in Syria.

However, on Sunday the Turkish media has changed its tone and reported on a "Kurdish uprising" in Syria. The Amed (Diyarbakir) correspondent of the Turkish station NTV, Nizamettin Kaplan is providing updates on the situation in Syria. Meanwhile the American and mainstream western media has, for the most part, remained silent.

Meanwhile, Kurds in the Syrian-occupied Kurdish city of Heleb (Aleppo) near the Turkish border have begun and Syrian police have wounded at least two Kurds. Kaplan is now reporting from the border, where one can look into Syrian-occupied Kurdistan and see smoke.

3. - AFP - "Turkish court rejects 12th appeal to free jailed Kurdish activists":

ANKARA / 12 March 2004

A Turkish court on Friday again rejected an appeal for the release of human rights award winner Leyla Zana and three other former Kurdish lawmakers at the 12th hearing since the trial reopened last year.

The state security court in Ankara threw out the requests by Zana, winner of the European parliament's 1995 Sakharov prize, as well as Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak.

The four activists were sentenced to 15 years in jail in a much-criticised verdict in 1994 for collaborating with armed Kurdish rebels fighting for self-rule in the country's southeast.

The European Parliament has called for their release several times during their re-trial here. The four were not present in court and the defence team announced they would not be present for the next hearing which was set for April 2, the Anatolia news agency said.

Defence lawyers for Zana have asked the court to release the defendants in every hearing since the trial reopened in March 2003. In 2001, the European Court of Human Rights ruled their trial had been unfair because the accused were unable to have key witnesses questioned and were not informed in time of changes to the charges against them.

They were allowed a re-trial under democracy reforms adopted by Turkey in order to catch up with European reforms to boost its bid to join the EU. But the new process has been criticised at home and abroad for being a copy of the previous trial.

4. - EUobserver - "No Turkish EU membership in this generation, says Nyrup":

15 March 2004

More than one generation will pass before Turkey will be a member of the European Unions, claims former Danish Prime Minister and Social Democrat top candidate for the June European Election, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

"First we are to see the European Commission’s report, but as things look now, I have to decline. I am not even certain it [Turkish EU membership] would be a good idea. Reforms decided by the Turkish Parliament deserve all respect, but the human rights organisations say there is still a long way to go in the courts and prisons", Mr Nyrup said.

A campaign against Turkish EU membership was last week announced by the right-wing Danish People’s Party, which hopes to gain votes in the European Elections on this ticket.

The liberal prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, reacted with surprise as Mr Nyrup, when he was prime minister in 1999, supported the idea that Turkey should become an EU candidate country.

"This means Turkey must be treated like any other countries. On the other hand, it is clear that if Turkey does not fulfil the criteria, then we cannot start negotiations", Mr Fogh Rasmussen said to Politiken.

Danish EU critical movements are also supporting the 'yes – but not now' line for Turkey.

In addition, they say that decision-making under a new EU Constitution would be related to population size making it possible for a few big countries, such as Turkey and Germany, to run the show.

5. - Dar al Hayat (Beirut) - "Confusion Between Turkey And The West":

14 March 2004 / by Aisha Onal*

Turkish leaders' opinions are somehow reversed. In fact, the Turks are confused because they were unable decades ago to convince Europe about the European aspect of their country, but today, Europe is welcoming them although the government adopts Islam as a reference.

Ever since the last government held the reins of power, the country witnessed the highest European visitors' number ever, who are praising Turkey. The last confusing event was the official visit of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to Ankara and his promise to take adequate measures in order to guarantee Turkey's membership in the European Union.

Straw declared that Turkey's membership definitely serves the EU's interest. Straw's talk on the Cyprus issue insinuated a possible indirect recognition of Northern Cyprus as a political geography and the lift of the embargo.

Straw added that should the Greek Cypriots vote 'no' in the upcoming referendum, Turkey would join the EU as a representative of the Southern part of the island only. Turkish leaders admitted this was the first time Ankara receives such a supportive message.

However, this statement cannot be applied in reality within the framework of the EU agreements; since Cyprus has always constituted Turkey's main problem. Turks strongly believe the Turkish Cypriots would vote 'yes' in the referendum, which will be the key for the settlement of the Cyprus issue.

The Turkish Chief of Staff, General Hilmi Ozkok still supports the government reforms, unlike his predecessors and chose to withdraw the armed forces from Cyprus. Analysts said that this stance came as a result of his experience in NATO.

The opposition to the Cyprus issue occurred during a political seminar held in Ankara a few days ago. Sixteen high-ranking Turkish Generals, also Generals in NATO, attended the seminar. In fact, one of the Generals called for severing the relations with both Europe and the U.S. and lead the oppressed peoples. Surprisingly, his rhetoric was met with applause.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash received a warning from Recep Tayyip Erdogan, PM, Abdullah Gul, FM, about the necessity of settling this issue away from conflict, and that he should not drive the opposition to go out to the street. Denktash retaliated that the opposition demonstrations were caused by the EU, which considers the Cyprus issue an obstacle for Turkey.

Some prominent mediators, diplomats and politicians, carried out swift tours after they felt disappointed by the discussions in Cyprus between the Cypriot leaders. However, they received optimist messages in order to calm their fears.

Despite everything, the West is still waiting for the results of Cyprus' referendum. No doubt that everybody, especially Turkey, understand the extent of any dispute's repercussions on the international community and the internal political situation.

* Ms. Onal is a Turkish journalist.

6. - The Christian Science Monitor - "Cyprus is a glimmer of hope in Mideast gloom":

WILTON / 15 March 2004 / by Richard C. Hottelet*

The world may be watching, albeit through a glass darkly, the actual resolution of one Middle East conflict - on the island of Cyprus. To be sure, the trajectory of history in that part of the world wobbles wildly, up and down. In this case, the positive ramifications of success would be enormous.

The very private talks now in progress between the ethnic Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus could end a separation that has divided the island for 30 years and defied innumerable peace efforts.

It's not that they've suddenly been enlightened.

The present Greek Republic of Cyprus will be joining the European Union on May 1, representing the entire island.

Should Greek Cypriots, content with the status quo, torpedo the talks, they'd be in deep trouble with the EU.

Should the Turkish "republic" in Cyprus (set up by military occupation in 1974 and never given international recognition) remain aloof, it would not share the benefits that EU membership will bring to the island - and it would remain an undigestible political lump in the body of an EU member state.

Continued Turkish sponsorship of the unrecognized Cypriot "republic," in turn, would disqualify Turkey from entering the EU - a bitter political and economic setback for the majority of Turks, who want to be part of Europe.

The federal formula for the island, now in the works, would give both communities autonomous equality within a single "United Cyprus Republic."

A major obstacle has long been the Turkish military's desire to retain control of occupied northern Cyprus. They have said, in the language of bygone ages, that taken out of Turkish hands, Cyprus would be a dagger pointed at Turkey's heart. However preposterous the idea of an invasion of Turkey via Cyprus is, the Turkish armed forces have been, from the birth of the Turkish republic after World War I, the guarantor of nationalism and secularism - even to the point of seizing power three times.

But the newly elected government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyit Erdogan, head of an Islamist party, sees the national interest in broader terms than does the Army.

As late as January, senior generals were denouncing the compromise as capitulation and treason.

But the government has apparently won, sharply increasing Turkey's chances of joining the EU.

Another positive aspect of the federal solution for Cyprus is the fact that the formula was devised and will have been shoehorned into reality by the UN. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his preternaturally patient Cyprus adviser, Alvaro de Soto, of Peru, have labored at it for 4-1/2 years.

The deal, known as the Annan Plan, is not yet in the barn. Shepherded by the faithful Mr. de Soto, the ethnic Greek and Turkish Cypriot parties are to settle remaining differences by March 22. Failing that, the Greek and Turkish governments will join the discussions for a week. Should the deadlock continue, they would hand the draft agreement to Mr. Annan to fill in the blanks of disagreement.

The finished plan would then be put to a referendum vote on Cyprus, and the new joint island entity would be ready to enter the EU on May 1.

Acceptance of the secretary-general as the impartial final arbiter in a problem of such magnitude could open the way to a new dimension of diplomacy.

It would also end a sour phase for the UN that began with the Bush administration's war in Iraq.

The US favors EU membership for Turkey, its NATO ally, and has endorsed Annan's Cyprus effort in the UN Security Council. It has inched around to soliciting UN help in Afghanistan and Iraq. The unilateralists in Washington may at last see that the UN can add international legitimacy to US policy.

* Richard C. Hottelet is a former CBS correspondent.

7. - AFP - "Thousands attend opening of Kurdish language course in Turkey":

14 March 2004

Some 3,000 people turned out for the opening ceremony on Sunday of one of Turkey's first Kurdish language teaching centres in the mainly-Kurdish southeast of the country under EU-inspired reforms, the owner said.

The centre in the city of Batman is set to begin classes on April 1 and some 200 people have already signed up to be among the first students, Aydin Unesi told AFP.

"We have the capacity of teaching 500 people in one term. We expect more people to apply for the language courses in the future," he said.

Unesi was able to open his teaching centre after months of battling bureaucratic hurdles, including the refusal of an operating licence because the doors were too narrow.

A second Kurdish language centre is also scheduled to begin teaching on April 1 in the city of Sanliurfa, also in the southeast, with some 80 students already enrolled in the courses, local sources said.

In a taboo-breaking move in 2002, the Turkish parliament allowed private institutions to teach the language of the sizeable Kurdish minority as part of reforms aimed at boosting Turkey's struggling bid to join the European Union.

Brussels has told Ankara that it wants to see the reform properly implemented on the ground if the mainly Muslim country wants to begin membership talks with the pan-European bloc.

8. - The Australian - "Turkish army probes 'civilian' spying":

ANKARA / 16 March 2004

TURKEY'S top general has ordered an investigation into attempts by local army units to spy on civilians, a move decried by public opinion which fears the military is still out to control society.

Chief of staff general Hilmi Ozkok, speaking at a reception, said an investigation was underway into the attempt by the 2nd Armouured Brigade in Istanbul to gather information on a whole range of potential "dissidents", from people known to be "pro-European Union" or "pro-US" to members of ethnic minorities, Satanists, or people who practice meditation.
"We shall publicize the outcome of our investigation on the issue when it is concluded," he added.

"Since I am the army's commander, this is my fault," he also said, in an apparent move to take the blame while making it clear he was not behind the military intelligence operation.

News of attempts by the army to get local authorities to cooperate with its probe was first publicized by Hurriyet newspaper last week. The army later confirmed the story, saying the move was under review.

The article said the army wanted to know about all potential "subversives" - defined as people who do not share "national values" - and who might include members of religious groups, Internet groups, members of the Ku Klux Klan (which does not officially exist in Turkey) or "high society" representatives.

The army said the move was justified by the need to "gather intelligence because it is necessary to plan for effective measures against incidents that might arise".

Civil rights organisations and newspapers have strongly criticized the army's attempt to maintain its control over society at a time when the government is trying to democratize the country to bring it in line with EU standards.

Even opposition Republican People's Party, which has close links to the military, has called for a parliamentary investigation.

Members of the government, viewed by suspicion by the army for their former allegiance to Islamist parties, have kept quiet about the dispute.

The army in Turkey has repeatedly intervened in political affairs since 1960, taking over the government on three separate occasions and most recently, in 1997, forcing a pro-Islamist government to resign.