1. "Turkey's main Kurdish party re-elects chairman", Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party on Thursday re-elected its chairman at a congress here that was marked by slogans in favour of armed rebels fighting the Ankara government, the Anatolia news agency reported.

2. "Ocalan: No One Takes me Seriously", if there is no positive result, there will be guerrilla movement after the winter.

3. "Mazlum-Der criticizes breach of rights", certain groups are using a supposed threat posed by missionary activities to blunt other freedoms of expression and religious practice in the name of national security, says Bilgen

4. "Turkey's Journalists; Most Educated and Unorganized", the media sector, with its 60 hours-a-week shifts, state-issued cards that are only handed to sex workers and journalists, connections with police, stock market, and sports clubs, war promotion, decisions by those in uniforms, and employees...

5. "Humiliating EU deal offers little to Turkey", the deal recently negotiated by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, in Brussels on his country’s longstanding quest for membership of the European Union is, by general agreement, unfair and humiliating, and by no means indicates – let alone guaranteeing – that Turkey will eventually be allowed to become a member of the EU.

6. "Turkmen Group Threatens To Boycott Iraqi Elections Over Kurdish 'Games'", an Iraqi Turkmen party Thursday threatened to boycott the January 30 elections in the conflict-torn country unless Kurds in northern Iraq put an end to "games" to influence the outcome of the vote in Kirkuk, the oil-rich city which both communities claim.

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1. - AFP - "Turkey's main Kurdish party re-elects chairman":

ANKARA / 13 January 2004

Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party on Thursday re-elected its chairman at a congress here that was marked by slogans in favour of armed rebels fighting the Ankara government, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Tuncer Bakirhan was the only candidate standing in the race for the chairmanship of the Democratic People's Party Congress (DEHAP).

He garnered support from 202 of the 351 delegates casting votes at the congress in a third round ballot, the agency said.

The congress, held at a sports hall in Ankara, saw many delegates and party supporters chanting slogans in favour of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan who is currently serving a lifetime in jail for treason.

Ocalan was the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) which led a 15-year armed campaign for Kurdish self-rule in Turkey's southeast in 1989.

The PKK, now known as KONGRA-GEL, announced a ceasefire after Ocalan was captured and tried in 1999, but called off the truce in June.

DEHAP, which failed to win any parliamentray seats in the 2002 general elections, denies it has anything to do with the PKK, but nonetheless faces a possible ban for alleged links with the rebels and for violating electoral rules.

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2. - Zaman - "Ocalan: No One Takes me Seriously":

12 January 2005 / by Habib Guler

The leader of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan sent a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the tripartite summit Turkey will hold with the US and the Iraqi government.

Ocalan wanted that his thoughts about PKK should be taken into consideration but complained, "Neither the government nor KONGRA-GEL take me seriously." Ocalan sent a 90-page letter from Imrali Prison to the Prime Minister urging a "peaceful attitude" in the summit and warning: "If there is no positive result, there will be guerrilla movement after the winter. But we do not want this. Leyla Zana asked for six months and we took this seriously too. If the summit decides on clearance I cannot do anything to stop a bitter struggle. They will come directly to Turkey." Ocalan said that the government should take action to make peace and wished that this process should end without any problems. Ocalan asked the Prime Minister to give positive messages in his visit to Diyarbakir on January 15th and he suggested that it is the US which forces Turkey to fight against Kurds.

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3. - Turkish Daily News - "Mazlum-Der criticizes breach of rights":

Certain groups are using a supposed threat posed by missionary activities to blunt other freedoms of expression and religious practice in the name of national security, says Bilgen

ANKARA / 14 January 2005

Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (Mazlum-Der) Director Ayhan Bilgen said certain groups are using a supposed threat posed by missionary activities to blunt other freedoms of expression and religious practice in the name of national security.

Bilgen argued that people who campaign against missionary activities make non-Muslims a target. Furthermore, those people also fabricate fears to legitimize the restriction of religious freedom. Bilgen said these rights cannot be restricted and cited their abuses.

Bilgen said if missionary activities are seen as a threat to the state, the counter-argument should be raised by theologians, not the state. If the threat is directed against religion, politicians or the bureaucracy should not be the arm used to counter it, he said. He also noted: "In Turkey, where secularism has been interpreted unilaterally and contrary to its meaning by the state, some believe it is their right to intervene in religion as they like. The freedom of expression should be guaranteed by the law and its implementation."

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4. - Bianet - "Turkey's Journalists; Most Educated and Unorganized":

The media sector, with its 60 hours-a-week shifts, state-issued cards that are only handed to sex workers and journalists, connections with police, stock market, and sports clubs, war promotion, decisions by those in uniforms, and employees...

ISTANBUL / 12 January 2005 / by Ahmet SIK

It was 1989 when I became a student at the Press and Broadcast Higher School (BYYO), which is now known as the Communications Faculty.

I should tell you that my relations with the media didn't go beyond reading newspapers until I found out the result of my university entrance examination.

You didn't qualify for law, how about BYYO?

I had never considered becoming a journalist. I wanted to become a lawyer, but I was one of those students who found themselves at the BYYO, although they wanted to study something else.

In 1991, during my sophomore year, I was an intern at the daily Milliyet newspaper, which had the phrase, "people's newspaper" printed below its logo.

I was exhilarated to join my senior journalist brothers and sisters. I wasn't being paid but that was okay. I was telling myself that I had to do this as a media student. I believed that people would be more qualified in the field they studied. (Is that so?)

Journalist by day, porter by night

This consolation helped me get over the psychological difficulties of not being paid, but solving my financial problems was much harder and tiring.

To earn my living, I would either pack shirts and t-shirts at textiles factories until sunrise, or work as a porter.

With the help of two of my colleagues, I was able to deal with news stories and photographs on my own within a couple of months.

You may be fired even if you are unpaid

I was very depressed when I got fired from Milliyet newspaper after 11 months of free service to them. And they also made me sign a document saying Milliyet didn't owe me any money.

I was now an "intern" journalist, who could one way or another write news stories and take photographs. I had been detained a couple of times while doing my internship and had experienced truncheons and kicks of police officers.

Moreover, I just couldn't imagine why I had been fired although I wasn't being paid. I found out later that my offense was unforgivable. I had been "crossing legs and smoking" around my chief.

Was there a more "honorable" job?

"You still have time. At least you can find yourself a good and honorable job," advised one of my colleagues at Milliyet as we said goodbye to each other. I couldn't understand why on earth he would say that. I also got angry at him for that advice.

I was determined to become a journalist and I would never in the future advise an intern to "go get a better and more honorable job." How could there be a better and more honorable job than journalism? Moreover, if I hadn't become a journalist, I wouldn't have found out:

* About people's freedom to get saucepans and pans, not information; about covering demonstrations by laborers demanding unionist rights as a journalist who didn't have a trade union to belong to;

* About waiting for my turn quite like the priest in Brecht's striking poem as one of my colleagues periodically got fired;

* That "Ethical" and "honorable" and "honest" journalism is an agitative utopia; that with the endless internships and minimal pay increases, we could only work with an outcast status although it said "journalist" on our business cards;

* That some people "had to" get paid tens of thousands of U.S. dollars when we worked 60 hours and six days a week without getting what we deserved;

* That it is only on paper that journalists are bound by law no: 212;

* That in our country, the state hands a certificate to sex workers, and a yellow card to journalists although it doesn't pay their wages;

* That there are police reporters who join police officers in torture sessions, entertainment reporters who write articles for money, economy reporters who make up speculations in the stock market, sports reporters who act like a press spokesman of the soccer club they cover, columnists who follow up the business contracts of their bosses...;

* That some writers are fired because their opinions published in their columns disturb certain people, that none of the other journalists or journalistic organizations stand by those writers, and that some columnists use their columns only to get rich;

* That those in uniforms may decide who is to work in which newspaper;

* That a "courageous" businessmen notorious for dirty businesses can swiftly enter the media sector and then quit it with the same speed; and that the managers of the newspaper he bought could applause him as well as their former boss when he returns;

* That not only the outcast, but managers and writers could also be fired one day;

* That these managers and writers, who always remain silent as the outcast is being fired, can go crazy when they are treated the same;

* That a senior official at a newspaper can say, "That newspaper belongs to the PKK. The reporter has got to be like that too anyway," when he hears that reporter Metin Goktepe of the Evrensel newspaper was beaten up to death by the police;

* And that a war, which would cost the lives of many, could be promoted just for a couple of bucks.

Far from ethical...

It is possible to add lots more to this list. In short, the media sector is quite like the sound of drums - nice, but only from far away.

One doesn't need to be too close either to realize that the rhythm is wrong and noise, not music is coming out of it. This is why newspaper sales remain at 3.4-4 million for years now.

And we are the main reason that the media sector is far from being ethical and editorially independent and lacks the identity of being on the people's side.

Us, the unorganized journalists, who remain at the lowest level of the pyramid, believe that we are doing journalism, while what we are indeed doing is just acting like journalists.

Only remembered during times of unemployment

So, what are these unorganized journalists doing? I bet journalism is the one and only job in this country, which has such a high proportion of educated employees but the least number of organizations to protect the rights of those employees.

Graduating from a university doesn't increase the quality of training or a person, of course. But if these people are journalists, people have the right to expect certain things of them.

Journalists are aware of their problems but they don't raise their voices, they don't act together to create solutions for their problems. They prefer gatherings during which they can just gossip.

But whenever there's and increase in unemployment in the sector, the journalists then remember the professional unions.

The Initiative of Journalists Council, and the Contemporary Journalists' Association were always remembered during those times.

But nobody remembers the 50-year-old union, or think about going and registering to become a member. Because, excuse my language, but it's easier to just say shit about it.

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5. - Media Montors Network - "Humiliating EU deal offers little to Turkey":

14 January 2005 / by M. A. Shaikh

"...while the French and the Austrians, as well as others, are virtually certain to block Turkish membership, they are not at all hostile to the prospect of, say, Romania or Bulgaria joining, although, as Ankara points out, these countries are even poorer than Turkey. Their accession talks are in full swing, and they are not subject to humiliating or obstructive objections or conditions."

The deal recently negotiated by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, in Brussels on his country’s longstanding quest for membership of the European Union is, by general agreement, unfair and humiliating, and by no means indicates – let alone guaranteeing – that Turkey will eventually be allowed to become a member of the EU. All it secures for Turkey is accession talks beginning on October 3, which could last for a decade or more– with even more humiliating conditions attached – and still fail to lead to admission into the EU. Yet Erdogan, whose government is often described in the West as “Islamic-leaning”, is determined to sell this compromising and controversial arrangement to his own sceptical people –even to the extent of arguing publicly that they should do much more than they have already done to prove that their country is fit to be admitted to the EU. But despite the fact that a large number of Turks are keen to see their country join the Union and will support his conciliatory – some would say submissive – style, the prime minister will find it difficult to take the majority on board.

So much has been written and broadcast on the deal struck in Brussels on December 17 that its provisions are familiar to all Turks and most Muslims elsewhere, and need not be repeated here in detail. Basically, an agreement was reached to commence accession talks on October 3, with the understanding that talks will only start once Turkey has signed an association agreement with all EU members, including Greek Cyprus. A much stronger demand, calling for the diplomatic recognition of the island, was rejected by Erdogan, who threatened to walk out of the summit. This demand was based on the contention that Ankara could not be invited to accession talks when it did not recognise members of the organisation it wants to join. Greek Cyprus was admitted to the EU on May 1 last year, despite the fact that a UN project for reuniting the Greek and Turkish parts of the divided island was on the table at the time.

The Turkish Cypriots had accepted the UN plan; the Greek Cypriots had rejected it. By admitting the Greek part, the EU sabotaged the UN project; while dropping its attempt to force Ankara to recognise Greek Cyprus directly, it seems to have succeeded in forcing it to do so indirectly. A direct recognition would have turned the Turkish army’s presence in Northern Cyprus into that of an occupier. It was not, therefore, surprising that Erdogan – and the chief of the Turkish armed forces – objected strongly to it.

But the mere acceptance of the condition that accession talks will not begin until Ankara signs a trade-agreement with the Greek Cypriots means that the basis of an eventual recognition has been laid. Moreover, the fact that the EU can make the start of accession talks conditional on such a demand, and get away with it, means that it can make further demands – such as Ankara’s agreement that the killing of Armenians by the Ottomans amounted to “genocide”. On December 19, for instance, Tassos Papadopoulos, the ruler of Greek Cyprus, repeated his warning that Turkey’s EU accession is not guaranteed, and that Cyprus would not support it unless Ankara recognised his government. The prospect of Turkey joining the EU was also treated with caution by much of the European media, and opponents – led by Nicolas Sarkozy, head of the governing UMP party in France – continue to express reservations.

Sarkozy told French television: “Europe already has difficulty functioning with 25 members. The more members Europe has, the less we will be integrated, the less we will share common values and the more fragile we will be.” Sarkozy is said to be more hostile to admitting Turkey than Jacques Chirac, the French president, who is on record as having said that he is in favour of Turkey’s membership.

Interestingly, it was Chirac who began to lay down the most effective basis for rejection of membership when he announced that he would put French acceptance to a referendum. He must know full well that most French voters will reject it without any hesitation, given the opportunity. Austria, another EU member – whose population is as hostile to Turkish membership as the French – has announced that any decision to admit Turkey will be submitted to a referendum. According to EU rules, every member-state has the right to veto the acceptance of new members by referendum.

But while the French and the Austrians, as well as others, are virtually certain to block Turkish membership, they are not at all hostile to the prospect of, say, Romania or Bulgaria joining, although, as Ankara points out, these countries are even poorer than Turkey. Their accession talks are in full swing, and they are not subject to humiliating or obstructive objections or conditions.

So it is not at all surprising that a cross-section of Turkish society, including highly secular people and groups, have objected strongly to the deal agreed by Erdogan, demanding, when he returned to Ankara from Brussels, that he abandon it. The opposition parties and Islamic groups were the most vocal in their criticism. Denis Baykal, leader of the main opposition group, the Republican People’s party, said that “this is not the EU we want”, perhaps hinting, like other objectors, that he is willing to join a union that respects Turkish culture, religion and dignity. Certainly there are many Turks from ethnic and religious minorities, such as the Kurds and the Roman Catholic Christians, who believe that joining a friendly EU as an equal member can advance their interests.

Most Turks who want to join the EU, however, “want to be a part of Europe, but with our honour and values intact,” as a factory-worker was quoted on December 18 in a London paper as saying. The mayor of a Turkish town, described by the same paper as “an undiluted EU enthusiast”, says that he is “hurt” by the attitudes of Europeans towards his country.

Erdogan should heed his people’s views and feelings, and stop demeaning them and destroying their bargaining position. By siding with them, he is likely to gain more than from ignoring them for the sake of a process that is extremely unlikely to culminate in the end he desires.

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6. - AFP - "Turkmen Group Threatens To Boycott Iraqi Elections Over Kurdish 'Games'":

ANKARA /3 January 2005

An Iraqi Turkmen party Thursday threatened to boycott the January 30 elections in the conflict-torn country unless Kurds in northern Iraq put an end to "games" to influence the outcome of the vote in Kirkuk, the oil-rich city which both communities claim.

"We will be forced to reconsider our decision to participate in the elections... if the election structure and arrangements are continously tinkered with," a statement issued by the Ankara office of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) said.

The ITC is one of the main groups representing the Iraqi Turkmen, an ethnic community of Turkish descent, which enjoys Ankara's support.

The statement accused the two main Kurdish groups in northern Iraq -- the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan -- of having "stepped up efforts to upset Kirkuk's demographic structure after failing to postpone the elections."

It claimed that thousands of Kurds were being improperly registered as voters and objected to an extention of the registration period in the city.

"We find it strange and unacceptable for the Independent Iraqi Election Commission to bow down to the wishes of the two spoiled Kurdish parties and allow itself to be manipulated in the games that are being played in Kirkuk," the statement said.

Some Iraqi Kurds want Kirkuk to be incorporated in an enlarged, autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, while many others want the city to become the capital of an independent Kurdish state.

Turkey is also vehemently opposed to Kurdish control of the city, which also has a large population of Turkmens, and has repeatedly warned against any moves to change its demography.

Ankara worries that Kurdish control of local oil riches will strengthen possible Kurdish attempts to break away from Baghdad, a nightmare scenario for Iraq's neighbors.

Iraqi Kurds, however, say Kirkuk was overwhelmingly Kurdish in the 1950s before Baghdad started a campaign of "Arabization" during which thousands of Arabs were encouraged to settle in the city.

They are now trying to chase the Arabs out and thousands of Kurds have resettled in the region following the US-led occupation of Iraq.