20 March 2006

1. "Clashes as Turkey's Kurds mark new year", demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails as Turkey's restless Kurdish community celebrated its new year Sunday amid tight security with renewed demonstrations of support for its rebel movement.

2. "Clashes As People In Northern Kurdistan Mark New Year", 30 thousand people had rushed to fields in Siirt.

3. "Civil Society Should Handle Kurdish Question", the meeting on "Kurdish Problem in Turkey" brought together academics, journalists, NGOs' representatives and politicians, who reject violence as a solution to the problem. Only 12 of the 58 speakers were women.

4. "Turkish military rejects call to probe general", Turkey's military on Monday rejected a prosecutor's call to investigate a top general over allegations of abusing his position and setting up an illegal group, saying the request was politically motivated.

5. "Free Expression Falls Victim to EU Opponents", using loosely worded laws that criminalize the denigration of the Turkish state, conservative secular nationalists - referred to by some as "the state within the state" - are challenging writings and public comments on issues they dislike.

6. "Private Kurdish broadcasts kick off in Turkey next week", two private regional television channels and a radio station will start brief Kurdish-language broadcasts for the first time in Turkey next week.

7. "Pro-Kurdish party to apply to ECHR to free ’W’", the Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party's (DTP) Kars office head Mahmut Alinak will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) disputing a court decision outlawing the letter "W" in invitation cards produced for the Nevruz festival on Tuesday. The letters "Q" and "W," which are used in Kurdish but not in Turkish, cannot be used in advertising or any official document under current laws.

8. "Kurdish authorities vow to upgrade services after protests in Halabja", the regional Kurdish parliament in northern Iraq has formed a committee to investigate recent protests in the city of Halabja, in the Sulaimaniyah governorate, after hundreds of residents took to the streets last week calling for improved services.

1. - AFP - "Clashes as Turkey's Kurds mark new year":

ISTANBUL / 19 March 2006

Demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails as Turkey's restless Kurdish community celebrated its new year Sunday amid tight security with renewed demonstrations of support for its rebel movement.

In the port of Izmir, demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails and stones when police moved in to disperse a crowd carrying banners of the forbidden Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), NTV television reported.

The gatherings followed overnight clashes between police and Kurdish groups in working-class areas of the city. Molotov cocktails were thrown in one incident but no injuries were reported.

In Istanbul, tens of thousands of people rallied relatively peacefully Sunday, lighting bonfires to signal springtime in the New Year ceremony known as Newroz.

Stones were hurled sporadically at police as some members of the crowd waved the green, yellow and red flags of the PKK, AFP photographers at the scene reported.

Security forces kept a tight grip on the celebration, with 4,500 police backed by armoured vehicles, plus 1,000 soldiers and 500 military police on guard, the Anatolia news agency reported, citing security sources.

Members of Turkey's 12,000-strong Kurdish minority regularly mobilise on Newroz to demand more rights and display their support for the PKK.

Militant leaders of the 12-million strong Kurdish community want an independent state carved from southeastern Turkey.

Some members of the crowd called for the release of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, in jail since 1999 for treason. The PKK's struggle against Turkish forces has killed 37,000 people since 1984.

The PKK published on its website a call for Kurds to "rise up" against the Turkish state and to step up the fight against Turkish forces.

In the southern city of Mersin security forces searched participants in Newroz ceremonies to confiscate flags and banners referring to the PKK, an AFP photographer reported.

More than 1,000 police were deployed for the Mersin celebration which drew thousands of people and passed off peacefully. Newroz ceremonies in the city last year had seen clashes between participants and police.

2. - DIHA - "Clashes As People In Northern Kurdistan Mark New Year":

19 March 2006

Hundreds of people rushed to Festival Field which celebration will be held in spite of rainfall. The vehichles coming from districts were being waited in the Bicakci Gendarme Station.

Hundreds of people rushed to Festival Field which celebration will be held in spite of rainfall in Batman.

Moving of some people to Field of Festival with tractors and delivery cars had drawn attention. It was learnt that those who came from districts of Sason and Kozluk for participation to Newroz were being waited in the Bicakci Gendarme Station.

30 thousand people had rushed to fields in Siirt

In spite of rainfall and mud, 30 thousand people who came together for celebration of Newroz had given the message that they will not take as a drawee anybody except Ocalan in the solution of Kurdish problem.

The residents of city which came together in quarters in crowded groups had oriented towards empty field near Vegetable Bazaar. One person who was taken under custody was later released. The groups who came in after searches had danced folk dances with musics of Children Group of Bopan Culture Art Center. Also huge posters of Kurdish People's leader Abdullah Ocalan had excited people.

People chanted '' Viva chairman Apo'', '' Ocalan is our political will'', '' Hail hail thousands of hail to Imrali'' and '' martyr does not die''. While some women taking their small kids to field took attention, dances did not stop in spite of rainfall. In the celebrations which all women and men had worn local dresses people from Siirt did not care the mud reaching to their knees and celebrated Newroz.

Condemnation by chairman of DTP Province by local dress

After Group Botan which gave feast of concert chairman of DTP Siirt Murat Avci who got stage with local dress gave a speech and stated that Newroz has been celebrated until now with demands of freedom and democracy against denial. Avci who stated that for pressure was practised against culture and language of Kurds he took stage with local dress for condemning this said that '' As Kurds we have not conceded from our mother tongue and line of peace. Turkey should see this will. For war to end Turkey should solve the problem with its drawee''. Who is drawee for you?, he asked.

The demand of Kurdish to be second official language in Bingol

In spite of intensive rain and snow thousands of people who rushed to field celebrated Newroz with enthusiasm had sounded their solution proposals and demands of peace. Kurdish to be official language was wanted.

The celebration of Newroz in Bingol which Democraric Society Party, IHD, KESK and Bingol Culture Art Cooperative had passed with enthusiasm. In spite of rainfall begun by night the people from Bingol had rushed to Field of Agriculture Faculty in the Uzunsavat Quarter. The rain which had intensified had turned to the snow.

Over 5 thousand people had watched Newroz in spite of intensive layer of mud.

The sounds of women

In the field which comprised mostly women the pancartes '' We will not let war'', '' We are women, mother and in favor of peace'', '' Democratic solution in Kurdish problem'' and '' The right of education in mother tongue should be given constitutional guarantees'' were hang on. The pancartes in Zazaki '' Newroz bumbarekbo'', In Kurmanci '' Newroz piroz be'' and Turkish '' Newroz Kutlu olsun'' meaning '' Happy Newroz'' had taken attention.

Thousands of people who filled the field chanted '' PKK is people and people is here'', '' Viva chairman Apo'', '' Viva Peace'' and '' tooth for tooth blood for blood we are with you Ocalan'' and opened the flags of Democratic Confederalism.

Miroglu: Kurdish should be second language

The activity of Newroz had begun with homage. After the homage chairman of DTP Province Yavuz Kitay and Agency Secretary of Egitim-Sen Bingol Sahap Bolkan had made short speeches about meaning of Newroz. After Kitay and Bolkan member of DTP Party Assembly Orhan Miroglu had touched to education in mother tongue, general amnesty and election barrage.

Miroglu who stated that Kurds had sounded peace in all Newrozs said that '' Kurds had sounded again demands of peace in this Newroz and after this they will sound this demands with higher voice. Prime Minister instead of solving Kurdish problems with democratic ways contends with correspondent of ROJ TV in Europe. Instead of doing this he should find a solution to Kurdish problem. Kurdish language should be accepted as second official language.''

Tense hours in Semdinli

While great security measures were taken in the district of Semdinli which the celebrations of Newroz were not permitted, those who wanted to go to the district from Yuksekova were turned back.

After announcement by Kaimakam as the celebrations of Newroz will not be permitted by a telephone call to Committee of Preperation without showing any reason, co-chairmans of DTP, chair persons of regional municipalities had given decision to particapate to opening ceremony of Umut Bookstore and opening of distrcit building.

It was learnt that many people who wanted to go to the Semdinli were turned back at the control point. It was stated that wide security measures were taken by deployment of police and rural guards from Yuksekova and the residents of district had come together in groups and big tension is continuing in the district.

Meanwhile co-presidents of DTP and chair persons of Regional municipalities who were still in Yuksekovea had not taken road to Semdinli, it was stated.

People of Tunceli marches to square of barracks for 'peace'

Hundreds of people who came together in spite of rain for Newroz celebrations by giving messages of peace and brotherhood wanted Kurdish problem to be solved.

Hundreds of people including chairman of Hozat Municipality Cevdet Konak, member of DTP Municipal Assembly Orhan Miroglu and mayor of Tunceli Municipality Songul Erol Abdil had come together in Demiroluk Curve. The mass had marched to Barrack square where the meeting would be held with horn and drum. In the celebration which young people had worn t shirts writing peace in Turkish and Kurdish, the women carried pennants with colors of red, yellow and green. Also the hats writing ' Don't touch to my Munzur' were put on and pancartes were carried.

The mass who gathered in the field after the march chanted '' Long live brotherhood of peoples'', '' Long live peace'', '' Long live chairman Apo'' and '' We are with you Ocalan in peace and war.

'The demand of peace was exposed to pressures'

Chairman of Preparation Committee lawyer Baris Yildirim who made the opening speech after the one minute homage by emphasizing Kurdish solutions to be solved with peaceful and democratic ways said that state responded to demands of peace with pressures and detentions.

In the Meeting which continued with mayor of Tunceli Municipality Songul Abdil lighted the fire of Newroz, City chairman of DTP Ozgun Soylemez who talked in the meeting by taking attention to pressures and isolation on Kurdish People's leader Abdullah Ocalan said that this plugs democratic solution of Kurdish problem.

' Buyukanit should be sued'

Member of DTP Municipal Assembly Orhan Miroglu said that Kurds will struggle for peace as it has been. Miroglu who touched to incidences of Semdinli said that Commander of Land Forces Buyukanit should be brought before court.

Member of Second Peace Group Aygul Bidav also by stating that insistence of Kurds on peace was answered with war and pressure said that '' No longer mothers shall cry and blood should not be flowed. This much pain is enough. There should be peace.'' Later City chairman of EMEP Huseyin Tunc and manager of Dersim Culture Center Murat Kur had touched to importance of Newroz in history.

After the speechs the mass had danced along with songs of Group Latina and Azad around the fire.

3. - Bianet - "Civil Society Should Handle Kurdish Question":

The meeting on "Kurdish Problem in Turkey" brought together academics, journalists, NGOs' representatives and politicians, who reject violence as a solution to the problem. Only 12 of the 58 speakers were women.

ISTANBUL / 16 March 2006 / by Kemal Ozmen an Gokce Susam

"The period of armed struggle is over," said Sertac Bucak, the founder and former head of the International Kurdish Human Rights Center. "Democratic negotiations is the answer to the problem. Insisting on armed struggle would only help the forces of the status quo. The developments of the last couple of days prove how grave the situation is."

The meeting on "Turkey's Kurdish Question: The Quest for Democratic and Civilian Solutions (I)" by the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly and the Empathy Group, was held at the Dolapdere campus of the Istanbul Bilgi University last weekend.

Strict security measures by the police

The meeting brought together academicians, journalists, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and politicians, who reject violence as a solution to the problem, who believe the need to come up with new and urgent proposals for solution. The meeting attracted the interest of local and foreign media.

Participation was high in all sessions which began at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and lasted until evening.

The police took high security measures around the campus. The speakers, participants and journalists were admitted after being searched in two security checkpoints.

"Patriotic Movement" and painter Baykam on stage again

The group, which calls itself the "Patriotic Movement" gathered in front of the campus and protested against the meeting. Artist Bedri Baykam is the spokesperson of the group.

The group help banners which read: "No imperialist trap will separate our Kurdish brothers from us," "Each centimeter square of this country belongs to all of us," "the Turkish Republic is a whole, it cannot be divided." "Such saddening initiatives, which aim to test the waters to spread the opinion of separating us from our Kurdish brothers, should know that each centimeter square of this country belongs to all of us and all citizens from all origins of the Turkish Republic are equal and brothers," said Baykam, who made a statement on behalf of the group.

Only 12 of the 58 speakers were women

There were a total of 58 speakers in the nine sessions of the meeting that lasted for two days. On the first day of the meeting, many issues, from the historic background of the Kurdish issue to its organization experiences, from immigration to nationality with their psychological and sociological dimensions, to the effects of the developments in Iraq, were discussed.On the second day of the meeting, the speakers discussed identity rights, the notion of minority, state policies about the Kurdish problem and the media's viewpoint.

Although the men-women proportion of participants was balanced, only 12 of the 58 speakers were women.

The intensive two-day conference ended with a nice surprise.

Singer Nilufer Akbal, who was the speaker of the panel on "Identity Rights, Social and Cultural Dimension," sang a Kurdish song at the end of the conference.

The organizers of the conference, who were all men, were: Ali Bayramoglu, Murat Belge, Oral Calislar, Cengiz Candar, Ali Degermenci, Yilmaz Ensaroglu, Umit Firat, Hasim Hasimi, Sinasi Haznedar, Mustafa Karaalioglu, Ercan Karakas, Selahattin Kaya ve Sezgin Tanrikulu.

4. - Reuters - "Turkish military rejects call to probe general":

ISTANBUL / 20 March 2006

Turkey's military on Monday rejected a prosecutor's call to investigate a top general over allegations of abusing his position and setting up an illegal group, saying the request was politically motivated.

The prosecutor in eastern Van province had accused General Yasar Buyukanit this month of trying to foment unrest in the mainly Kurdish southeast and harm Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

The allegations angered the military and embarrassed the government, which distanced itself from the claims and defended Buyukanit -- number two in Turkey's military hierarchy. "The General Staff decided there was no need to open an investigation," the military said in a statement on its website.

"Parts of this indictment went too far and had a more political than legal content, targeting some (military) personnel with the aim of eroding the general staff and weakening its will in the battle against terror," it said.

The Justice Ministry has said it was investigating the prosecutor, Ferhat Sarikaya.

Some media have said elements within the ruling Justice and Development Party, which has Islamist roots, secretly support the prosecutor's claims because they want to undermine the staunchly secularist Buyukanit.

The general, tipped to become chief of the General Staff when incumbent Hilmi Ozkok retires in August, has said he would be happy to defend himself in court if need be.

Buyukanit served in southeast Turkey between 1997 and 2000. Security forces have battled Kurdish separatist rebels in the region since 1984 in a conflict which has left more than 30,000 people dead.

The indictment said the illegal group allegedly set up by Buyukanit was behind the bombing of a bookshop in the eastern town of Semdinli last November with the aim of provoking the government into blocking further freedoms for Kurds.

Sarikaya also accused Buyukanit of trying to influence the judicial process by praising one of two paramilitary intelligence agents charged in connection with the bombing.

The bookshop blast killed one person and sparked clashes between pro-Kurdish demonstrators and Turkish security forces in which several more people were killed.

Ankara began its EU entry talks last October after a flurry of reforms that included greater civilian control of the armed forces after four military coups in 40 years. In their last intervention in 1997, the generals ousted an Islamist government deemed a threat to Turkey's state secularism.

The military has not opposed Turkey's EU-linked reforms.

5. - Bianet - "Free Expression Falls Victim to EU Opponents":

Using loosely worded laws that criminalize the denigration of the Turkish state, conservative secular nationalists - referred to by some as "the state within the state" - are challenging writings and public comments on issues they dislike.

NEW YORK / 17 March 2006

Nationalists opposed to Turkey's engagement with Europe have sought out sympathetic public prosecutors across the country to file criminal complaints against journalists, writers and academics who favor EU membership, a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found.

Using loosely worded laws that criminalize the denigration of the Turkish state, its identity and its institutions, conservative secular nationalists - referred to by some as "the state within the state" - are challenging writings and public comments on issues they dislike, including the Kurds, the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, and the security forces, CPJ found in its special report, "Nationalism and the Press," released today.

Five journalists were charged in December 2005 under Article 288 of the penal code with attempting to influence the outcome of judicial proceedings through their writings. Four of the five were also charged under the controversial Article 301 of the code with insulting "Turkishness," and if convicted could face prison terms from six months to 10 years.

Senior Editor Robert Mahoney attended the unruly opening of the journalists' trial on February 7 in Istanbul where hundreds of riot police ringed the court room and the judge adjourned the case after two hours. He interviewed several of the journalists standing trial, government officials and activists for the report.

Since Turkey's penal code was overhauled in 2005, cases have been brought against 29 journalists under Article 301, according to the local press freedom organization Bia.

For 40 years, Turkey has been forging closer political, economic, and social ties with Europe, writes Mahoney. But the opening last October of formal accession negotiations with Brussels has galvanized those who feel Turkey has gone far enough in reforming itself along Western lines to pass the EU membership test.

The prosecution of the five journalists is scheduled to reconvene on April 11.

6. - AFP - "Private Kurdish broadcasts kick off in Turkey next week":

DIYARBAKIR / 17 March 2006

Two private regional television channels and a radio station will start brief Kurdish-language broadcasts for the first time in Turkey next week.

Executives from Gun TV, Soz TV and Medya FM, all based in the mainly Kurdish southeast, signed a deal with Turkey's broadcasting watchdog on Friday to begin airing their programs from Thursday, Gun TV's manager Cemal Dogan told AFP.

The existing laws limit the broadcasts to 45 minutes a day and four hours a week for television stations and to one hour a day and five hours a week for radio channels, he explained.

They also require the broadcasters to run subtitles in Turkish.

"These restrictions should be lifted," Dogan said. "But still, this is a positive step forward -- a small step for us but a great step for Turkey."

Under pressure to comply with the democracy norms of the European Union, Turkey began Kurdish-language broadcasts on state television in 2004, a taboo-breaking move in a country where even speaking Kurdish was banned less than 15 years ago.

Ankara has long feared that expanding Kurdish freedoms could fuel nationalist sentiment among the minority and embolden Kurdish rebels who have waged a bloody campaign for self-rule in the southeast since 1984.

Gun TV's first Kurdish-language program will be a documentary about the cultural and historic heritage of Diyarbakir, the main city of the southeast, where the station is based, Dogan said.

Soz TV, also based in Diyarbakir, plans to air a program on Kurdish traditions, while Medya FM, broadcasting from Sanliurfa, will start with a news bulletin and music, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Kurdish channels broadcasting either from Europe or neighboring northern Iraq are already widely watched in the region, where satellite dishes have become a fixture of the landscape.

7. - The New Anatolian - "Pro-Kurdish party to apply to ECHR to free ’W’":

ANKARA / 20 March 2006

The Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party's (DTP) Kars office head Mahmut Alinak will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) disputing a court decision outlawing the letter "W" in invitation cards produced for the Nevruz festival on Tuesday.

On Friday, a Turkish court ruled that the DTP Nevruz festival invitation card, which included the Kurdish word "Newroz," be confiscated. This finding overruled a lower court decision made on Thursday in favor of the cards.

The court said in its decision that invitation cards with Kurdish letters are in contravention of Article 81/c of the Political Parties Law.

Alinak said over the weekend that he will seek remedy for the confiscation of the invitation cards at the ECHR.

He also criticized authorities for banning the word "Newroz," by saying that the state wouldn't even put up with a Kurdish word and that state authorities' statements about fraternity are all "rubbish." He went so far as to claim that the state permitted Kurdish broadcasters to hoodwink the European Union.

The letters "Q" and "W," which are used in Kurdish but not in Turkish, cannot be used in advertising or any official document under current laws.

Article 81/c of the law entitled "Prevention of the Occurrence of Minorities" says that political parties cannot use languages other than Turkish in their party congresses, meetings, election campaigns, bylaws or party programs. They also cannot use or distribute placards, banners, video or audio cassettes, in short, any kind of documents written or vocalized in a foreign language.

8. - IRIN - "Kurdish authorities vow to upgrade services after protests in Halabja":

BAGHDAD / 19 March 2006

The regional Kurdish parliament in northern Iraq has formed a committee to investigate recent protests in the city of Halabja, in the Sulaimaniyah governorate, after hundreds of residents took to the streets last week calling for improved services.

More than half of Halabja's 60,000-strong population depends on wells for their water needs and private generators for electricity, say residents. In addition, local doctors point out that area hospitals lack modern medical equipment and essential medicines. Roughly 90 percent of the city's roads, meanwhile, remain unpaved.

On 16 March, security forces tried to break up a demonstration by residents, who demanded a quicker pace for urban reconstruction. A 17-year-old boy was killed in the melee and nearly 10 others were injured.

During the course of the fray, some 2,000 angry residents damaged a monument commemorating those killed in a 1988 gas attack on the city, launched by deposed president Saddam Hussein. Demonstrators claimed that the regional government has done little to help survivors, and that politicians have made money at the expense of residents' suffering.

Since the disturbances, scores of protest participants have fled the city, said locals, with security forces arresting hundreds of residents in the past three days. "Those behind the damage of the monument must be arrested and interrogated," said Emad Ahmed, deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan government. "And those among the security forces will be interrogated as well," he added, declining to elaborate.

Ahmed went on to say that an official committee would meet with Halabja dignitaries and residents to discuss their complaints.

According to independent Kurdish MP Mahmoud Othoman, both the international community and the Iraqi central government have failed to honour their promises to Halabja. This, he explained, has led to "the failure of the regional government". Othoman added, however, that the regional parliament would try to address residents' demands.

Halabja suffered badly under the former regime. An estimated 5,000 residents were killed in 1988, when Hussein allegedly ordered a gas attack on the city as part of a campaign to crack down on Kurds who he claimed were supporting Iran in its 1980-88 war with Iraq.