Untitled Document

8 March 2006

1. "Senior Turkish General 'Stoked Kurdish Conflict To keep Turkey Out Of EU'", one of Turkey's most powerful generals has been accused of setting up rogue units in the south-east of the country to provoke clashes between Kurdish rebels and security forces.

2. "Turkish General Tried to Thwart Nation's EU Bid, Prosecutor Asserts", a civilian official seeks a probe of a top military commander, alleging he is linked to a rogue force. The move breaks a 'taboo,' a politician says.

3. "Kurdish Rebels Claim Deadly Attacks In Turkey", Kurdish rebels claimed responsibility Tuesday for two attacks on security forces in southeast Turkey that have claimed four lives over the past week. The rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said on its website that its guerrillas were behind an armed attack on a police van in the city of Batman on Monday, in which three officers were killed and four others wounded.

4. "HRW Turkey Report: Struggle against torture is positive but inssufficient", Human Rights Watch Europe and Asia Department, in the report published before meeting of Troika of EU Foreign Ministers with Turkey, had found steps made for preventing torture as positive but insufficient.

5. "Turkey's Reform Efforts Wane", the reform drive that we've gotten used to between 2002 and 2005 has been paralyzed.

6. "UNHCR Advises Stranded Kurdish-Iranian Refugees To Relocate", officials from the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR in Jordan have urged around 200 Iranian-Kurdish refugees stuck on the Iraqi side of the Jordan-Iraq border to move to a new settlement in the northern Iraqi governorate of Arbil.

1. - The Independent - "Senior Turkish General 'Stoked Kurdish Conflict To keep Turkey Out Of EU'":

ISTANBUL / 8 March 2006 / by Pelin Turgut

One of Turkey's most powerful generals has been accused of setting up rogue units in the south-east of the country to provoke clashes between Kurdish rebels and security forces. The accusations, made by a prosecutor in the eastern city of Van, against General Yasar Buyukanit, the head of Turkey's land forces, have rattled the politically powerful military. It is thought the alleged activities are part of an effort to derail Turkey's bid to join the European Union.
General Buyukanit , who was chief commander in the region from 1997-2000, is due to become chief of staff in August. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) launched an armed struggle for a homeland in the region in 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 30,000 lives.

The charges were part of an indictment of two soldiers and a Kurdish informer over the bombing of a bookshop in November in the south-eastern town of Semdinli, on the Iraqi border. The general cannot be prosecuted by civil courts.

The blast, which killed one man, made headlines when a tale was revealed of shadowy rogue elements within the security forces. Local people chased and caught three men suspected of planting the bomb only to find out that two were non-commissioned officers, part of a paramilitary intelligence unit, and the third, a Kurdish rebel turned informer. Their car was registered to the local gendarmerie and contained a list of 105 potential targets, including the bookshop owner.

In his 100-page indictment of the three suspected bombers, a prosecutor, Ferhat Sarikaya, reportedly accused General Buyukanit and other senior officers of setting up an illegal force to create unrest among the Kurds that would undermine Turkey's application to join the EU. Mr Sarikaya alleged that the bombing in November was part of a series of similar attacks intended to provoke the security forces into a clampdown on the restive Kurdish region that would then unleash European criticism and jeopardise Turkey's hopes of joining the EU.

Turkey's army says it backs Ankara's mission to join the EU, but some officers fear that EU-required reforms would reduce the armed forces' influence, encourage Kurdish separatism and strengthen the Islamist movement.

For many, the Semdinli bombing brought back memories of the 1990s - the peak years of the conflict - when rogue elements in the security forces were accused of summary executions, extortion and kidnappings. Turks refer to those elements as a hidden "deep state". That murky era has yet to be investigated. General Buyukanit said last year that one of the three suspects, who had served under him, was "a good chap". In the indictment, General Buyukanit was accused of seeking to influence the judiciary by supporting the suspect. The three may be jailed for life if convicted.

Turkey's generals are widely seen as guardians of the pro-Western, secular system introduced by the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. Their powers have been scaled back recently in keeping with EU reforms, but the military still has influence over domestic and foreign policy.

Under Turkish law, members of the armed forces cannot be tried in civilian courts. General Buyukanit and other officers could only be tried if a military prosecutor decided to take up the investigation. The general staff has accused the Van prosecutor of overstepping the limits of his authority.

One of Turkey's most powerful generals has been accused of setting up rogue units in the south-east of the country to provoke clashes between Kurdish separatists and security forces. The accusations, made by a prosecutor in the eastern city of Van, against General Yasar Buyukanit, the head of Turkey's land forces, have rattled the politically powerful military. It is thought the alleged activities are part of an effort to derail Turkey's bid to join the European Union.
General Buyukanit , who was chief commander in the region from 1997-2000, is due to become chief of staff in August. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) launched an armed struggle for a homeland in the region in 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 30,000 lives.

2. - Los Angeles Times - "Turkish General Tried to Thwart Nation's EU Bid, Prosecutor Asserts":

A civilian official seeks a probe of a top military commander, alleging he is linked to a rogue force. The move breaks a 'taboo,' a politician says.

ANKARA / 7 March 2006 / by Amberin Zaman

Turkey — A prosecutor has called on the Turkish military to investigate a top general over allegations that the officer tried to set up a rogue force that would undermine the country's bid to join the European Union, Turkish media reported Monday.

The move sparked fresh tensions between Turkey's fiercely pro-secular army and its Islam-rooted government.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Monday with the chief of the military's general staff to discuss the accusations leveled by the chief prosecutor of the southeastern city of Van against Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, commander of Turkey's land forces, and two other senior officers.

Erdogan and the military chief of staff, Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, declined to comment on their talks.

Buyukanit, who is scheduled to succeed Ozkok in August, was quoted by the Turkish media as saying he was prepared to defend himself in court.

"If I am put on trial for such a reason, I will appear and defend myself," Buyukanit told the secular newspaper Cumhuriyet.

Although the military says it backs Turkey's request for EU membership, some officers oppose the move. They fear that reforms needed to gain the alliance's approval could reduce the influence of the armed forces and encourage separatist feelings among the country's restive Kurdish minority.

In a 100-page indictment of three men charged in a bombing last year, prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya reportedly accused Buyukanit and two comrades of setting up a force to stoke unrest among the Kurds in hopes of undermining the EU bid.

The indictment, which was leaked to Turkish media, also reportedly referred to claims by a prominent Kurdish industrialist that some members of the force were involved in extortion, racketeering and the killing of Kurdish activists and businesspeople. The prosecutor's office declined to comment.

The accusations follow the November bombing of a bookshop run by a Kurdish man in the town of Semdinli on the Iraqi border. Suspicions that rogue elements in the security forces were linked to the attack surfaced when locals pursued and apprehended three men suspected of planting the bomb.

The men were identified by authorities as two noncommissioned officers and a Kurdish rebel turned informer who were engaged in intelligence activities. Their car, parked near the scene of the attack, was registered to the local gendarmerie and contained weapons, as well as a list of 105 potential targets, including the bookshop owner and Kurdish tribal chiefs.

When the indictment was drawn up against the suspected bombers, Buyukanit was named as a possible accomplice, the daily Sabah reported.

Buyukanit provoked harsh criticism last year when he acknowledged that one of the three bombing suspects had served under him and called him "a good fellow." In the indictment, Buyukanit also reportedly was accused of seeking to influence the judiciary by showing his support for the suspect.

The three suspects could face life sentences if convicted of the charges, which include attempted murder and seeking to sabotage the unity of the state.

The military consistently tops opinion polls as the most respected institution in the country and is regarded as the custodian of the pro-Western and secular system introduced by the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. Although some of its powers have been trimmed in keeping with EU-inspired reforms, the military continues to have a major say over domestic and foreign policy issues.

Criticism of the military is a punishable offense, and the indictment marks the first time a top military official has been named by a civilian prosecutor in connection with criminal activities. The general staff is expected to file a complaint accusing the Van prosecutor of overstepping the boundaries of his authority.

Under Turkish law, members of the armed forces cannot be tried in civilian courts. Buyukanit and his comrades could face charges only if a military prosecutor decides to act on Sarikaya's request.

Kurdish political leaders, nonetheless, hailed the prosecutor's actions as a major step toward asserting civilian control over the military.

"A taboo has been broken, the military is no longer untouchable," said Serafettin Elci, a Kurdish politician. "Whether [the officers] are guilty or not is a separate matter."

But some members of the pro-secular establishment charged that the accusations against Buyukanit were part of a government-orchestrated campaign aimed at preventing him from taking over as army chief. He was expected to be more assertive in the post than Ozkok has been.

"They are slinging mud at [Buyukanit] in order to stop him from becoming chief of general staff," said Nejati Ozgen, a retired general.

Cemil Cicek, the government spokesman and justice minister, called the claims baseless.

"The army's own rules determine promotions, not outside forces," he said.

3. - AFP - "Kurdish Rebels Claim Deadly Attacks In Turkey":

DIYARBAKIR / 7 March 2006

Kurdish rebels claimed responsibility Tuesday for two attacks on security forces in southeast Turkey that have claimed four lives over the past week.

The rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said on its website that its guerrillas were behind an armed attack on a police van in the city of Batman on Monday, in which three officers were killed and four others wounded.

The group also claimed an armed attack on a military vehicle in Cizre, a town near the borders with Iraq and Syria, last Thursday, which killed one soldier and injured three others.

The attacks, it said, were carried out to avenge the killing of seven PKK militants in a major army operation in the province of Mardin in late February.

Unrest in the predominantly Kurdish southeast has significantly escalated since June 2004 when the PKK called off a five-year unilateral ceasefire.

A radical Kurdish group which officials say is a cover-up for the PKK has also claimed deadly bomb attacks on civilian targets in western Turkey.

4. - DIHA - "HRW Turkey Report: Struggle against torture is positive but inssufficient":

BRUSSEL / 7 March 2006

Human Rights Watch Europe and Asia Department, in the report published before meeting of Troika of EU Foreign Ministers with Turkey, had found steps made for preventing torture as positive but insufficient.

Detailed place was given to practical problems of legal arrangements about checking police and gendarme stations in the report of HRW. In this context signing of United Nations Optional Protocol of Struggle against torture(OPCAT) by Turkey and making legal arrangements about this are mentioned with compliment. And giving great weight to civil inspection is emphasized.

'Inspecting councils are not brave'

According to report of HRW, although very important protection measures took part in the laws, torture and ill treatment is continuing against those held under custody. In the report which stated that Human Rights Province Councills connected to prime ministry had not realised an effective inspection in their visit to police and gendarme statitons, one of the main problem in inspection is said that the inspections councills don't approach with courage.

According to report, only in 31 province out of 81 province, the inspection councill had made inspections in gendarme and police stations in 2005 when it came into force. The hardships experienced about independence of inspection councills constitute another main problem. The controls by City inspections councill don't reach to activity to disclose torture and ill treatment, it is said.

More violation in gendarme

Represantatives of bars and union of doctors which are accepted as civil institutions face important difficulties in inspections and building relationship with those who are taken into custody, is reflected in the report. According to fixings in the report; preventing those who are taken into custody meeting with their lawyers is widespread in gendarme. Records are being kept later for not abiding the time limit of detention. According to obsrvations of Inspection councills, Gendarme has less credible practise than the police. Also while violations of rights of suspects in police stations is widespread in the cities of east, genderma exercises same practises in the cities like Afyonkarahisar.

'IHD and Mazlum-Der should be mediator'

According to the report biggest deficiency in controlling the police and gendarme stations stems from not working of the councills independently and organizing independently. Non-existence of human rights organizations in the councills connected to governorship in cities is critisized. But the organizations like Mazlum-Der and IHD don't want to take part in the structure of the councill. These organizations sound that taking part in this councills carries the anxiety of justifiying some kimd of practises which are independent and ineffective. For this the report, suggsets said councills to turn into more independent structure, weakening the influnce of governor on this councills, and particiapation of organizations like Mazlum-Der and IHD as consultant. The report also takes attention that the councills to have independent budget and secretary is of vital importance.

5. - Deutsche Welle - "Turkey's Reform Efforts Wane":

8 March 2006

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül meets EU representatives in Vienna on Wednesday. The bureaucratic process for EU membership negotiations is on track, but the political climate is a different story.

"On both sides, doubts are growing about a successful integration of Turkey into the EU," said Heinz Kramer, a Turkey expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. "The reform drive that we've gotten used to between 2002 and 2005 has been paralyzed."

Udo Steinbach, the director of the German Institute for Middle East Studies, also believes that the process of modernization in Turkey has stagnated. Elections in 2007 are partially to blame for this as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has to deal with a majority of hardliners that support his Islamic Party for Justice and Development (AKP).

Domestic problems

Domestic conflicts are therefore responsible for Turkey getting caught up in conflicts "that seemed a thing of the past," Steinbach said.

"But such an invitation and such a stand leads to irritations with the EU," Kramer said, adding that by welcoming Hamas, Turkey's government went against EU policy not to take up contact with Hamas until it has renounced terror and recognized Israel's right to exist.

Turkey sees things differently and has had good relations with Palestinians for several years -- long before Hamas' election victory, Steinbach said.

Erdogan wanted to emphasize Turkey's role as a regional power and its connection to the Middle East by inviting Hamas.

"But it's not clear yet whether Turkey sees this role as a supplement or alternative to EU membership," Kramer said.

Turkey as mediator

On Wednesday, EU representatives -- the Austrian and Finnish foreign ministers as well as EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and foreign affairs chief Javier Solana -- are expected to talk to Gül about a possible mediator role between the West and the Islamic world in the aftermath of violent protests against Danish caricatures of Mohammad. Turks demonstrated as well, but they remained peaceful.

"Turkey's behavior during the conflict shows that Turkey no longer is a typical Islamic country," Kramer said. "But that's exactly what makes it less credible as a mediator."

Kramer added that Turkey needs to recognize that it is a multiethnic nation -- something that's far from becoming reality.

"Turkish nationalism is rising again," Steinbach said, citing current Turkish literature and the discussion surrounding Turkish action movie "Valley of Wolves," which has been described as anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-Kurdish in the West.

"A lot remains to be done when it comes to Turkish policies towards minorities," Kramer said.

Steinbach added that controversies like the one surrounding the move will not lead to EU membership negotiations being terminated.

The Cyprus issue

The Cyprus question is a different matter.

"In the second half of 2006, the big Cyprus dispute will happen," Kramer said, adding that Cypriot Greeks could manage to have membership negotiations ended.

Turkey meanwhile is accusing the EU of double standards. Turks cannot understand why the Greek part of the island was admitted to the EU even though it opposed a unification proposal by the UN in 2004. Another proposal by Gül was also rejected by the Greek side in late January. Ankara on the hand continues to refuse opening its borders for Cypriot ships and planes.

The EU has been trying to mediate in the conflict and has paid 139 million euros ($165.6 million) in aid to Cypriot Turks -- albeit two years late. But this does not change anything about the economic isolation of the northern part of the island, Kramer said.

An escalation of the controversy could lead to Cypriot Greeks opposing further membership talks with Turkey. To prevent this, the Turkish part of Cyprus should receive more support, Steinbach said.

"The EU must not let a small anti-Turkish faction dominate its policy in that respect," he said.

6. - IRIN - "UNHCR Advises Stranded Kurdish-Iranian Refugees To Relocate":

AMMAN / 7 March 2006

Officials from the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR in Jordan have urged around 200 Iranian-Kurdish refugees stuck on the Iraqi side of the Jordan-Iraq border to move to a new settlement in the northern Iraqi governorate of Arbil.

The group left the al-Tash refugee camp, west of the capital, Baghdad, in January 2005, and made their way to the westernmost frontier. Lacking official permission to enter Jordan, however, they have remained there ever since.

"After the Jordanian authorities reiterated that there was no possibility of entering Jordan, the only option for them is to move immediately to Arbil, where it's safe and where appropriate assistance can be provided by UNHCR and local authorities," UNHCR representative Anne Marie Deutschlander said at a press conference in Amman on Monday.

For more than two decades, the al-Tash camp was home to over 12,000 Iranian-Kurdish refugees who fled Iran in the 1980s when Tehran and Baghdad were at war.

But following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and clashes between insurgent and US forces, some refugees left the camp in fear of being caught up in the fighting. The camp is located in the area of Ramadi, part of the so-called "Sunni triangle," some 110 km from Baghdad.

It is thought that the group was trying to join another 660 refugees, also Iranian Kurds, living on the Jordanian side of the border in a camp in no-man's land, which is recognised by Amman.

However, in May 2005, this camp was closed and the refugees were transferred to another camp in Ruweished, 350 km east of the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Now, the group on the Iraqi side of the border are refusing to move from their current location in hopes that they will be resettled by the refugee agency in another country.

"The territory where these refugees are now isn't Iraq, nor is it officially Jordan," said Deutschlander. "Both administrative and security reasons mean that UNHCR-Amman is unable to freely access those residing outside Jordanian borders." She added: "We can't resettle these people to third countries because they're outside of our mandate."

There is limited UNHCR staff available on the Iraqi side of the frontier due to frequent attacks on aid workers. Nevertheless, UNHCR personnel have managed to visit the refugees, and have advised them to take advantage of accommodations and facilities available at the Kawa settlement in northern Iraq. The Kawa site was opened in September 2005 following an agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government and UNHCR.

The refugee agency will provide those refugees who decide to relocate to Kawa with grants of up to US $500 per family in order to cover transportation expenses. Each family will also receive a US $400 resettlement grant; individuals will receive US $200.

According to Vandana Patel, UNHCR protection officer at the Iraq-Operation Unit in Amman, a total of 1,300 Iranian-Kurdish refugees from al-Tash camp have already relocated to Kawa due to insurgent activity in the area since the signing of the September agreement.