NEWS - Bianet

NEWS

Page 320

Roj TV Supporters Face Imprisonment

The trial where 56 mayors, most of them members of the pro-Kurdish DTP, are prosecuted for sending a joint letter to the Danish PM Rasmussen urging the refusal of Turkeys efforts for the closure of Roj TV continued. They face imprisonment up to 15 years.

4 April 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Government Pressured to Clear Land Mines

Initiative for a Mine-free Turkey says at least 39 people died last year because of land mines and abandoned ammunition. Government should implement the Ottawa Treaty and clear all 1 million land mines on ground by 2014, the rights organization said.

4 April 2007 Tolga Korkut

Restore Childrens Rights to Legal Aid

The financial deadlock between the Bar Associations and the Ministry of Justice which led to the suspension of assigment of defence counselors to culprits would especially harm children involved in crime, criticize rights activists.

14 Dead and No Trial Against Security Forces

Turkeys Human Rights Association Diyarbakır branch chair Demiştaş says not one trial has been launched into the tragic events of March 2006 where 14 people were killed by security forces during demonstrations following pro-Kurdish guerillas funerals.

3 April 2007 Tolga Korkut

Journalist on Trial Since 4.5 Years

Local Demokrat İskenderun newspaper owner Ersen Korkmaz has been on trial since 4.5 years for an article where he covered a panel on Kurdish guerilla leader Ocalan. If convicted, he faces three years in prison.

3 April 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Restored Armenian Church May Serve Dialogue

Armenian church of Surp Khach placed on Aghtamar island in lake Van, eastern Turkey has been restorated and opened as a museum with the participation of Turkish and Armenian officials. The church dates back to 10th century.

3 April 2007 Tolga Korkut

Children Rights Reporting Seminar in Kocaeli

BİA² and UNICEF Turkey hold two-day Children Rights News Reporting training meeting in Kocaeli on invitation of Bekirpaşa municipality. Participants included local journalists, NGO representatives and state officers as well as children.

2 April 2007 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

Media Group Confiscated by Fund

Savings Deposit Insurance Fund confiscates the administration of Merkez Media Group on grounds that a secret partnership had been revealed with its former owner Dinç Bilgin who had been convicted on felonies regarding his activities in Etibank.

Violence Against Journalists in Latin America

Journalist safety has deteriorated considerably in the past six months in Latin America: six journalists were killed in Mexico, one in Haiti and one in Peru, with many more journalists receiving threats and abused report free expression organizations.

Turkey Signs UN Conv. on Rights of Disabled

Along with Turkey 80 countries sign the landmark convention on the first day of its opening to signatures. The event also marked first time that the European Community had signed a core United Nations human rights treaty.

Refugees Voice Their Thoughts

Helsinli Citizens Assembly publishes a newsletter solely prepared by refugees who voice their problems, hopes and feelings. Prepared with regard to the refugee advocacy and support programme, the bilingual newsletter can be downloaded for free.

Investigate Generals Plans of a Coup

Weekly Nokta magazine reveals plans to stage a military coup in 2004 by publishing a prominent generals diaries which quote relations between army officials and journalists, business people and others in great detail. Investigation needed says Alataş.

30 March 2007 Tolga Korkut

Police Walk Free on Illegal Eavesdropping

A court decision droppes all charges against 38 police officers accused of eavesdropping on government and state officials as well as journalists, union leaders and political party offices between May 1998 and May 1999.

Artists Say Close Down AKP not AKM

Around a thousand writers, activists and artists staged a protest against the government plans to demolish the Ataturk Cultural Center, the only venue designed for multiple performances in Istanbul. They criticized governments culture policies.

Article 301: Liability for National Assembly

Journalists Association of Turkey traditional yearly awards of merit have been given in a ceremony. TGC chair Erinç criticized the governments approach to press freedom and lack of reforms. Nothing changed from last year, he said.

27 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Roma Students Organize For Rights

University students of Roma background are organizing for their rights. Co-founder of the Romankara association, Karadeniz explains how Roma people are discriminated against in Tukey and how they came to realize thay have rights to fight for.

27 March 2007 Tolga Korkut

UNICEF Urges Action Against Child Trafficking

On the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked around the world each year, says UNICEF. The organization urges for increased efforts on global and local levels to tackle the problem.

Too Late Too Little in Torture Case

A court decision condemns four police officers to eight years in prison for torturing a university student to death while under custody. The trial lasted 16 years and all suspects got the minimum sentences. Lawyer Aydın and TİHV chair Önen comment:

26 March 2007 Ayça Örer

Cases Against Dink Dropped

Şişli 2nd Court of First Instance dropped the cases against the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who had been murdered by a nationalist gunman on January 19. Three other writers and administrators of his newspaper still face trial.

26 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Charlie Hebdo Acquitted on Mohammed Cartoons

Editor of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, Philippe Val has been acquitted in a case where he was tried for publishing the controversial Mohammed cartoons. International debate surfaced following the cartoons published in Danish Jyllands-Post.

Paris Joins COE Project to Fight Poverty

Ile de France joins as a pilot region to the Council of Europe project to combat poverty, social and ethnic exclusion. The project brings a new approach: now instead of assistance different institutions work together with locals to reach specified goals.

Nationalist Complaint Against Public Survey

Kemalist Thought Associations Diyarbakır branch chair Gül filed a complaint against the publication of a public survey in Milliyet daily, which aimed at establishing the allocation of ethnic, religious and ideological identities among Turkish people.

Newspaper Fined for Incurring State Officials

Two responsibles of the daily Vakit have been fined heavily in a court decision on grounds that they deliberately rendered target the State Council members who ruled against the wearing of headscarfs by schoolm teachers. Council was raided 3 months later

22 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Law Against Racial Discrimination Needed

Turkey is reluctant to ratify and adopt international legislation against racial discrimination says Human Rights Association chair Yusuf Alatas. Together with legislative changes, government needs to work to eliminate various forms of discrimination

22 March 2007 Tolga Korkut

People Joyful Officials Tense in Newroz

At least 40 people have been taken under custody in Istanbul during Kurds traditional Newroz festivities, which marks the beginning of spring. While people on the streets demand an end to violence, clashes between the police and demonstrators continued.

22 March 2007 Emine Özcan

Round Up: Two Months After Dinks Murder

The investigation and the trial on the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink will have decisive consequences regarding the integrity and the trustfulness of the judiciary system in the eyes of people in Turkey, says joint attorney Fikret İlkiz.

20 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu

Intellectuals Urge the End of Violence

More than 170 journalists, academics, artists and rights activists declared a petition, expressing their fear of the rising wave of violence in the country and urging all parties to act responsibly before the traditional Kurdish Newroz spring festivities

Campaign for Abducted BBC Correspondent

Press freedom organizations RSF and IFJ-Europe renewed their call for the release of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston who has been abducted in Gaza on March 12. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. RSF initiated a campaign for his release

Global Protests Against US Invasion of Iraq

Five thousand people gathered in Istanbul on the Global Day of Action, to protest the US invasion of Iraq on its 4th anniversary. Protests were organized all around Europe in the US and in Australia. Drop Bush, Not Bombs said protesters in New York.

19 March 2007 Ayça Örer

153 Journalists Killed in Iraq in 4 Years

Four years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the toll of media deaths continues to mount. Iraq has become the worlds most dangerous country for the press said press freedom organization Reporters Sans Frontiers, protesting the US invasion of Iraq.

Pro-Kurdish Party Condemns Legal Pressure

Hasip Kaplan of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party condemned the recent chain od prosecutions aimed at party administrators. With a letter to government and jurisprudence officials, Such practices jeopardize our freedom of expression Kaplan said.

Curious Attack on Radio Transmission Cables

Transmission cables of four radio stations have been attacked in Adıyaman, which interrupted stations broadcast for two days as well as causing damage to materials. Security forces are investigating the incident.

16 March 2007 Erol Önderoğlu