hawarameen
10th June 2004, 21:41
SBS- June 10, 2004
Turkey has freed four jailed Kurdish politicians, including leading human rights activist Leyla Zana.
Turkey has freed four jailed Kurdish politicians, including leading human rights activist Leyla Zana.
Wednesday’s release of the activists after a decade in jail, coincided with the inauguration of Kurdish-language broadcasts on state radio and television.
The European Union welcomed the release of Zana, Hatip Dicle, Selim Sadak and Orhan Dogan who were put behind bars for collaborating with separatist Kurdish rebels.
"Today's decision is a sign that the implementation of political reforms, which Turkey has been introducing in the past two years, is gaining ground," EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said.
The EU and international rights campaigners have seen the four activists as prisoners of conscience.
Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said: "Those who are looking for pretexts against Turkey's EU membership have been stripped of their last trump card."
Turkey is hoping that EU leaders will set a date for the start of accession talks with the Muslim nation when they take up the issue in December.
The European Commission is to publish a report on Turkey's democratization process in October which will serve as the basis for the decision.
Turkey's appeals court ordered the release of the four Kurdish activists, pending the outcome of an appeal lodged against their 1994 convictions, which were confirmed in a retrial in April.
Ms Zana, winner of the European Parliament's 1995 Sakharov prize, and her co-defendants - all MPs from the now-defunct pro-Kurdish Democracy Party - were sentenced for membership of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The European Court of Human Rights condemned the convictions in 2001.
The sentences were widely seen as political at a time when tensions between Ankara and its Kurdish minority were at their peak.
Brussels had warned Ankara that the imprisonment of the four could damage its EU aspirations.
Turkey had long resisted Kurdish demands for cultural and political freedoms, fearing that such rights could fuel nationalist sentiment among the minority and constitute a reward for the PKK.
The group, now known as KONGRA-GEL, said last week that it was ending a five-year unilateral truce as of June 1, raising fears of renewed bloodshed in the southeast, which has enjoyed a relative calm in recent years.
Copyright © 2002, Kurdistan Observer | Designed by Zine Sano
Finally it has happened, i somewhat selfishly hope the 300 letters i sent to the turkish PM had some impact. special thanks goes out to senora che who made me aware of the letter writing campaign.
although i am not nieve enough to think turkey has released her out of recognition of the gross injustice, merely out of their selfish desires to enter europe.
Turkey has freed four jailed Kurdish politicians, including leading human rights activist Leyla Zana.
Turkey has freed four jailed Kurdish politicians, including leading human rights activist Leyla Zana.
Wednesday’s release of the activists after a decade in jail, coincided with the inauguration of Kurdish-language broadcasts on state radio and television.
The European Union welcomed the release of Zana, Hatip Dicle, Selim Sadak and Orhan Dogan who were put behind bars for collaborating with separatist Kurdish rebels.
"Today's decision is a sign that the implementation of political reforms, which Turkey has been introducing in the past two years, is gaining ground," EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said.
The EU and international rights campaigners have seen the four activists as prisoners of conscience.
Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said: "Those who are looking for pretexts against Turkey's EU membership have been stripped of their last trump card."
Turkey is hoping that EU leaders will set a date for the start of accession talks with the Muslim nation when they take up the issue in December.
The European Commission is to publish a report on Turkey's democratization process in October which will serve as the basis for the decision.
Turkey's appeals court ordered the release of the four Kurdish activists, pending the outcome of an appeal lodged against their 1994 convictions, which were confirmed in a retrial in April.
Ms Zana, winner of the European Parliament's 1995 Sakharov prize, and her co-defendants - all MPs from the now-defunct pro-Kurdish Democracy Party - were sentenced for membership of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The European Court of Human Rights condemned the convictions in 2001.
The sentences were widely seen as political at a time when tensions between Ankara and its Kurdish minority were at their peak.
Brussels had warned Ankara that the imprisonment of the four could damage its EU aspirations.
Turkey had long resisted Kurdish demands for cultural and political freedoms, fearing that such rights could fuel nationalist sentiment among the minority and constitute a reward for the PKK.
The group, now known as KONGRA-GEL, said last week that it was ending a five-year unilateral truce as of June 1, raising fears of renewed bloodshed in the southeast, which has enjoyed a relative calm in recent years.
Copyright © 2002, Kurdistan Observer | Designed by Zine Sano
Finally it has happened, i somewhat selfishly hope the 300 letters i sent to the turkish PM had some impact. special thanks goes out to senora che who made me aware of the letter writing campaign.
although i am not nieve enough to think turkey has released her out of recognition of the gross injustice, merely out of their selfish desires to enter europe.