Ban On Turkish Party Unsettling, EU Says/ EU News Network 15.12.2009- The European Union expressed concern over a decision by Turkey to outlaw the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party as protesters took to the streets of Istanbul. Turkey's Constitutional Court on Friday announced a ban on the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party for alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.The decision sparked protests across Turkey, particularly in the south where much of the Kurdish minority is centered. Turkish media reports said riot police responded to the demonstrations with water cannons and tear gas. The Swiss presidency of the European Union blasted the decision to close the pro-Kurdish party as Ankara looked for ways to find a political solution to its conflict with the Kurdish minority, Turkey's English-language newspaper Today's Zaman reports.
"While strongly denouncing violence and terrorism, the presidency recalls that the dissolution of political parties is an exceptional measure that should be used with utmost restraint," the EU statement read.
Ankara has pursued a series of cultural and other considerations for the Kurdish minority in an effort to end decades of simmering conflict. The PKK, for its part, formed so-called peace groups who would surrender to Turkish authorities when they crossed the border from the camps in northern Iraq.
GUE/NGL CONDEMNS THE BANNING OF DTP
By Takis Hadjigeorgiou, AKEL CYPRUS 15.12.2009-The Political Group of the United European Left/Nordic Green Left in the European Parliament strongly condemns the decision of December 11 of the Constitutional Court of Turkey to ban the Democratic Society Party - DTP, allegedly because it has developed into a centre of activities against the integrity of the nation and the country. At the same time it has imposed a five-year ban on political activity to thirty seven leading members of the DTP as well as on Leila Zana, a political activist of Kurdish origin and 2004 Sakharov Prize Winner. The DTP President Ahmet Turk and Vice President Ayse Turgut, were deprived of their parliamentary status. The decision was taken on the basis of the current Constitution that was implemented at a time of great political anomaly in Turkey.
This decision brings the country in front of a new crisis, and is contrary to efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful solution on the Kurdish problem. It further slows down democratization in Turkey and harms its course to EU accession. Our group will continue its struggle against the violations of the rights of the Kurds until that time when the Kurdish citizens of Turkey are granted and are able to enjoy all their individual, political and cultural rights.
GUE/NGL calls on the EU to refuse to accept this obvious retrocession of democratic institutions in Turkey. We ask the President of the European Parliament to act immediately and call on Turkey to react in a manner compliant to the European Convention on Human Rights and the fundamental democratic rules and institutions.
KRG favors peaceful solution DTP issue in Turkey
PUKmedia 14.12.20009-Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) spokesman Kawa Mahmud on Monday called for a peaceful solution to the DTP issue in Turkey, denying any intervention in the internal affairs of any neighboring country. "We call on the Turkish government to solve the issue of the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) peacefully and justly" Mahmud said Monday.
Last Friday, 11 December, the 11-member Turkish Constitutional Court unanimously decided to ban DTP on charges of cooperation with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a group which has fought for the autonomy of Kurdistan for the past 25 years.The court also barred DTP leader Ahmet Turk, and Aysel Tugluk, another legislator from joining any political party for five years along with 35 other party members.
But, KRG favors peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey, and will not intervene in the domestic affairs of any neighboring country, the spokesman said.
The Kurdish government's relations with the neighboring countries have been based on mutual respect and not intervening in the internal affairs of any regional country, Mahmud added.DTP had 21 MPs in the 550-member parliament of Turkey.Since its establishment in 1963, the Turkish Constitutional Court has banned 25 parties in the country, DTP being the 7th Kurdish party in the country to be closed.
Turkey's pro-Kurdish DTP deputies decide to resign
Daily News 15.12.2009-The 19 deputies of the now-defunct Democratic Society Party, or DTP, decided during an emergency strategy assembly on Monday to resign from the Turkish Parliament, DTP co-leader Ahmet Türk said after the party convened in Diyarbakır.
Their pending resignations spark yet more political uncertainty in the country, as the resignations must be approved by Parliament's general assembly before deputies are allowed to step down.According to the Turkish Constitution, if the number of empty seats in Parliament exceeds 5 percent of the total number of deputies, then a by-election is needed. Because all 19 deputies from the party resigned, there is the possibility of a by-election – if Parliament accepts the resignations.
The party’s meeting in Diyarbakır and the deputies’ decision to resign came days after it was shut down by the Constitutional Court on charges of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has been fighting the Turkish military in the country’s Southeast for more than two decades.
Support for BDP
In the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Silopi district, DTP signs were lowered late Monday and replaced with those of the Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP. The BDP was established by founding Chairman Mustafa Ayzit in May 2009. Among the 42 founding members were Cabar Leygara, mayor of Diyarbakır’s Bağlar district from the banned People’s Democracy Party’s, or HADEP, and Cezayir Serin, former mayor of Diyarbakır’s Sur district.
Hatip Dicle, deputy of the disbanded DTP said, “We will continue to be part of democratic politics with our deputy friends under the roof of Democratic Society Congress and also work for strengthening the BDP.”
KNC: Turkey’s High Court decision to ban the DTP was unjust
Kurdish National Congress of North America 14.12.2009-Justice in Turkey is premised on the Turkish Constitution, which has been adopted by the military junta and ultra Turkish nationalists. The decision of Turkish High Court to ban the Democratic Society Party (DTP) was based on a racist provision of the Turkish Constitution that claims “all who hold Turkish citizenship in Turkey are Turks.”
It is instructive to recall the history of the Turkish “justice” system—since 1968, the Turkish High Court has banned 27 political parties; and since 1993, this is 3rd Kurdish political party that has been banned by the Turkish judicial authorities. Every time the ultra Turkish nationalists that control all the governmental institutions use various pretexts to continue their repressive policies against the Kurds. This time is not different; the Court’s reasoning was based on the alleged DTP’s connection with the PKK without validating the allegation. Needless to say, every time, after being banned, the Kurds have returned wiser and more determined than ever before, and continued their just struggle.
It is ironic that the Turkish authorities have been using defamatory labels such as “terrorist organization,” to describe the PKK, while refusing to accept that the PKK is a product of the Turkish racist Constitution and inhumane policies against the existence of the Kurdish people in Kurdistan-Turkey. If all people were equal before the law and the Kurdish political and cultural identity was recognized in Turkey, the PKK would probably not have come to existence—if it did, it would be a political party, and would not have launched guerrilla warfare against the Turkish state.
Ultra Turkish nationalists cannot stubbornly continue to claim a homogeneous Turkish society while there are more than twenty million Kurds oppressed under their rule. It is time for the Turkish authorities to accept the reality in which Turkey lives, which is a society that consists of Turks, Kurds, and other ethnicities. Banning Kurdish politicians such as honorable Ahmed Turk, Ms. Aysel Tugluk, and others will not diminish their impact on the Kurds and their peaceful struggle to achieve their national and democratic rights.
Turkish authorities must accept the fact that the Kurds’ ambition for a peaceful and prosperous life will not be stopped by banning the DTP from political activities. The Kurdish struggle was in existence prior to the DTP and will not stop as a result of the ban on the DTP. Therefore, it would be wise for the Turkish authorities to work with the DTP and Mr. Turk, instead of banning them, to find a peaceful-political solution to the Kurdish problem and pull Turkey out of this hateful cycle before Turkey reverses its progress toward achieving status as a modern state that will be welcomed by the European Union and other democratic nations.
Amnesty International: Turkey criticized for closing pro-Kurdish political party
AI 15.12.2009- Amnesty International has expressed its concern that a court in Turkey has shut down a pro-Kurdish political party under laws that fail to meet international standards.The 11 judges of the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously in favour of closing down the Democratic Society Party (DTP) on Friday.
The court also ruled that 37 DTP members be banned from politics for five years. Among those banned were the DTP co-chair Ahmet Türk MP, Aysel Tugluk, MP for Diyarbakir, and four elected regional mayors. The DTP was formed in 2005 after a closure case was brought against the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). The DTP has 21 members in the national parliament following elections in 2007,www.ekurd.netalong with numerous elected local officials.
The DTP was closed on the grounds that its activities conflicted with the "independence of the state, its indivisible integrity within its territory and nation."The case was launched on 16 November 2007 when the Supreme Court of Cassation Chief Prosecutor presented the application to the Constitutional Court.
Political parties in Turkey have frequently been closed by rulings of the Constitutional Court. Many of those closed are parties promoting Kurdish identity.The ruling Justice and Development Party narrowly avoided closure in July 2008 when a complaint that the party was a focus of anti-secular activities failed to receive the support of the required majority of judges.
The European Court of Human Rights has previously issued a series of judgments finding Turkey to have violated the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to the closure of political parties.
SYRIAN KURDS-We condemn the closing of DTP party
K.B.J.G 13.12.2009-While Turkey Kamalism regime in the media and press conference to announce the formal process of low pressure on the Kurdish nation and social freedoms will provide for them!But the Turkish army command point when the court rule closing party owner of that influence is a political Kurdish party majority vote in the nation in the process earned democracy.
This is while the party is now a party in Palm owner it sound country. - We also harsh sentence of this stigma on the forehead of the enemies of democracy as we know, it's hostility in the South and East Turkey is a country whose name has no power and influence, it is because these people are voting party DTP.
This regime against the Kurdish nation and always is strangled and constantly makes the sound.We all humanitarian and Palm Eurozone and EU countries in Europe and the world are demanding that it be against the paramour and stand against liberty and to condemn the political pressure in this regard when applied to celebrate real freedom for people and all minorities will provide this country.
Partition head wind of freedom and democracy and dead enemies of freedom and blatant fascist dictatorship.
