Sebahet Tuncel: This is time to share decisions among the people

Sebahet Tuncel

Kurds are living in four parts of Kurdistan, but in recent years Kurds have such a national feeling that they are aware of each other and influence each other. The situation of the Iraqi Kurds [South-Kurdistan] influences the Kurds in Turkey [North-Kurdistan] and the same influence occurs among all other parts of Kurdistan. Previously some people were thinking that Kurdish problem in a particular part of Kurdistan is the problem of the Kurds of this part of Kurdistan only, but now this has changed. Now there is a common national feeling among all Kurds which has brought all the Kurds together in regard of having same national demands and even unites Kurds in their international demands.

This has made Kurds to be aware of their brother happiness and sadness. Any event that happens in northern Iraq [South-Kurdistan] is very important for us in Turkey [North-Kurdistan]. Any kind of event in the life of Kurdish people is important, but an event like Iraqi parliamentary election is even more important.

It looks like the Change list (Gorran) in the last two elections in Iraqi Kurdistan was a good step towards democracy. Though economical control by the two main Kurdish parties, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) always could win the majority of the votes. But the existence of an opposition in Kurdistan is a bright step for all Kurds who look at Iraqi Kurdistan with great hope. We, as Kurds from Turkey [North-Kurdistan] wished more seats for Kurds in last election of Iraqi parliament.

Having more seats for Kurds in Iraqi parliament is strengthening Kurdish position in Iraq and meanwhile it’s important for whole Kurds. But unfortunately our expectation didn’t come true and Kurds appeared weaker than what we were expecting. Let’s put all of these issues aside and take Kirkuk separately. We were wishing the Kurds to win most of the seats in Kirkuk,www.ekurd.netwhich would be important for determining future of Kirkuk. But again Kurds couldn’t get what we wished. The result of the parliamentary election in Kirkuk makes us to think of any kind of referendum in Kirkuk and we must look at this issue very carefully.

The results of the election in Kirkuk tell us that the policy of the two main Kurdish parties, KDP and PUK, in Kirkuk were not accepted by the people of that city, while it could be better. Also the results of Iraqi parliamentary election must encourage Kurdish parties to share people in making political decisions and not depending on the decisions of their political bureau only. We hope Kurdistan to be a model of democracy in the Middle East, because Middle East needs such a model of democracy.

Sebahat Tuncel is a member of Turkish parliament on Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).

Recent news from Syria

Aleppo: Four students and a pupil in custody for participation in Halabja memorial event
Al-Qamishli: Mehmûd Xelef Sefo case transferred to Aleppo
Newroz 2010: Destruction of stages, isolated arrests and one death in ar-Raqqah
Al-Qamishli: PYD activist and her driver arrested
Damascus: Imprisoned Yekîtî members still no contact with the outside world
Al-Malikiyah: Kurdish Left Party offical arrested
Al-Qamishli: Military secret service torture four pupils
Al-Qamishli: Student sentenced to prison for one year
Aleppo: Department of Defense employee sentenced to five months imprisonment

http://www.kurdwatch.org

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NGO SHADOW REPORT FOR THE REVIEW OF THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC UNDER THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE (CAT)

Submitted by Kurdish Human Rights Project

April 2010

Kurdish Human Rights Project

11 Guilford Street

LondonWC1N 1DH

KURDISH HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT

The Kurdish Human Rights Project (‘KHRP’) is an independent, non-political, non-governmental human rights organisation founded in 1992 and based in London, England. KHRP is committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all persons living within the Kurdish regions of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, irrespective of race, religion, sex, political persuasion or other belief or opinion. Its UK office is located in central London, where it is not subject to the intimidation and censorship faced by NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) in these regions.

KHRP is both a registered charity and limited company, and is funded through charitable trusts and donations.

INTRODUCTION

1. This report is not a comprehensive analysis of torture in Syria. Rather it focuses upon cases of mistreatment of Kurdish people in Syria which undermine the submissions made in the Initial Report submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic in July 2009. Syrian Kurds are stateless peoples who continue to be targeted by the Syrian authorities and subjected to ill treatment, characteristically in the form of arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention, extrajudicial killings, disappearances, as well as torture and deaths in custody.

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No torture, and other cruel or degrading treatment or punishment in Syria?

Syrian authorities put forward an argument to the UN Committee against Torture that there is no torture, and other cruel or degrading treatment or punishment in the country. This report contains some useful information about the treaties and conventions that Syria is signed up to, and the legislation that the Government professes to act under:

UN Committee against Torture – Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention

Syrian Arab Republic

Initial report due in 2005

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EUTCC Patron Leyla Zana sentenced to prison by Diyarbakir court

EUTCC 09/04/2010

Leyla Zana, a former MP who has gained internationally acknowledgment for her tireless political work for the Kurdish People, was Thursday April 8 sentenced to 3 years imprisonment, accused of being supportive to the PKK and its leader Mr. Abdullah Öcalan.

The court has claimed that Leyla Zana, in her speeches, has praised Abdullah Öcalan for his tireless work for the Kurdish causes and announced him as the Kurdish national leader. She should also have stated that if PM Erdogan intends to solve the Kurdish issue he should take Öcalan as the interlocutor and instead of travelling to Diyarbakir he should visit him in the Island of Imrali Prison. In another speech Leyla Zana should have expressed that the PKK and its jailed leader are "as important for the Kurdish people as the brain and the soul are for a human being."

Leyla Zana won a seat in the Turkish Parliament in 1991, as the first Kurdish woman ever to be elected. Her decision to deliver the oath in Kurdish led to a 15 years sentence of which she served 10. She was released in 2004 due to huge international pressure. Zana has received the Rafto Prize in 1994 and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1995. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times.

Despite of Turkish authorities’ violent political actions against Kurds in Turkey and Europe and her own sufferings and losses during her 10 years of imprisonment, Leyla Zana remains a strong voice for peace and democracy and claims that it can only be obtained by a non-violent political solution. She urges Turkey to open talks with the Kurds in which representatives of the PKK should be included.

The decision of the Diyarbakir Court is a political decision; it is shocking and unworthy for a state claiming membership in the European Union. The Diyarbakir Court decision is just another example of Turkey’s hostility to the Kurdish freedom movement.

The EUTCC strongly urges Turkish authorities to reverse the sentence of Leyla Zana and take all possible steps in order to avoid further confrontations with the Kurds. The EUTCC also calls on the European Union to take the measures necessary to finally stop Turkey’s meaningless and devastating politics against the Kurds in Turkey and Europe.

Kariane Westrheim, PhD, Chair of EUTCC, Bergen - Norway

Hans Branscheidt – Board of Directors EUTCC, Frankfurt - Germany

Professor Michel Gunter, Secretary General, EUTCC, Tennessee, USA

Ranyia: Police officers transferred to Sulaimani on suspicious of voting Gorran, local media

KurdishMedia.com

By Mohammed Ali

London (KurdishMedia.com) 06 April 2010: Members of the police force were transferred to the City of Sulemani from the town of Raniya due to their suspected support for an opposition group, Gorran or Change, reported online Kurdish internet site sbeiy.com on Tuesday.

On 05 April 2010, the Police Directorate of the city of Ranyia ordered to transfer all police officers, who were suspected of voting for the Gorran List (Change), in the election of 07 March 2010, to the another office, the Directorate Detention and Detainees’ Transportation of Sulaimani, according to local media sbeiy.com that reported in Kurdish. On 06 April 2010, sbeiy.com stated, the police officers were taken to the branch eight (Melbendi 8) of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and were requested to abandon their sympathy to Gorran (Change Movement). The police officers rejected the request.

One of the police officer informed sbeiy.com, “They were told to be transferred to the Directorate of Detention and Detainees’ Transportation of Sulaimani due to their allegiance for Gorran”. The police officer, who wishes to stay anonymous, states to the source that “After rejecting their request, we were taken to the branch eight of PUK of the city of Ranyia to abandon our loyalty for Gorran, however, we rejected that request”.

It is extremely worrying for a party (PUK) which claims to be a democratic force, and at the same time penalise the police officers for casting their votes for another list, not that of PUK. The consequence of this decision is not predicted by the politicians of the region, because low-waged police officers cannot support themselves and their families if they live away form their place of residence.

In most of the countries, post-elections would lead to more prosperity of the people and more stability of the region. Unfortunately, the status of Kurdistan region and Iraq is quite opposite, the concept of freedom of expression and equal citizenship yet to be achieved.

While extensive talks and meetings are being held by the Kurdistan leadership for a Kurdistan front to be represented in Baghdad, the police officers are paying the price of thinking differently from the mainstream political parties. In this case, the ironic and hypocrisy have reached their peak.

Petition

To: the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

His Excellency; the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs;
Mr. David Miliband
In light of the recent executions of the political prisoners by the Islamic Regime of Iran and the gross human rights violations committed by the current Iranian regime for the past 31 years, we the undersigned are greatly concerned about the lives of two Kurdish political prisoners Ms. Zeynab Jalaliyan and Ms. Shirin Alam Hoolo.

Ms. Zeynab Jalaliyan is a 27 years Kurdish woman, who has been sentenced to death and now is waiting for her due execution. She has been held in prison for the past two years in the Dizel Abad Prison in the city of Kermanshah. She was convicted of being a “Mohareb” (the enemy of God) for working with the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) the major opposition front to the Iranian theocratic regime. Ms. Jalaliyan’s trial took only a 5 minutes and worst of all she has no right to have a solicitor.

Ms. Shirin Alam Hoolo is a 28 years Kurdish activist, who has been imprisoned for the last two years, mostly in Section 209 of the Evin Prison. She spent 28 days in the Military Corps detention centre where she was subjected to brutal and systematic tortures. Ms. Alam Hoolo has also been convicted of being a “Mohareb” and sentenced to death for her alleged involvement in the Kurdish major opposition group PJAK.
We respectfully urge you not to remain silent in the face of such injustice and to pressure the Islamic Regime to commute the death sentence of these two political prisoners, as well as all the political prisoners in Iran.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Click Here To Sign Petition

Kurdish journalist found hanged in Adana

04-04-2010

Kurdish journalist Metin Atalaş (34) was found hanged on a orange tree in Adana. He was threatened to death couple of time before.

Atalaş was working for the Kurdish newspaper Azadiya Welat (Freedom for Country) which was banned many times before for writing in Kurdish and supporting the Kurdish freedom movement. Editors of the newspaper were jailed and the press organization RSF condemned the ‘persecution of the newspaper’.

The father of Alataş, Bekir Alataş declared that his son was murdered.

Iran: military operations have been initiated

Monday, 05 April 2010

Eastern Kurdistan: the contra-guerrilla operations have been initiated and are expanding.

The Democratic Press Union of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) released a statement regarding the recent raids of the contra-guerrilla groups on the local people in the name of PJAK.

The statement said that in the villages of the Askola and Dole Beri covered by the city of Meriwan the groups of contra-guerrillas have launched a series of assaults on the local people in the name of the PJAK’s guerrillas. These operations are carried out with the aim of blackening and defaming the PJAK’s increasing reputations.

The statement pointed out that the group of contra-guerrillas wore guerrilla’s uniforms and there were also among them few females. They have raided the local people and forced them to pay money.

The PJAK reminded the local people not to trap into the contra-guerrilla’s plots. The PJAK reminded the Kurds that these groups are the Iranian mercenaries who disguise themselves in the name of the PJAK’s guerrillas.

The PJAK also pointed out that the Iranian Military Forces have initiated ranges of operations in the province of Salmas which are still continuing. According to the PJAK’s statement the clashes have not been yet made.

Kurds march in Brussels in 61th birthday of Ocalan

Sunday, 04 April 2010

Brussels: Over hundred thousands of Kurds marched in Brussels to celebrate the 61th birthday of Kurdish national leader Mr. Abdullah Ocalan and the 6th anniversary of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK).

The Kurds all over Europe convened in Brussels on Saturday to celebrate the 61th birthday of their as well as protesting against the Belgian police swoop on the Kurdish representatives in Europe.

The Kurds chanted slogans in the support of Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK) as well as chanting songs celebrating the 61th birthday of Ocalan. They also held posters of Kurdistan Con-federal System (KCK) a long with the posters of Ocalan.

No Change for Kurds in Turkey's Newly Proposed Constitution.

By New York Times.

Turkey’s governing party moved this week to further reduce the power of the country’s staunchly secular old guard, submitting a series of amendments to Turkey’s military coup-era 1982 Constitution, but passage is far from assured.

A number of the 26 amendments, if passed, would strike at a center of power for the old elite, the judiciary, by opening up its appointment process and expanding its membership.

For generations, Turkey’s judiciary has been controlled by a small class of hard-line secularists with a rigidly nationalist ideology, and the European Union, which Turkey hopes to join, has long urged that it be changed. The amendments require 367 votes out of 550 to become law, more than the governing party has. At the same time, the secular opposition party is having trouble gathering the 110 votes needed to kill the package in the Constitutional Court.

Some liberals criticize the measures for falling short of what is needed for deeper democracy in Turkey, while opponents of the party, Justice and Development, say the amendments are an effort by its leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to consolidate his power. But supporters say the changes would start to bring Turkey in line with European countries.

“When you actually look at what the amendments propose, you see that all changes are copied from examples that function quite well in E.U. member states,” said Joost Lagendijk, senior adviser at the Istanbul Policy Center at Sabanci University and a former European Parliament member.

The current constitution, which enshrines Turkey’s secular mandate, has been amended several times since it was put in place, and most Turkish intellectuals argue that it should be scrapped entirely.

But Mr. Erdogan’s past efforts to change it have met with ferocious criticism. His party commissioned a new draft in 2008, which was written largely by a group of intellectuals, but was forced to scrap it after the secular opposition party filed suit against Justice and Development, which is Islamic-inspired, and a high court threatened to ban the party.

The government argues that the changes are necessary to break away from a troubled past of military coups and strong control of the state by a small coterie of unelected officials in the bureaucracy and the judiciary. Critics of the newly proposed amendments fear that the key changes — the way appointments are made to the constitutional court, the main watchdog of secularism in Turkey, and to the Senior Council of Judges and Prosecutors, responsible for judicial appointments and monitoring court officials — would damage Turkey’s founding principles. They do not trust Mr. Erdogan, whose party arose from a class of Muslim entrepreneurs that upper-class secular Turks long looked down upon.

“The secular democratic state in Turkey is in danger,” said Sabih Kanadoglu, the chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeals, another powerful court.

Other changes include trying military officers in civilian courts and making it harder to ban political parties.

If Mr. Erdogan fails to pass the changes in Parliament, he has said he will bring them to a nationwide referendum, though some have criticized that approach as too black and white for the complexity of the amendments.

The disagreement follows a long-running divide in Turkish society between the broad sector of society that supports Justice and Development and secular Turks, who believe Mr. Erdogan is dismantling the old system to establish a new one that empowers him.

At the same time, liberals who were hoping for bolder change expressed disappointment. One of the principal authors of the 2008 draft, Ergun Ozbudun, a professor of law at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, noted that the amendments offered no concessions, for example, to ethnic or religious groups, whose rights in Turkey have been routinely abused.

“The desire deep in their hearts was probably to go more courageously,” Professor Ozbudun said by telephone, “but they are maybe afraid of the opposition and constitutional court.”

Nor do the amendments lower the steep 10 percent threshold that political parties must meet to claim seats in Parliament, one of the liberals’ central demands. The threshold keeps smaller political parties, including those that represent ethnic groups like Kurds, out of Parliament

Ibrahim Kaboglu, a professor of constitutional law at Istanbul’s Marmara University, said the changes would expand the president’s powers, for example by allowing him to choose more members of the constitutional court, and he said he worried that the court, a bastion of secular resistance, would soon be packed with Mr. Erdogan’s allies.

“They seem to be in a rush to fill both institutions with judges and members who are closer to their political line to secure their future,” Professor Kaboglu said, referring to the Constitutional Court and the Senior Council. Source: New York Times.