Turkey Regional Action Network

July 2012

1) URGENT ACTION
Demand Immediate and Unconditional Release of Muharrem Erbey

As we you may recall, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Publishers Association, and PEN International have long condemned the Turkish authorities for detaining thousands of people, most of whom have no record of violence, in pre-trial detention under Turkey's vaguely written draconian terrorism laws.
PEN International has recently opened a campaign to demand Muharrem Erbays immediate and unconditional release, and we encourage you and your community to take action. Muharrem Erbey, a Kurdish lawyer and vice chairman the Human Rights Association, has been in prison charged with 'membership of a terrorist organization' since December 2009. Erbey has been interrogated about and charged in relation to his work as a human rights defender, leading to concerns that he's being targeted for political reasons.1

Muharrem Erbey has garnered international respect for his work as a human rights lawyer, and has represented a number of individuals whose cases have been heard by the European Court of Human Rights. In 2008 he was granted the Vice-Presidency of the IHD, which is one of Turkeys most reputable human rights organizations, after many years as president of its Diyarbakr branch. He is also known for his research into disappearances and extra-judicial killings in and around the Diyarbakr region.

Bianet.org reports that over 8,000 people were taken into custody and about 4,000 persons were arrested under what is known as the Democratic Society Congress (Koma Civaken Kurdistan - KCK) operation that has been under way since 2009. Among the 152 defendants who have been in prison since December of 2009 are trade union officials, six democratically elected mayors from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Muharrem Erbey, a human rights lawyer and Vice-President of the Human Rights Association (IHD). KCK suspects have been arrested and detained apparently on the basis of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) through their alleged membership of the KCK. Prosecutors allege that KCK is an organization formed by the PKK to bring together and mobilize pro-PKK groups within urban areas across Turkey.

Amnesty International: Summary of Amnesty Internationals Concerns in Turkey July to December 2009. pp.5 http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR44/00 4/2010/en/807d1f82-d208-4eeb-b8a2- 946eb2194643/eur440042010en.pdf

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY to the Turkish Authorities Expressing alarm at the continued detention of Muharrem Erbey and other writers and journalists detained because of their alleged affiliation with Kurdish political parties. Calling for his immediate and unconditional release from prison, and the dropping of all charges that he faces. Referring to concerns that Muharrem Erbey is being prosecuted on charges that contravene his right to freedom of expression and association by both as guaranteed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the European Convention on Human and Democratic Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory

tvw tvwtvw tvw 2) A Small Human Rights Victory in Turkey

Protection Provided to Turkish Activist
Turkish activist Enes Kuban Kural has been provided with a bodyguard by the Istanbul Governor since Amnesty International issued this Urgent Action2. He had received a death threat on 15 May while making his way home from his offices in Istanbul. Enes Kuban Kural is a member of the Kafkasya Forumu (Caucasus Forum). He has been actively campaigning against the 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Sochi, southwestern Russia. The Kafkasya Forumu is a Turkish-based non-governmental organization working towards a goal of a united and independent Caucasus. He believes that the threats and intimidation that he has suffered are due to this activism. Enes Kuban Kural told Amnesty International that without this Urgent Action, he believes the authorities would not have provided him with a bodyguard or taken the threats against him seriously. He has asked for his deeply felt thanks to be sent to all those who took action on it. The bodyguard, who has protected others who have been threatened, will be with Enes Kuban Kural every day. At night, he will be staying nearby, and will intervene in any emergency.

Please send a letter to: Mr Sadullah Ergin Minister of Justice 06669 Kizilay Ankara Turkey
Cc: Ambassador Namik Tan Embassy, Republic of Turkey 2525 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20008
To access the PEN Internationals Action Page on Muharrem Erbey, please go to: http://www.peninternational.org/newsitems/turkey-writer-andlawyer-muharrem-erbey-writes-of-2--yearsdetention/ To read Muharrem Erbeys letter to PEN international about his experience of imprisonment, please go to: http://www.peninternational.org/07/2012/muharrem-erbeywriter-in-prison-writes-on-10-june-2012/

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http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/action s/uaa17512.pdf

3) Human Rights in Turkey: during the past few weeks there has been good news and bad news. First the good news: Thanks to the Turkish Parliaments passing the Third Judicial Reform Package.3 Professor Busra Ersanli and 15 others were released pending trial.4 Professor Ersanli had been in prison for 8.5 months, and was arrested along with publisher Ragip Zarakolu last November on terrorism charges. Zarakolu was released pending trial last April. Also good news, as noted above, Turkish activist Enes Kuban Kural has been provided with a bodyguard by the Istanbul Governor. Enes Kuban Kural had been the subject of an Urgent Action issued by Amnesty last month, calling for him to receive state protection after receiving a death threat last May. Mr. Kural is a member of the Kafkasya Forumu (Caucasus Forum) and had been actively campaigning against the 2014 Winter Olympics being held in an area in the eastern Black Sea region where hundreds of thousands of Caucasians were massacred. According to an article in the New York Times5, Russian agents are suspected in harassing him and issuing the death threat because of his activism. Mr. Kural believes that without Amnestys issuing the Urgent Action the authorities would not have provided him with a bodyguard or taken the threats against him seriously.

And now the bad news: Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) advanced a proposal in Parliament's Constitution Reconciliation Commission that would enable authorities to restrict the freedom of press6 for a wide range of reasons ranging from national security to public morals. The proposal also excludes a guarantee in the current body of legislation that allows the establishment of printing houses without permission and financial assurances. And for other bad news: almost all elected BDP members have been sent to prison, along with thousands of others charged either in the KCK or Ergenekon investigations, many of whom have been held over a year in pre-trial detention.

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If you are interested in the issue of Human Rights in Turkey, consider joining us on our Turkey Regional Action Network on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/AmnestyInternational-USA-Turkey-Regional-ActionNetwork/134561963283302 If you have any questions, please contact AIUSA TURKRAN coordinator: Natsumi Ajiki (najiki@mac.com).

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/reformpackage-paves-way-to-relieve-judicialrysburden.aspx?pageID=238&nID=24604&NewsCa tID=338 4 http://www.todayszaman.com/news-286414professor-ersanli-among-16-released-pendingtrial-in-kck-case.html 5 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/world/eur ope/caucasus-activist-feels-heat-inturkey.html?ref=europe

http://bianet.org/english/freedom-ofexpression/139707-akp-government-landsmassive-blow-to-press-freedom