Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media 96-07-16

From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" <dist@hri.org>

Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Directory

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No.127/96 16.7.96

CONTENTS

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[B] COMMENT

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ankara expects joint British-American Cyprus initiative

Quoting Turkey's semi-official Anatolia News Agency, KIBRIS reports that President Clinton's Special Cyprus Envoy, Richard Beattie, and the USA permanent representative in the UN, Ambassador Madeleine Albright, will be arriving in Ankara on Friday.

During the meetings the Turkish officials will also convey to the US officials that the security aspect of the Cyprus problem is being overlooked and that an attempt is being made to disregard the substance of the problem.

KIBRIS further reports that Ankara is not at ease regarding the appointment of a "special representative" by countries outside the EU. Ankara wants the solution of the Cyprus problem to be within the UN framework, reports KIBRIS.

KIBRIS concludes by reporting that Ankara expects towards autumn a British-American joint initiative regarding the Cyprus problem.

[02] Turkish officials discuss Cyprus with Russian counterparts

During the meetings, Cyprus, the Aegean, the Straits and air transport issues were discussed.

KIBRIS reports that the visit was realized following on invitation by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Quoting Turkey's semi-official news agency Anatolia, KIBRIS reports that the meetings were held in a constructive, friendly and cordial atmosphere.

During the meetings the Russian side showed great interest in the Cyprus problem as well as the Straits.

Turkish sources commenting on the meetings said that the Russians "feel that they have been left out of the Cyprus problem. They have been told that this was not true, and this visit is indicative of the fact that Ankara harbours no such intentions." (MY)

[03] New human rights report issued in Turkey

The new report, showing only some small changes in the number of cases of abuse, remains pessimistic. According to its figures, the number who died under arrest and torture in the first five months of 1996 totaled 39.

A total of 544 people out of 5,963 who were arrested were imprisoned with May and June accounting for 4,471 of those.

The number arrested in the first five months reached 10,434. The number of executions without trial was seven.

The IHD prepared two reports for 1996. The first report comprises January, February an March and the second May and June. The reports reveal human rights violations in Turkey from the beginning of 1996.

REPORT FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

Execution without trial                                   39
Deaths in struggle                                       205
Torture victims                                          168
Evacuated villages                                        40
Arrests                                                 5963
Those tortured and torture claims                        168
Bombed places                                             32
Those discharged                                        2201
Journalists arrested                                      37
Prohibited publications                                   38
Total prison sentences and fines required                779
years nine months of prison and TL 3.8 billion
in fines.
Total prison and fines given                              98
years seven months of prison and TL 2.8 billion
in fines.
Prisoners of thought                                     369

MAY AND JUNE REPORT

Number of women arrested                                1776
Number of men arrested                                  2585
Number of children arrested                              100
Total                                                   4861

MISSING

Missing people                                             7

RIGHT TO LIFE

Those killed in gun fights                                 1
Security officers killed in gun fights                     2
Security officers injured in gun fights                   13
Civilians injured in gun fights and attacks               21
Students injured in student demonstrations                10
Injured on May 1 demonstration                            41
Police officers injured on May 1 demonstration            49

EXECUTIONS

Those killed by police gun shots on demonstrations          3
Those killed due to neglecting police warnings              4
Those killed by torture                                     1

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT

Journalists arrested                                       43
Journalists tortured                                       12
Number of newspaper and magazines issues prohibited        25
Number of books prohibited
Prison sentences for thought                               11
Years 9 months Fines for thought            TL 23,333 million
Trade Union and association members arrested             1747

TORTURE REPORT FOR MAY

Number of claims                                             8
Women                                                        2
Men                                                          6
Children                                                     3
Torture under arrest for judicial reasons                    2
Torture under arrest for political crimes                    6
Torture under anti-terrorism                                 5
Sexual abuse                                                 2
Handicapped after torture                                    4
Announcements of crime                                       3

[B] COMMENT

[04] RTP: Ideas cannot be killed

Subtitle : Republican Turkish Party has reminded their duty to those who are under the provisional Article 10 of the Constitution, responsible for the domestic and foreign security. T E X T

The Central Executive Committee of the Republican Turkish Party has protested against the cruel killing of our paper's writer Kutlu Adali, and invited those who are responsible, according to the provisional article 10 of the Constitution for the domestic and foreign security, to fulfill their duty. In the announcement made by the Central Executive Committee of the Republican Turkish Party regarding the killing of Kutlu Adali, it is stressed that ideas cannot be destroyed by violence.

In the RTP's Central Executive Committee statement, it is stressed that those who love their country should act together. It said: "We have lost our writer, Kutlu Adali, through an armed attack by the centres of dark forces that are the enemies of democracy, peace and love. Adali believed in the Turkish Cypriot identity, freedom of thought, human rights, democracy and enlightment and strongly defended with his pen and ideas the cultural heritage, peace and democracy of our community.

The universal method of the fascist terror is to subjugate the freedom of thought through threat, fear and terrorism. For years this has been tried. However, these attacks proved useless in the free development and social existence of the Turkish Cypriot community. Now, especially recently, the number of bomb attacks aimed at educated people, writers, political parties and persons has increased. Apart from these bomb attacks, underground terror organizations have started distributing statements declaring their establishment and have started threatening everybody.

Unfortunately, neither these threats nor the bomb attacks, nor these underground organizations have been uncovered. In a small place like this, where there are so many security officials, the fact that such attacks remain uncovered is a development that causes serious thinking. These attacks coincide with the common crimes committed one after the other in Nicosia and elsewhere in our towns, where old women as well were the target.

The most important reason for this is the illegal workers issue and the increase in emigration and illegal immigration that endanger our very communal existence and security. This has eventually turned our country into a place where entry and departure has become uncontrolled.

Those who reacted to this were branded as traitors by certain dark centers and they were made targets. This dark centers have for months tried to create the necessary ground for this attack, with various statements and allegations and at the end these dark forces, in the midst of this political crisis, put into practice this unbecoming act. Blood has been shedded. The RTP Central Executive Committee calls upon all the democratic forces to be alert and whatever political creed they belong to, to come forward and condemn this political crime and stand against it.

The RTP Central Executive Committee considers it necessary to remind their duty to all those responsible of their duty under the provisional Article 10 of the Constitution regarding security.

The Institutions which, according to the Constitution, undertook this responsibility, as long as the leave this assassination and other crimes, whose perpetrators remain still at large, unaccounted for, will be unable to get rid of the responsibility of the fact that they have failed in their duty in securing the safety of the Turkish Cypriot community.

When the effort to direct the course of political events and making interventions becomes an easier act than the safeguarding of the security, then anxiety increases.

Within this framework, at a time when we are demanding safeguards and understanding from the whole world for our demand for guarantees against our fear of the Greek Cypriots, no one can explain the killing of our people who have different political and ideological beliefs and the fact that they are being threatened or bomb-attacked because of their views.

For this reason as RTP we say to Kutlu Adali who, with his pen, defended the Turkish Cypriot community's existence, cultural values, peace and democracy in a united Cyprus, `rest in peace'.

We call upon all those who say `I want to exist in this country freely and democratically as a Turkish Cypriot' to condemn this crime and react to it. Let us pay our tribute to Kutlu by paying homage to the place where he was killed and with flowers let us tell him as Turkish Cypriots that we will live here for ever." (MY)