Subject: TURKEY TRIAL (L ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN/ANKARA Topic: voa From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) DATE=5/5/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-177995 TITLE=TURKEY TRIAL (L ONLY) BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S MOST FAMOUS LIVING AUTHOR, YASAR KEMAL, HAS GONE ON TRIAL, CHARGED WITH PROMOTING KURDISH SEPARATISM UNDER A CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-TERROR LAW. AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA. TEXT: MR KEMAL, AN ETHNIC KURD, IS BEING ACCUSED OF PROMOTING KURDISH SEPARATISM BECAUSE OF AN ARTICLE HE WROTE FOR THE GERMAN MAGAZINE DER SPIEGEL IN WHICH HE SPOKE AGAINST THE TURKISH MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST REBELS OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY OR P-K-K. MR KEMAL, WHO HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE, DENOUNCED THE ALLEGED BURNING AND EVACUATION OF THOUSANDS OF KURDISH VILLAGES BY THE TURKISH ARMY IN WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A DIRTY AND DIRTYING WAR. APPEARING IN A COURTROOM CROWDED WITH FELLOW WRITERS, JOURNALISTS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, MR KEMAL SOUGHT TO DEFEND HIS ARTICLE SAYING IT HAD BEEN TRANSLATED INCORRECTLY AND WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. HE, NONETHELESS, REPEATED THE ALLEGATIONS CATALOGUED IN THE DER SPIEGEL ARTICLE AND CHALLENGED THE COURTROOM TO PROVE THAT THEY WERE NOT TRUE. IF CONVICTED AS CHARGED UNDER THE CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-TERROR LAW, MR KEMAL COULD SERVE UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON, WHERE HE WILL JOIN HUNDREDS OF OTHER WRITERS, ACADEMICS, AND INTELLECTUALS IMPRISONED FOR EXPRESSING SIMILIAR VIEWS. ACCORDING TO WESTERN OBSERVERS, THE CASE AGAINST MR. KEMAL, COULD NOT COME AT A WORSE TIME FOR TURKEY. THE COUNTRY FACES THE SHELVING OF A CRUCIAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IT SIGNED WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION LAST MARCH. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SAID IT WOULD NOT RATIFY THE DEAL UNLESS TURKEY TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO IMPROVE ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD. LAST WEEK THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, OF WHICH TURKEY IS A FOUNDING MEMBER, ISSUED A JUNE DEADLINE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF LONG-DELAYED DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, SAYING IT WOULD RECOMMEND SUSPENSION OF TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IF IT FAILED TO DELIVER BY THAT TIME. TURKISH PRIME MINSTER TANSU CILLER ASSURED U-S PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON DURING A TRIP TO WASHINGTON LAST MONTH THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ARE A PRIORITY FOR HER GOVERNMENT AND THAT DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, INCLUDING THE LIFTING OF ARTICLE EIGHT OF THE ANTI-TERROR LAWS, WOULD SOON BE APPROVED BY THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT. BUT HARDLINERS, WHO MAKE UP THE ULTRA-NATIONALIST BLOC WITHIN MRS CILLER'S CONSERVATIVE TRUE PATH PARTY, CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THE SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIZATION PACKAGE SAYING IT THREATENS THE UNITY OF THE TURKISH STATE. (SIGNED) NEB/AZ/MH/JWH 05-May-95 10:33 AM EDT (1433 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America