Mizgin Mujde Arslan and Ozay Sahin have been detained on Monday, February 13th
We regret to inform that our friends and colleagues Mizgin Mujde Arslan and Ozay Sahin have been detained on Monday, February 13th. Arslan is a director, author and scholar. Sahin is also a director, cinematographer and actor. The authorities allege that they collaborate with KCK, claimed to be the urban wing of the Kurdish rebel group the PKK.
Turkey recently has witnessed a massive police operation against activists, advocates, academics, and publishers who are pro-Kurdish on the grounds of alleged links to the outlawed ?Union of Communities in Kurdistan? (sometimes also referred to as the Kurdish Communities Union), known by its Kurdish-language acronym, the KCK.
Mizgin Mujde Arslan contributed to the cinema of Turkey not only with her films that have been selected to many national and international film festivals but also with her reviews and books. ?The Lost Grave?, the film she has only just completed is the story of her father. It is a symbol of the last 30 years of mutual pain that our country has been suffering. This project is considered as an instrument for peace and it has been subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. Continue to read the letter…
Number of Prisoners Exceeds Population of 4 Provinces
from Bianet :: English
According to data published by the Ministry of Justice, the number of imprisoned detainees and convicts reached 131,317. In other words, the number of prisoners in Turkey now exceeds the population of each provinces of Dersim, Bayburt, Ardahan and Kilis.
Biletix company denies dropping left-wing band GrupYorum?s tickets
from Hurriyet Daily News
Turkey?s biggest online ticket company Biletix, has said it will continue to offer tickets for musicians Grup Yorum, denying recent reports that it was dropping the legendary left-wing band after students were detained for selling the group?s tickets.
Turkey: Using Pre-Trial Detentions to Silence Critics?
by k_kumkova
Turkey may be seen by many in the Middle East as a democratic role model, but inside the country, government critics assert that improper practices during pre-trial detention reveal a less-than-firm commitment to the rule of law on Ankara?s part.
Commission Viewed Heron Images: “Obviously Smugglers”
BDP and CHP deputies who watched the heron footage of the Uludere area commented, “The images were very clear, the people were killed while they were clearly visible”. Head of the commission Üstün argued that the images alone are not enough to see the whole picture.
Impunity of Torture
In Mardin, the police hustled 19 juvenile demonstrators towards a mine field, beat them and took them in custody. The related administrative investigation was now completed. The Deputy Governor accepted the fact that torture was involved but did not suggest an according punishment.
Working as a jail torturer ruined my life
by Acturca
The Independent (UK) Wednesday, February 15, 2012, p. 35 Patrick Cockburn Patrick Cockburn meets the former soldier who has joined the political prisoners he tortured in Turkey?s Mamak prison by suing the generals who led a regime of terror. A former Turkish soldier, Dogan Eslik, is suing the generals who seized power in Turkey in
Next up: Turkey vs. Iran
by Acturca
International Herald Tribune (USA) Wednesday, February 15, 2012, p. 8 By Soner Cagaptay * Hardly a day goes by that an Iranian official doesn?t threaten Turkey. Take for instance Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi?s recent warning to Ankara: ?Turkey must radically rethink its policies on Syria, the NATO missile shield and promoting Muslim secularism in
Academics unite against oppression at universities
from Hurriyet Daily News
Academics have raised their voice to denounce the ?oppression and intimidation? they say they are encountering at Turkish universities.
How did they praise Hrant?s murderer?
from Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news :: Interviews by ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ
There is always a very strong connection between hate speech and hate crime. As a lawyer, I do not remember any single hate crime committed that did not follow an epidemic of hate speech.
We need to find who killed 34 people
from Hurriyet Daily News
Thirty-four people were bombed to death in the southeastern town of Şırnak?s Uludere district. These people had no connection with the terror organization.
Thousands in Turkey Held Without Trial: Rights Groups | Europe | English
Jailed journalists a sign of declining press freedom in Turkey
from Yahoo news
Turkey is often held up in the U.S. and Europe as a model of how democracy can work in a Muslim country. But activists say press freedom continues to erode. One ofTurkey’sbest known publishers and human rights activists is sitting in prison ? again ? waiting for a court case that appears to be at a virtual standstill. He is far from alone.
Discover more from Erkan's Field Diary
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.