Turkey Is Moving Away From The Path Of Peace And Democracy

In Turkey, there are actually 7800 persons under custody and 4250 persons under arrest within the context of ongoing "KCK Operations", which began on 14 April 2009. Parliamentarians, mayors, representatives of political party, academicians and lastly the lawyers have been imprisoned.

Declaring an opinion during a press meeting, making a speech on a meeting, giving lectures on the academy of Peace and Democracy Party or participating to a demonstration are sufficient reasons for being under custody or even imprisonment.

As a result of these operations, there are ongoing KCK lawsuits in each city where there is also a High Criminal Court of Special Authority.
Human rights activists and academicians have not only been arrested but also have been criminalised and discredited; they have been stigmatised in very vulgar ways. The ones who have been arrested have been charged arbitrarily and against all the principles of the universalistic human rights law. The long imprisonment periods and the confidentiality of these lawsuits make the situation even worse.

This approach stigmatises each political activity, demonstration and work as part of "KCK urban organisation". In addition, instead of creating an open public debate on these operations the government, especially the prime minister and the minister of interior, tries to intimidate and repress all the oppositional approaches.

Again, as a result of these operations an illegal organisation of thousands of people has been revealed.

This attitude makes the democratic and peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question impossible and only the warfare politics seem to be available for Kurds. The ones who have been arrested for their democratic activities within the political field are facing approximately 11 years of imprisonment.
There are also 656 pending lawsuit files before the Presidency of the Turkish Parliament with respect to the parliamentarians of the Peace and Democracy Party, which must be evaluated within the context of the freedom of expression.
As a result of these policies, Turkey is moving away from a pluralistic democratic regime and inclines to be an authoritarian regime instead.
The fact that Turkey is shown as an example of a working democracy by some countries despite all the ongoing problems regarding the freedom of expression and speech, must be re-considered.

People of Turkey want to experience peace and democracy.
In order to open the way to the democratic resolution in Turkey, we need a pluralistic and libertarian discussion atmosphere to be established. Therefore, absolute freedom of expression should be guaranteed with relevant laws.
Anti-terror law and High Criminal Courts of Special Authority, which are the legal ground for all these policies, should be annihilated. Turkish Penal Code should be re-evaluated.

Warfare strategies as a resolution of the Kurdish question should be abandoned and ceasefire, peace and democratic negotiation should be tried for the democratic resolution.

We are worried because of actual direction. Turkey is moving away from the path of peace and democracy.

Turkey's Peace Council is calling the public opinion throughout the world and international organisations to take side of the liberty and peace for Turkey to solve its problems in the context of universal law and democratic values.

30 November 2011/İstanbul
On behaf of Turkey's Peace Council
Hakan Tahmaz
Journalist-Writer

ENDS

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