Senza titolo 799

vogliono fare entrare la Turchia in Europa.

per anni ci hanno rotto i coglioni a noi itagliani, con la storia che avevamo il PIL, il disavanzo, la disoccupazione e chi più ne ha più ne metta, in netta DISSONANZA con i parametri europei, il mercato, la concorrenza.

ancora facciamo i clown del teatrino europeo, con le corna del cavaliere, le sue goffe imprese da casanova con le filandesi, o con fazio che nulla riesce a smuovere dalla sua poltrona di pelle umana.

intanto tedeschi e francesi hanno cominciato a fare gli itagliani e nessuno gli ha detto nulla.

adesso voglio fare entrare in europa la Turchia, dove l'opposizione viene assassinata, gli studenti pestati e torturati se contestano il regime, i curdi sono ghettizzati e trattati come gli ebrei al tempo di zio adolfo...

ma che razza di europa è questa?

certo, le sinistre e le associazioni turche per i diritti umani dicono: fateci entrare in europa così tutto questo cambierà.

ma entrare in europa non doveva essere condizionato al raggiungimento da parte del governo turco di certi standard minimi, e dico MINIMI, di democrazia?

io credo che PRIMA DEVONO ESSERE RISPETTATI GLI IMPEGNI POLITICI, DEMOCRATICI ED ECONOMICI, E SOLO POI, SE I RISULTATI SONO CONSEGUITI, QUANDO LA TURCHIA ASSOMIGLIERA' NON DICO ALLA DANIMARCA O ALL'OLANDA, MA ALMENO ALLA ROMANIA, POTRA' ENTRARE NELLA NOSTRA COMUNITA'.

Nel frattempo ci vorrebbe qualche norma che consenta di perseguire tutte le infinite violazioni dei diritti umani perpetrate allegramente nella patria di Ataturk.

Utopie? Spero di no, sono regole che devono valere per tutti, non solo per questa itaglia terrona d'europa.

 

 

TORTURA: SORPRESA!
La Commissione Europea per la prevenzione ha tolto la Turchia dalla lista dei cattivi e, guarda caso, vi ha inserito due Paesi che l'avevano criticata: Germania e Grecia.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Cpt) has removed Turkey, who had remonstrated to the world twice, from the list of countries that will be investigated for torture and added countries who had criticized Turkey this year.
Turkey, which had been accused of violating human rights in its fight against terrorism, began using the slogan of "zero tolerance for torture" to help rid it of its past record. Positive results of from recent studies are being obtained. While the Cpt announced to the world in 1992 that torture was being implemented in Turkey, it has now removed Turkey from among the list of countries that will be under investigation in 2005. The Committee runs the European Covenant on the prevention of torture. Having criticized Turkey for many years about "torture", Belgium's inclusion to the list drew widespread attention. Germany and Greece were also added to the list with accusations that people whose freedoms were taken away would be examined. The Committee will also investigate human rights violations in Hungary, Norway, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia and Ukraine along with these three prominent European countries. A letter to all related units, parliaments and prime ministries announced this development. Turkish Prime Ministry Human Rights Council (Hrc) Chairman Associate Professor Vahit Bicak said yesterday the long ago implemented zero tolerance for torture policy, has begun to show its influence.
Human rights organizations have prepared many reports on human rights developments in Turkey. The Cpt reports on Turkey gain widespread attention. The Committee, coming to prominence during the1990s, began "uninformed" visits to countries in those days. Reports were written after investigations were conducted regardless of information givenby any authority; however, they were not announced to the public interest. Continuing with these implementations until 1992, Cpt made an exception for Turkey. In a public announcement taking into consideration the developments in human rights, the Committee signed a decision after many years in favor of Turkey. The Cpt determined the countries in which investigations have been implemented for 2005 into the suffering of people lacking freedoms and excluded Turkey from the list for the first time. The decision was communicated to the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a letter.
The following topics were investigated by the Cpt during its 14 visits to Turkey: Cpt investigated claims of physical and psychological torture and bad treatment implemented by the police officers during questioning; looking at whether or not people who were arrested were able to meet with their lawyers; the planning of more technical methods; the fight against terrorism being realized through the use of torture and bad treatment; arrested people's right to demand the doctor of their preference; determination of the inquiry methods; updating cell conditions at police stations and the gendarme; training of the police on human rights and the rehabilitation of physical arrest procedures. (Edip Ali Yavuz/Zaman)
23.02.2005

 

Izmir
May 29, 1998

Torture at Manisa

As a teenage high school student in December 1995, Sema was detained from her school in Manissa with a group of 15 other young people and accused of being a member of an illegal organization. Their treatment during police custody was to become a national and international scandal, highlighting the persistent problem of torture and the inadequacy of safeguards to protect detainees from abuse. This case was particularly shocking because the victims were so young and so ordinary. Parents all over Turkey realised that this could happen to their children. The "crimes" which formed the basis of their prosecutions were so minor -- writing slogans on a wall saying, "Down with Fascism," "Long Live Brotherhood Between Peoples," No to School Fees,"-- that the common belief that the harsh treatment of detainees by the police is justiefied was shaken.

During a ten day period, the Manisa students were systematically tortured and brutalised. They were beaten, tortured with electric shocks, sexually abused and raped with police trucncheons, sprayed with high pressure cold water and forced to stand naked under air conditioning units blowing frigid air. This treatment has left them with physical and psychological wounds, but they are putting their lives back together, even as the mountatin of litigation arising from the case grinds on. Human Rights First spoke to Sema Tasar at the Human Rights Center of the Izmir Bar Association.

Interview with Sema Tasar

Human Rights First: What difference has your experience in this case made to your plans for your future?

ST: We were the victims in this and at first it was a great blow to our self- confidence. We lost our trust in everything. However, I have come to understand that if it was not for the support we received from people in Turkey and from around the world we could have been sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison, as the prosecutor demanded. This support has given me strength and encouragement.

Human Rights First: Was what happened to you a factor in your decision to go to law school?

ST: Yes, the reason this happened to us was because of lawlessness in our country. As a lawyer, I hope to be able to do something to contribute to building the rule of law in my country. I can do something.

Human Rights First: Was the support of your lawyers important to you during your ordeal?

ST: Of course. Through our lawyers, I have learned that it is possible to struggle to defend our rights through legal means. I had lost faith in the law, but through them we have seen how the law can be used to help people who have suffered great injustices.

Human Rights First: Do you think that anything good came out of your experiences?

ST: Yes, people in Turkey are now more aware of the problem of torture and they are losing their fear of speaking out. Together, we can force the authorities to punish police officers involved in torture and bring an end to this problem in our country.

Human Rights First: Were you aware of the international concern about your case, and what was its impact on you?

ST: We received letters and messages of support from people all around the world. It encouraged us a lot, and I think it helped our case. Only public concern saved us from being left in prison and forgotten about.

Visit to Manisa

Later in the day, Human Rights First traveled to Manisa with Pelin Erda, one of the leading lawyers on behalf of the victims and thier families and the sister of one of the group. In a modest private apartment in Manisa, a town set in hills about 25 miles north of Izmir, Human Rights First met with a group of four of the young people and some of their parents.

Interview with Manisa Students

Human Rights First: What lasting effects have your experiences in this case had on you?

Manisa: We cannot live as we lived before, the case has left its scars. The police are still following us and harassing us. Now they keep their distance, but we see them. When we leave our houses, we always let our families know where we are going and when we will be back. We can't sleep properly and the sound of police radios makes us terrified. Some of us have permanent medical damage. For example, two of us are still having treatment on our ears that were injured when the police spryed high pressure water into them. For a long time we had problems with going to the toilet becuase of the electric shocks and other abuse. We all lost our self-confidence.

Manisa is a small town and most people know each other. Now, people tell their children not to spend time with us because they are frightened that thier children might get into trouble too. We and our families support each other, but it is difficult.

Human Rights First: Do you have any faith left in the Turkish legal system?

Manisa: No, we don't have any faith in our legal system. We are facing the full force of the state and its mechanisms and law could not protect us. The reason that we are now free has nothing to do with legal mechanisms. Popular support made us free.

Human Rights First: If the police officers accused of torturing you are finally convicted on appeal would that restore your faith that you could obtain justice through the legal system.

Manisa: Yes, to some extent, but we also need an explanation and an apology for why this happened to us. Why we spent two and a half years in priosn for nothing. Why we were abused and tortured.

Human Rights First: What are your hopes for the future?

Manisa We hope that because of our campaign and the public atention our case has received this will never happen again. There should be no more Manisas.

Where the case stands

At a hearing in March 1998 the Manisa Penal Court acquitted police officers accused of torturing the young people. Despite overwhleming medical and other evidence, the judge ruled that the torture of the young peple had not been established. The verdict has been appealed, and the victims' lawyers continue to press for the conviction and punishment of the police.

The young people are also still facing charges, although the prosecution is now calling for them to be sentenced only to time already served in detention. The young people continue to protest their inncoence and see this continuing prosecution as an effort by the state to protect itself from claims for compensation for wrongful impriosnment.