|
Turkey: Activist Keskin sentenced for
saying "Kurdistan"
22.11.2007
|
|
|
|
Human
rights activist Eren Keskin has faced two trials for
the use of “Kurdistan”. In one proceedings were
dropped, in the second one she was sentenced.
November 22, 2007
It seems that courts are confused as to what
speeches represent “incitement to hatred and
hostility”.
Two different places, two different decrees
The Penal Court in Viransehir, province of Sanliurfa
in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey, has
convicted human rights activist and lawyer Eren
Keskin of this crime for saying,
“If we look at the state statistics on perpetrators
of sexual violence in Turkey and Kurdistan, then
soldiers are in the majority; the reason there are
so many is the war in Kurdistan.”
On the other hand the Public Prosecution in Bulanik,
province of Mus in the southeast of Turkey, dropped
proceedings against Keskin after she used the word
“Kurdistan”, arguing that “although it was
unacceptable, it consisted of a statement of
opinion”. www.ekurd.net
"Areas where Kurds are in the majority"
In Bulanik, Keskin had spoken at an event on 17
September 2006, saying:
“It is impossible to understand the Kurdish question
without coming to Kurdistan; here they see that the
PKK has become like a state, this is a reality, and
accepting that one has to try and find a solution.”
The decision to drop proceedings was justified by
saying that Keskin “used the term Kurdistan to refer
to the areas where Kurds are in the majority.”
Converted prison sentence in Viransehir
At a Culture and Arts Festival in Viransehir on 2
October 2004, former Human Rights Association (IHD)
president Keskin used the expression “Kurdistan”.
Speaking at a panel entitled “Woman, Society and
Family”, Keskin had said: “But could you display
this attitude in other places, in Istanbul, in Usak
or in Izmir? Then we call the murders there ‘honour’
killings and the murders in Kurdistan ‘custom’
killings.”
In the same talk, she said: “Because in Kurdistan
women have really always come on stage with demands”
and “they are far from the reality of Kurdistan”.
These expressions were used to justify her sentence.
On 16 October, she was sentenced to one year
imprisonment under Article 312/2 of the old Penal
Code.
Judge Hüseyin Ugurlu decreased the sentence to 10
months due to “the possible effects of the sentence
on the defendant” and, based on Article 4 of Law No.
647, converted the sentence to a fine of 3,300 YTL.
The court had decreed that the use of “Kurdistan”
“incited hatred and hostility of one social group
against another based on regional difference”.
Plans to appeal
Fatma Karakas, Keskin’s lawyer, reported that they
were informed of the decision on 20 November and
would file an appeal in the next few days. Karakas
said, “It is unacceptable in democracies that
statements which do not contain violence and which
represent an opinion are punished. In legislation on
these issues, Turkey is below international
standards.” www.ekurd.net
Kurdistan officially exists
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey. In Turkey, the term Kurdistan is a
politically-charged reference to Kurdish-majority
areas in southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan)
and northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan).
The Kurdistan regional government is recognised by
US, Iraq and in the new Iraqi Constitution, it is
referred to as Kurdistan region. The use of the term
"Kurdistan" is vigorously rejected due to its
alleged political implications by the Republic of
Turkey.
Turkey does not recognise the official Kurdistan
region in 'northern Iraq' and the regional
government of Kurdistan led by president Massoud
Barzani.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the
Kurdistan region government (KRG) and refuses to
meet with its representatives in any official
capacity. That reflects Ankara's fear that any
international respect shown to the autonomous Iraqi
Kurdistan region would only embolden Turkey's own
large Kurdish minority to seek similar home-rule
status.
bianet org | ekurd.net
Since 1991, the Kurds of Iraq achieved
self-rule in part of the country. Today's teenagers
are the first generation to grow up under Kurdish
rule. In the new Iraqi Constitution, it is referred
to as Kurdistan region. Kurdistan region has all the
trappings of an independent state -- its own
constitution, its own parliament, its own flag, its
own army, its own border, its own border patrol, its
own national anthem, its own education system, its
own International airports, even its own stamp inked
into the passports of visitors.
**
Kurds are not recognized as an official minority in
Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds, some
of whom openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media.
The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish
alphabet has led to judicial persecution in 2000 and
2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 