September 27, 1999
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PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON : AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS REFORM IN TURKEYHuman Rights First Calls for Dismissal of Charges Against 25 Lawyers
New York —On the eve of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s meeting with President Clinton, Human Rights First calls on the Evecit government to make a firm commitment to change laws that make criminals out of non-violent human rights activists and lawyers in Turkey.
"Reform measures promised and enacted by the Ecevit government will have a much greater chance of success if groups and individuals in Turkey who promote human rights are able to carry out their work free from the threat of persecution," said Neil Hicks, Senior Program Coordinator of Human Rights First. "Staff members of human rights organizations are harassed and their offices are unlawfully searched and closed down. Lawyers who represent clients associated with unpopular political causes are identified with their clients and subjected to persecution."
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s visit to Washington D.C. comes at a time when human rights reforms are high on the agenda of the Turkish government. In a communiqué issued June 25, 1999 the Prime Minister described "improving the human rights situation" as "among the priority tasks of our government." In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, which struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, public debate in Turkey quickly focussed on the need for reform to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability of government officials.
The Ecevit government has already started to make good on its promises of human rights reform, by removing military officers from judicial panels in State Security Courts, and implementing measures designed to reduce the prevalence of torture. Recently, some writers and journalists imprisoned for expressing their non-violent opinions have been released from prison. Akin Birdal, president of the Human Rights Association was released from prison on medical grounds. "These are welcome steps, but they do not resolve the basic problem that the law permits the imprisonment of those who criticize state policies on sensitive topics, like the Kurdish conflict, or the place of religion in society," added Hicks.
Human Rights First calls for charges to be dropped against 25 lawyers from the southeastern city of Diyarbakir who have been on trial since 1993 in a case which appears designed to punish them for their representation of unpopular clients.
On October 7, 1999 in Ankara, Human Rights First will hold meetings with Turkish government leaders and issue its new report, "Obstacles to Reform" at a press conference at the Grand Ankara Hotel. During the first week of October, Human Rights First will convene a series of seminars on the administration of criminal justice in Istanbul, Adana and Diyarbakir for Turkish and American judges, lawyers and prosecutors.