Kurdish News #19 - August 1995

[kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu]

From: kcc at magi.com (Kurdistan Committee of Canada)

Kurdish News
A Monthly Publication Of The Kurdistan Committee Of Canada
Number 19 - August 1995

Index:

1) 10,000 Prisoners Of War Have Begun Hungerstrike In Turkey
2) An Open Letter
3) ARGK Statement Concerning The Latest Turkish Incursion Into
   South Kurdistan
4) Hundreds Of People Detained In Ankara
5) From Weakness To Resistance: A Portrait Of Leyla Zana
6) Women Parliamentarians Support Leyla Zana
7) The Kurdish People Will Have Victory With Dignity And Pride
8) Hungerstrike Updates
9) Huge Funeral Procession In Berlin

1) 10,000 Prisoners Of War Have Begun Hungerstrike In Turkey 
Press Release #1 - July 14, 1995

     Since July 14, 1995, more than 10,000 Prisoners of War from
Kurdistan have started an indefinite hungerstrike in Turkish
prisons, using the only weapon they have, their bodies, to fight
against the barbaric colonialist war of the Turkish regime and to
struggle for peace for the Turkish and Kurdish peoples so as to
put an end to the suffering of millions of people as fast as
possible.
     The hungerstrikers have made the following demands:

1.   In order to reach a political solution, calls made by PKK
leader Abdullah Ocalan for a dialogue must be supported and
encouraged.

2.   Geneva Convention regulations covering combatants must be
observed and enforced in Kurdistan.

3.   Killing of civilians, summary executions, torture in
prisons, and the burning of villages must come to an end.

4.   All war prisoners in jails must be classified as POWs.  

5.   All military operations designed to destroy our people must
be stopped.

6.   Under the auspices of the UN and the Red Cross, committees
must be formed and sent to monitor the war in Kurdistan and
prison conditions.

     Although the Turkish state is signatory to the Geneva
Convention, it has never taken these obligations seriously or
abided by these regulations in its war in Kurdistan. Western
states, aware of this fact, never thought to warn Turkey
concerning this Convention nor urge it to abide by the
regulations.
     Confronting this reality, the 10,000 hungerstrikers have
begun their actions and are determined not to stop them unless
their demands are met.

Further information concerning this action may be received from
the Solidarity Bureau in Brussels, Belgium at telephone +322-230-
9239 or fax +322-230-9208.

2) An Open Letter

To: The United Nations, The Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), The International Red Cross, The
Council of Europe, The European Parliament, The European Union,
and Amnesty International.

     The United Nations and its affiliates, having the
responsibility for the peaceful coexistence of the peoples of the
world, are no doubt aware of the circumstances in our homeland,
Kurdistan. We, the Kurdish people, as responsible members of the
world community, wish to be treated fairly. We see you as a voice
of responsibility and reason and hence are making this
announcement to you as we do with various worldwide
organizations. Our people, having been denied status even as a
colonized people, before the eyes of the United Nations is left
to annihilation by this century's most vicious and barbaric
regimes. What Saddam saw fit to bring upon the Kurdish people has
not yet left our conscience. Today, a similar savagery is being
planned and executed by the Turkish regime in Kurdish lands. Our
settlements are being destroyed, forests burnt, and all of our
land is being systematically deprive of all life. Our people are
being stripped forcibly from their lands and are condemned to
die. Millions of our people are fighting disease and starvation
as they flee their homeland. For those who migrate to the
metropolitan areas, hunger, unemployment, and "mystery killings"
are new realities. Each day, new attacks are added to the special
teams and contra-guerrilla savagery. Even the dead are not exempt
from the torture which is rooted in racism and fascist
aggression. Today's realities include the rape of young and old
women, houses burnt, and villages destroyed. It is impossible to
speak of human rights while a people, its culture, its language,
and its history are being denied and systematically destroyed.
While the whole world watches in silence, we cannot accept the
death sentences being served upon our people.
     The Kurdish national liberation movement, under the
leadership of the PKK, represents vast portions of Kurdish
society and is taking shape with great difficulty and pains. This
movement has proven that despite incredible odds, our people,
having begun their liberation, will not rest until they are free. 
     Common values which enhance people's security and peace must
be supported throughout our region. We believe our people are
contributing to this endeavour. We ask all organizations,
including yours, to show greater sensitivity towards the wishes
of our people. Especially since the spring of 1995, the dirty war
aimed at exterminating our people rages unabated, despite the
calls for a cease-fire issued by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.     
We are 10,000 war prisoners. In order to call attention to the
suffering in our homeland, we shall begin an indefinite
hungerstrike on July 14, 1995.
     We shall continue our resistance until serious steps are
taken to remedy our concerns outlined below. We display our
personal gift of life to underline our people's right to live. We
hope and wish for change with this moderate step in our people's
resistance.

We seek the following:

1.   In order to reach a political solution, calls made by PKK
leader Abdullah Ocalan for a dialogue must be supported and
encouraged.

2.   Geneva Convention regulations covering combatants must be
observed and enforced in Kurdistan.

3.   Killing of civilians, summary executions, torture in
prisons, and the burning of villages must come to an end.

4.   All war prisoners in jails must be classified as POWs.  

5.   All military operations designed to destroy our people must
be stopped. 

6.   Under the auspices of the UN and the Red Cross, committees
must be formed and sent to monitor the war in Kurdistan and
prison conditions. 

     This dirty war, and all killings, can be stopped by common
and cohesive action. We believe not in war but in an honourable
peace. We hope that you share our views and desires and we
appreciate your understanding. 

10,000 Prisoners of War from Kurdistan and Turkey
July 14, 1995

3) ARGK Statement Concerning The Latest Turkish Incursion Into
South Kurdistan

     The latest military incursion of the Turkish army into South
Kurdistan (northern Iraq) is, in fact, not a new development. The
area around the Iraqi border and the Zagros region (where the
borders of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey meet) has been a constant area
of conflict for a long time now. During the course of this
conflict, the Turkish military authorities have had to evacuate 4
military bases and some village guard settlements and has
attempted to centralize them in so-called "strategic villages".
Having lost control in this region, the Turkish authorities are
now finding it impossible to get village guard militias to
participate in military operations and fear they may turn against
them.
     Therefore, the Turkish army has concentrated its forces in
certain areas which are now coming under guerrilla attacks. The
latest military operation is an attempt to prevent guerrilla
attacks on the remaining bases. The areas on the side of the
Iraqi border that have been targeted are those areas that could
be used for launching attacks on these bases. Clashes over the
last few days have occurred all along the border as far as
Xankurke and have been concentrated in the Gerdi region. The
first Turkish units were ambushed and the Turkish forces have
been attempting to reach Avashin and Munzuri for 4 days now. They
have suffered heavy casualties and succeeded in getting as far as
Miroz, an area controlled by Barzani's forces. 7 villages in the
area have been bombarded and villagers have been massacred on the
orders of the 'Cevik' headquarters. We heard the order being
given over walkie-talkie and we heard that it had been carried
out, but we have not yet confirmed this.
     There have also been clashes in the border region around
Cukurca. The Turkish forces have been unable to advance from this
area. East of Cukurca there have also been clashes around Mt.
Cilo and the Turkish forces have advanced into Iraqi territory in
the Burcela area, but they have not been able to advance very
far.
     During these clashes, we have lost a total of 3 guerillas
with another 7 slightly wounded. Turkish army casualties are in
the hundreds. Our forces have seized many weapons.
     The enemy is prepared to suffer these casualties solely in
order to protect their limited forces in the area, for unless
they do this it will be impossible for them to defend these
targets. They are endeavouring to prevent us from carrying out
our plans. We are aware of this and yesterday they themselves
admitted as much.
     The enemy is also trying to conceal the reality in the
region by waging a psychological war to make it seem like they
are able to carry out such operations. In reality, they are not
in a position to advance very far. They now only have 4
battalions in the Cukurca area, 1 in Gerdi, and several in Gewer.
This summer we will attack and destroy these targets. The enemy,
aware of our intentions, is endeavouring to prolong the existence
of these bases by going on the offensive.
     Our forces, however, are prepared and we are intensifying
our activities. We have plans to defeat the efforts of the enemy
and we are determined to carry out our objective of destroying
the Turkish bases in the area, thereby establishing our authority
over an extensive area. This is our goal for the summer. We will
not accept anything less.

People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan (ARGK)
July 7, 1995

4) Hundreds Of People Detained In Ankara

     A total of 244 people, including 2 children, were detained
in Ankara on July 6. Among those detained were Yavuz Onen,
President of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey and Chairman
of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects,
Husnu Ondul, Secretary General of the Human Rights Association
(IHD), Nazmi Gur, Vice Secretary General of IHD, and Sirri Sakik,
former Democracy Party (DEP) Member of Parliament. Out of the
detainees, Husnu Ondul was released on the evening of July 6, and
Yavuz Onen and Nazmi Gur were released on the evening of July 7.
Sirri Sakik and the remaining 240 people are still in police
custody.
     The incident took place during the trial launched against
leaders of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). HADEP Vice
Chairpersons Sahabettin Ozarslaner and Hikmet Fidan, HADEP Vice
Secretary General Seyhmus Cagro, and Ferhan Turk, one of the
administrators of the HADEP Ankara Provincial Organization, are
all facing 15 years in prison on charges of being members of the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). This trial started in Ankara State
Security Court on July 6.
     At the first hearing of the trial, persons wishing to
observe the proceedings were not allowed to enter the court. Some
people then protested by starting to clap their hands and the
defence attorneys walked out of the hearing room. Then, Nusret
Demiral, Chief Prosecutor of the Ankara State Security Court,
ordered that everyone be arrested, including the lawyers. Upon
the orders of the prosecutor, 244 persons were arrested. The
detainees were then taken by police buses to the sports hall of
the Ankara Security Directorate. Except for the three men
released, the prosecutor has asked that all 241 people be
detained until at least July 12.
     Mr. Onen, President of the Human Rights Foundation of
Turkey, had this to say about the incident: "A total of 244
people were detained on the orders of the State Security Court
prosecutor. The detainees were divided into four groups and were
interrogated. I was interrogated twice. During the interrogation,
4 women were beaten. We were kept in abnormal conditions. Our
group was taken to the Narcotics Branch. The cells were not open,
so we had to stay on the concrete floor in the hall. Besides,
nobody met the needs of the detainees. Me and Nazmi were released
on the condition that we appear before the State Security Court
on July 12. I can say that this detention was truly an arbitrary
one."
     The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey and the Union of
Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects call upon the
Turkish government to release the detainees immediately, and we
call upon the international public and all democratic
organizations to be aware of these events. We invite you to join
in our struggle for democracy in our country and to protest with
us against this violation of human rights. 

Turkiye Insan Haklari Vakfi/Human Rights Foundation of Turkey 
July 7, 1995

5) From Weakness To Resistance: A Portrait Of Leyla Zana
 
     Not long after she was sentenced to prison, Leyla Zana was
honoured with several international peace prizes. She was given
the Rosa Prize from Denmark, the Aachen Alternative Peace Prize,
and the Rafto Association's Peace Prize from Norway, and most
recently she was awarded the Bruno Kreisky Peace Prize from
Austria. In addition to all of this, Norway has nominated her for
the Nobel Peace Prize. Who is Leyla Zana, and why have so many
people across the world given her so many prizes in such a short
period of time?
     Leyla Zana, who is known well beyond the borders of Turkey
and Kurdistan, and who has been imprisoned in Ankara since March
1994, caused quite a sensation when she was elected to the
Turkish Parliament in 1991 and, along with her male colleague
Hatip Dicle, added a referenced to "Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood"
in her inaugural oath. For the first time since the founding of
the Turkish Republic, someone dared to speak in the Kurdish
language before the eyes of watching Members of Parliament and TV
viewers. And in yet another first, she took hear inaugural oath
wearing the Kurdish national colours, red, green, and yellow.     
Together with her other colleagues from the Democracy Party
(DEP), Leyla Zana attempted to deal with the Kurdish problem at
the political level. She made it her task to make the Kurdish
question an issue in the Turkish Parliament. But she knew from
day one that this would be a very difficult task. Would a
Parliament that did not even allow people to wear the Kurdish
national colours allow a discussion of the situation of the
Kurds? It was a heavy task which this young MP took on. Where did
she get so much courage?
     A close examination will reveal that the life and personal
development of Leyla Zana closely mirrors that of the uprising of
the Kurdish people; a sort of microcosm of the entire Kurdish
resistance movement. The will for social and personal freedom was
the basis for her activities. It was this resistance throughout
her entire life that made it possible for her to fight to change
the present conditions.
     The female gender in the village of Bahce, where Leyla Zana
was born in 1961, had very little to do and was supposed to stay
hidden. But Leyla was never easy to control and she rebelled even
then. Before her wedding, she had never worn a head garment, and
even then she only wore it for a short time. She didn't seem too
concerned when everyone thought she was crazy for tossing the
head garment on the ground. She was just 14 years old in 1975
when she was forced to marry her father's cousin, a man 20 years
older than she. Even when she reacted angrily to the idea of this
marriage and beat her father with her fists, something no other
Kurdish girl would surely ever do, she still had an amazingly
clear analysis of her situation: "I don't blame my family or my
husband, rather I blame the social conditions. These must be
changed."
     The possibilities for changing both personal and social
conditions actually improved after her marriage to Mehdi Zana, an
active Kurd. It was through him that Leyla first encountered
state repression, and this was what politicized her.
     In 1976, Leyla went with her husband to Diyarbakir and soon
the illiterate woman, still only 15, gave birth to a son. The
following year, her husband was elected Mayor of Diyarbakir.
After the 1980 military coup, Mehdi Zana was arrested and
sentenced to 30 years in prison. Leyla Zana was now a young,
single mother, her son Ronay was 5 and she was pregnant with her
daughter Ruken. Whereas before she had been heavily influenced by
her relatives, now she was forced "to think for myself and act
for myself". During the next few years, she followed her husband
from prison to prison, from Diyarbakir to Aydin, from Afyon to
Askisehir. While doing so, she learned to speak Turkish so that
she could be more effective outside the prisons, and she even
managed to study on her own. In Diyarbakir, she became the first
woman ever to get a high school diploma without ever attending
school. She eventually became the spokesperson for all the women
who were waiting for their husbands in prison and her personal
authority continued to grow. In the 1980s, she was active in
promoting women's self-organization and she founded and chaired a
women's group which eventually opened offices in Istanbul and
Diyarbakir. She also became active as a journalist for 'Yeni
Ulke', eventually becoming editor at the Diyarbakir office. These
and many other examples clearly show that her personal
development was virtually synonymous with the development of the
Kurdish liberation struggle, and this culminated with her
candidacy for Parliament in the 1991 elections.
     Leyla Zana was the first Kurdish woman ever elected to the
Turkish Parliament. She received 45,000 votes in her district in
Diyarbakir, more than any other candidate. After her election,
she moved to Ankara. Her incredible energy and courageous actions
on behalf of the 16 million Kurds in Turkey made her famous
throughout the entire country: hungerstrike to protest army
attacks on the Kurdish New Year festival 'Newroz'; funeral march
for a leading Kurdish politician, whose murdered body had been
found near a beach; countless visits to families who had been
victims of state violence and who had been deprived of their
means for existence.
     Leyla Zana, who has been in prison in Ankara for more than
15 months now, has become a symbol for the Kurdish resistance.
Her life and her fate are directly tied to the fate of the
Kurdish people. In Leyla Zana's own words: "Freedom has its
price." And she is prepared to pay it. It was predictable that
she would one day end up in prison, and she was prepared for
this. The important thing is that she is helping to solve the
problems of the Kurdish people.
     Immediately after being sentenced to prison, Leyla Zana was
showered with several international peace awards, and the
Norwegian Parliament has nominated her for this year's Nobel
Peace Prize. Her struggle, therefore, is no longer confined to
the borders of Kurdistan, rather hers is an international
struggle, one which is increasing in international resonance with
each passing day.
     In a recent interview, a spokesperson for the Bruno Kreisky
Association, Stefan August, answered the question as to why Leyla
Zana had been awarded the association's Peace Prize that year:
"We nominated Leyla Zana as a candidate to the independent jury.
We clearly explained the situation in both Turkey and Kurdistan.
The development of the struggle in Kurdistan has meant that not
only Austria has closely followed the events, but all the
countries of Europe have been able to see things unfold from very
close by. The discussion about Turkey's acceptance into the
Customs Union and Austria's ties to Turkey motivated our
decision. The lifting of the immunity of the DEP parliamentarians
and the verdict of Turkey's State Security Court, which
functioned as a special court for this trial, clearly revealed
Turkey's attitude with respect to the Kurdish question. We think
this is a serious situation. When we look at the Kurdish question
in its historical context, we think also of Africa or Russia.
This is a fundamental problem. That's why we made our decision
the way we did...Leyla Zana was awarded our prize for human
rights achievements as a representative of all the imprisoned DEP
parliamentarians."
     Norway gave the following reason for nominating Leyla Zana
for the Nobel Peace Prize: "Leyla Zana carried out courageous
politics in the interest of democratic rights for the Kurdish
people and for human rights. If she were not brave then she would
not have struggled to end this war and to find a peaceful
solution to the problem. The Turkish government put Leyla Zana
and her colleagues in prison illegally. We, as representatives of
the Norwegian people, would like to see Leyla Zana awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize, because in that way we could show solidarity
with their struggle for peace and democracy."

July 1995
Kurdistan Informations-Zentrum
Cologne, Germany

6) Women Parliamentarians Support Leyla Zana

The 4th Annual Parliamentary session of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was held in Ottawa,
Canada from July 4-8, 1995. At this meeting, a Green Member of
Parliament from Finland, Tuija Maaret Pykalainen, distributed a
petition during the women's caucus which called for the immediate
release of Leyla Zana from prison. This petition was signed by
nearly all the women delegates present at the caucus. 

Appeal To The Turkish Government From Members Of The OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly

July 6, 1995

     We, as Members of Parliament from a variety of nations, and
as women, are concerned about the fate of a fellow woman Member
of Parliament from Turkey, Leyla Zana. Mrs. Zana was duly elected
to the Turkish Grand National Assembly in October 1991. She was
arrested in March 1994 and charged with "high treason". The
Prosecutor asked for the death penalty, but she and five other
Members of Parliament were sentenced to prison. Leyla Zana
herself was given a sentence of 15 years. Her only crime was
being a Kurd and speaking out in the Turkish Parliament for the
rights of the Kurdish people.
     An OSCE Parliamentary Delegation visited Leyla Zana in
prison during its visit to Turkey from May 1-6 of this year. This
OSCE Delegation has called for the immediate release of the
imprisoned Kurdish Members of Parliament, perhaps by means of an
amnesty.
     We would like to support this call for the release of the
MPs imprisoned in Turkey, in particular our colleague Leyla Zana. 
Sincerely,
                                                                  
Women delegates to the 4th OSCE Parliamentary Assembly: 

-Ms. Tuija Maaret Pykalainen, MP, Finland
-Ms. Kaisa Maria Aula, MP, Finland
-Mrs. Maija Perho-Santala, MP, Finland
-Mrs. Elena B. Mizulina, MP, Russia
-Mrs. Maria Gaidash, MP, Russia
-Ms. Nina Markovsky, MP, Ukraine
-Mrs. Lili Nabholz, MP, Switzerland
-Mrs. Feroniki Tzavella, MP, Greece
-Mrs. Paddy Torsney, MP, Canada
-Mrs. Anne-Marie Lizin, MP, Belgium
-Mrs. Josi Meier, MP, Switzerland
-Mrs. Edith Haller, MP, Austria
-Mrs. Kristina Svensson, MP, Sweden
-Mrs. Dorota Simonides, MP, Poland
-Mrs. Maud Bjornemalm, MP, Sweden
-Mrs. Karin Wegestal, MP, Sweden
-Mrs. Helle Degn, MP, Denmark
-Ms. Bjorg Hope Galtung, MP, Norway
-Ms. Kirsti Kolle Groendahl, MP, Norway
-Mrs. Helena Nilsson, MP, Sweden
-Ms. Katrin Fuchs, MP, Germany

7) The Kurdish People Will Have Victory With Dignity And Pride    

     On July 25, 1995 Kani Yilmaz, European representative of the
ERNK, appeared in court for the fourth and final extradition
hearing at Belmarsh Magistrates Court. Kani has been confined to
Belmarsh Prison in South East London as a 'Category A' prisoner
since January, following his October 26, 1994 arrest by the
Special Branch outside Westminster tube station. Initially on his
way to address MPs and peers on a political solution to the
Kurdish question, and having previously entered Britain numerous
times unhindered, Kani soon found himself facing deportation on
supposed 'national security' grounds. On November 10, 1994 an
extradition request was made by the German government for
offences connected with Kani's membership in the PKK and related
activities. Having committed no crime, Kani, like many Kurds
before him, has faced torture and persecution at the hands of the
Turkish state for simply advocating civil and human rights for
the Kurdish people. Now, he languishes in a British prison under
a justice system and security service which has aligned itself
with Turkish state fascism.
     Since the arrest of Kani Yilmaz, the campaign for his
release and for a halt to the criminalisation of the Kurds in
Britain and Europe has gathered momentum. On July 14, 10,000
prisoners of war from Kurdistan went on indefinite hungerstrikes
in Turkish prisons in resistance to Turkey's escalation of the
war in Kurdistan and have demanded a negotiated political
solution to the Kurdish question. Solidarity hungerstrikes were
started on July 20 in cities all over the world including Berlin,
Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva, Stockholm, The Hague, Athens, and
Washington DC. In London, Kurdish people are presently on
hungerstrike outside Westminster Cathedral in Victoria Street. On
July 25, Kani himself commenced a hungerstrike in solidarity with
the Kurdish people.
     On the day of July 25, a picket and demonstration was held
in London at Kani Yilmaz's committal hearing to bring the Kurdish
question into the public eye and to continue the campaign for
Kani's release. 2,000 Kurds and their supporters, including the
hungerstrikers, were present on the day. At noon, an
overwhelmingly heavy riot police presence were on the scene as
protesters participated in traditional Kurdish dances and
listened to a variety of speeches. A few hours later an
announcement was made that Kani Yilmaz was to be deported. This
was returned by strong silence and an atmosphere of disbelief,
then the protest returned to Westminster Cathedral to bring the
situation of the Kurds in Turkey into focus. At this point a
sit-down protest took place, followed by a continuation of the
march which would have continued if not for the riot police who
formed a line against the confused demonstrators and Kurdish
families, lashing out against them with truncheons. Following
this sustained attack, enraged marchers fought back with sticks
and bottles. Running battles continued until police effectively
fenced-in the entire demonstration. Close to midnight, the
protesters dispersed themselves into the underground subway. The
press later claimed that 12 police were injured in the melee,
while downplaying the casualties on the demonstrators' side which
included a young woman and hungerstriker who had her leg broken
in several places by police batons. Considering the nature of the
demonstrators, who by and large restrained themselves against
police forces which from the outset sought to menace any display
of Kurdish protest, it seems quite hard to believe statements
from the police who claim that the Kurds had planned the
violence. One officer claimed his partner had been "stabbed in
the chest", while another claims to have caught demonstrators in
the possession of petrol bombs. None of these claims actually
came to ground.
     For the Kurds, Turkish state fascism has again shown its
interests met by the hands of the British authorities. An extract
from Abdullah Ocalan, PKK chairman, to the people of Britain
reads: "Our British friends must raise their voice to stop the
killings which are ten times worse than Saddam's atrocities
across the border. There was only one Halabja in Iraqi Kurdistan
but in Turkey, the whole southeast is becoming one enormous
Halabja. This war is worse than Chechnya, yet it is being
ignored. Can you possibly justify these double standards?"  
Yesterday Vietnam, Today Kurdistan!
Yesterday Hitler, Today Ciller!
Release Kani Yilmaz - Victory to the Honourable Kurdish Struggle! 
 
London, England - July 28, 1995
Written by a comrade from Arm The Spirit

8) Hungerstrike Updates

---
Press Release #4 - July 24, 1995

In Paris, Police Trap 300 Hungerstrikers In St. Eustache

     Since authorities in Paris would not grant the Kurdish
hungerstrikers any appropriate location for their event, they
commenced their event in the Kurdish community centre in Paris.
After police attempts to disturb their action, the 300
participants headed for the centrally-located church of St.
Eustache. They held a meeting there declaring the church the new
location of the hungerstrike. Police forces reacted by assaulting
the house of prayer and blocking all the exits. Several hundred
supporters of the strike protesting against the trapping of the
hungerstrikers clashed with police and a French journalist was
wounded. When the police stopped trapping the hungerstrikers at
11:00 PM, the crowd held a spontaneous rally through the streets
of Paris.

In London, Police Provoke Hungerstrikers

     The London hungerstrike became a target of provocations by
the British police. However, the many attempts to escalate the
situation did not succeed due to the high morale of the
hungerstrikers. A spokesperson for the London Hungerstrike
Committee stated that the provocations must be seen in context
with the trial of National Liberation Front of Kurdistan (ERNK)
representative Kani Yilmaz after 9 months of detention in
Belmarsh prison.

In Frankfurt, Church Opens Gates While Police Attack Kurds  

     The hungerstrike of about 250 Kurds in Frankfurt enjoys
growing public response after having been outlawed initially.
Representatives of the University Students Parliament, a Tamil
organization, the Church of Unification, and the German Communist
Party (DKP) held speeches at the location. Meanwhile, police
tried to rip down flags of the ERNK and pictures of Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, attacking the
participants four times.
     In a press release, Father Dr. Stoodt of the neighboring
Katharinenkirche declared that he would open the gates of his
church to give shelter to the hungerstrikers. Today, Members of
Parliament will have a discussion at the location on "the German
state's hostile policies towards the Kurds".

The Hague: Members of the Kurdistan Parliament in Exile, founded
in April, visited the hungerstrikers. Ali Yigit, MP and
Nizamettin Toguc, MP declared that the Parliament would always
approve of and support actions like this hungerstrike. Further,
they stated that Turkey must immediately respect the Geneva
Conventions and answer the appeals of the Kurdish side. There was
no other way to go, they said.

Geneva: A hungerstrike commenced by 80 persons on July 21. The
local Hungerstrike Committee announced a press conference. 
Berlin: The hungerstrike event on the central Kurfurstendamm
enjoys broad response. Except police confiscating materials on
Kurdistan, the event was calm. 

---
Press Release #5 - July 24, 1995

The Hague: A group of Dutch supporters held a vigil at the
location of the hungerstrike on the 22nd. On the 23rd, the
European spokesperson for the National Liberation Front of
Kurdistan (ERNK), Ali Sapan, gave a speech at the location and
stressed the historical importance of the 14th of July, the
anniversary of the prison resistance of 1982. On that day,
Kurdish political prisoners in the military prison in Diyarbakir
started a hungerstrike to the death in order to protest against
torture and ill-treatment in the prisons. This fast until death,
which cost 4 people their lives, was a central event in the birth
of the national liberation movement of Kurdistan, Sapan stated.
He pointed out that this year's protest action, which began in
the prisons, has spread out not only across the metropoles of
Turkey and Kurdistan but all over Europe and other continents as
well. Today, the Turkish government has lost in terms of economy
and politics, he said. Also, several Alevi associations visited
the location of the hungerstrike.

Rochester: In a prison in the British town of Rochester, 69
prisoners have started a hungerstrike in solidarity with the
10,000 Prisoners of War from Kurdistan on July 20. This group
consists of 31 Bosnians, 15 Rumanians, 12 Indians, 8 Pakistanis,
1 Arab, 1 person from Zaire, and 1 Turkish prisoner.

Washington: Remzi Kartal, member of the Executive Council of the
Kurdistan Parliament in Exile, opened this hungerstrike on July
20. He stated that the 12 hungerstrikers were not alone in their
convictions, but rather were together with more than 10,000
people across the world. The interest of the American public as
well as the Kurdish population in exile in America in the
hungerstrike and its backgrounds in growing. 

Geneva: A delegation of scholars attending a historical congress
in Lausanne visited the location of the hungerstrike and
expressed their support for the demands brought forth. 
The latest figures for the solidarity hungerstrikes:

Stockholm 100
The Hague 150
Paris 300
London 70
Athens 50
Washington 12
Geneva 80
Moscow 70
Frankfurt 300
Berlin 200
Rochester 69

---
Press Release #6 - July 24, 1995

PKK Prisoner of War Fesih Beyazcicek Ended His Life In Yozgurt
Prison

     Today's events in Yozgurt prison are an example of the way
Turkey treats the Kurds. The Prisoner of War Fesih Beyazcicek
from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), born in Bitlis-Guroymak,
fell seriously ill after the hungerstrike in Yozgurt had been
commenced by 170 prisoners from the PKK, DHKP-C, TKP-L, MLKP-K,
and TKP-ML on July 14. However, he was transferred to a medical
station much too late, fellow prisoners stated. Beyazcicek died
because medical aid had been refused to him by the prison guards
for too long.
     Beyazcicek was arrested in March 1994 when security forces
accused him of "distributing propaganda for the PKK" at the
Kurdish new year's celebration Newroz. He probably would have
been released in 20 days.
     In face of these events, the Bureau for Solidarity with the
Hungerstrike of the 10,000 Prisoners of War reiterates its appeal
to the media, democratic organizations and institutions, and the
progressive public to pay adequate attention to the dirty war in
Kurdistan and to contribute to the fulfilling of the demands made
by the 10,000 Prisoners of War.
     These demands are:

1.   In order to reach a political solution, calls made by PKK
leader Abdullah Ocalan for a dialogue must be supported and
encouraged.

2.   Geneva Convention regulations covering combatants must be
observed and enforced in Kurdistan.

3.   Killing of civilians, summary executions, torture in
prisons, and the burning of villages must come to an end.

4.   All war prisoners in jails must be classified as POWs.  

5.   All military operations designed to destroy our people must
be stopped. 

6.   Under the auspices of the UN and the Red Cross, committees
must be formed and sent to monitor the war in Kurdistan and
prison conditions. 

----
Press Release #8 - July 27, 1995

In Istanbul, Families Of Prisoners March On Galatasaray

     The families of Prisoners of War, who are themselves on
hungerstrike in Baheieviler, rallied in Istanbul on July 23.
Despite massive hindrances from the security forces, they were
able to achieve their aim by having a sit-down strike until the
security forces let them march to the headquarters of the United
Socialist Party (BSP) in Galatasaray. The families sent petition
telegrams to several Turkish ministers and to organizations and
associations from the post office in Galatasaray. About 1,000
members of the "Association for Solidarity with the Families of
the Prisoners" also sent telegrams from there at night to the
United Nations, the Red Cross, various international human rights
organizations, the Turkish National Council, and to President
Demirel.

In South Kurdistan, Broad Support For The Demands Of The
Prisoners Awakes 

     Meanwhile, in South Kurdistan, a number of parties have
expressed their support for the hungerstrikers and their demands,
among them the Kurdistan Independent Workers Party, the National
Democratic Association of Kurdistan, the Kurdish Labour Party of
Iraq, Kurdistan Workers Struggle, the Democratic Party of Iran,
the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-Iran), and the KDP-Iran
Revolutionary Leadership, and others. 

Wave Of Hungerstrikes Across Kurdistan And Turkey

     The hungerstrikes by relatives of the Prisoners of War in
the offices of the Peoples Democracy Party (HADEP) in Adana,
Seyhan, and Yuregir suffer from a lack of space. HADEP has issued
an appeal calling on democratic organizations to open their
premises to the hungerstrikers. As the number of hungerstrikers
was growing daily, there was an acute lack of space in the
offices of the party.
     Meanwhile, hungerstrikes have also started in the HADEP
offices in Mersin and Hatay. The HADEP office in Diyarbakir must
turn away new participants, since there are already 100 PKK
relatives there who have been fasting since July 18. According to
the latest news, the hungerstrike in Antalya which started on
July 22 is being threatened by security forces. The building is
surrounded and visitors are refused entry and taken to the police
station. HADEP spokesperson Murat Yucel has stated that this
repression is the result of the unease felt by the police because
of the ongoing hungerstrike and the many visitors to the office.
The party has condemned the police action.

Urfa: 16 women Prisoners of War from the PKK are boycotting their
court hearings. They must be brought to court by force now. In a
statement, the hungerstrikers explained that prior to the boycott
they hadn't been taken to court because transport costs were
deemed too high. Only since the strike began have they been
dragged to court by force. The boycott will continue, they said. 
Ankara: The detainees in Merkes Kapali prison in Ankara are also
boycotting their trials. Since the beginning of the hungerstrike,
paramilitary gendarmes have been deployed instead of the normal
prison guards. Security measures have been increased, such as the
installation of additional iron bars. Because the gendarmes are
also present during visits, these are boycotted as well.

Mersin: The Human Rights Association (IHD) has published a
statement saying that they would like to mediate in talks between
the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Turkish government in
order to see the demands of the war prisoners fulfilled. As the
IHD are concerned about the health of the hungerstrikers, the
statement said it would conduct every possible mediating function
necessary. The war is no solution, so both sides must sit down at
a round table in order to avoid further bloodshed. 

---
Kurdish Woman Hungerstriker Killed By Police In Berlin

(The Toronto Star, July 28, 1995)

Hunger Strike Claims Kurd, 41

Activists in Germany press for end of war

     Bonn, Germany - A woman on a hungerstrike died in Berlin
yesterday amid a wave of protests and attacks on Turkish
properties in Germany that police have linked to Kurdish
activists. Police said the dead woman was among a group of
several hundred Kurds in Germany showing solidarity with
imprisoned members of the separtist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
in Turkey.
     A Belgian-based Kurdish organization, in a statement
distributed in Germany, named the dead woman as Gulnaz Bagiztani,
41, and said she had been on the hungerstrike for eight days.
Imprisoned PKK members, who are fighting an 11-year battle for
independence or autonomy in southeast Turkey, started the hunger
strike on July 14 to demand Ankara open talks to end the war.
Ankara has not yet responded to the hungerstrike.
     The pro-Kurdish newspaper Yeni Politika said hundreds of
Kurds in Europe were also on sympathy hungerstrikes or had
occupied buildings in support. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people in
22 Turkish jails joined the hungerstrike, the Human Rights
Association of Turkey said. Turkish Kurds in Germany and Britain
have protested over various Kurdish issues this week.
     Police detained about 80 Kurds in Frankfurt as they broke up
a week-long vigil for displaying the symbols of the PKK, which is
banned in Germany for extremism. Eight Turkish properties were
firebombed during the night in Germany. It was the third
consecutive night of such attacks, and police said some of the
incidents were the work of the PKK. Prosecutors in the
south-western city of Stuttgart said police had detained five
suspects after a firebombing in the town of Villingen Schweningen
took the total of such attacks in the area in the last three days
to 12. Two Kurds made confessions that indicated "the majority or
all of the attacks were probably masterminded by the banned
Kurdistan Workers Party", a police spokesperson said.
     Interior Minister Manfred Kanther called on Kurds living in
Germany not to support political extremists. "We must proceed
against PKK terror with resolve and determination", he said in a
statement.
     Stuttgart investigators have linked some of the attacks to
the planned extradition to Germany from Britain of PKK member
Kani Yilmaz, who has been given 14 days to return to Germany.
Bonn is seeking Yilmaz on suspicion of helping to organize, as
European head of the PKK, the series of Europe-wide attacks on
Turkish properties in 1993 and 1994 that led to the banning of
the PKK in Germany.

---
Press Release #10 - July 28, 1995

Berlin: After the death of Gulnaz Bagiztani in Berlin, more than
1,000 Kurdish people have gathered in the Kurdistan House where
the hungerstrike is continued. The husband of the fallen Gulnaz
Bagiztani held a speech in front of the crowd. Police surrounded
the building but did not attack because of the death. One of two
arrested persons has been released in the meantime.

Frankfurt: Following the police attacks and break-up of the
hungerstrike, a new group of 60 hungerstrikers has formed on July
27. It increased to 300 persons in the evening and was then again
subjected to police assaults resulting in serious clashes. During
a demonstration in the city centre, several shops were damaged. 
Dusseldorf: Nine Alevi community centres in Germany have
expressed their support for the hungerstrike by the Prisoners of
War. Their members will go on hungerstrike on July 28 at 3:00 PM
in the Alevi Pir House of Culture in Dusseldorf in order to
protest against the dirty war in Turkey and to stop the
bloodshed.

Geneva: The strike continues with high motivation and broad
support, most recently expressed by the group LIDLIP and the
International Association of Democratic Youth. 
Paris: The hungerstrike by 103 participants including 40 women
was attended to by delegations of the International Medical
Association, the Red Cross, and the group New Human Rights.
Furthermore, the Federation of Institutions for Human Rights
(FIDH), France Liberte, the Socialist Party, and the Organization
of Political Prisoners have called the strike a positive step
towards a political dialogue.

Stockholm: Talks with the Middle East regional officer of the
International Red Cross resulted in a promise to involve the
Scandanavian Red Cross committees in medical care for the
hungerstrikers and to distribute the demands of the PKK Prisoners
of War. A representative of the Internationalist Social
Democratic Party, Conny Fredrikson, offered to mediate in talks
between Ocalan and officials of the Turkish state. 

Breda: In a refugee camp in the Dutch town of Gilse near Breda,
20 Kurdish refugees began a hungerstrike on July 23 after the
warden refused to let them participate in the central
hungerstrike in The Hague.

9) Huge Funeral Procession In Berlin

     On August 1, 1995, there was a massive funeral procession to
honor Gulnaz Bagiztani, a Kurdish mother of five who was killed
in a police attack on Kurdish hungerstrikers in Berlin. According
to the KURD-A news agency, around 35,000 people marched through
Berlin waving flags of the outlawed National Liberation Front of
Kurdistan (ERNK) and pictures of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Kurds in Germany have vowed to continue their hungerstrikes and
they have called on the German police to cease their attacks on
Kurdish protestors.

Kurdish News is published by:

Kurdistan Committee of Canada
2487 Kaladar Ave. Suite 203
Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 8B9

tel: (613) 733-9634
fax: (613) 733-0090
email: kcc at magi.com
http://infoweb.magi.com/~kcc