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NTV MSNBC, Turkey
25 Oct. 2004
Human Right Report may end up in court
The controversial report by the Prime Ministry's Human Rights Advisory
Board was rejected by senior officials, who denied it was commissioned
by the government.
October 25-- A report on ethnic minorities in Turkey released by an
advisory body linked to the office of the Turkish Prime Minister may
end up in the courts, with a member of the Human Right Advisory Board
saying he had applied for the authors to be prosecutors.
Fethi Bolayir a member of the board on Monday said the report attacked
the national and spiritual values of the republic. Bolayir, who is also
the chairman of Social Thinking Association, described the report as a
"a document of treason" and called for legal action to be taken against
those involved in preparing it.
The report, issued last week, said that there should be greater
recognition given to ethnic minorities in Turkey. Currently, only three
ethnic minorities are officially recognised in Turkey, these being
those of the Jewish, Armenian and Greek communities.
Bolayir said the report disregarded the Laussane Treaty, the
international treaty that set out the status of minorities in Turkey.
Bolayr said some of the articles in the report were treasonous.
"If this report that suggests that unchangeable articles of the
constitution be changed over its limiting of minority and cultural
rights is not a document of treason then what is it?" he said.
He underlined his organisation supported getting rid of
injustice, corruption and poverty but not the division of the Turkish
Republic.
Bolayr said that the board had more than 30 members and seven
including himself voted against the report. He added that changes were
made in the section covering minorities without the information of the
members meant that an abuse of office and breaching of confidence has
also been committed.
Although the government officials denied having anything to do
with the report the chairman of the board, Ibrahim Kaboglu, said that
report had been submitted to the Prime Ministry.
25 Oct. 2004
Human Right Report may end up in court
The controversial report by the Prime Ministry's Human Rights Advisory
Board was rejected by senior officials, who denied it was commissioned
by the government.
October 25-- A report on ethnic minorities in Turkey released by an
advisory body linked to the office of the Turkish Prime Minister may
end up in the courts, with a member of the Human Right Advisory Board
saying he had applied for the authors to be prosecutors.
Fethi Bolayir a member of the board on Monday said the report attacked
the national and spiritual values of the republic. Bolayir, who is also
the chairman of Social Thinking Association, described the report as a
"a document of treason" and called for legal action to be taken against
those involved in preparing it.
The report, issued last week, said that there should be greater
recognition given to ethnic minorities in Turkey. Currently, only three
ethnic minorities are officially recognised in Turkey, these being
those of the Jewish, Armenian and Greek communities.
Bolayir said the report disregarded the Laussane Treaty, the
international treaty that set out the status of minorities in Turkey.
Bolayr said some of the articles in the report were treasonous.
"If this report that suggests that unchangeable articles of the
constitution be changed over its limiting of minority and cultural
rights is not a document of treason then what is it?" he said.
He underlined his organisation supported getting rid of
injustice, corruption and poverty but not the division of the Turkish
Republic.
Bolayr said that the board had more than 30 members and seven
including himself voted against the report. He added that changes were
made in the section covering minorities without the information of the
members meant that an abuse of office and breaching of confidence has
also been committed.
Although the government officials denied having anything to do
with the report the chairman of the board, Ibrahim Kaboglu, said that
report had been submitted to the Prime Ministry.