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ANKARA: Turkish Academic, Publisher Sent To Jail In Anti-Terror Prob

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  • ANKARA: Turkish Academic, Publisher Sent To Jail In Anti-Terror Prob

    TURKISH ACADEMIC, PUBLISHER SENT TO JAIL IN ANTI-TERROR PROBE

    Today's Zaman, Turkey
    Nov 1 2011

    Bu癬_ra Ersanl覺, a member of the Peace and Democracy Party's Party
    Council and Constitutional Commission,(right in the back seat) was
    arrested on Tuesday. (Photo: AA)

    An 襤stanbul court on Tuesday arrested 44 suspects, including Professor
    Bu癬_ra Ersanl覺 and publisher Rag覺p Zarakolu, on terrorism charges
    as part of an investigation into the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK),
    an umbrella group that allegedly encompasses the terrorist Kurdistan
    Workers' Party (PKK) and its affiliated organizations.

    Ersanl覺 and Zarakolu were taken to the Be癬_ikta癬_ Courthouse
    on Monday along with 48 others who were detained on Friday by the
    襤stanbul Police Department's counterterrorism unit.

    Ersanl覺, a member of the Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP)
    Party Council and Constitutional Commission, Belge Publishing House
    representative Zarakolu and 48 others were interrogated by a prosecutor
    following a medical examination. The prosecutor referred 47 of them
    to court late on Monday, requesting their arrest and accusing the
    suspects of establishing a terrorist organization, leading a terrorist
    organization and being members of a terrorist organization.

    Three of the suspects were released after being interrogated. The
    court only issued arrest warrants for 44 of the 47 suspects referred
    to court by the prosecutor.

    The KCK is accused of attempting to establish an alternative governing
    system and terrorizing locals in the country's predominantly Kurdish
    areas. Most of the accused face charges of membership in and/or aiding
    and abetting a terrorist group. The investigation into its activities
    is being conducted by 襤stanbul Public Prosecutor Adnan Cimen.

    Ninety-six people were arrested as part of another operation against
    the KCK in 襤stanbul earlier this month. The KCK investigation
    started in December 2009 and a large number of Kurdish politicians,
    including several officials from the BDP, have been detained as part
    of the case since then.

    The suspects have been accused of various crimes, including
    membership in a terrorist organization, aiding and abetting a
    terrorist organization and attempting to destroy the country's unity
    and integrity. The suspects include mayors and municipal officials
    from the BDP, which has said the investigation is the government's
    method of suppressing its politicians, denying any links between its
    deputies and terrorist organizations.

    Meanwhile, a large group of Turkish intellectuals, mainly academics,
    have launched a petition campaign to protest the detention of Professor
    Ersanl覺 and to call for her release. A joint statement by the group
    said the detention of Ersanl覺, who has for years been working for
    sustainable peace and a new constitution in Turkey, led to outrage
    among all circles in the country that believe in the democratic state
    of law.

    "The detention of Professor Bu癬_ra Ersanl覺 is a heavy blow dealt to
    Turkey's efforts towards a real democracy with equality, peace, social
    justice and academic and political freedoms. We demand the immediate
    release of Professor Bu癬_ra Ersanl覺 and all other jailed politicians,
    academics and journalists who work for peace, democratic rights and
    freedoms in our country. The detention and arrest of people without
    any concrete and serious evidence under the primitive mentality of
    'though crimes' is against human rights," the statement said.

    Among the intellectuals who have signed the joint statement are Ahmet
    襤nsel, Ali Bayramoglu, Cengiz Aktar, Cengiz Candar, Hulya Gulbahar,
    Murat Belge, Mithat Sancar, Oral Cal覺癬_lar, Umit Cizre, Bask覺n Oran,
    Fuat Keyman and Ya癬_ar Kemal.

    The arrest of Ersanl覺, who was assisting with the BDP's preparations
    for a draft proposal for a planned new constitution, and other KCK
    suspects further infuriated the BDP. "These [KCK] operations are
    organized to intimidate and silence those who have a democratic
    stance. Mrs. Ersanl覺 is a colleague who devoted her 40 years
    to science and who is known for her pro-human and women's rights
    credentials. What can be the grounds for her arrest? One single
    thing: Her siding with what is right. ... We are now face to face
    with a mentality that wants to silence Kurds and democrats," BDP
    Co-chairwoman Gulten K覺癬_anak told reporters on Tuesday following
    her party's parliamentary group meeting.

    When she was asked whether her party would consider withdrawing
    from the Constitutional Reconciliation Commission established in
    Parliament to draft a new constitution after Ersanl覺's arrest,
    she said it would not be correct to make such a comment.

    "We joined the commission to contribute to the constitution-making
    process. If we face an approach that would prevent a democratic
    constitution and that would make our presence there meaningless,
    our party would evaluate this situation. ... We will try to maintain
    our positive stance. But if this becomes impossible, we will not be
    responsible for that," she said.




    From: A. Papazian
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