Turkey

Welcome to the special edition of The Broken Rifle for Prisoners for Peace Day - 1 December. This year we focus on the situation in Turkey. We made this decision before the present escalation of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, which again highlights the power of the military in Turkish society and politics: it is the institution which stands above everything - the government, the constitution, international human rights standards.

Resolution CM/ResDH(2007)109

Execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights
Ülke against Turkey

(Application No. 39437/98, judgment of 24 January 2006, final on 24 April 2006)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which provides that the Committee supervises the execution of final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” and “the Court”);

18 months after the ECHR judgement, Osman Murat Ülke is ordered back to prison

On 24 January 2006, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of Turkish conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke. In short: Osman Murat Ülke complained that he had been prosecuted and convicted on account of his convictions as a pacifist and conscientious objector.

In the previous month, the WRI office issued the following co-alerts:

(a full archive of co-alerts is available at wri-irg.org/news/alerts)

In the previous month, the WRI office issued the following co-alerts:

(a full archive of co-alerts is available at wri-irg.org/news/alerts)

TURKEY: 12 April 2007: Day of action in support of imprisoned conscientious objector Halil Savda 30 March 2007
CHILE: Six conscientious objectors in hiding 26 March 2007

Halil Savda faces second sentence for insistence on disobedience

With a second trial for "insistance on disobedience" (Article 88) presently going on, Turkish conscientious objector Halil Savda is well on the path to what the European Court of Human Rights had called 'civil death' in its judgement on the case of Turkish fellow objector Osman Murat Ülke.

The background to Halil Savda's case is appalling:

Halil Savda was called up for military service in 1996. At first he followed this call-up order, and finished his basic training.

After the release of Mehmet Tarhan in March last year (see co-alert,
10 March 2006),
it became more quiet about conscientious objectors in Turkey. However,
persecution continues, and even though Mehmet Tarhan had been released,
he was sentenced to 25 months imprisonment on 10 October 2006 (see
co-alert, 17
October 2006).

Turkish/Kurdish conscientious objector Halil Savda has been severely
punished for his declared conscientious objection on 15 March 2007,
when he has been sentenced to 15 ½ months imprisonment on charges of
desertion and disobeying orders – by the same court that is now to try
him again for disobeying orders. He is likely to be sentenced to a
further six months of imprisonment at the next trial session on 12
April.

War Resisters' International calls for an international day of
action in solidarity with Halil Savda on the day of his trial, and
likely sentencing.

From: War Resisters' International

5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX, Britain

cc: Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, fax: +32-2-29 58561


United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, fax: +41-22- 9179006

To: Kara Kuvvetleri Komut Anligi

5 NcI Kolordu Komutanligi

Askeri Mahkemesi

Corlu

Turkey

On 27 and 28 January 2007, an international conference on conscientious objection took place at Bilgi university in Istanbul. The conference was organised by a small conference committee, and supported by Amnesty International Turkey, Connection e.V., European Bureau for Conscientious Objectors, Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Human Rights Watch, Istanbul Branch Human Rights Association, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, War Resisters' International, and others.

In the previous month, the WRI office issued the following co-alerts:

(a full archive of co-alerts is available at wri-irg.org/news/alerts)

ISRAEL: Woman CO Hadas Amit sentenced to second prison term of 10 days Concodoc project, 02 January 2007
TURKEY: Conscientious objector Halil Savda remains in custody Concodoc at W

In the previous month, the WRI office issued the following co-alerts:

(a full archive of co-alerts is available at wri-irg.org/news/alerts)

ISRAEL: Occupation refuser sent to prison Tue Oct 17

TURKEY: Conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan sentenced to 25 months imprisonmentTue Oct 17