Turkey: Wave of arrests

Case TUR 230299

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT 
intervention regarding the following situation in Turkey.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat has just been informed by a reliable source 
of a wave of arrests in several provinces in Turkey.

According to the information, between the 16th and the 21st of February 
1999, after the capture and arrest of Abdullah Ocalan, head of the 
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the authorities of Turkey have 
arbitrarily arrested at least two thousand persons, including minors, from 
all over the country.  Most of the persons arrested are leaders or local 
members of the pro-Kurdish party Popular Party for Democracy 
(HADEP), human rights defenders, members and leaders of the IHD (see 
Urgent Action TUR 001 /9902 / OBS 008 issued by the Observatory), 
lawyers and heads of Non-Governmental-Organizations.  It has been 
reported that some of the arrested persons have been subjected to ill-
treatment.

It is further alleged that several HADEP premises are currently 
surrounded by the police.  Furthermore, it has been reported that the 
head of Police in Istanbul has ordered to shoot at demonstrators legs as 
a measure of intimidation and to facilitate the arrest of demonstrators.

According to the reports, it is feared that arrests and repression will 
continue since the Turkish authorities want to prevent any rally or 
demonstration in favor of Abdullah Ocalan.

A partial list of detainees and further details are available at the 
International Secretariat.

Given the prevailing situation in Turkey, the persistence of the practice 
of torture and, in general, the systematic disregard of the rule of law by 
the authorities, the International Secretariat is gravely concerned for the 
security and the physical and psychological integrity of these persons. 

Action requested

Please write to the authorities of Turkey urging them to
 
i.  take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and 
    psychological integrity of the persons held in detention, 
    including minors, and order their immediate release in the 
    absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring 
    them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee 
    their procedural rights in all times;

ii.	put an immediate end to the alleged arbitrary detentions and ill-
treatment of detained persons; 

iii.guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental 
    freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national 
    laws and international standards. 

Addresses

The Prime Minister, Basbakanlik, 06 573 Ankara, Fax 90 312 417 04 76

Mr Olatan Sungurlu, Minister of Justice, Fax 90 312 417 39 17

  Geneva, 23 february 1999

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.