Turkish TV: Kurdish officials tell EU “systematic torture exists”

NTV television, Istanbul
26 Oct 04

The European Parliament [EP] Human Rights Subcommittee has discussed
Turkey. [Kurdish] DEHAP [Democratic People’s Party] Chairman Tuncer
Bakirhan and IHD [Human Rights Association] Diyarbakir leader
Selahattin Demirtas maintained that there exists systematic torture
in Turkey. Demirtas and Bakirhan called on the EU to decide on 17
December to start accession talks with Turkey, but maintained that
systematic torture continues in Turkey. Bakirhan accused the [ruling]
AKP [Justice and Development Party] government of not taking any
action regarding the clashes in the southeast.

Leylekyan who was invited to the meeting as the representative of
European Armenians stressed that the recognition of the Armenian
genocide by Ankara should be a condition for the start of Turkey’s
accession talks.

A report on Turkey drawn up by Dutch MEP Eurlings will be discussed
at the EP Foreign Relations Committee. The report recommends many
conditions and an open-ended negotiation process for Turkey.