Reuters via Metro Toronto, Canada
March 18 2005

Turkish Rights Group Says Abuses Still Widespread

Friday, March 18, 2005 1:49:44 PM ET

ANKARA (Reuters) – Human rights abuses including torture and curbs on
freedom of expression remained widespread in Turkey in 2004 despite a
flurry of EU-inspired reforms, a leading Turkish rights group said on
Friday.

In its annual report, the Ankara-based Human Rights Association (IHD)
also complained of what it called a trend toward nationalism and
intolerance in Turkey since it won a date last December to open EU
entry talks later this year. “Prime Minister ‘zero tolerance’ for
torture and Deputy Prime Minister (Abdullah) Gul’s claim that ‘Turkey
has done its homework to join the European Union’ have not been
realised,” it said.

“Torture is still very widespread, the right to life still cannot be
guaranteed and (freedom of) thought continues to be criminalised and
punished,” it said.

It recorded 1,040 reported cases of torture and maltreatment in 2004,
police detention centers being the most common place for such
practices. This compared with 1,202 reported cases in 2003 and 876
cases in 2002.

Rights activists say the figures can be misleading because in the
past victims of torture were more afraid to come forward or were less
aware of the legal situation than is now the case.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, has urged Turkey to
fully implement its human rights reforms and to swiftly punish
officials found guilty of rights violations.

The report complained of a trend toward intolerance since the EU set
October for the opening of EU entry talks.

That EU decision marked a diplomatic victory for Turkey, but some
Turks resent conditions that came with the date and believe their
country is treated more harshly than other candidates.

As an example of increased intolerance, the IHD cited death threats
and court cases opened against best-selling novelist Orhan Pamuk
after he backed Armenian claims that their people suffered “genocide”
at Ottoman Turkish hands in 1915-23.

In the area of freedom of expression, the IHD reported the opening of
467 court cases against people for expressing ideas deemed unlawful
by state prosecutors in 2004, down from 1,706 cases the previous
year.

Authorities also banned nine different publications — including
books, magazines and newspapers — and halted 12 radio and television
broadcasts. It did not say why they were banned.