Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 414 September 2019
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INSTITUT KURDDE PARIS E Information and liaison bulletin N° 414 SEPTEMBER 2019 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Culture This bulletin is issued in French and English Price per issue : France: 6 € — Abroad : 7,5 € Annual subscribtion (12 issues) France : 60 € — Elsewhere : 75 € Monthly review Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tel. : 01-48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01-48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: bulletin@fikp.org Information and liaison bulletin Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 414 September 2019 • TURKEY: DESPITE SOME ACQUITTALS, STILL MASS CONVICTIONS.... • TURKEY: MANY DEMONSTRATIONS AFTER FURTHER DISMISSALS OF HDP MAYORS • ROJAVA: TURKEY CONTINUES ITS THREATS • IRAQ: A CONSTITUTION FOR THE KURDISTAN REGION? • IRAN: HIGHLY CONTESTED, THE REGIME IS AGAIN STEPPING UP ITS REPRESSION TURKEY: DESPITE SOME ACQUITTALS, STILL MASS CONVICTIONS.... he Turkish govern- economist. The vice-president of ten points lower than the previ- ment is increasingly the CHP, Aykut Erdoğdu, ous year, with the disagreement embarrassed by the recalled that the Istanbul rate rising from 38 to 48%. On economic situation. Chamber of Commerce had esti- 16, TurkStat published unem- T The TurkStat Statistical mated annual inflation at ployment figures for June: 13%, Institute reported on 2 22.55%. The figure of the trade up 2.8%, or 4,253,000 unem- September that production in the union Türk-İş is almost identical. ployed. For young people aged previous quarter fell by 1.5% HDP MP Garo Paylan ironically 15 to 24, it is 24.8%, an increase compared to the same period in said: “Mr. Son-in-law chooses of 5.4%. As shown by the loss of the previous year. Then a contro- TurkStat’s figures” (the presi- the country’s largest cities in versy developed around the dent’s son-in-law, Berat recent municipal elections, this inflation figures published by Albayrak, is a little convincing situation has had a severe the institute, 0.86% for August Minister of Economy). On the impact on the popularity of the and 15% over the last 12 months, 4th, a MetroPOLL survey gave a government, which has begun to described as “strange” by an President’s approval rate of 44%, repress the comments of eco- • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 414 • September 2019 nomic journalists. Thus 38 peo- Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, the 19th, the French newspaper ple, including two Bloomberg anticipating his expulsion, l’Humanité published an appeal reporters, were charged with announced his resignation, stat- for the liberation of Demirtaş “opposition to the Capital ing that the party could no (signature at Market Law” following articles longer, in his opinion, provide a [email protected]). On in August 2018 analysing Article solution to the country’s prob- the 20th, a new investigation was 102 of this law and pointing to a lems. He was quickly followed launched against him by the 24% collapse of the Turkish lira by other leaders: former Ankara prosecutor in a clear in one day... Bloomberg reporter President Abdullah Gül and for- attempt to keep him in deten- Kerim Karakaya described the mer Deputy Prime Minister Ali tion. Later that same day, a new trial, whose first hearing took Babacan... arrest verdict was handed down place on the 20th, as “tragic- against him and the former HDP comic”... The next hearing is Regarding the detention of for- Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ. One scheduled for January 9. mer HDP co-chair Selahattin of the lawyers, Nuray Özdoğan, Demirtaş, who has been in told Bianet that there was no Whatever the events, the present prison for almost three years, an new information in this “new” power seems to know nothing Ankara court ordered his provi- case... On the 23rd, Demirtaş’s but censorship and repressive sional release on 2 September at lawyers announced that they response: after the 5.8 magni- a hearing at which neither he would file a criminal complaint tude earthquake that struck nor his lawyers were present. against those responsible for this Istanbul on the 26th, following a They had stated that they pre- procedure. first on the 24th of 4.7 in the ferred to wait for the decision of Marmara Sea, the director of the the European Court of Human Requests to visit Abdullah Kandilli Seismic Research Rights (ECHR) concerning his Öcalan on 6 September by his Centre, Professor Halik Özener, pre-trial detention, scheduled for brother and sister were rejected reported that 200 earthquakes the 18th. The Turkish President later that day, as were those sub- had been recorded in 24 hours has already refused to imple- mitted on 20 September (TIHV): and expressed concern that a ment a decision of the ECHR of once the municipal elections very large earthquake could last 20 November ordering the have passed, the government occur quickly. There were 43 early release of Demirtaş... The has abandoned all pretence to minor injuries, 464 buildings hearing was postponed to 7 humanity. were damaged, and many wor- January (AFP). On the 4th of ried residents preferred to spend september, the Party of For several weeks now, the the night outside. On the 27th, European Socialists called for his Turkish media have been giving the provincial governor threat- release. On the 10th, the court a lot of attention to the “Mothers ened to prosecute the authors of unanimously dismissed the of Diyarbakir”, who have gath- alarmist messages on social net- Ankara prosecutor’s appeal ered in front of the office of the works... against Demirtaş’s release ver- “pro-Kurdish” HDP party in dict, but he remains in prison Diyarbakir to protest against On the 2nd, the opening ceremo- because of another case... His “the kidnapping by the PKK of ny of the legal year, held in the lawyers have requested that the their children” which would presidential complex of Ankara, time already spent in detention have forced them to join the was boycotted by forty-three be included in his sentence. If guerrillas. The police have bars of the country, including this request were accepted shown unusual tolerance those of Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir (which would be in accordance towards these protesters, whose and Diyarbakir. In his opening with Article 63/1 of the Turkish actions have been welcomed by speech, the President Erdoğan Penal Code), the Kurdish leader the authorities, who are quick to accused them of “provocation”. would be released. On 18 accuse the HDP of terrorism. The On the 5th, the bars of Antalya, December, the ECHR indicated Minister of the Interior, Istanbul and Ankara called for a that its judgment would be Süleyman Soylu, even came to general meeting of the Bars delivered in the coming months. visit them. Turkey has accused Union to “reassess” its president Council of Europe of bias the Western media, reluc- Metin Feyzioğlu, who delivered Commissioner for Human tant to enter its propaganda sys- a speech during the ceremony Rights Dunja Mijatovic spoke of tem. But on the 17th, when the (Bianet). At the same time, defec- a “situation where pre-trial mothers tried to continue their tions are increasing within the detention, in effect, becomes an sit-in outside the AKP office by AKP. On the 13th, former Prime instrument of punishment”. On displaying a banner with the n° 414 • September 2019 Information and liaison bulletin • 3 • words: “Mothers for Peace”, the been acquitted. On the 16th, the works in... 2006. On the same police suddenly regained their HDP Kahramanmaraş MP, day, the Constitutional Court aggressiveness to deny access to Mahmut Toğrul, submitted a bill announced its verdict in the case them and the journalists, sud- calling for the reinstatement of of the Evrensel journalist, Erdal denly undesirable again (Bianet). academics dismissed by emer- İmrek, who was attacked with Another example of two-tier jus- gency decree, the restoration of pepper spray and beaten by tice in Turkey is the lack of their freedom to travel, and their police officers on 31 May 2014 progress in the investigation into removal from the lists of persons while covering the first anniver- the murder of Tahir Elçi, the covered by these decrees. On 17 sary of the demonstrations in President of Diyarbakir Bar, who August, four other academics Gezi Park. While the prosecutor was shot dead in the street in were acquitted in Istanbul and decided not to prosecute the Turkey on 28 November 2015. Kocaeli, and on 24 August, police officers concerned, the The Tahir Elçi Foundation filed a Reporters Without Borders’ rep- Court decided that İmrek’s free- criminal complaint on the 24th resentative for Turkey, Erol dom of expression had been vio- against the staff of the Forensic Önderoğlu, was acquitted of lated (Bianet). On 11 November, Institute for “spoliation of evi- “propaganda for a terrorist Austrian journalist Max dence”: according to the testimo- organisation”. However, he Zirngast, who has been living in ny of an employee of the insti- called for caution: “As long as Ankara for three years, was tute, Mehtap Altuğ, a DNA sam- the Turkish judiciary does not acquitted of the charge of ple was removed from the file on adhere to democratic values and “belonging to a terrorist organi- the order of an executive, with- cannot function independently sation” and released after three out this leading to any investiga- of the government, it would be months in prison, but he is still tion (Bianet). wrong to welcome the acquittals. prohibited from leaving the Spring does not come with a sin- country. Zirngast collaborates Concerning the “Academics for gle flower”.