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Country Advice Turkey – TUR38112 – Newroz 2005 –

Taksim Demonstration 2008 – 10 February 2011

1. Is there any country information about whether the Turkish police disrupted Newroz celebrations on 21 March 2005 in , Kalicesme in , and detained about 20 people at the police station?

Zeytinburnu is a suburb in Istanbul. Kalicesme is the name of a square and a train station in the vicinity of the suburb of Zeytinburnu.1 A translation of the Savas Karsitlari website contains a mention that eight people were arrested at Kalicesme Square during Newroz celebrations on 21 March 2005.2

Newroz Day incidents were reported also in other areas. In , southern Turkey, it was reported that police arrested six juveniles, and a prosecutor charged them with attempting to burn the national flag.3 4 The US Department of State noted several incidents of police intervening in Newroz day celebrations:

HRF reported clashes between police and celebrants in Province, during which police opened fire, injuring a child. Police in raided a house and detained a number of local DEHAP officials and students in connection with Nevruz celebrations. During a separate incident in Siirt, police beat juveniles who stoned the police station after police prevented Nevruz celebrations, according to HRF.5

Despite these incidents, a European Union (EU) report stated that March 2005‟s Newroz celebrations were “authorised and peaceful in most provinces”.6

In 2007, however, it was reported that police conducted raids on a Newroz Day rally in Kazlicesme, Istanbul. Police allegedly tried to stop people from attending from other parts of Istanbul, threatening bus drivers to not carry demonstrators, and interrupted speakers by

1 „Kazliçeşme‟ (undated), Google Maps website, http://maps.google.com.au/maps?rls=EGLC,EGLC:2010- 17,EGLC:en&q=mersin+map+turkey&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hq=&hnear=Icel/Mersin+Province,+Turkey&gl=au&ei=ugZSTfXWKoHYuAP3gszSCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode _result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ8gEwAA - Accessed 9 February 2011 – Attachment 1 2 ÖZMEN, K. 2005, „Turkey Celebrates Nawruz – unofficial translation‟, 22 March, Savas Karsitlari http://www.savaskarsitlari.org/arsiv.asp?ArsivTipID=5&ArsivAnaID=25236 – Internet online translation from Google translate website – Attachment 14 3 US State Department 2006, 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Turkey, 8 March, Section 2a – Attachment 2 4 European Commission 2005, Turkey – 2005 Progress Report, 9 November – Attachment 3 5 US State Department 2006, 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Turkey, 8 March, Section 2b – Attachment 2 6 European Commission 2005, Turkey – 2005 Progress Report, 9 November – Attachment 3

Page 1 of 4 shutting down the audio system and censoring speeches. At the end of the rally police allegedly arrested hundreds of people including organising committee members, trade unionists and political party members.7 In 2008, there was reported to be a strong security presence at Newroz celebrations in Kazlicesme square in Istanbul, including police and military forces.8 A January 2011 article on the Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Turkey and Northern website states that on a separate Newroz Day police attacked the celebrations and more than 200 people were arrested in Istanbul.9

2. Is there any country information about whether there was a Kurdish rights demonstration in Taksim, Istanbul in November 2008, which the police disrupted and then detained people at Beyoglu police station?

A “sit-in” by pro-Kurdish (DTP) supporters was said to have been planned at Istanbul‟s Taksim Square on 2 November 2008 but was prevented by riot police.10 A January 2009 article states that Mehdi Tanrikulu, a district chairman of the DTP in , Istanbul was arrested and sent to prison after a demonstration at Taksim Square “three months ago”. This suggests the demonstration may have occurred around November 2008.11 No information was found on people detained at Beyoglu police station.

Sources suggest that Taksim Square is the “traditional” site for demonstrations in Istanbul.12 On 1 May 2008 it was reported that police used gas bombs, pepper gas, water cannons, and clubs against workers who wanted to celebrate May Day at Taksim Square. Police are said to have attacked union members prior to their planned march to the Square, and the march was subsequently called off by the union president in order to minimise injuries.13 In April 2010 protests were reported by Kurds in Taksim Square after the punching of Kurdish Party leader, Ahmet Turk.14

3. Is there any country information about whether Ahmet Kaya is a Kurdish singer or musician;

Ahmet Kaya was a famous singer in Turkey who was born to a Turkish mother and a Kurdish father. Kaya recorded most of his music in Turkish but courted controversy when he received the best singer of the year award and in his acceptance speech proclaimed that he had

7 Pavilov, R. 2010, „Turkish state attacks Kurdish protestors‟, Socialist Party UK website http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/2233 - Accessed 10 February 2011 – Attachment 4 8 „TOO BAD KURDISTAN ISN'T TIBET, TOO BAD TURKEY ISN'T CHINA‟ 2008, Oread website, 28 March http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/2008/03/too-bad-kurds-arent-tibetan-too-bad.html - Accessed 10 February 2011 – Attachment 5 9 „Hundred thousands celebrated Newroz in Istanbul‟ 2011, Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan website http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:D2vwJoH0NBMJ:www.mlkp.info/index.php%3Ficerik _id%3D6853%26Hundred_thousands_celebrated_Newroz_in_Istanbul+Kazlicesme+newroz+attack&cd=1&hl= en&ct=clnk&gl=au&source=www.google.com.au - Accessed 10 February 2011 – Attachment 6 10 „Kurds divided between rally of AK Party and protest of DTP‟ 2008, Zaman News Agency, 3 November – Attachment 7 11 „The ambiguous status of Kurdish after TRT 6‟ 2009, Bianet, 15 January – Attachment 8 12 „Fethullah Gülen's grand ambition‟ 2009, Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2009 – Attachment 9 13 US State Department 2009, 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Turkey, 25 February, Section 2b – Attachment 15 14 „Kurdish people protest in Turkey in support of Ahmet Turk‟ 2010, Demotix website, 13 April http://www.demotix.com/news/300484/kurdish-people-protest-turkey-support-ahmet-turk - Accessed 10 February 2011 – Attachment 10

Page 2 of 4 composed a Kurdish song and was looking for someone to produce and play it. He was subsequently forced out of the country due to constant death threats. Much of his audience is said to have been Kurdish.15 Kaya was accused of supporting Kurdish separatism. In March 2000 he was sentenced in absentia to three years and nine months in prison on the charge of spreading separatist propaganda. He died in November 2000 in Paris.16

4. Please provide a map of Turkey showing Diyarbakir province.

The map below shows Diyarbakir Province and its capital Diyarbakir.17

Attachments

1. „Kazliçeşme‟ (undated), Google Maps website, http://maps.google.com.au/maps?rls=EGLC,EGLC:2010- 17,EGLC:en&q=mersin+map+turkey&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hq=&hnear=Icel/Mersin+Province,+Turkey&gl=au&ei=ugZSTfXWKoHYuAP3gszS CQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ8gEwAA - Accessed 9 February 2011.

2. US State Department 2006, 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Turkey, 8 March.

3. European Commission 2005, Turkey – 2005 Progress Report, 9 November.

4. Pavilov, R. 2010, „Turkish state attacks Kurdish protestors‟, Socialist Party UK website http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/2233 - Accessed 10 February 2011.

15 Aksoy, O. 2010, „Remembering Ahmet Kaya‟, Kurdish Herald, February http://www.kurdishherald.com/issue/v002/001/article02.php - Accessed 10 February 2011 – Attachment 11 16 „Biography – Ahmet Kaya‟ 2010, Last FM website, 10 August http://www.last.fm/music/Ahmet+Kaya/+wiki - Accessed 10 February 2011 – Attachment 12 17 „Diyarbakir, Turkey‟ (undated), Google Maps website, http://maps.google.com.au/maps?rls=EGLC,EGLC:2010- 17,EGLC:en&q=Diyarbakir,+Turkey+map&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hq=&hnear=Diyarbakir/Diyarbak%C4%B1r,+Turkey&gl=au&ei=OVNTTeu8HYugvQO0z7H3CQ&sa=X&o i=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA - Accessed 9 February 2011 – Attachment 13

Page 3 of 4 5. „TOO BAD KURDISTAN ISN'T TIBET, TOO BAD TURKEY ISN'T CHINA‟ 2008, Oread website, 28 March http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/2008/03/too-bad-kurds-arent- tibetan-too-bad.html - Accessed 10 February 2011.

6. „Hundred thousands celebrated Newroz in Istanbul‟ 2011, Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan website http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:D2vwJoH0NBMJ:www.mlkp.in fo/index.php%3Ficerik_id%3D6853%26Hundred_thousands_celebrated_Newroz_in_Ista nbul+Kazlicesme+newroz+attack&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au&source=www.google.c om.au - Accessed 10 February 2011.

7. „Kurds divided between rally of AK Party and protest of DTP‟ 2008, Zaman News Agency, 3 November. (CISNET – Turkey: CX213550)

8. „The ambiguous status of Kurdish after TRT 6‟ 2009, Bianet, 15 January. (CISNET – Turkey: CX218717)

9. „Fethullah Gülen's grand ambition‟ 2009, Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2009. (CISNET – Turkey: CX218066)

10. „Kurdish people protest in Turkey in support of Ahmet Turk‟ 2010, Demotix website, 13 April http://www.demotix.com/news/300484/kurdish-people-protest-turkey-support- ahmet-turk - Accessed 10 February 2011.

11. Aksoy, O. 2010, „Remembering Ahmet Kaya‟, Kurdish Herald, February http://www.kurdishherald.com/issue/v002/001/article02.php - Accessed 10 February 2011.

12. „Biography – Ahmet Kaya‟ 2010, Last FM website, 10 August http://www.last.fm/music/Ahmet+Kaya/+wiki - Accessed 10 February 2011.

13. Diyarbakir, Turkey‟ (undated), Google Maps website, http://maps.google.com.au/maps?rls=EGLC,EGLC:2010- 17,EGLC:en&q=Diyarbakir,+Turkey+map&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&hq=&hnear=Diyarbakir/Diyarbak%C4%B1r,+Turkey&gl=au&ei=OVNTTeu8HYugv QO0z7H3CQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA - Accessed 9 February 2011.

14. ÖZMEN, K. 2005, „Turkey Celebrates Nawruz – unofficial translation‟, 22 March, Savas Karsitlari http://www.savaskarsitlari.org/arsiv.asp?ArsivTipID=5&ArsivAnaID=25236 – Internet online translation from Google translate website.

15. US State Department 2009, 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Turkey, 25 February, Section 2b.

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