H5134 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 25, 2004 ORDER OF BUSINESS other reforms in Turkey, including the There was no objection. Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask introduction of public broadcasting in f minority languages. However, serious unanimous consent to speak out of the TWO INDEPENDENCE DAYS order. human rights and repression of the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Kurds continue in Turkey. previous order of the House, the gen- objection to the request of the gen- From June 8–10, Human Rights tleman from Indiana (Mr. PENCE) is tleman from California? Watch, Amnesty International, and the There was no objection. International Federation for Human recognized for 5 minutes. Rights joined with Turkish human Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, as we de- f rights groups in a joint delegation to part for the Independence Day recess KURDISH PRISONERS RELEASED investigate the situation in Turkey. on Capitol Hill, families and commu- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a They heard continuing allegations of nities across America will prepare for previous order of the House, the gen- torture and violations of freedom of ex- celebrations and remembrances of the 4th of July; and as I and my family and tleman from California (Mr. FILNER) is pression, assembly, association, reli- recognized for 5 minutes. gion, and the right to a fair trial. They my heartland district in eastern Indi- Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise expressed concern about prisons, na- ana prepare to do likewise, I could not today to spend a few minutes to talk tional minorities, the lack of inde- help but feel that, in fact, in coming about some developments recently in pendent investigations into human days we will celebrate not one, but two the country of Turkey, some of which rights violations, and internal displace- Independence Days: one for an 18th we celebrate, some of which we have ment. century colonial power born in violent great concern about. The State Department human rights conflict, aided by an ally in liberty to Let me first, by the way, extend my report, released just in February, also throw off the shackles of a despotic ty- condolences to victims of yesterday’s found that serious human rights prob- rant who beset its people for decades, terrorist bombings in Turkey and to lems exist. The report says that secu- and of that struggle, those people the families of the victims. Certainly rity forces killed 43 people last year would write some 228 years ago that we want the perpetrators brought to and participated in widespread torture, they held truths to be self-evident, justice quickly. beatings, and other abuses. The Turk- that all men are created equal, and But I rise to celebrate a small, but ish Government continued to limit free that governments are instituted among very important, victory for human speech in the press and, in particular, men deriving their just powers from rights that took place last week. Four restricted expression by people sympa- the consent of the governed, that human rights prisoners in Turkey were thetic to Kurdish cultural or nation- whenever any form of government be- released. Leyla Zana, a prominent alist viewpoints. comes destructive of these ends, that it Kurdish advocate for human rights, So we are pleased at the release of is the right of the people to alter or and her colleagues, Hatip Dicle, Slim Leyla Zana and her colleagues, but we abolish it and institute a new govern- ment, laying its foundation on such Sadak and Ornhan Dogan, were re- are not placated by this good news. We principles and organizing its powers in leased from prison following a June 9 demand greater progress. The Euro- such form as to them shall seem most appeals court ruling in their favor. pean Union should insist that Turkey These were Kurdish citizens of Tur- take greater strides to improve its likely to effect their safety and happi- ness. key. These were citizens who were human rights record and treatment of They went on to cite a long string of elected by majority vote to the Turk- the Kurds before joining the European abuses and usurpations pursuing in- Union. Turkey needs to realize that its ish Parliament. These were Kurds who variably the same object of absolute Kurdish citizens enrich the country had the nerve to speak their own na- despotism, and claimed with their rather than threaten it. tive language, Kurdish, in the Turkish lives, their fortunes and their sacred Parliament; and they were arrested President Bush will visit Turkey for a NATO summit next week. He should honor that it was their right and their and sentenced to 15 years in prison. duty to throw off such government. Amnesty International declared use this opportunity to press for great- er respect for human rights. I would One independence day. them prisoners of conscience. They The other will take place for the first hope that he meets with Leyla Zana have been there 10 years. time this coming Wednesday, not an and shows his respect for human rights Leyla Zana was probably the best 18th century colonial nation, but a 21th for the Kurdish minority in Turkey. known of the four prisoners. She was century modern power in the Middle the first Kurdish woman elected to f East whose freedom is also being born Turkey’s Parliament who openly and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a at this very hour in violent conflict, proudly identified herself as a Kurd. In previous order of the House, the gen- aided by the armies of a liberty-loving fact, the European Parliament awarded tleman from Indiana (Mr. BURTON) is ally to throw off the despotism and her a Sakharov Prize in 1995 for defend- recognized for 5 minutes. tyranny that has beset its people for ing human rights. (Mr. BURTON of Indiana addressed decades and of their freedom the people I had the great pleasure of getting to the House. His remarks will appear of Iraq wrote these words in the pre- know her husband, Mayda, who trav- hereafter in the Extensions of Re- amble to their Constitution: eled around the world to talk about the marks.) ‘‘The people of Iraq, striving to re- injustice of his wife being in prison. I f claim their freedom which was usurped spent time with her son Ronee who was The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a by the previous tyrannical regime, re- for a short time a student in Los Ange- previous order of the House, the gen- jecting violence and coercion in all its les. This was a whole family dedicated tleman from Nebraska (Mr. OSBORNE) is forms, and particularly when used as to human rights for all, and especially recognized for 5 minutes. instruments of governance, have deter- to the Kurdish minority who has been (Mr. OSBORNE addressed the House. mined that they shall hereafter remain denied them in Turkey. His remarks will appear hereafter in a free people governed under the rule of The release of these prisoners of con- the Extensions of Remarks.) law.’’ science was a result of international f Two Independence Days: One, 228th pressure, and I want to thank the 21 anniversary of ours on the 4th of July; EXCHANGE OF SPECIAL ORDER Members of Congress who joined with and the other, the first-ever Independ- TIME me in H. Res. 302 that called for the re- ence Day for a free and democratic Iraq lease of these four parliamentarians. Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unan- on a day that will live in history for The Kurdish community in the United imous consent to speak out of turn and the people of that great nation as a day States, as well as human rights advo- claim the gentleman from Nebraska’s of celebration, June 30, 2004. cates across the country, played an im- (Mr. OSBORNE) time. portant role in gaining their release. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there b 1530 So we welcome the release of these objection to the request of the gen- Two independence days. We will cele- prisoners of conscience, as well as tleman from Indiana? brate in each of them the inexorable

VerDate May 21 2004 04:57 Jun 26, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K25JN7.116 H25PT1