INSTITUT KURD E DE PARIS Information and liaison bulletin N° 400 JULY 2018 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 Misen en page et maquette : Ṣerefettin 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° 400 July 2018 • TURKEY: END OF EMERGENCY STATE OR... END OF RULE OF LAW? • ROJAVA: UNO ACCUSES TURKEY OF MASSIVE VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRÎN • IRAQ: POST-ELECTION NEGOTIATIONS WITHOUT ENDING, VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH; KURDISTAN IS PREPARING FOR ITS ELECTIONS… • IRAN: INCREASING MILITARY TENSIONS BETWEEN THE KURDISH PARTIES AND STATE REPRESSION FORCES TURKEY: END OF EMERGENCY STATE OR... END OF RULE OF LAW? fter the June 24 presi - “cock a snook” to the West cere - The previous day, Erdoğan had dential and parliamen - mony: among the 21 heads of State clearly indicated the continuity of tary elections, in which present were leaders as popular his political line by a decree-law A Erdoğan was re-elected with Western capitals as the sacking 18,632 new officials: 9,000 in the first round, the Sudanese President Omar al- policemen and 6,000 soldiers thus newly elected deputies were Bashir, Venezuelan President lost employment and rights to sworn in on the 7th. The Ankara Nicolas Maduro, Russian Prime retirement and social security, and parliament, “inflated” to 600 seats Minister Dimitri Medvedev and 12 associations, 3 newspapers and (from 550 previously), now the Hungarian Victor Orban... one TV channel were banned includes 295 AKP M.P.s, 49 MHP With this ceremony, Turkey enters (RFI). (far-right party allied with AKP), into the system wanted by 146 CHP (Kemalists), 43 İyi Erdoğan (and obtained by massive On the evening of the 18th, the (“Good party”, split from the fraud during the constitutional state of emergency established MHP, refusing the alliance with referendum of April 2017): it is after the coup attempt of July 14, Erdoğan), and 67 HDP (left and now a country without a Prime 2016, already renewed seven “pro-Kurdish”). Thus Erdoğan Minister, and with a President at times, was finally lifted. But the will need the support of the MHP the same time Head of State, Chief content of the bill prepared to to govern, which worries the Executive, Chief of Armies and replace it makes many wonder if Kurds. On the 9th, Erdoğan was in Leader of the ruling party, there to this so-called end of the state of turn sworn in his huge palace in a stay until at least 2023... emergency is not rather... the end • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 400 • July 2018 of the rule of law. Akif Hamzacebi, Several reports published this Manisa candidate to the elections, vice president of the CHP parlia - month accuse Turkey of human Veysi Durgut, and Ramazan mentary group, declared: “With rights violations. The Diyarbakir Çağırga, father of a girl of 10 this bill, they are trying to make section of the Turkish Human years, Cemile, killed on September the state of emergency perma - Rights Association (İHD) detailed 4, 2015 by the security forces dur - nent”. Indeed, many provisions of in its latest biannual report, pub - ing the siege of Cizre, and whose the state of emergency are remain - lished on the 27th, the abuses com - refusal by the Authorities to allow ing in force: provincial governors mitted by the security forces in the her burial under curfew had still may restrict traffic in certain country's Kurdish provinces, forced the family to keep the body areas as they see fit, prohibit meet - including illegal detention and tor - in a refrigerator for days. ings and gatherings, the police can ture perpetrated during military access the telephone and bank operations. According to this On the 16th, the head of the statements of suspects or dis - report, 1154 sick prisoners, 402 of Cumhuriyet newspaper in Ankara, missed persons and their spous - them seriously, are “practically Erdem Gül, prosecuted for articles es... Only progress: contrary to the abandoned to death”, while 700 revealing the supply of weapons state of emergency, it will be possi - children under 7 years old are by the MIT (Turkish secret service) ble to legally challenge one’s dis - incarcerated with their mother, and to Syrian jihadist groups, was missal (but there will be no com - another 44 in remand. The report finally acquitted. On the same day, pensation in case of reinstate - also notes a massive use of violence in a raid on the HDP office in ment). “In the new system, against civilians, with an increase Istanbul, police arrested 16 people President Erdoğan has all the in violence against women. for “possession of illegal posters”. power, so there is no need for According to the IHOP collective On the 17th, investigations for emergency law...”, said Pelin human rights platform, between “terrorist propaganda” were Ünker, economic correspondent July 2016 and April 2018, 134.144 opened against two HDP M.P.s for Cumhuriyet, herself threat - people were dismissed and at least from Diyarbakir, Musa ened with a lawsuit after she 228.137 were arrested (including Farisoğulları and Remziye Tosun dared to describe the participation 845 who criticised the Olive Branch (the M.P. for Sur) for attending the of former Prime Minister Binali Operation against Afrîn). funeral of a PKK fighter killed in Yıldırım’s sons of in offshore ship - action. On the 20th, another ping companies, revealed in the Arrests and indictments went on inquiry against HDP M.P.s “Paradise Papers”. Berat throughout the month. On the 5th, Feleknas Uca and Mehmet Rüştü Albayrak, Erdoğan's son-in-law Gulizar Tasdemir, expelled from Tiryaki was opened in Batman for (and new finance minister) has Norway after the rejection of her their presence at the funeral of also launched a lawsuit against application for asylum, was arrest - another fighter killed on the 8th, journalists who reported on his ed on her arrival to Istanbul. On and finally on the 30th another offshore investments... the 11th, Islamic leader Adnan against the HDP female co-presi - Oktar, famous for his TV shows dent Pervin Buldan, for expressing Another measure of the bill seems and creationist books, was arrest - support to them... to have been thought right to ed with 166 of his followers in 120 counter Selahattin Demirtaş: the simultaneous raids. Fervent sup - On 18 October, an Ankara court former co-chair of the HDP, porter of Erdoğan, Oktar again refused Selahattin imprisoned since November 2016, expressed his “confusion and sur - Demirtaş's release, while an inves - has just obtained 10,000 Turkish prise”, adding that it would have tigation was announced against pounds of damages because his been better to arrest supporters of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for “insulting release requests have not been the PKK... The group, whose the president” because of a carica - reviewed within the legal 30-day assets were confiscated and ture; the real reason is that the period. It is probably by chance entrusted to administrators, is the CHP leader had publicly called that this time would be brought subject of 40 different charges: sex - the Erdoğan regime a “dictator - up to 90 days... ual violence, blackmail, kidnap - ship” and “one-man regime”. ping, constitution of a criminal Human Rights Watch (HRW) has organisation, military espionage, The next day, six people were expressed concern over the draft money laundering... On July 9, 30 detained in Van following the law, which will also allow the people were arrested in Şırnak in death of a policeman who had presidency to arbitrarily dismiss several raids, and 4 sent to the been wounded on 14th during a judges and other officials and the city’s high security prison for raid, and the same day, the busi - police to detain suspects during 12 “membership in a terrorist organi - nessman and HDP member Kamil days without charge... zation”. Among them, the HDP Acar was kidnapped by masked n° 400 • July 2018 Information and liaison bulletin • 3• armed men in Diyarbakır Province Kurds have been banned recently PKK and Gülen! It could literally (SCF ). His vehicle was found on for “terrorist propaganda”, includ - make Turkish-American relations the Şanlıurfa-Diyarbakır road, ing a book of Yezidi prayers! On implode. On the 18th, the Izmir within two kilometres from a the 31st, the Kurdish TV children's court decided to place Brunson police station. Several drivers tes - channel Zarok TV was fined 5% of under house arrest, while the Trump tified to illegal checkpoints held its annual income for “terrorist administration hoped for his release. by masked men, but the police propaganda” after broadcasting Based furthermore on an anony - denied their existence... Previously two songs whose lyrics contained mous testimony, this decision made detained in connection with the the word “Kurdistan” ... ( WKI ) the US President mad. Tense tele - KCK (Union of Kurdistan phone talks on 29 August between Communities) investigation, Acar Many foreigners were also affect - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and had been released on parole. ed by the arrests. On the 5th, two Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut brothers, British citizens of Iraqi Çavuşoğlu did not solve anything. On the 20th, the police arrested in origin, Ayman and Hariam According to the Washington Post , Ankara several participants in a Barzan, were arrested on their Trump had negotiated with Erdoğan demonstration commemorating arrival at the Dalaman airport, in at the last NATO summit for the the 2015 Suruç suicide attack the South-West of the country, and release of Brunson in exchange for against young people, volunteers detained on remand for “terrorist Israel's release of Ebru Ozkan, a to help rebuild Kobanê, including propaganda” in favour of the Turkish national accused of serving many students.