HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION OF TURKEY

Menekşe 2 Sok., No. 16/7, 06640, Kızılay/Ankara

Tel No: (90-312) 4177180 Faks No: (90-312) 4254552

13 May 1998

Public Statement on the Armed Attack to Akın Birdal:

The Executive Board of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) makes the following assessment regarding the armed assault on the Chairperson of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Akın Birdal:

The armed assault on Mr. Birdal has clearly revealed how the conditions of a murder attempt were established and how it was provoked. The incident is so apparent to leave no room for speculation and the real perpetrators are clear.

In the last decade human rights defenders or those criticizing the official policies and practices regarding the fundamental problems of the country, and proposing alternative solutions, have been presented in the reports of the National Security Council and Security Directorate as “elements threatening national security”, and attempts have ben made to oppress and silence them rather than being taken seriously by certain sections of the government.

The attack against Mr. Birdal is an attack and a message to all the advocates of human rights and democratization. And this message is a product of the campaign which was initiated following the publication of statements attributed to a defendant recently. Since the campaigns have started, official and civil terror against human rights defenders and the opposition have escalated; murders of students and attacks against the Saturday Mothers have started again.

In the campaign led by certain media organizations, the defendant making these claims has been presented by these media organizations as the spokesperson of the “truth”, not a defendant but a prosecutor; and they themselves have pretended to be the judge. They rely so much on the maker of these claims that they did not even feel the need to look into the claims. Later, when the defendant denied the statement about Mr. Birdal which had been attributed to him, this did not receive media coverage.

It is nothing new in Turkey that plots and propaganda campaigns built on “threats and danger” and “treachery” are brought into the public agenda as an important part of “psychological warfare.” There is a lot of evidence leading us to think that the latest scenario aims to set up an unsuitable environment for human rights.

It is very well known that Turkish society has always been the loser in the gamble of those initiating such campaigns.

We, the members of the HRFT, once again realize that our efforts for constituting human rights and democratization in Turkey are quite necessary; and we announce that we will stand firmly against these kinds of campaigns and attacks by further developing our efforts and solidarity with the İHD.

We express our regret and we hope that Mr. Birdal recovers soon.

Selim Ölçer, MD