The Turkish state is at war with its citizens

[english at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl]

Subject: The Turkish state is at war with its citizens
From: Press Agency Ozgurluk <ozgurluk at xs4all.nl>
Date: 21 Aug 1997 04:16:49 +0200

ANKARA, Aug 20 (Reuter) - Turkey said on Wednesday it would take
measures again st a planned "peace train" trip across Europe by
politicians and rights activists to call for an end to the Kurdish
conflict in southeast Turkey.
                                       
"It is natural that all the necessary measures will be taken," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Sermet Atacanli told a newsconference. He declined
to elaborate.
                                       
The train is due to leave Brussels on August 26 to travel through
Europe and Turkey on its way to the main southeastern city of
Diyarbakir. The five-day journey is being organised by a pro-Kurdish
group in Germany.
                                       
                                       
Atacanli said Turkey believed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists
were behind the initiative. "We evaluate this as a propaganda attempt
by the terrorist organisation and we have forwarded this assessment to
the necessary offices," Atacanli said when asked if Ankara would
protest to European countries or allow the train to enter Turkey.
                                       
ANKARA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Turkey's coalition government has vowed to
crack down on a series of nationwide Islamist demonstrations against
secularist education reforms.
                                       
"We will not allow any outlawed demonstrations," Anatolian news agency
quoted Interior Minister Murat Basesgioglu as saying on Tuesday night
after a cabinet meeting.
                                       
Thousands of Islamists have taken to the streets to protest against a
government bid to increase secular education to eight years from five,
a plan that diminishes the status of religious schools. Police have
clashed with Islamists and journalists at some of the protests, which
did not prevent the school reforms bill being passed by parliament
last weekend after lengthy debate.
                                       
"There is no point in these demonstrations now that the law has been
passed," Basesgioglu said.  "The protests could have another purpose."
                                       
Secularist education reform is a priority of conservative Prime
Minister Mesut Yilmaz, in office since late June. A government act
forbidding children under the age of 12 from attending Koranic
education courses went into force on Wednesday with its publication in
the official gazette.
                                       
The act also gives security officials the power to supervise Koranic
courses, seen by the secularist establishment as a source of Islamist
activism. Yilmaz replaced Necmettin Erbakan, modern Turkey's first
Islamist prime minister who resigned two months ago under pressure
from the secularist army after a stormy year in power.

-- 
Press-Agency Ozgurluk: http://www.ozgurluk.org
The struggle for human right, freedom, justice and democracy in Turkey
and Kurdistan


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