Strong Reaction to Journalists’ Arrest
December 23, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Thousands gathered in Istanbul and Ankara, protesting the arrest of journalists in relation to the infamous KCK operations. Journalists, MPs, rights activists, union leaders condemn the latest police operation as the final nail on the coffin of freedom of expression in Turkey.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul and Ankara, protesting the arrest of journalists on allegations related to the so-called KCK operation. Police operations, investigations and massive trials into The Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK), the umbrella organization that includes the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have seen thousands of pro-Kurdish politicians and rights activists arrested in the last two years. « Read the rest of this entry »
Home thoughts from abroad
December 22, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Even as Turkey preaches human rights to neighbours, its record at home is patchy
WITH her intense gaze, washed-out jeans and talk of freedom, Dilsat Aktas is a typical left-wing activist. In May the 29-year-old climbed onto an armoured police-carrier in Ankara to protest against the death of another activist, who had suffered a stroke after being sprayed with pepper gas in the Black Sea province of Hopa. Ms Aktas now hobbles around on crutches: the police clubbed her so hard as she tried to escape that they broke her left hip. “The doctor says it will take three years to fix,” she says, dragging on a cigarette. « Read the rest of this entry »
