Turkey Regional Action Network

June 2012

1) Turkey Blog Articles Amnesty International USA website has featured one new blog article on recent human rights issues in Turkey.
Womens Health Under Threat in Turkey

The Turkish government is moving forward with a disturbing plan to drastically reduce womens capacity for family planning.
To read the full article, visit http://blog.amnestyusa.org/europe/womenshealth-under-threat-in-turkey/

Amnesty Internationals 2012 Annual Report, which expressed concern over the situation of womens rights in Turkey, the organization has released a public statement regarding Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoans proposed legislation on abortion. If the legislation is passed, it would further restrict access to needed health care for women and girls in contravention of their human rights.
To read the full public statement, visit: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR44/ 008/2012/en Other resources on womens rights in Turkey: Amnesty International 2012 Annual Report: Turkey http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/turkey/repor t-2012 - section-21-13 AIUSA Blog articles on womens rights in Turkey: Womens Health Under Threat in Turkey http://blog.amnestyusa.org/europe/wome ns-health-under-threat-in-turkey/ Turkey Passes Law to Stop Pervasive Violence Against Women http://blog.amnestyusa.org/women/turke y-passes-law-to-stop-pervasive-violenceagainst-women/

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2) Turkish Prime Ministers staunch opposition to abortion undermines human rights
Amnesty International Public Statement May 30, 2012

As our May newsletter briefly mentioned, Amnesty International has been raising concerns about the situation of womens rights in Turkey. Dr. Jones and Dr. Eissenstat, both AIUSA Turkey country specialists, have also posted on AIUSAs website regarding Turkeys inadequate legal enforcement to achieve womens security and equality. In addition to the recently published

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3) Turkey: Time to recognize the right

to conscientious objection

Amnesty International Public Statement June 12, 2012

As you may recall, AI has long campaigned on behalf of Halil Savda, a conscientious objector and human rights defender who has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Turkish authorities for his activities defending the rights of other conscientious objectors in Turkey, where there is no civilian alternative. Halil Savda was conditionally released from prison in April 2012. AI has just issued a public statement regarding the ruling of the case brought to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) by Halil Savda in 2005 regarding the violation of his right to conscientious objection. The Court unanimously ruled that conscientious objector and human rights defender Halil Savdas right not to be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Art. 3), right to a fair trial (Art. 6) and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Art. 9) had been violated. This is the fourth time in less than a year that the ECtHR found Turkey to have violated the right to conscientious objection.
To read the full public statement, visit: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR44/ 010/2012/en

many as 6 BDP Members of Parliament, 32 mayors, hundreds of chairs and members of city councils, in addition to the staff of municipalities and more than 7000 members of the BDP party have been detained. And, apparently, even someone who is seen in the area of a Kurdish demonstration is faced with prosecution. Tarhir Lihan, a deaf, illiterate, mute bazaar porter was recently charged with supporting terrorism because he was rounded up during an illegal demonstration. A Turkish prosecutor is demanding he be jailed for 25 years. Students also are at risk of extended jail sentences under Turkeys terrorism laws. This month a court sentenced two university students to eight years and five months in prison on terrorism related charges because they held up a banner demanding free education during a speech given by the Prime Minister. These worrying trends have not gone unnoticed internationally. Tom Friedman recently commented in the New York Times on Prime Minister Erdogans success in eliminating any independent judiciary in Turkey and in intimidating the Turkish press so that there are no more checks and balances in Turkey; Mehdi Hasan in the Guardian worries that the right to free speech in Turkey is being lost. Meanwhile, literally thousands languish in Turkish prisons because of what they have written or said.

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If you are interested in the issue of Human Rights in Turkey, consider joining us on our Turkey Regional Action Network on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/AmnestyInternational-USA-Turkey-Regional-ActionNetwork/134561963283302 If you have any questions, please contact AIUSA TURKRAN coordinator: Natsumi Ajiki (najiki@mac.com).

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Disturbing Human Rights Trends in Turkey

The Turkish state has continued to use its draconian anti-terrorist laws to arrest large numbers of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). According to the European Turkey Civic Commission, As