> >Mai 30 2000 > >Extradition of Fehriye Erdal refused by Belgium because of capital >punishment > >Ankara - Turkish Daily News > >Following an announcement last Friday by Belgian Prime Minister Guy >Verhofstadt that Fehriye Erdal, an accomplice to the assassination of >businessman Ozdemir Sabanci, will not be extradited to Turkey, a letter of >justification reflecting the position of the Belgian Cabinet is expected >to arrive in Ankara. > >It was announced by diplomatic circles that the Turkish ambassador to >Belgium, Temel Iskit, was verbally informed of the decision by the >Belgian Cabinet to turn down Turkey's request for extradition and that a >written justification will be forwarded to Turkey through the same >channel. > >The Belgian Justice, Interior and Foreign ministries refrained from >responding to questions from journalists on this issue, maintaining that >announcements clarifying the issue as well as the next steps to be taken, >would be announced after Ankara is officially notified of the decision. > >Justification to be used is obvious > >The same diplomatic sources maintain that the Belgian government will have >no difficulty in justifying the decision, adding: "The existence of >capital punishment in the Turkish legal system is an adequate >justification on its own for denying Turkey's request for extradition. >Ankara has no option but to accept this decision. Furthermore, in the >request for extradition forwarded by Turkey, the politically motivated >activities undertaken by Fehriye Erdal and the organization she belongs >to were all detailed, which suggests a political crime. In the event that >Turkey does not abolish capital punishment and the definitions in the >concept of political crime are not changed in accordance with European >standards, Turkey will always encounter similar difficulties in the >international platform." > >In the meanwhile, while Belgium is preparing to host the European Soccer >Championship scheduled to take place next month, terrorist threats by the >illegal Revolutionary People's Liberation Party Front (DHKP-C), in the >event Erdal is extradited to Turkey, are being taken seriously by the >Belgian government. > >It was also said that the announcement regarding Erdal was made by Prime >Minister Verhofstadt in response to a question by a journalist and that >studies to prepare a "ruling by justification" are continuing. > > > > >-- >Press Agency Ozgurluk >In Support of the Peoples Liberation Struggle in Turkey and Kurdistan >http://www.ozgurluk.org > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
