Cumhuriyet (daily newspaper in Turkey) January 10, 2002 ========================================
The Justice Minister Turk suggested that 10 convicts at a time could be allowed five hours a week to talk to each other Rejection of "Three doors, three locks" The Justice Minister Turk has brought about and publicised a circular, containing the conditional offer, in connection with death fasts that have gone on for a year and a half, that as many as 10 people at a time can meet for five hours a week, conditional upon the death fasts coming to an end. The circular also gives convicts conditions for engaging in social activities. ANKARA (Cumhuriyet office) - The Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk, rejected the Ankara, Antalya, Istanbul and Izmir bars proposal for ending the "Three door, three locks" proposal for ending the death fasts in the F-Type prisons, citing legal obstacles. Turk came up with a "pre-conditional" offer for ending the actions which have gone on for a year and a half. According to this, it would be determined that conditions were to be created for a maximum of 10 people to come to the areas for five hours a week "to convalesce, for education, sport, occupational training and building work" activities. However, a "selection commission" would decide who would go to such an area, and there was no clarity about what criteria it would follow. At a press conference yesterday, Justice Minister Turk evaluated the ongoing hunger strikes and death fasts in the F-Type prisons. Turk said that in the F-Type prisons eight persons were on hunger strike and 142 were on death fasts. Turk stated that the "Three Doors, Three Locks" suggestion by the Ankara, Antalya, Izmir and Istanbul bar chairmen, which would give a total of nine convicts and prisoners the ability to come together in an area, should be criticised because it was sent to the media but not sent in as an official application. Re the proposal, Turk noted from the point of view of the law and practicability that the corridor was not seen as an area for communal living. Turk said that Paragraph 16 of Turkey's Basic Law created legal obstacles to the proposal, adding "The way things are set up rather goes against such a proposal. Even if we said there were no legal obstacles, it is not convenient from the point of view of the physical construction and security considerations of F-Type prisons." The Justice Minister noted that if the terror organisations had the courage to take the first step of ending the action, "We are thinking of giving groups of 10 prisoners and convicts at a time the possibility of coming together for five hours a week to chat," he said. Turk announced that "if the actions come to an end," a circular can be immediately prepared to put this into practice. Justice Minister Turk announced that all prison administrations had been told not to hinder physical possibilities for people to meet for five hours and see each other openly. Turk said the F-Type prisons met international standards and it was necessary to end the actions, adding that "Everyone who wanted to resolve the situation should be helpful to the Justice Ministry." Cumhuriyet January 11, 2002 "F-TYPE" CIRCULAR READY Good conditions for having conversations **According to a circular from the Justice Ministry to be distributed conditional upon an end to the death fasts, at least one area must be added on for convicts and prisoners who want to meet for a chat, to convalesce, for educational, sporting, occupational training or building work purposes. But a selection commission will determine who will come to an area to meet for a conversation. For this reason not everyone will be able to come to such an area who wants to. ILHAN TASCI ANKARA - The Justice Ministry has prepared a circular to be issued conditional upon the hunger strikes and death fasts ending in the F-Type prisons. The Justice Minister said that he would sign such a circular on condition of the actions ending, providing for a maximum of 10 persons who are to be determined by a "selection commission" to be able to come together to converse for five hours a week. Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said the circular was prepared in connection with a proposal to bring an end to the hunger strikes and death fasts. He noted that the text of the circular would be settled and it would be issued when the condition of the death fasts ending was met. The circular would be put into effect and sent to all administration offices and chief prosecutors' offices with the signature of Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk if the condition of the actions ending was met. In the circular prepared by the Justice Ministry, preconditions were to be met for prisoners and convicts to meet to converse or engage in education, sports, occupational training, building work or other social and cultural activities. This is what is said in the circular, to be issued conditional upon the actions ending: At the back of page 17 Good conditions for holding a conversation Heading on page 1 "An area or other common space seen as convenient for a group not exceeding 10 convicts and prisoners who wish to do so, to be chosen by a selection commission, is to be set up in conformity with the known conditions so they can meet for a conversation or other activities in the space of a week for a period of time not exceeding five hours, under supervision of the administration who will be officially informed. The administration will ensure that there is no interference with face to face meetings, lawyers and visitors during the total of five hours organised in the course of the week." The chair of the Ankara Bar Sadik Erdogan said that the Ministry's proposal had taken the first step by abandoning the idea of "Definitely not." The new suggestion had created growing hope for a solution. "The Minister's proposal has opened a new horizon," he said. Erdogan said, "The Ministry and Minister who said under no conditions would they take a step back, have taken a step forward with this proposal. Everyone is waiting for the death fasts to come to an end as soon as possible." Istanbul Bar chairman Yucel Sayman, who did not join in the criticism of his bar's "Three Doors Three Locks" proposal which he had learned about from the media, noted that a visit was made to the Ministry, "hoping for a solution". Sayman stressed that he did not act as a mediator or for the Justice Ministry when he put the proposal forward, but indicated that he had shared the proposal with public opinion while acting in an independent capacity. --- Support for "Three Doors Three Locks" **Cultural Service - The chairman of Turkey's branch of The International Writers' Association (PEN) Ustun Akmen assessed that the joint proposal by the bars for "three doors three locks" was perhaps the last chance for a solution of this issue. Akmen said that "If the Justice Ministry were to show common sense, the death fasts which have gone on for nearly a year and a half could end." International Law Association _________________________________________________________________
