Ozgur Politika
January 11, 2002

Insistance in the 'Three Doors, Three Locks'
MHA / ISTANBUL
Civil society organisations, trade unions and political parties have started
campaigning for signatures, which should be presented to the Minister of
Justice, in order to get implemented the 'Three Doors, Three Locks' proposal
which aims at the ending of the death fasts. Also the Istanbul Bar
Association and the Artists Initiative called the Ministry to accept the
proposal.
In the anouncement of the camaign it was said "We, as defenders of Human
Rights, are hopeful that the deaths fasts which have continued for seasons
will end, because of the fact that the 'Three Doors, Three Locks' proposal
initiated by the Bar Associations of Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir was
also accepted by the prisoners".
Regarding Minister of Justice Hikmet Sami Turk's refusal of the proposal
towards the unification of three rooms for each three persons in the F-type
prisons, the chairman of the Istanbul Bar Association, Yucel Sayman said
"The
decision of Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk is not juridical but
political."
A group called the 'Artists Initiative', amongst them Edip Akbayram, Suavi,
Ataol Behramoglu, Orhan Alkaya and Rutkay Aziz visited the Chairman of the
Bar Association Yucel Sayman.
During the visit Sayman said, "The Minister said that the proposal was
contrary to article 16 of the Anti-Terror-Law. We think that this is not the
case. The decision of the Minister is not juridical but political. Even if
it
seems to be juridical it is political. Our aim is to produce a solution",
noting that the Justice Minister doesn't look sympathetically upon the
'Three
Doors, Three Locks" proposal. The artist Suavi said that it was possible to
create again new solutions to end the death fasts, but that there was not
enough time for this.

Yedinci Gundem

January 10, 2002
'Not political, political'.
İSTANBUL - After the form 'Three Doors, Three Locks' proposed by four Bar
Associations was met with a negative response by the Minster of Justice,
artists visited the Istanbul Bar association and stated that they were
supporting the proposal.
Today at 12:30 p.m Edip Akbayram, Rutkay Aziz, Ataol Behramoglu, Bilgesu
Erenus, Dilek Gökçin, Erdal Öz, Vecdi Sayar, Zeynep Tonbay, Orhan Alkaya,
Üstün Arman and Suavi visited Yucel Sayman, the chairman of the Bar
Association in the name of the Artist Initiative.
The artists said that they did not understand the reasons of the Justice
Minister, for not accepting the form 'Three Doors, Three Locks'. Suavi made
it clear that after this moment no technical solution will be possible to
stop the deaths and said "We haven't got time for a new project, it is much
too late actually. People are dying. We have to insist in the 'Three Doors,
Three Locks' proposal.
Sayman said also "our proposal is not contrary to article 16. The first
draft
of article 16 forbids our proposal. But the article was changed. That means
article 16 suggests at least to end the isolation".

Yedinci Gundem

January 11, 2002
ANKARA - .To make the Minister of Justice accept the statement which is seen
as a beacon of hope for a solution of the F-type prison question, an open
press meeting will be held tomorrow. The institutions participating in the
meeting are the Ankara Branch of the IHD, the Ankara Branch of the
Association of Progressive Jurists, TAYAD (Solidarity Association of the
Prisoners' Families), Ankara Branch of the Cultural Association Pir Sultan
Abdal, the Initiative of Intellectuals and Artists, the platform of the
Ankara Branch of the People's Houses, platform of the Ankara Branch of KESK,
Executive Committee for the region Ankara of the Genel-Is Trade Union,
Ankara
Branch of the Tüm-Tis Trade Union and provincial Executive Committee of the
Peace Party in Ankara, HADEP, EMEP, ÖDP and Provincial Executive Committee
of
the TKP in Ankara.

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 could
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, "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 17Good 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, "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

Radikal
January 12, 2002
AHMET ŞIK/,
ISTANBUL - The complaint of the prisoners who claimed that they were
subjected to torture during the transfers following the operations for the
'Return to Life' ended with the decision of no prosecution. The file of 65
people, of which some claimed to having being raped with a truncheon at the
Kandira F type prison, was closed even before examining the medical reports,
with the reason of "lack of evidence". 65 of those prisoners who were
transferred to the F type prison of Kandira after the operations for the
'Return to Life' on the 19th of December 2000, were going before court with
the allegation that they were subjected to torture while being separated
into
two groups. Eight of the prisoners who claimed that they were beaten up by
the soldiers and guardians at the prison to which they have been transferred
during and after the operation, also affirmed that they were raped with
truncheons. At the end of the investigation the Public Prosecution Office of
Kandira decided not to prosecute with the reason that there was no other
evidence than the allegations of the suitors. The attorney of the victims,
Gulizar Tuncer, protested that the testimony of most of the complainants
wasn't even taken. Tuncer said: "It's incoherent with the law that only the
testimony of guardians and soldiers are taken. Except of one, the testimony
of my clients wasn't taken, the witnesses weren't listened to... But the
prosecutors gave such a decision without even finding it necessary to
examine
those reports."... Gulizar Tuncer, who stated that she wasn't even informed
about the decision of no prosecution although her address is known, went
before a higher court and appealed against the decision.

"There exists torture reports"
Tuncer, who claims that the prosecutors were not fulfilling their duty of
collecting evidence, said: "It is contrary to the law to decide not to
prosecute with the reason of a lack of evidence. Although the medical
reports
of my client regarding being tortured were inside the files, the prosecutors
ignored this evidence".

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