Turkey

Hilal Demir

It started with a park. The government wanted to destroy the only green public park that exists in the centre of Istanbul city. What for? To build a military barracks, they said. Then they said it would be a shopping centre. They gave other reasons, too.

Conscientious objection is little enough dealt with in mainstream political discourse, let alone as the subject for a gallery installation.

So it was encouraging, and probably groundbreaking in a London context, that Filmpro - a "disabled-led digital art agency" - made conscientious objection (and, in particular, conscientious objection in Turkey) the subject of a two-week installation at an east London gallery during May, called COnscription.

Right to conscientious objection still not guaranteed in Europe

Amnesty International, marking the International Conscientious Objectors Day, renews its call on all states to recognise the right to conscientious objection to military service. Nearly two years ago the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that states must respect the right to conscientious objection as part of their obligation to respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, bringing European law in line with international human rights standards.

The Turkish government has been criticised by an EU Commissioner for omitting conscientious objection reform from its package of reforms designed to align Turkish legislation with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.

European Commissioner Stefan Füle said on April 12th, “While I understand the focus of the Fourth Judicial Reform package is on compliance with European Court of Human Rights rulings, I note with regret the omission of conscientious objection in the package”.

A multimedia installation, by Caglar Kimyoncu, inspired by stories from Turkey exploring the call-up to military service for people who don’t ‘fit the mould’.

COnscription is the first project in Conscientious Objectors, a series of collaborative research-based focusing on countries which use conscription and national service.

The installation will be exhibited in Istanbul in the autumn.

More info here.

War Resisters' International have put out a statement condemning Pinar Selek's life sentence. You can read it here.

This letter comes from Yasemin Öz-Lawyer, International Spokesperson of Pınar Selek Support Committee

THE COURT ANNOUNCED ITS REASONING ON CONVICTION OF PINAR SELEK

A multimedia installation, by Caglar Kimyoncu, inspired by stories from Turkey exploring the call-up to military service for people who don’t ‘fit the mould’.

COnscription is the first project in Conscientious Objectors, a series of collaborative research-based focusing on countries which use conscription and national service.

The installation will be exhibited in Istanbul in the autumn.

More info here.

Statement from 8 February 2013

War Resisters' International, an international network of pacifist and antimilitarist organisations with more than 80 affiliates in 40 countries, condemns the persecution of Pinar Selek.

On 24 January 2013, Pinar Selek, a Turkish feminist antimilitarist campaigner, was given a life sentence by an Istanbul court. The court issued an arrest warrant for Pinar, who is currently living in Strasbourg.

On 17–18 October, the United Nations Human Rights Committee finalised the examination of the initial report of Turkey on the country’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Hülya Üçpınar, activist and human rights lawyer from Turkey, addressed the committee on behalf of WRI. She reported on the status of conscientious objection in Turkey, telling the committee about restrictions imposed on conscientious objectors lives – the fact they can't vote, are in constant danger of being detained by security forces, and are severely hampered in finding work.

In October 2012, Hülya Üçpinar addressed the United Nationas Human Rights Committee on behalf of War Resisters' International.

Dear friends,

My name is Hülya Üçpınar, I am a human rights lawyer in Turkey. I write on returning from an exchange on nonviolence training co-hosted by War Resisters' International. The event reminded me of the distinctive contribution that WRI makes to movements for peace and antimilitarism.

Fundamentally, WRI is a network -- a collective of like-minded groups, each struggling against militarism and warmongering in our own contexts. With the support of two staff in the WRI office in London, we lend each other vital solidarity and encouragement.