Support Turkish conscientious objectors

On 30 October a group of Turkish antimilitarists gathered at the front door of the Israeli Consulate of Istanbul and declared their support for two Israeli conscientious objectors, [name removed] and Or Ben-David, who had been arrested last week for objecting to the war politics of the Israeli governments against the Palestinian people.

According to an article in Today's Zaman, some legal amendments are planned in Turkey to address the issue of conscientious objection, following the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Osman Murat Ülke in January 2006. However, these amendments are far from recognising the right to conscientious objection.

Edited by Özgür Heval Çınar and Coşkun Üsterci, Zed Books, 9 April 2009, ISBN: 978-1-84813-278-8 (pb). £19.99

Bianet reported on 20 August that the Istanbul’s Office of the Hasdal Military Prosecutor decided there was no need for trial regarding the complaint made by conscientious objector Mehmet Bal about the bad treatment and torture he was subjected to in the military prison.

Twenty-three year old Mehmet Ali Avcı announced his conscientious objection on 15 August 2008 at the Istanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD), reported Bianet on 15 August 2008. He is supported by İHD members and Ümit Şahin from the Turkish Green Party.

Now any detention of conscientious objectors seen as arbitrary detention

One more in the series of legal victories for conscientious objectors in Turkey: The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention dealt with the case of imprisoned Turkish conscientious objector Halil Savdain its session on 9 May 2008, and came to the conclusion that "the deprivation of liber

The deprivation of liberty of Mr. Halil Savda during the periods between 16 and 28 December 2004, between 7 December 2006 and 2 February 2007, as well as between 5 February and 28 July 2007 was arbitrary. His deprivation of liberty since 27 March 2008 is also arbitrary, being in contravention of articles 9 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of articles 9 and 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights from which the Republic of Turkey is a State
Party, falling under category II of the categories applicable to the consideration of cases submitted to the Working Group. In addition, it also falls under category III of the categories applied by the Working Group, as far as Mr. Savda would have to serve his prison term following his conviction by judgement No. 2007/742-396.

Four new Turkish conscientious objectors declared their conscientious objection on Sunday, 18 May 2008. The declarations were made in Istanbul during "Militurne - Antimilitarist Days", an event to celebrate International Conscientious Objection Day. The names of the COs are Eylem Polat (a woman objector), Deniz Ozgur, Ibrahim Yilmaz and Uzkan Kuru.

Turkish conscientious objector İsmail Saygı, who had been arrested on 16 March 2008 in İstanbul, withdrew his declaration as conscientious objector while in military prison. İsmail Saygı had been taken into custody on his way home during an ID check.

Turkish conscientious objectors won another victory at the European Court of Human Rights. On 8 January 2008, the Strasbourg court awarded Sanar Yurdatapan, spokesperson for the Initiative Freedom of Thought, €2,000 in damages and €1,500 in legal fees. Yurdatapan had been sentenced to two months imprisonment for a statement in support of conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke.

The case goes back to 1999. On 23 July 1999 Sanar Yurdatapan distributed a leaflet entitled “Freedom of Thought - No. 38” in front of the Istanbul State Security Court Building.

Article 318:

(1) Persons who give incentives or make suggestions or spread propaganda which will have the effect of discouraging people from performing military service shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of six months to two years.

Osman Murat Ülke declared his conscientious objection and burned his call-up papers on 1 September 1995 in Izmir. He was arrested more than a year later - on 7 October 1996 - on charges of Article 155, "alienating the people from the military".