Turkey

Die WRI hat ein Statement herausgegeben, in dem der Mord an Tahir Elçi, dem Vorsitzenden des Anwaltsverbands von Diyarbakir, verurteilt wird. Tahir Elçi war ein bekannter Menschenrechtsanwalt und in der Türkei als „Botschafter des Friedens“ bekannt. Das Statement drückt die Solidarität der WRI mit Tahir Elçis Familie, FreundInnen und FriedensaktivistInnen in der Türkei aus und fordert von den türkischen Behörden, dass sie seine Ermordung gründlich und unparteiisch untersuchen. 

WRI have released a statement condemning the murder of Tahir Elçi, Chairperson of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, a prominent human rights lawyer and a well-known figure as a “peace envoy” in Turkey. The statement expresses WRI's solidarity with Elçi's family, friends, and the peace activists in Turkey, and calls on the Turkish authorities to investigate his murder thoroughly and impartially. Read the full statement

Tahir Elçi, Chairperson of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, a prominent human rights lawyer and a well-known figure as a “peace envoy”, was killed on 28 November 2015 in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey. He dedicated his life to peace and human rights. His last words were “We don’t want weapons, clashes and military operations in the birthplace and home of many civilisations” at a press conference a few minutes before he was shot.

The Turkish army exempts gay men from serving in the army, since they categorize homosexuality as a ‘psycho-sexual disorder’. A new change in the process will allow men to declare they are gay in an interview without undergoing humiliating tests such as rectal examination or showing sex pictures. Getting an exemption still puts gays in danger of future discrimination, since it means their sexual orientation is listed on their official record.

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Conscientious Objector Mehmet Tarhan was detained in Aydın province and then was released on probation. Tarhan commented: “Civil death started for me.”

Conscientious Objector and LGBTI activist Mehmet Tarhan was detained in Aydın province and then released.

Tarhan talked to bianet that he was placed a charge of being deserter in March 2015 and a warrant was issued.

Tarhan was taken to prosecution and then to recruiting office in Aydın province in Aegean Region of Turkey:

“They granted me two days to be enlisted and then released me in the recruiting office. It means the time of “civil death” started for me.

Vicdani Ret Derneği, the Turkish CO Association, held an international symposium on conscientious objection (CO), on 5-6 September in Istanbul. The meetings were packed, and at the end of the symposium, over 20 COs went to Galatasaray Square and publicly declared their conscientious objection.

In early September, Conscientious Objectors from across the world gathered in Istanbul for a CO Symposium. As violence of the Turkish state military against the Kurdish community in Turkey increases, CO's gathered to discuss their objection to war and it's causes, before making public declarations of their objection in Galatasaray Square. For a full report, click here. HDP submits CO law to parliament

In Turkey, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have submitted a law to the Turkish parliament, proposing that Turkey acknowledges the right to conscientious objection. HDP joined the parliament in Turkey in the most recent round of elections in June 2015, when the ruling AKP lost their parliamentary majority. Turkey does not currently recognise the right to conscientious objection, and people who declare conscientious objection are.... In 2011, the Turkish Ministry of Justice announced a draft proposal that would legalise conscientious objection, following pressure from the European Court of Human Rights, but the draft was withdrawn.

The proposed law would allow CO's to work for any public institution, NGO, or other organisation working in the public interest. CO's would be paid, covered by welfare benefits and social security, and not be discriminated against.

Two CO's killed in attack

On 20 July, an attack against civilians in the southern Turkish town of Suruç killed dozens of people. Conscientious objectors Alper Sapan and Polen Ünlü were amongst those killed. WRI affiliate Vicdani Ret Derneği have released a statement that includes Polen and Alper's CO declarations, which we quote here:

“I don’t want my brothers, my sisters and the people that I love to be a part of that dirty war which has been implemented by the state. That war does not murder only men, but it murders women as well. For this reason, I am declaring my conscientious objection.” (Polen Ünlü)

“For the world where there is no war, no nation, no border; for freedom, I am listening to my heart and rejecting the military service. Let’s destroy militarism before militarism destroys all of us.” (Alper Sapan)

Read more here.

Sources

For more information, see: Hurriyet Daily News, August 2015, "HDP proposes law on conscientious objection", http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hdp-proposes-law-on-conscientious-objection.aspx?pageID=238&nID=86549&NewsCatID=339

On 20 July, an attack against civilians in the southern Turkish town of Suruç killed dozens of people. Conscientious objectors Alper Sapan and Polen Ünlü were amongst those killed. WRI affiliate Vicdani Ret Derneği have released a statement that includes Polen and Alper's CO declarations, which we quote here:

Statement from WRI affiliate Vicdani Ret Derneği

On 20th of July, many young people from different cities took the road for the re-construction of Kobanê which is the city that has been resisting against the attacks of ISIS for several months. Those young people wanted to re-build the city which was destroyed by war and bring life back to the children who are sentenced to death in the pillaged land.

But they could not success. Everlasting war policy turned to a bomb and exploded right at the middle of the crowd of young people who were resisting to build the peace. Tens of people lost their lives and hundreds of them were injured.

One of those young people who had lost her life is Polen Ünlü who declared her conscientious objection in 2012 by saying “That war does not murder only men, but it murders women as well.” Alper Sapan is also one of those young people who had murdered in the massacre, and also one of conscientious objectors who declared his conscientious objection in May 2014 by saying “For the world where there is no war, no nation, no border; for freedom, I am listening to my heart and rejecting the military service.”

Yesterday's attack against civilians in the southern Turkish town of Suruç killed dozens of people. Conscientious objectors Alper Sapan and Polen Ünlü  were amongst those killed. In solidarity and respect, we share news from WRI member Merve Arkun:

Two of our CO friends were murdered by a suicide bomb attack that has happened in Pirsus (Suruç, Urfa, Turkey), today.

More than 31

people travelling to Kobanê to support resistance against ISIS have died. At least 100 were heavily wounded.

Here is his Alper Sapan's CO declaration:
I am Alper Sapan. I am an anarchist who 19 years old. I am against the injustice, exploitation and oppression of the state. I am rejecting violence and the state. I am listening to the voice of my conscience and objecting the military system for a world that no borders, no wars and no nations. I will not die, I will not kill for anybody and will not be anybody's soldier.

Before militarism ends our lives let's end militarism.

Information about Polen Ünlü is still being translated into English. You can find information in Turkish here.

via Vicdani Ret Derneği (Conscientious Objection Association)

Turkish antimilitarists protest the IDEF arms fairOn Friday 8th May, ten protesters met in front of the IDEF 2015 Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul, Turkey. The protesters, who came together with the call from the Conscientious Objection Association were met with a heavy police presence including 15 civilian police, tens of riot police and one water cannon truck.

Around ten protesters met today in front of the IDEF 2015 Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul. The protesters, who came together with the call of Conscientious Objection Association were met with heavy police presence including 15 civilian police, tens of riot police and one water cannon truck.

Despite attempts to prevent the protest by the police, the protesters read their statement in front of the building. “President Erdogan opened the fair by saying 'I hope this fair will bring fortune to the peoples of the world'. But the weapons that are present here will bring only death to the people all around the world” told Merve Arkun, the co-president of Conscientious Objection Association. Arkun criticized the increase of defense budgets worldwide, reaching to 1.6 trillion Euro per year. “The taxes taken from the poor peoples are spent for developing weapons of mass destruction. We're calling the states to stop their arms race” she told. Arkun ended her speech by referring to the latest developments in the defense industry like self guiding bullets and autonomous UAV's and telling “Don't forget that these weapons are killing people all over the world every day. You can never know when you'll be the next target. Militarism kills”.