From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 14 Aug 92 09:58 PDT
Subject: IPS:Turkey: Reporter at pro-
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700359:000:4170
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Aug 14 09:58:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: IPS:Turkey: Reporter at pro-

/* Written 12:08 am  Aug 13, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: TURKEY: Reporter at pro-Kurdish newspaper killed


an inter press service feature

by nadire mater

istanbul, aug 10 (ips) -- a sombre quietness hung over the 'ozgur
gundem' newsroom on monday as journalists mourned the death of
another colleague in what now appears to be an orchestrated attack
on the pro-kurdish daily newspaper.

shot in the back of the neck on his way to work, columnist
huseyin deniz, 30, became the eighth journalist so far this year
to be killed in the troubled kurdish region of south-eastern
turkey and the fourth from ozgur gundem, a ten-week-old newspaper.

the wave of assaults against journalists by unknown forces began
on feb 15 with the shooting of 2000'e dogru reporter halit gurgen
in diyarbakir.

ozgur gundem, which started publication on june 1, lost its first
reporter on june 8 when hafiz akdemir was also shot in the back of
the neck while on his way to work, also in diyarbakir.

a number of kurdish businessmen are funding ozgur gundem's
operations. headquartered in istanbul, it has offices in ankara
(the capital), adana (southern turkey), izmir (western turkey),
diyarbakir (south-eastern turkey), van (eastern turkey) and
germany.

yasar kaya, the owner of the daily is convinced that his
reporters are under attack because of the stance the paper has
taken.

''gundem is a revolutionary and democratic newspaper. it works
for the defence of human rights without double standards and tries
to put the kurdish issue and the events in kurdistan to the
kurdish and turkish public in the most objective way possible,''
said kaya.

and charging that because turkish authorities are trying to deny
kurds the autonomy they are seeking, kaya said nothing has been
done by way of investigation to find out who is behind the
shootings.

''it does not matter whether we attribute these assassinations
to the hizbullah (an islamic organisation allegedly supported by
the state) or to the contra-guerrilla agents; in the end it all
boils down to the fact that the state is behind them,'' charged
kaya. (more/ips)

turkey: reporter at pro-kurdish newspaper killed(2-e)

turkey: reporter (2)

hassan bildirici, a member of gundem's editorial board, agrees.
''the government doesn't want the world to be informed of the
escalating violence and bloodshed in kurdistan (in the south of
turkey). the entire turkish press reports the events in kurdistan
from the point of view of the official state ideology.''

all the journalists have met similar deaths -- a single bullet
in the back of the neck fired by a 38 calibre smith-wesson --
while on their way to or from work. besides the eight that have
died, another is in hospital in critical condition.

deniz previously worked for other publications such as the daily
'cumhuriyet' and the weekly '2000'e dogru'. (towards 2000). known
for his research in the field of kurdish folklore, he was the
author of one book and a member of pen, the international writers'
association.

while saddened by deniz's death, colleagues attending a memorial
service in istanbul on monday, said they were undaunted.

''gundem has been the only newspaper to report the events as they
really are,'' said bildirici. ''this is why they are attacking our
reporters. the journalists working for ozgur gundem are not afraid
of death and have no intention of quitting their profession.''

meanwhile, press council chairperson oktay eksi, who is a
columnist for the daily 'hurriyet' sent a telegraph to prime
minister suleyman demirel sarcastically saying: ''the results of
the peace and love and law-abiding state you pledged to the
country are clear for everyone to see.''

eksi called for security guarantees to protect the lives of
journalists; at the same time minister of justice seyfi oktay has
suggested the establishment of a special police unit to
investigate the killings. (end/ips/np/nm/cpg/92)