WRITTEN QUESTION E-1942/00

by Marietta Giannakou-Koutsikou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(19 June 2000)

Subject: The Adnan Oktar case

Science Research Foundation (SRF) is a non-governmental organisation which was established under Laws 743 and 903 and has been active in Istanbul since 1990. Adnan Oktar is the Honorary President of the SRF. With 90 other persons, he was arrested on 12 November 1999, and he is still in prison awaiting the end of the trial. A big police operation was carried out at around 3 a.m. in 48 different houses, as a result of which all these people were taken into custody, including Mr Adnan Oktar. On the basis of our information, there were several human rights violations during this police operation, as well as the use of violence during the arrest and afterwards. The police allege that the NGO is a criminal organisation. In the past, two other accusations had been made against Mr Adnan Oktar, but he had been cleared both times. The trial of Mr Oktar is under way. During the first hearing on 7 April 2000, the public prosecutor called for the detained SRF members to be released by the public prosecutor because not a single shred of evidence was found. The second hearing will be on 2 June 2000.

Given that Turkey is an applicant country, I should like to know if the Council is aware of this case and, if it considers that this constitutes a human rights violation, what measures it intends taking to prevent the recurrence of such events?

Reply

(23 October 2000)

Representatives of the Science Research Foundation have also been in touch with the Council and its members to inform them of Mr Oktar's arrest.

According to certain Turkish newspapers, Mr Oktar has been accused of blackmail and extortion. The Council has no information or proof that there were several human rights violations. The Council's information is that Mr Oktar is undergoing trial. In those circumstances the Council does not deem it appropriate to comment on this specific case.

In general, the European Union's approach to human rights violations in Turkey is based on the conclusions of the Helsinki European Council, in which Turkey was recognised as a candidate State destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria as applied to the other candidate States, including respect for human rights.

The EU has impressed on the Turkish authorities that making progress on human rights issues is a precondition for the opening of accession negotiations. Turkey is aware of this fact and has embarked on a reform process designed to meet the Copenhagen criteria. The Council welcomes this move and will support the Turkish government's efforts to improve the human rights situation for all Turkish citizens.

In the context of the accession partnership, the Council will define the priority aspects of the accession preparations, including human rights priorities. In this connection the Council stresses the importance not only of amending national legislation but also of bringing it into force and applying it correctly.

At the same time, the Council will continue to keep a close eye on developments in Turkey and, if necessary, will raise individual cases directly with the Turkish authorities.