WRITTEN QUESTION No. 650/98 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Imprisonment of a Kurdish leader in Turkey
Date: 1998-03-10
Institutions: European Parliament, KAKLAMANIS
Subjects: EU aid, EU relations, Kurdistan question, Türkiye, democratisation, human rights, political prisoner, rule of law

C 310/112

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 10. 98

(98/C 310/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0650/98

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(10 March 1998)

Subject: Imprisonment of a Kurdish leader in Turkey

On 13 January, Hamdi Turanli, chairman of the Democratic party of southern Kurdistan (PDK) was arrested by
the Turkish authorities and imprisoned in Ankara. Mr Turanli is facing a sentence of 22 years in prison and he is
suffering from cancer which requires constant medical surveillance.

On 16 January, Amnesty International called for the release of Mr Turanli, while the German Foreign Minister,
Mr Kinkel, intervened (through the German Embassy in Ankara) to secure the release of the Kurdish leader, who
also holds German in addition to Turkish citizenship.

What is the Commission(cid:146)s formal position in regard to this matter? How does it propose to intercede with the
Turkish authorities to secure the release of this Kurdish freedom-fighter, who is suffering from cancer, and put an
end to the inhuman terrorization of the Kurds living on Turkish territory?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(20 April 1998)

The Commission is following the case of Mr Turanli. He was released provisionally on 26 February 1998.

In all its dealings with the Turkish authorities the Commission emphasises the need to improve the human rights
situation and continue the democratisation process in Turkey. Despite Ankara(cid:146)s decision to suspend all political
dialogue with the Community, the Commission intends to continue to stress this point.

As regards the situation in south-eastern Turkey in particular, the Commission has repeatedly pointed out the
need  to  find  a  non-military  solution  to  the  problem  and  to  ensure  that  measures  to  combat  terrorism  remain
compatible with the rule of law and respect for human rights. The Commission also intends to contribute to the
socio-economic development of the region by financing projects under the MEDA programme.

(98/C 310/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0652/98

by Gerardo Ferna·ndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(10 March 1998)

Subject: Involvement of Galician businesses in the Community Al-Invest Programme

In  its  first  two  years  of  operation  the  Al-Invest  Programme,  whose  purpose  is  to  facilitate  commercial,
know-how, technology transfer and financial exchanges, has successfully organized forty business meetings and
programmed a further sixty, with a turnover of ECU 25 million.

Galicia(cid:146)s  links  with  Latin  America  and  the  statistically  demonstrable  economic  interdependence  of  the  two
regions mean that the Al-Invest Programme is particularly important to Galicia.

Can  the  Commission  say  what  the  Al-Invest  Programme(cid:146)s  impact  on  relations  between  Galicia  and  Latin
America has been, how many business meetings have taken place in Galicia and what the extent of Galician
representation within the programme as a whole has been?