[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 106 (Thursday, August 4, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      DEMOCRACY ON TRIAL IN TURKEY

  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, this day marks a sad milestone on 
Turkey's path toward democracy. Today, before a court in Ankara, six 
Kurdish parliamentarians face capital punishment for expressing 
political views deemed treasonous by Turkey's civilian and military 
leadership. Altogether, 13 duly-elected deputies of the Democracy Party 
[DEP] have been thrown out of parliament, including six who fled the 
country so they could not be silenced.
  Mr. President, I am flabbergasted that such a spectacle is taking 
place in Turkey, a staunch friend, a NATO ally, and CSCE participating 
state whose officials regularly express commitments to democracy and 
international human rights standards. This trial will take place before 
the world press and hundreds of lawyers, foreign parliamentarians, 
human rights activists and others on hand to demonstrate their concern 
and support. In addition to starkly illustrating how free speech and 
political activity is restricted in Turkey, the trial will bring 
attention to other underlying obstructions to democracy.
  Mr. President, I was initially dismayed at the widespread popular 
support for the Government's dogmatic campaign against the DEP members. 
But what is becoming increasingly clear is that public opinion is being 
openly manipulated by major media outlets controlled by government or 
other political sources.
  With respect to Kurdish rights issues and the war in southeast 
Turkey, informed debate has fallen victim to inflammatory 
prefabrications or severely restricted information. I believe, as long 
as major media sources remain controlled by political and military 
interests, and journalists and others remain silenced, informed public 
debate will be impossible.
  Mr. President, free expression and an unrestricted press are 
prerequisites of democratic societies. The Turkish press must be 
enabled to report responsibly on Kurdish issues and other human rights 
concerns.
  The DEP trial will also likely underscore the deficiencies of the 
Government's unrealistic military approach to the Kurdish question--a 
cornerstone of which is the criminalization of Kurdish-based political 
parties. When political parties are banned, the pattern in Turkey is 
that like-minded groups form on their heels or members move to more 
extreme parties. It would seem that allowing Kurds to form legal 
political parties would be a plausible way of diminishing support for 
the PKK and other extremist groups.
  The CSCE Copenhagen Document clearly outlines commitments taken by 53 
participating states regarding unrestricted political party activity. 
The campaign against the Democracy Party and its predecessors raises 
serious questions about the Government of Turkey's commitment to these 
principles.
  Mr. President, while the start of this political trial marks a dark 
day for Turkish democracy, one can hope that the attention drawn by 
this event will bring added pressure on the Government to pursue 
nonmilitary resolutions of the Kurdish crisis and to address other 
pressing rights issues.
  I would remind my colleagues, that two of the deputies face the death 
penalty for statements made at a Helsinki Commission briefing right 
here on Capitol Hill in the Rayburn Building.
  I find it truly unfathomable that a professed democratic government 
could press capital charges against elected parliamentarians simply for 
their speeches or writings which advocate neither violence, secession 
nor solutions outside of a democratic framework. On this inauspicious 
occasion, I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing to the 
Government of Turkey our disappointment at their irrational campaign to 
squelch free speech.
  This is one of the greatest atrocities that is occurring. Several of 
these parliamentarians came before the Helsinki Commission of the U.S. 
Congress. They did not advocate a violent overthrow of the government. 
They did not advocate any treasonous activities toward the government, 
and yet now their party has been banned, and they are under indictment, 
and some of them have fled the country because they spoke out to a 
committee of the U.S. Congress.
  Once again, I thank sincerely my friend from Vermont.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senator from 
Vermont is recognized.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to commend the Senator from Arizona 
for his comments. He has been a voice at times in a lonely place on the 
subject, from the early days of the Helsinki Commission on through.
  He is certainly as aware of the situation as any Member of the 
Senate, not only because of his personal interest and the travels he 
has made there, and personal observations, but as chairman of the 
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. I think the Senate should 
listen to him.
  I have refrained reluctantly from supporting unilateral action of the 
United States to lift the arms embargo. I must say that I no longer 
feel comfortable doing that. We have waited for the others to join with 
us in lifting the embargo. These people should be allowed the means to 
defend themselves.
  Should we have to vote again on the question of whether we lift the 
arms embargo, I suspect I will be changing my vote.

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