[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E985-E986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        UN HABITAT MEETING: A BOOST FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN TURKEY?

                                 ______


                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 1996

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, Habitat II, the United Nations Conference on 
Human Settlements is now underway in Istanbul, Turkey. World leaders, 
international media, and thousands of NGO representatives from around 
the planet have assembled to address critical global issues related to 
sustainable development.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to Habitat II's global significance, the 
meeting offers an unprecedented opportunity to further develop civil 
society and democracy in Turkey and raise international awareness of 
the serious problems which prevent Turkey from realizing its great 
potential. The gathering affords Turkish NGO's--the building blocks of 
civil society--an unparalleled opportunity to network, organize 
coalitions, and develop advocacy strategies. Among NGO's attending the 
conference, there is a palpable sense that Habitat will catalyze 
efforts to advance civil society, democracy, and human rights in 
Turkey. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that this important conference will 
also result in concerted international efforts to support human rights 
and democracy in Turkey and the NGO's which support these ideals.
  Mr. Speaker, Istanbul is an appropriate venue to examine sustainable 
development. A former seat of empires and home to a multitude of 
cultures and people, Istanbul is a dynamic urban bridge between Europe 
and Asia, Christianity and Islam, antiquity and the 21st century. From 
modern high rises and opulent Ottoman palaces to sprawling shanty towns 
and exploding garbage dumps, Istanbul encompasses all that is wonderful 
and frightening about today's urban environments.
  Mr. Speaker, Istanbul's unforgettable character owes much to a great 
Ottoman hero, the 16th century soldier-turned-architect, Sinan. During 
a prolific career that spanned six decades, Sinan-designed many of 
Turkey's most well-known landmarks. Yet he also built structures 
throughout the Ottoman empire which were critical to daily lives, 
including: bridges, wells, warehouses, tombs, aqueducts, baths, 
residences, and caravan stops. In Istanbul alone, more than 300 Sinan-
designed structures have been identified.
  Yet while Sinan's heritage provides an impressive Habitat backdrop, 
the travails of a contemporary Turkish architect reveal a not-so-proud 
legacy, one that reminds us that Turkey faces severe strains which 
threaten democracy and the development of civil society.
  Yavuz Onen is general secretary of the Turkish Architect's 
Association and president of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey. The 
Foundation documents human rights abuses and operates four treatment 
centers for victims of torture in Turkey. In 1995, Mr. Onen accepted 
awards on behalf of the Foundation from the International Human Rights 
Law Group and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. Foundation 
leaders and doctors face constant prosecution and harassment. The 
Turkish Government's persecution of the Foundation and other NGO's 
reflect a larger effort to criminalize and silence groups and 
individuals critical of government human rights practices, military 
abuses of the Kurdish population, Turkey's founder Ataturk, or state 
institutions.
  Mr. Speaker, a more immediate attempt to silence criticism during 
Habitat is evidenced by the police closure of a building used by 35 
NGO's boycotting the conference to protest government human rights and 
Kurdish policies. These groups have organized an alternative Habitat to 
publicly protest the destruction of almost 3,000 Kurdish villages and 
creation of almost 3 million refugees. These groups rightly contend 
that such policies are incompatible with the goals of Habitat and 
reflect serious threats to democracy and development of civil society 
in Turkey. Yet instead of allowing open discussion of these serious 
issues, the Government of Turkey has once again chosen to respond with 
repression--in full view of the international community.
  Mr. Speaker, Turkey has ratified numerous U.N. and European human 
rights conventions, committed itself to OSCE standards and principles, 
and is seeking closer ties with the West. Unfortunately, efforts by 
successive Turkish governments to strengthen democratic institutions 
and institute legal reforms have failed to resolve underlying sources 
of human rights problems.
  Mr. Speaker, Turkey is an important strategic and economic ally. As a 
NATO member proximate to the Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia, and the 
Middle East, Turkey figures prominently in regional efforts to address 
water, energy, arms control, terrorism, and environmental issues. Yet 
while Turkey's government and people are poised to reap political, 
economic, and strategic windfalls, the potential perils for Turkey, 
should it move back on the democratic path, loom equally large.
  Mr. Speaker, these dangers are very real. As Habitat II convenes, 
Turkey's minority coalition government verges on collapse, 
incapacitated since its inception by bitter personal rivalries and 
corruption charges. The Constitutional Court recently invalidated the 
parliamentary vote which approved the centrist coalition, and a no-
confidence vote this Thursday will likely bring down the government. 
Turkey's military leaders, who seized power on three occasions since 
1960, increasingly express dissatisfaction with the status quo and 
rising popularity of the Muslim-based Refah Party. Coup rumors abound 
in the Turkish press. As confidence in the government ebbs, support for 
Muslim fundamentalist and nationalist parties has increased. Should 
moderate, secular parties lose power, Turkey could turn away from the 
West, undergo a military coup or face deepening instability and 
political violence. All these scenarios set back democracy and civil 
society, threaten regional stability, and pose obstacles to Turkey's 
moving closer to Europe and the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, the Turkish Government's intolerance of NGO's protesting 
village evacuations and other Kurdish or human rights issues has 
already marred Habitat. While participants in the official and NGO 
forums will reportedly not be prosecuted for remarks that violate 
Turkish law, it is unclear whether individuals and groups speaking 
outside the meeting will face charges. Mr. Speaker, this leads me to 
ask what will happen after Habitat, when NGO's energized by the 
experience attempt to utilize newly established links and implement 
strategies developed during the conference? It will be very important 
for all Habitat

[[Page E986]]

participants, including U.S. delegation members led by Housing and 
Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, to maintain links and 
support for groups they worked with during Habitat II. As human rights 
issues and the further advancement of civil society in Turkey have 
important implications for bilateral relations, this Congress should 
continue to closely monitor developments in Turkey after Habitat II.

                          ____________________