[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1415
                  HUMAN RIGHTS UNDER ATTACK IN TURKEY

  (Mr. PORTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, this morning in Ankara, Akin Birdal, widely 
regarded as Turkey's foremost human rights defender, was gunned down in 
his office by two unknown assailants. He is currently in critical 
condition in an Ankara hospital. Right-wing extremists have been blamed 
for the attack, but the Turkish government must bear some 
responsibility for this unconscionable act of violence, even if they 
did not pull the trigger.
  In recent weeks, the Turkish media has quoted government sources as 
saying Mr. Birdal, an internationally respected human rights leader, is 
a tool of the PKK. These stories were designed to turn popular opinion 
against Mr. Birdal, and these irresponsible lies may now cost him his 
life.
  I visited Turkey earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, and met with 
government officials who seemed to understand there were serious human 
rights problems in their country, and they seemed committed to solving 
these problems. This latest act of violence casts grave doubts on the 
sincerity of this commitment.
  I call on my colleagues to join me today in expressing our strong 
condemnation of this cowardly attack on a defender of human rights, and 
our demand that his attackers be brought to justice.

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