Distinguished Press Members,
Turkey passes through hard times, indeed extremely hard… Our young people lose their lives in armed conflict; mothers suffer from these deaths, another country’s territory is bombed by disregarding the international law rules, freedom of expression is considered as offence, prohibitions on culture and language continue, security force members, who get power from anti-democratic legislations such as PVSK (Law on the Duties and Competencies of Police), TMY (Anti-Terror Law) and so on, violate right to life in streets. Under such an atmosphere and period on which human rights and freedoms are violated seriously; human rights defenders are subjected to serious pressures, interrogations and sentences because they say “the king is naked”.
Human Rights Association (İHD) has been struggling in every fields of life; to prevent leaving truths in the dark, concealing violations, to have an atmosphere in which perpetrators are brought to justice, to have an atmosphere in which rights and freedoms are under guarantee, for 21 years or since its foundation. Throughout the 21 years struggling period, İHD members and administrators have put their lives at risk, have been subjected to torture, been killed by kidnapping, been put into prison for freedoms and right to life of those whom they do not meet, do not know their names, do not see. Our General President has been attacked by gun in the Headquarters, our administrators-carry out their activities for protection of citizens’ right to life and right to property in different cities of Turkey-have been subjected to threats, the Headquarters and branches were raided by police forces many times, documents were seized. Pressures against human rights defenders have been transformed into another shape in pursuant of periods, circumstances that Turkey experienced. İHD’s 22 members and administrators have been killed in 1990s. All of these pressured aimed to block the bright future, to prevent our citizens and the whole world from learning facts and to provide impunity related with crimes against humanity that committed in this place of the world.
Distinguished Press Members,
Mr. Rıdvan Kızgın, who was the Chairperson of İHD Branch in Bingöl (city in Southeast Region of Turkey) in the last term and is currently one of the Executive Board Members, has been subjected to hundreds interrogations, court cases, pressure and finally the punishment for 7 years period as he struggled against violations and dealt with facts with decisively and bravely. In the last case; Mr. Kızgın, for activity of human rights committee related with unknown killings of 5 villagers in Bingöl in 2003, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months. We are here today as the punishment has been approved by the High Court of Appeal. Our friend has been targeted by forces that support continuation of status quo since he struggled decisively against violations in accordance with İHD’s principles, he is side of oppressed people, acted for oppressed individual, gender, class and people and deciphered action of violations by dominant powers. In addition to this one; there are some other ongoing court cases against him, as well. All of these events exist as there is no freedom of expression in Turkey, different opinions are considered as offences and to carry out new violations by deactivating especially human rights defenders.
We, human rights defenders, are aware of responsibility of inheritance from the former generation. We continued our struggle via experiences that we gained from our comrades that are Mr. Metin Can, Mr. Hasan Kaya, Mr. Vedat Aydın, Ms. Didar Şensoy and Mr. Şevket Epözdemir and other who lost their lives for this struggle. We will continue try to make efforts, to struggle for our principles despite any compensations in the future, too.
Today we, as human rights defenders, are all KIZGIN (it is his surname and means resent) to those who exercise violations, consider expression opinion as crime and leave truth in the dark. If you think that truths will be in the dark by putting Mr. Rıdvan Kızgın, who is our fellow, into prison, you have totally wrong idea. Everyone should know that human rights defenders will change all places, which they live in, to an area for human rights struggle.
Lawyer. Öztürk TÜRKDOĞAN
Vice President
