Human Rights Association (HRA) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to work for the defence, establishment and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Turkey.
A court action was launched against the Secretary General of the HRA, Mr. Nazmi Gür by Ankara State Security Court No:1, because of a special bulletin issued by the HRA on the occasion on the 1st of September, the World Peace Day, in 1999.
Nazmi Gür is charged with the crime of helping an armed gang organisation, in accordance with Article 169 of the Turkish Penal Code and Article 5 of the Anti-Terror Law No:3713. Nazmi Gür is faced imprisonment terms of between 3 and 7,5 years, under related law articles mentioned above. The expressions such as "the peoples's of this country" and "..a dirty war waged for the last 15 years" are the main base of the indictment and give ground for the prosecution.
It is stated in the indictment prepared by the Public Prosecutor office of Ankara State Security Court No:1 that, the accused (Nazmi Gür), has committed the crime of helping an armed gang organisation, through writing and issuing the article titled 'It is not hard to reach peace'.
The indictment prepared by the State Security Court indicates that "There is no discrimination against the citizens of the Turkish Republic. Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Turkish Constitution clearly state that the Turkish State, with its territory and nation, is an indivisible entity and this provision shall not be amended nor shall their amendment be proposed. Many decisions taken by the Constitutional Court also state that none of ethnic groups living in Turkey can be granted any privileged right except fundamental rights and freedoms that all Turkish citizens are granted. There is no peoples' of this country but the people of this country."
The Court has asked for the prosecution of the accused in accordance with the articles 9 and 20 of Law No:2845; the punishment of the accused under article 169 of the Turkish Penal Code and article 5 of the Law No: 3713; and the size of the bulletins in line with the article 36 of the Turkish Penal Code.
We call on the international human rights organisations and international community to be in solidarity with the HRA in its struggle for human rights.
We would have pleasure to have you at the hearing to be held on 3 February 2000, at Ankara State Security Court No:1, at 9.30.
Respectfully,
Hüsnü Öndül
President