TURKEY:

Students against privatization

Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 17:47:00 +0100
From: INPREKORR@OLN.comlink.apc.org (Internat. Pressekorrespondenz)
Reply-To: International_Viewpoint@compuserve.com

These are informations on a trial against students in Turkey, fighting against privatization and study fees.

The material is from the LABOUR-net (apc.labr.global).

From Coordination of University Students in Turkey

17th of december is the trial day of the eight university students.
Bulent Karakas, M. Murata Kalyoncugil, A. Asgin Dogan, Ozgur Tufekci and
Mahmut Yilmaz. They were punished because of they fight against
privatization. Turkish university students begun to protest about
privatization of education and health in 1995. They collected great
number of signature against the obligation of paying high fees and
sent to parliament. Some politicians promised them. Even though promises,
the government did not consider the case for months. Some students
protested this situation in the parliament by holding a banner of
"education right cannot be blocked" on february 1996.
After all, many student were arrested by police on April 1996. 8 of them
were placed to central prison and convicted between 3 years 9 months and
18 years 20 days. They were still in prison and they are waiting for
decision of supreme court.
Whole population and our "free health and free education" demands are
waiting in the names of this students.

Absender : Funda.Basaran@media.ankara.edu.tr (Res.Ass.Funda Basaran)
Betreff : Re: stop privatization of education and health
Datum : Sa 13.12.97, 14:27 (erhalten: 13.12.97)
Groesse : 8796 Bytes

Dear Gerd,
You can use my e-mail adress (pandora@tr-net.net.tr) for contact. I am a
research assistant in Ankara Univesity and member of union of university
teachers. I send story of these students. Thanks for solidarity.
Funda BASARAN
Ankara Turkey


THE STORY OF EIGHT STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED FOR 96 YEARS

After kept in prison about eight months, eight students were convicted
between 3 years 9 months and 18 years 20 days.
........
What have the students done?
.......
20 October 1995- Turkey

Some students begun to protest about privatision of education in
universities. Because the fees of studying were increased as
twice as every year, so a large number of students were not able to
pay their fees by themselves.
Part of this protest, the students collected a great number
of signature against the obligation of paying the fees. Also
they sent 350 000 of these collected signatures to the deputy
minister of parliament. 20 December 1995 The students of Istanbul
University also proposed their expectation to press; by the support of
Union of Tutors, Union of Prof. Assistants, too.
15 February 1996 The students of Ankara University started to campaign
for the people who were suffering from earthquakes in Dinar.
They gave the money of donation to Mayor of Dinar. These students
called Mahmut Yilmaz, Ozgu rTu fkci Bu lent Kaaraks ve Belgin Cengiz.
29 February 1996 Those students for have been expelled from
university for the reason of not paying their fees.
They protested this situation in the parliament by holding a
placard of Education Rights can not be blockedà.
27 March 1996 They appealed to Council of State for cancellation of the
fees and spoke to Education Minister (Mr. Turhan Tayan) to accept
the students to the universities who could not attend because of not
paying the fees before the deadline. Mr. Tayan promised them to
consider the case in front of the press. These students, spoken to
Mr. Tayan, were Halise Karaaslan and Deniz Kartal.
Even though his promise; the goverment did not consider the
case for months.
.......
Hunting of students has started by police.
........
17-22 April 1996

In Ankara 31 students were suddenly arrested by police without giving
any reason. 19 April 1996 Those arrested students were kept two weeks in
custody by decision of State of Security Court (DGM) in Ankara.
Also lawyers were prohibited to see students in those days by DGM, too.

24 April 1996

In Ankara, a woman (a witness) phoned the Human Rights Association
(IHD) who is living in the neighbourhood of those students.
She told that several unfamilier people, which were carrying some
boxes and packets, entered the house of the students. Later on
it was found out that these boxes contained some molotof coctails,
and plenty of other kind of explosive goods.It was suspected that
those people were undercover police which aimed to set this
scum against the students.Eventually the police alleged that
two of these students were keeping explosive goods in their hause,
and they were members of an illegal group. The students obviously
said the truth by rejecting all these allegations.
As well as everyone, they believed that those goods were placed by the
police deliberately to jail them.


26 April 1996

Meantime Human Rights Association (IHD) made an effort to help
the students, also Amnesty International called Urgent Action
for the case. Because the students reported that they have been
tortured badly in custody.
.......
Trail period is starting.
.......

27-30 April 1996
The public prosecutor of State Security Court (DGM),
Mr. Nuh Mete Yu ksel, was at the police station while the police was
receiving the statements of the students, and he even did not
expose his identity to the students.
In the court, the students said that their statements were taken
under pressure, and obviously they rejected those statements..
But their demand was refused by the court. Also the students
were exposed to the press as terrorists by Movement Against Terrorism(DAL)
(DAL belongs to police department).

1 May 1996

The students were questioned and seven of them were convicted by a
military judge.Arrested students were Ahmet Askin Dogan, Ozgu r
Tufekci, Bu lent Karkas, Mahmut yilmaz, Deniz Kartal, Nurdan Baysahan,
and Elif Kahyaoglu.They were placed to Central Prison in Ankara.
The rest of the students were freed and they reported to
the Human Rights Association (IHD) about torture.The list of
torture contained pulling from their hair, hitting their head to wall,
hanging them up from the arms, and also sexual abuse.
It was ascertained that the students had some physical and
psychological damages.

7 May 1996

The lawyers of the students objected the decision of the court,
and required a redecision but they were rejected by DGM.

7 June 1996

DGM prepared an allegation against fifteen students.
The allegation:
-To join to May Day in 1995
-To deliver the collected signatures to the parliament
-To hang up a placard in the parliament
-To hold a press meeting
-To join some legal demonstrations
-To attend to some student meetings
-To deal with academical and democratical problems of universities.
.......
Defence
.......
10 July 1996
The trial started 85 days after first arresting, and it held in DGM.
The students said that they were university students, not members of
an illagal group. they also said that all their purpose was to
get better conditions during their education period. They again
mentioned the pressure and the torture when they signed the
statements that were written by the police.

25 July 1996

Two more students were arrested. they were Metin Murat Kalyoncugil,
and Belgin Cengiz. M. Murat Kalyoncugil was convicted, and later
on he had medical treatment because of the torture that had been
done to him.

20 September 1996

Third trial. The lawyers demanded to free the students but it was
rejected.

21 October 1996

Forth trial. They were stil in jail, demanding was rejected again.

15 November 1996

Fifth trial. The lawyers proved everything about the lives of the students.
There was nothing to conceal. They were only students, not members of an
illegal group. They were after democratic rights as well as student rights.
But at the end the trial again postponed to another day.
.......
Decree
.......
6 December 1996

The decision was made and exposed.
Ahmet Askin Dogan, Ozgu Tu fkci, Bu lent Karaas, and Metin Murat
Kalyoncugil were convicted for 18 years 20 days.
Mahmut Yilmaz was convicted for 12 years 6 months.
Nurdan Baysahan, Deniz Kartal, and Elif Kahyaoglu were convicted
for 3 years 9 months.
The parents of the students and some of their friends were in the court,
and they protested the decision. The police guards were there,too.
They attacked to the protesting observers, and tried to arrest them.
One of the observers got injured and been taken to the hospital.
......
While everybody was struggling for justice,
almost the same things happened in Manisa.
High school students were arrested and tortured by police,
and ten of them convicted between 2 years and 12 years jail.
Also their ages are between 16 and 20.
......
In conclution we can only say that our friends;
the students in Ankara and Manisa were convicted and tortured
in the name of terminating their bright future,
and preventing freedom, democracy and peace.
Whole population, and all the social rights are
convicted in the names of our friends as free health, and free education.
All these demonsrations, celebrated everywhere in the world as May Day,
are legimate.

All we want that:
-Close down the State Security Courts (DGM)
-Stop terrorising of State Police Guards

All we want is JUSTICE.

COORDINATION OF STUDENTS OF TURKEY..

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