Turkey Grapples with Human Rights Issues: A Roundup of the Past Year

Article 301 tops the lists for Turkey to disregard Human Rights. This article impedes the right to freedom of speech and thought and used to fine, prosecute and jail anyone who speaks out against the Turkish government, tarnish the memory of Ataturk, Turkey's founder, or in any way insults the Turkish nation.

In May, YouTube was banished from Turkish internet waves, again blocked for the third time in two months and Google groups shut down. Under Article 301 offenders can be prosecuted for just their words, and the new Law 5651 covers most anything else the government wants to ban, not to mention spy on your internet surfing.

A prosecutor can block any internet site they deem inappropriate or one determined to lead to a myriad of society foibles. Whereas, they could work with the websites thought to have offending material and only block the provocative content, they prefer to shut down entire sites to its customers.

Last year, they blocked all Wordpress blogs, many still without accessed within Turkey. I guess freedom of opinion is definitely on Turkey's ban list. I wonder what the EU thinks about all this censorship.

Part and parcel of the rewriting of the Turkish Constitution and re-dressing Article 301 particularly, the government chose not to throw out the Article, but only change its wording from 'insulting Turkish identity' to 'insulting the Turkish nation'. Unfortunately, this lackluster provision leaves the courts able to install retaliation against anyone at will and gives wide latitude to doling out fines where deemed necessary.

Another new Law 5752 constrains the alcohol and cigarette habits of Turkish society. No longer can alcoholic beverages or cigarettes be sold individually ensuring that either vice can only be observed in the privacy of your home. Fat chance this law will be observed!

The Turkish police still struggle with human rights complaints about inappropriate force during demonstrations to torture while under police protection. Some believe that Turks actually sanction torture as a form to get information or confessions.

Freedom of Press has also stagnated moving down the list since 2005 on Worldwide Press Freedom. Journalists and reporters still face prosecution for what they know and write about, but their ranking says it all. Not only individual writers and their snitches and interviewees but entire publishing companies also come under scrutiny and prosecution.

In 2006, Turkey ranked 98 of 168 countries; in 2007, Turkey placed 113 of 167 countries on the Reporters without Borders report. I guess there's no doubt that Turkey isn't progressing in the areas of speech, opinion and thought.

Domestic Violence still takes its toll on the nation's women leaving the female gender under-educated, in poverty, and 1 in 3 suffering from physical abuse at the hands of their husbands, brothers, fathers and other male family members.

Sexual orientation and gender identity issues have also found disdain from the Turkish government with escalating harassment of legitimate Gay Rights organizations. Police raids on human rights organizations purporting the organization infringes upon 'moral values and family structure'.

Peaceful expression and prosecution go hand-in-hand in Turkey. Freedom of association? Out the window. Doesn't apply in Turkey.

Unfortunately, Turkey has not decreased the numbers when it comes to human rights violations. Widespread impunity for even the most serious of human rights violations continues by both the military and civil police forces and accountability for abuses seems no better today than yesterday.

For years Turkey has been under scrutiny by international human rights organizations, but their calls for stop action of such abuses fall on deaf ears. State officials are obligated to conduct full investigations into rights complaints, but little progress has been made. In addition, criminal investigations rarely occur and objective and independent investigations seldom seen because of a protectionist judicial system and widespread corruption to boot.

While these few human rights issues is only the tip of the iceberg for Turkey, the list is long and continuing especially in the police and courts sector. More education and strict oversight may solve some of the problems, but the people's will to do something about it remains a large issue.

Comments

[Mert]

You forgot Animal rigts..)