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TWO YEARS OF THE MILITARY RULE IN TURKEY
For 40 years Portugal,
For 35 years Spain,
For 6 years Greece,
Andfor2yearsTurkey,
All these members of the European community are being governed by the dictatorships who seized power by deceit in the interest of domestic and foreign enemies of peoples. They have wiped out every vestige of liberty, and have gagged the peoples who have given countless sacrifices at the altar of freedom.and democracy.
It is a historical paradox that while certain countries of the European community are trying to reach an integration based on freedom -and democracy, the peoples of Europe, -observing the insolence and boldness of the anti-democratic rules of four countries tolerated and even supported by the governments -of other. European countries, are obliged to ponder on the burning question:
Which country will be the next?
Who can blame the ones pondering on this question since the representatives of the fascist rule of Turkey still keep their seats at the round tables of the Council of Europe and of the -EEC?
Unless to take an effective measure against a repressive y regime which has dared to violate all human rights, and freedoms “mentioned in the European Convention and unless to suspend its membership to the Council of Europe and its associate membership to the. EEC, every human being living in Europe obviously has the right to be anxious on the possibility that one day he himself might fall under a similar anti-democratic rule.
a "european" country without european democracy
At the second anniversary of proclamation of martial law, ’What point have the military rulers of Turkey reached today?
In August 1972, the Democratic Resistance of Turkey had issued a full report, File On Turkey, addressed to the world opinr ion who needs a convenient compilation of the socio-economic and histo-ri cal back-groun d and the basic facts about the current military rule in Turkey. That volume includes detailed documentary and statistical information on tortures, illegal trials before themilitary courts, oppression of the working class, intellectu-.als, press, universities, teachers, the arts and the Kurdish people.
And later, in October 1972, the second volume of this work, Plan Hunts in Turkey, including the alphabetical list of the victims detained, arrested, condemned, executed or killed by the military rule was published.
Today, after six months, the crime of the military rule has gone beyond all estimates and reached its utmost.
- Although Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and has signed European Convention for the PTotection of Human Rights guaranteeing Turkish citizens’ rights to life, to liberty and security, respect for private and family life, home and correspondence and freedom of thought, conscience, belief and associations, since the inception of martial law, thousands of intellectuals, university professors, teachers, workers, peasants, youth leaders have been detained, tortured and killed in the military camps, all -progressive .publications have been forbidden and all democratic .organizations have been closed down.
Victims of man hunts more over 15 thousand
While suspending all these rights and freedoms, on Nay 1, 1971, just four days after the proclamation of martial law, military-backed- Prime Minister Erim had informed foreign journalists of that "the number of persons ’creating anarchy’ is not.more than two hundreds. So as to put them under control, martial law has bee'n" proclaimed for only two months."'
Not only for two months, but for 24 months martial law has been in force in Turkey, and the number of persons detained on the pretext of ’’creating anarchy" has reached, not only 200,' but over 15 thousand.
It is because the real reason of the proclamation of martial law was not to crackdown on a handful "anarchists", but to suppress all democratic forces of the country. An examination of the'eleven provinces affect.ed by martial law reveals the following facts:
a) Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir, Adana, Kocaeli, Zonguldak and Sakarya are the most industrialized regions of Turkey and form the progressive unions’ strongest bases.
b) As for the provinces of Hatay,.. D.iyarbakir. and Siirt, they represent the largest concentration of "Kurds'.” "...
Being, authorized by the special Law No. 1402 enacted on May 15, 1971, themartial law authorities have carried out the '
"Sledge Hammer Operation” by using all repressive measures.
The subject law has authorized the martial law commander's: al To search all dwellings, all buildings of political .
parties., associations, trade unions, clubs, all offices and workshops, all establishments (including autonomous ones), to searchindividuals and to confiscate their belongings and personal cor--respondence without obtaining'a court order; …
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