Press Release

October 3, 1998

Telephone: (202) 483-6444

Leyla Zana Sentenced to Two More Years in Jail

Leyla Zana, the first Kurdish woman ever elected to the Turkish parliament, was handed an additional two year prison sentence on September 17, 1998. The # 1 Ankara State Security Court, headed by two civilian judges and a military one, cited a letter that Leyla Zana had written to People's Democracy Party (HADEP) titled "Belated Bulletin" for its decision.

Leyla Zana is already serving the fifth year of her 15 year sentence for her views on the Kurdish rights. The three Judge panel that sentenced her to the new prison term noted that her remarks had "... incite[d] racial hatred."

Last November, 153 members of the United States Congress urged President Clinton to raise her case with the Turkish authorities and seek her immediate and unconditional release. In December 1997, Amnesty International declared her a "prisoner of conscience."

Since then nine members of United States Congress and several members of European parliaments have nominated her for the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize. Benjamin Gilman, the Chairman of House International Relations Committee is one her supporters for the prize as he was and is of her release.

If the international campaign to free her does not succeed, provided she does not get additional sentences, Leyla Zana is expected to be free in year 2011.

While Leyla Zana was being sentenced to additional time in prison, in another court house, at # 5 Ankara State Security Court, the Judges were deliberating on the case of Hatip Dicle -- another Kurdish parliamentarian who was also sentenced to 15 years in prison -- for his article titled, "We Greet Eva", which had appeared in the Kurdish daily, Ozgur Politika, on April 14, 1998.

Eva refers to Eva Juhnke, an internationalist German woman, who in 1993 had joined the People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan (ARGK) to fight the Turkish army for its oppression of the Kurds. She was captured in September 1997, by the forces of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and handed over to the Turkish army in March of this year.

As it was widely expected, Eva Juhnke too was sentenced to 15 years in prison, coincidentally or by design, also on September 17, 1998, at another State Security Court in Van, Turkish Kurdistan.

In his article, "We Greet Eva", Hatip Dicle talks about the treachery of KDP for handing over a woman, a friend who had come to fight for the Kurds, to the Turkish army and reminds the readers the Kurdish tradition of protecting woman, even a common one, at the cost of blood.

For their part, the Judges of # 5 State Security Court found Hatip Dicle guilty of "separatism" and gave him an additional sentence of one year, ten months, and ten days. He was also ordered a fine of $ 25.000 to be paid in two years.

Pasted below is the verbatim text of the "Belated Bulletin" that earned Leyla Zana two more years in a Turkish jail. "People's Democracy Party (HADEP)

The Belated Bulletin Dear Friends,

The task of every political party, for that matter of every organization, is to inform and educate its cadres and its supporters and to prepare them for the future.

To do these things requires us [party cadres] to educate ourselves, to attend seminars and to take part in meetings and to send out bulletins [that convey] our work to the supporters.

The bulletin plays an important role in accomplishing these things. It carries the message of the party, its understanding and its perspectives on a number of issues. For a people like ours -- exploited, its existence denied, exiled at will and subjected to policies of extermination -- it is very difficult to do political work through established institutions. [That said] the important thing is to overcome the difficulties. In this regard, we must note that we have not improved ourselves from the days of People's Labor Party (HEP). For example, we don't recognize the importance of party directives. We don't seem to think that discipline is for us. We say we are part of an organization, but act out on our own whim. Many other things can be said [too].

We must not forget that we have brought the legal struggle to its present stage after a lot of hard work and the sacrifice of many friends. HADEP, the successor party to HEP and its successor Democracy Party (DEP), has tens of its activists murdered and many of its cadres thrown into prisons. Vedat Aydin, Mehmet Sincar, and Muhsin Melik are just a few of the [well known] names. Our inroads in the legal struggle came at the expense of these losses and it behooves us to remember this fact. For that reason, we can not afford being at odds with our people, and we do not have the right to squander the progress that we have made.

Again, we must always know that unlike the institutional parties, we rely on the strength of the people and our actions and courage are indicative of their support.

Our people will forgive our shortcomings that do not harm the democratic struggle or hamper the cause of freedom so long as we are sincere and well intentioned.

We must know that our people will not approve those who are ill-intentioned, selfish, careerists, and pursue self interest. Considering the difficult times that we are in and the war mongering that goes on, we must refrain from selfish interest and unite.

With affection,

Leyla Zana"