DATE=7/1/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43781
TITLE=OCALAN TRIAL / WHAT NEXT?
BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB
DATELINE=ISTANBUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: KURDISH REBEL LEADER ABDULLAH OCALAN WAS CONVICTED THIS
PAST WEEK OF TREASON AND SENTENCED TO DEATH BY A SPECIAL SECURITY
COURT IN TURKEY. THE CASE IS BEING APPEALED AND MANY IN TURKEY
ARE WONDERING WHETHER THE DEATH PENALTY WILL BE CARRIED OUT.
CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB HAS BEEN COVERING THE OCALAN TRIAL AND
HAS THIS REPORT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
TEXT: THE TRIAL OF ABDULLAH OCALAN ENDED IN RECORD TIME TUESDAY,
AND OCALAN HAS RETURNED TO HIS CELL ON IMRALI PRISON ISLAND OFF
THE TURKISH COAST. THE CASE CONTINUES THROUGH THE LEGAL SYSTEM,
HOWEVER, AND ACCORDING TO EXPERTS IT WILL PROBABLY BE MONTHS,
PERHAPS YEARS, BEFORE IT IS CONCLUDED.
BAKIR CAGLAR (BAH-KEER CHAY-LAHR) IS A LAW PROFESSOR AT ISTANBUL
UNIVERSITY. PROFESSOR CAGLAR SAYS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE OCALAN
CASE IS OVER, BUT THERE ARE TWO MORE PHASES. THE NEXT PHASE IS
FOR THE VERDICT TO BE PRESENTED TO AN APPEALS COURT. IF IT IS
UPHELD, THE CASE WILL THEN BE PRESENTED TO THE TURKISH NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY, WHICH MUST APPROVE THE DEATH PENALTY.
PROFESSOR CAGLAR REPRESENTED THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE
EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS UNTIL HE RESIGNED TWO-YEARS AGO
BECAUSE OF WHAT HE CALLED TURKEYS LACK OF PROGRESS IN HUMAN
RIGHTS.
PROFESSOR CAGLAR SAYS BETWEEN THESE TWO PHASES, THE OCALAN CASE
COULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE EUROPEAN COURT.
/// CAGLAR ACT -- IN FRENCH - FADE UNDER ///
PREFERRING TO SPEAK IN FRENCH, PROFESSOR CAGLAR SAYS OCALAN'S
LAWYERS WILL TRY TO CONVINCE THE EUROPEAN COURT THAT HIS TRIAL
WAS NOT FAIR, BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE PROPER ACCESS TO HIS
LAWYERS AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY IN WHICH HE WAS HELD BY TURKISH
AUTHORITIES.
TURKEY HAS PLEDGED TO RESPECT THE COURT'S DECISION IF IT
OVERTURNS A CASE ON THIS BASIS. BUT, TURKEY HAS NOT SIGNED THE
PARAGRAPH IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION REJECTING THE DEATH
PENALTY. AS A RESULT, EXPERTS SAY IT IS POSSIBLE TURKEY WILL
NOT ACCEPT A RULING BY THE EUROPEAN COURT.
SOME OBSERVERS BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN BARGAINING BEHIND THE
SCENES BETWEEN OCALAN AND THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT.
A REPORTER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS SERVICE, ERTUGRUL KURKCU
(EHR-TUR-UL KURK-CHU), SAYS REMARKS BY OCALAN DURING THE TRIAL
INDICATE A DEAL MAY HAVE BEEN STRUCK.
/// KURKCU ACT ///
OCALAN'S WORDS HINT TO THAT. THE HANDLING OF THE WHOLE
COURSE OF THE TRIAL HINTS TO THAT. BUT IN OCALAN'S
POSITION, HIS CARDS ARE VERY SMALL. HE IS IN A VERY
HELPLESS SITUATION. AND UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES,
BARGAINING COULD END IN A FIASCO. BUT HE HAD TO TRY
THIS.
/// END ACT ///
MR. KURKCU SAYS HE IS NOT SURE THE TURKISH STATE IS UNITED
BEHIND A DEAL OR THAT OCALAN HAS ENOUGH INFLUENCE LEFT TO
GUARANTEE ONE.
SOME TURKISH COMMENTATORS NOTE THAT EXECUTING OCALAN COULD LEAD
TO MORE VIOLENCE. AND IT COULD WORSEN TURKEYS RELATIONS WITH THE
EUROPEAN UNION, WHICH IT WANTS TO JOIN. THEY SUGGEST TURKEY'S
GREATER INTERESTS MAY LIE IN SPARING OCALAN'S LIFE.
BUT OBSERVERS ALSO SAY THESE VOICES ARE FEW. AND THEY SAY
POWERFUL ELEMENTS IN TURKISH SOCIETY, INCLUDING THE MILITARY AND
NATIONALIST PARTIES, MAY INSIST ON EXECUTING ABDULLAH OCALAN,
REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES. (SIGNED)
NEB/SB/JWH/RAE
01-Jul-99 11:20 AM EDT (1520 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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