DATE=10/21/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TURKEY / OCALAN (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255324
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A Turkish appeals court has begun
reviewing the appeal of the death sentence of
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. From
Ankara, Amberin Zaman has the details.
TEXT: Thursday's hearing was attended by Western
diplomats and relatives of Turkish soldiers who
died in the 15 year long Kurdish insurgency led
by Abdullah Ocalan until his capture in Kenya
last February by Turkish special forces. Ocalan
was found guilty last June of treason and
sentenced to death.
Ocalan's lawyers began the session by reading
from a letter from Mr. Ocalan to the presiding
judges. The letter called for a retrial on the
basis of the recent peace overtures that Ocalan
has made.
Ocalan's lawyers argued that in commuting their
client's death sentence to life-long
imprisonment, the court would be seizing what
they called a historic opportunity to improve
Turkey's democracy and pave the way for a lasting
peace between Turks and Kurds.
The Turkish Parliament must approve Ocalan's
death sentence before it can be carried out. The
appeals court said Thursday that it would deliver
its verdict on November 25.
In recent months, Ocalan has dropped his demands
for Kurdish independence and even autonomy. He
has also called the 15 year long armed insurgency
- in his words - "a mistake." Last month, Ocalan
called on guerillas of his outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party - known as the P-K-K to abandon
their armed fight and to withdraw from Turkish
territory.
The P-K-K's seven member leadership council
complied with Ocalan's demands. Earlier this
month, eight P-K-K members, led by its former
European spokesman, Ali Sapan, turned themselves
over to the Turkish authorities. The move
apparently was aimed at convincing Turkish
officials that their leader was sincere about
making peace.
Turkish authorities, however, shrugged off the
move as a last ditch attempt by Ocalan to save
his life. And the Turkish military has vowed to
keep up its fight against the rebels until - in
its words - every last terrorist is neutralized.
But despite the hawkish rhetoric, analysts say
there are signs that Turkish leaders are willing
to engage in dialogue with non-violent Kurdish
groups, which, until recently, had also been
shunned.
///Rest optional///
For example, Turkish President Suleyman Demirel
on Sunday will be travelling to the main Kurdish
city, Diyarbakir, where he will be received by
its Kurdish mayor, Feridun Celik. Mr. Celik came
to power last April representing Turkey's largest
pro-Kurdish party, the People's Democracy Party,
also known as Hadep. Hadep is facing closure
over its alleged links with the P-K-K. The
commander in chief of Turkey's powerful armed
forces, General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, recently said
that if the Kurdish mayors elected from Hadep
abide by the law, there would be no reason to
remove them from power. (Signed)
NEB/AZ/GE/LTD/KL
21-Oct-1999 11:47 AM EDT (21-Oct-1999 1547 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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