Türkiye 2002
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
News on Türkiye in 2002
- NOVEMBER 23, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The death sentences of 180 terrorist organization members,...
The death sentences of 180 terrorist organization members, who had been sentenced to death by Diyarbakir State Security Courts (DGMs), were commuted to life imprisonment
- NOVEMBER 13, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Supreme Court of Appeals approved punishments given...
The Supreme Court of Appeals approved punishments given to Necdet Yuksel and Rustu Aytufan, the suspects of the Umut Case, by commuting their death sentence to life imprisonment while it annulled punishments of eight other suspects including Ferhan Ozmen
- OCTOBER 18, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Aysel Celikel said that extradition...
Justice Minister Aysel Celikel said that extradition of those who were convicted of crimes of terrorism and who could not be taken back due to the existence of death sentence, were demanded again from the concerned countries
- OCTOBER 8, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Constitutional Court rejected the Nationalist Movement...
The Constitutional Court rejected the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) request for stopping of enforcement of some articles of European Union (EU) adjustment laws like the abolition of death sentence except war or close war threats, acquisition of immov
- OCTOBER 7, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The European Commission commended Turkey's recent flurry...
The European Commission commended Turkey's recent flurry of reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty in peacetime and legislation to extend cultural rights to its Kurdish minority, but made clear it was too early to start accession talks
- OCTOBER 3, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey's state security court formally lifted the death...
Turkey's state security court formally lifted the death sentence passed on Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan after his capture and trial in 1999, the state-run Anatolian news agency said
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
A Turkish woman launched a 600-kilometer march to back...
A Turkish woman launched a 600-kilometer march to back international appeals for the release f a Nigerian woman under sentence of death by stoning for having a child out of wedlock
- AUGUST 17, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Chairman Sevket...
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Chairman Sevket Bulent Yahnici sent a letter to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to demand that normal convict status be prepared for Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization, and that he be transferred t
- AUGUST 11, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, sentenced to...
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, sentenced to death in 1999, praised Turkey's abolition of capital punishment as the most important decision in its modern history, in an interview
- AUGUST 10, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Devlet Bahceli, Nationalist Action Party [MHP] leader...
Devlet Bahceli, Nationalist Action Party [MHP] leader and deputy prime minister, declared that embarking on a road based on the notions of blackmail and surrender in Turkey's ties with the EU will prepare the ground for more excessive demands pertaining t
- AUGUST 9, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
In a letter to the editor of the UK Independent daily,...
In a letter to the editor of the UK Independent daily, MP Ann Clwyd wrote: "Along with other members of the All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, I am encouraged by the recent legislative reforms in Turkey, which pave the way for the abolition of th
- AUGUST 9, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The files of those who were sentenced to death on charges...
The files of those who were sentenced to death on charges of terrorism will be reviwed after Turkey abolished the death sentence except for the "crimes committed in times of war and situations of imminent war"
- AUGUST 8, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer formally ratified...
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer formally ratified a package of human rights reforms aimed at preparing the country for European Union membership, his official Web site said
- AUGUST 6, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that authorities...
Turkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that authorities should be extremely careful in order to prevent Turkey's EU reforms from harming Turkey's national integrity
- AUGUST 6, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Associations of people who lost their relatives to...
Associations of people who lost their relatives to terrorism protested the abolition of death penalty at a number of meetings across Turkey
- AUGUST 5, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Acting Chairman...
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Acting Chairman Ismail Kose criticized MHP's partners in the government coalition who supported the approval of the EU bill abolishing the death penalty for terrorist crimes, and claimed that their purpose was to save
- AUGUST 5, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz during a meeting...
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz during a meeting with the representatives of EU countries, said: "In a country that has suffered so much from terrorism and lost more than thirty thousand of its citizens to terror, at a time when separatist terrorism is
- AUGUST 5, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkish National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu...
Turkish National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said the [negative] reaction of the relatives of the martyrs to the abolishment of death sentence was rightful
- AUGUST 5, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey's passage of sweeping human rights reforms has...
Turkey's passage of sweeping human rights reforms has earned it the right to begin European Union membership talks, the country's top bureaucrat for EU affairs Volkan Vural said
- AUGUST 5, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that the abolition...
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that the abolition of the death penalty would not bring any changes to the imprisonment of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization, on Imrali Island, and he would continue to be held there for securit
- AUGUST 5, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Kurdistan Worker's Party supporters in Azerbaijan received...
Kurdistan Worker's Party supporters in Azerbaijan received the news of the commutation of [jailed leader] Abdullah Ocalan's death sentence with great joy, following the Turkish Parliament's vote to abolish the death sentence for terrorism, Azerbaijani new
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association,...
The Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association, TUSIAD, welcomed the lifting of the death penalty
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Around 2,500 people will escape the death penalty after...
Around 2,500 people will escape the death penalty after parliament voted to abolish capital punishment from the [civil] code except in times of war or near war
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called upon the...
Turkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called upon the European Union (EU) to set a date for the start of accession talks after lawmakers adopted a package of democracy reforms demanded by the EU
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist...
State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said, "those who criticized the MHP for not bringing the file of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK, to the parliament in the past, have
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Terrorism Victims' Solidarity and Cooperation Association...
Terrorism Victims' Solidarity and Cooperation Association Chairman Mehmet Alptekin said that the association condemned those who had expended efforts for abolition of death penalty, and broadcasting and education in Kurdish under the European Union (EU) r
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Devlet Bahceli, deputy prime minister, said he would...
Devlet Bahceli, deputy prime minister, said he would appeal to Turkey's highest court over the reforms, which include lifting the death penalty in peacetime and easing curbs on Kurdish language education and broadcasting
- AUGUST 4, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said, "annulment...
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said, "annulment of death penalty, and broadcasting and education in mother tongue are the arrangements made with the aim of broadening freedoms
- AUGUST 3, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Pro-European politicians won a landmark victory in...
Pro-European politicians won a landmark victory in Turkey with the passage of legislative reforms that delighted human rights activists
- AUGUST 1, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Group Acting Chairman...
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Group Acting Chairman Koray Aydin said that they would submit a motion to exclude four articles from the text in European Union (EU) adjustment bill