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Protecting Politicians or Protecting Democracy? Parliamentary Immunity and Party Closure in Turkey

The formation of a Democratic Society Party (DTP) group in parliament following the July 2007 general elections in Turkey gave a pro-Kurdish party representation in the country’s parliament for the first time in 14 years. Since then, prosecutors have filed a number of requests to have the parliamentary immunity of DTP MPs lifted in order to pave the way for legal proceedings against them, and have instigated proceedings to have the party shut down. In March this year, a closure case was also opened against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). KHRP’s latest briefing paper explores the mechanisms available in Turkey for the lifting of parliamentary immunity and the shutting down of political parties, and the ways in which these mechanisms have been employed in the relentless pursuit of parties and politicians by unelected agents.

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Response to the European Commission's 2008 Turkey Progress Report

Response of the Kurdish Human Rights Project to the 2008 Turkey Progress Report, Published by the European Commission on 5 November 2008.

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Return to a State of Emergency? Protecting Human Rights in South-East Turkey

This report is based on the findings of a KHRP mission to south-east Turkey in March 2008 to gather information on the situation there following recent military operations – including cross-border incursions and aerial bombardments – against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).  Amid the increased unrest, the provinces of Şırnak, Hakkari and Siirt had been declared high-security zones and checkpoints had been set up in neighbouring regions. There were reports of the use of chemical weapons and the mutilation of the bodies of PKK members by state security forces, as well as killings of civilians during PKK attacks. Civil society groups were also said to be facing difficulties carrying out their work.

Mission members met with representatives of political parties, state officials and civil society groups, as well as people living in the high security zones and local administrators. They noted a general consensus that the situation in these regions had deteriorated over the last two years, although it had not reached the same levels of oppression and human rights violations seen in the 1990s. The mission found that the human rights most affected by the conflict were freedom of expression, thought and association, though torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial killings were also occurring.

The report includes an overview of the political background in Turkey, as well as domestic, regional and international legislative provisions relevant to the conflict. It also deals with the economic, social and political consequences of the fighting in the south-east and places all of this in the context of Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

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Taking Cases to the European Court of Human Rights: A Manual (Armenian Language 2nd Edition)

This manual is intended to inform practitioners and interested individuals on the practical usage of the Strasbourg mechanisms. Written by KHRP Executive Director Kerim Yildiz and former Legal Officer Lucy Claridge, it provides commentaries on the practice and procedure of the European Court, in addition to key texts such as the European Convention, the Court's application form and details of the legal aid available from the Court. The second edition includes updated sections on admissibility rules, just satisfaction claims and enforcing judgments, together with information regarding the changes introduced by Protocol 14.

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The Role of Women in Civil society, Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Reconstruction

Speech delivered by KHRP Deputy Director Rachel Bernu at the OSCE Civil Society Forum, 2-3 December 2008, Helsinki.

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The Situation of Kurdish Children in Turkey: DRAFT VERSION

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Turkey’s Anti-Terror Laws: Threatening the Protection of Human Rights

This briefing paper explores Turkish anti-terror legislation in the wake of amendments in 2006 that brought into effect a series of draconian provisions which fail to meet the country’s human rights obligations under international law and which have in practice been used to violate the human rights of it citizens. In particular, the new law fails to respect international human rights obligations by containing a definition of terrorism which is too wide and vague, by increasing the range of crimes that can count as terrorist offences, and by posing a serious threat to the freedoms of expression and association, the right to a fair trial, and the prohibition of torture. Such legislation only serves to further the deterioration seen in the human rights situation in Turkey since 2005 and should therefore be amended.

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