28.10.96
Kevin Robinson (Liverpool dockers steward)
Herbie Hollerhead (Liverpool dockers steward)
Paul O'Keeffe
The delegation was sent to Turkey to observe the court hearing investigating the beating to death by the police of Evrensel journalist Metin Goktepe on 8 January 1996. The hearing was also attended by delegations and journalists, Trade Unionists and Lawyers from Germany, France and Spain, Liverpool dockers, TV Reporters from France, two MEPs from the Belgium Green Party and the Liberal Party and the Chair and General Secretary of Reporters Sans Frontiers.
The hearing took place on 18 October 1996 in Ayden, a ten hour drive from Istanbul. The reason given for moving the hearing to Ayden was because the government was afraid that the trial would act as a focus for public discontent and thousands would attend. It was an attempt to keep the media and the public away. The room in Ayden was also too small and it was necessary to hold the hearing in a local sports hall. There were more than seventy journalists present. Sixty lawyers represented Metin Goktepe, four were defending the actions of the state.
There were police checkpoints going into the town where they were checking ID. There was also a very heavy police presence in the town, with squads of riot police marching around, armoured cars parked around the back of the courthouse and large numbers of secret police mixing with the crowd. Any attempts to photograph the secret police led to threats and risk of arrest.
The judge asking the questions of the family of Metin Goktepe and of other witnesses was very clearly biased. He asked questions such as:
"Did you get the names of the police officers who beat you?"
"Do you have any photos of the police who beat you?," knowing that the police destroyed this evidence.
Repeated statements from witnesses that they could identify specific officers were ignored. Very strong evidence from journalists relating how Metin was arrested, and proving that the police officer in charge of operations was aware of his arrest were also ignored. Requests for details and addresses of the police officers who lawyers suspect of complicity in the murder were denied. The Goktepe family stated that they did not want just the four junior officers suspected of the beating to be tried. They wanted to see the senior officers and the politicians who ordered the police into action on that day brought to justice.
On this day 8 January 1996, the police cells were full to overflowing after the funerals of two young men who died in police custody. Police were ordered to bring people to a sports stadium and separate men and women. They abused and beat everybody. A number of different witnesses gave details of how detainees were forced to sing the Turkish national anthem and praise the Turkish police. Failure to do so resulted in beatings with wooden batons and kickings. The police would get tired from beating people, take a rest, and then start again. Witnesses recalled how it was very difficult to remember where their friends were as everyone was being beaten.
The trial is unique in Turkish legal history as it is the first attempt to bring police officers to trial for the murder of a journalist. There have been many such murders in recent years.
The outcome was that there will be another hearing on 29 November where the police will be questioned about events on 8 January 1996. No charges will be brought as yet and no police officers will be arrested. Lawyers for the Goktepe family were sceptical about the ability of the court to bring those police responsible to the hearing which, despite protests from the lawyers, will be held in Ayden again.
The delegation from London and Liverpool dockworkers also attended a demonstration on Saturday 19 October. More than 10,000 trade unionists marched in Istanbul, and 200,000 in the whole of Turkey. There was a very heavy police presence with thousands of police surrounding the demonstration. Protesters had to march through ranks of policemen, each one being searched for illegal material - flags or banners of opposition organisations. The demonstration passed off peacefully.
The newspaper for which Metin Goktepe worked, Evrensel, will be closed down within the next four months by the Turkish government. The owners face large fines and imprisonment. All the staff face constant surveillance and harassment from the secret police.
campaign contacts: tel 0044 171 275 8440
fax 0044 171 275 7245
email: emek@gn.apc.org or GCOYNE@CIX.COMPULINK.CO.UK
Protest Faxes to:
President S. Demirel 0090 312 468 5026
Prime Minister N. Erbakan 0090 312 417 0476
Interior Minister M. Agar 0090 312 418 1795
