SABAH- Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on the stance of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture regarding Abdullah Ocalan. A summary of his column is as follows:
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has asked for a television, shortwave radio and a telephone for Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving out his stentence in Imrali. The release of the report requesting this coincided with General Staff Planning and Principles Department head Lt. Gen. Resat Turgut’s speech to the American-Turkish Council’s meeting in Washington calling on Europe to stop supporting terrorism. Lt. Gen. Turgut said, ‘The West should support Turkey and point to it as a role model for other Islamic countries.’ He added that if Europe really understood the importance of Turkey’s role, it would not have supported terrorist organisations indirectly nor would it have blocked Turkey’s road to entering the EU. In fact, whether the CPT’s suggestions regarding Ocalan are made deliberately or unknowingly, it is certain that they are provoking hatred inTurkey against the EU. At a time when we expect the appreciation and support of the whole world for not executing Ocalan, who caused the death of 30,000 people and enormous losses in Turkey totalling $100 billion, they are acting to the contrary by keeping his situation continually in the news. People asking for justice are being provoked. Although his conditions in the prison are known to be acceptable and humane, new privileges are asked for him and there are requests that he be transferred to a prison where he can have contact with other inmates. Don’t they know that such a development would endanger Ocalan’s security? Or is this exactly what they want? If Turkey is a democratic state of law, it has to find a solution to counter this interference. The Turkish public supports the government’s patience in pursuing national interests rather than sacrificing its admittance to the EU, as no one has been executed for 14 years. This cannot go on indefinitely. It is time to put a stop to this problem, which may result in an accident led by provocations, and to end the exploitation of the Ocalan case for political purposes. Parliament has to adopt the amendment which would commute his death sentence to severe life imprisonment with no chance of release or amnesty. We must be aware that this problem not only blocks over the road to the EU but also the future of social calm and security. Crying out, getting tough and saying ‘you can do whatever you want with your organization’ is not the way to prove wrong those opposed to Turkey in the EU. This in fact does not serve us, but rather our opponents. Reason dictates not stepping on mines but to first sweep for them calmly. The interests of a political party should not be taken into account during such an important time.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION