'Kardeşimin katili bulunsun'

Cem ULUCAN- Şevket ALTINAYAR (dha) Radikal, 30/12/2011

Yüksekova'da silah kazasıyla öldüğü açıklanan iki erden Ahmet Sezgin'in ailesi isyanda: Kürtleri istemiyorlarsa askere çağırmasınlar!

Yusuf Sezgin (ortada deri ceketli) kardeşinin ölümüne tepkili

AYDIN - Hakkari’nin Yüksekova İlçesi’nde vatani görevini yapan ve silah kazası sonucu hayatını kaybeden er Ahmet Sezgin’in ailesi, olayın kaza olmadığını iddia etti. Ağabey Yusuf Sezgin, "Çok öfkeliyiz. Ölümünden şüpheliyiz. Kardeşimizi vurdular. Yetkililer olayla ilgili bize detaylı açıklamada bulunsun" dedi.

Hakkari'de iki askerin şüpheli ölümü

Şevket ALTINAYAR-Behçet DALMAZ, Radikal, 30/12/2011

Hakkari'nin Yüksekova İlçesi'nde görev yapan iki asker, iddiaya göre kaza kurşunuyla birbirlerini vurarak öldürdü.

Yaşamını yitiren askerlerden Ahmet sezgin’in Aydın’ın Nazilli İlçesi’nde oturan ailesi, çocuklarının ölüm haberiyle yıkıldı. Baba Abdurrahman Sezgin, askeri yetkililerden oğlunun ölümüyle ilgili yeterli bilgi alamamaktan yakındı. Hakkari’nin Yüksekova İlçesi 34’üncü Piyade Tugay Komutanlığı’nda görev yapan  21 yaşındaki er Ahmet Sezgin ve ismi henüz öğrenilemeyen bir askerin birbirlerini vurarak öldükleri iddia edildi. Askerin cenazeleri, otopsi yapılmak üzere öğle saatlerinde Malatya Adli Tıp Kurumu’na kaldırıldı. Yetkililer, iki askerin kaza sonucu hayatlarını kaybettiğini belirtirken, savcılık konu ile ilgili soruşturma başlattı. 35 gün sonra terhis olacaktı Terhisine 35 gün kalan er Ahmet Sezgin’in ölüm haberi, Aydın’ın Nazilli İlçesi’ndeki, Prof. Muammer Aksoy Mahallesi, 1211 Sokak’ta oturan Sezgin Ailesi, terhisine 35 gün kalan Ahmet Sezgin’in ölüm haberiyle yıkıldı. Askeri yetkililerden saat 15.00 sıralarında acı haberi alarak yıkılan aile, olayın nasıl olduğu konusunda yeterli bilgi verilmemesine tepki gösterdi. Baba Sezgin: Kafamız çok karışık Aslen Batmanlı olan ve 2’si kız toplam 8 çocuğu bulunan 57 yaşındaki Abdurrahman Sezgin, "Kafamız çok karışık. Olayın nasıl gerçekleştiğini bilmek istiyoruz" derken, acılı anne 46 yaşındaki Güler Sezgin ağıtlar yaktı. Yakınları terhisine 35 gün kalan Ahmet Sezgin’in birkaç gün önce ailesini arayarak dönüş için uçak biletini dahi aldığını söylediği öğrenildi. Sezgin’in cenazesi yarın Nazilli’ye getirilecek. (DHA)

"Our New-Born Babies did not Wear Uniforms"

The fourth hearing of the "Everybody is born as a baby" trial against Savda, Aydemir and Atak, supporters of conscientious objector Aydemir, was held on 14 December. The defendants' request to consult a gynaecologist on the topic was dismissed.

Ekin KARACA, Eskişehir - BİA News Center, 16 December 2011, Friday

 

Defendants Ahmet Aydemir, father of Enver Aydemir, lawyer Davut Erkan, Halil Savda and Mehmet Atak stand accused of "alienating the public from military service" pursuant to Article 318 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK). They are being prosecuted on the grounds of a press release issued on 21 January 2011 in support of conscientious objector Enver Aydemir subsequent to one of his hearings.
The sentence "Everybody is born as a baby, nobody is born as a soldier" was part of the press release and is the bone of contention of the trial.

“Türkiye vicdani ret hakkına hala saygı duymuyor”

Uluslararası Af Örgütü
Basın Açıklaması - 19/12/2011

 “Türkiye vicdani ret hakkına hâlâ saygı duymuyor”

Türkiye, 28 Kasım ila 2 Aralık tarihleri arasında Avrupa Konseyi’nde düzenlenen Bakanlar Komitesi’nin son insan hakları toplantısında, vicdani retçilerin haklarına dair 2006’da verilen Avrupa Mahkemesi kararını uygulama konusunda talep edilen gelişme raporunu sunma konusunda başarısız oldu.

Son dönemde, çeşitli devlet bakanları zorunlu askerlik hizmetine dair yenilikler konusunda halka açıklamalar yaptı. Fakat bu açıklamalar yeniliklerin vicdani ret hakkını tanıyan yasal hükümleri kapsamayacak nitelikte olduğunun da sinyallerini veriyor.

Asker Mektubu - Gündüz Vassaf

Asker Mektubu - Gündüz Vassaf
18/12/2011 - Radikal 

Askerlik, değişime direnen kurumların başında. Ülke, rejim fark etmiyor. Eski âdetler, gelenekler, uygulamalar süregeliyor.

Vicdani Red Temel Bir İnsan Hakkıdır!

VİCDANİ RET BİR HAKTIR!

Savaşın ve savaş hazırlıklarının dolayısıyla zorunlu askerliğin vicdani kanaat ve gerekçeler ile reddedilmesi olan vicdani ret, Türkiye’nin imzalayarak taraf olduğu Birleşmiş Milletler “İnsan Hakları Evrensel Beyannamesi” ile “Medeni ve Siyasi Haklar Uluslararası Sözleşmesi”nin 18. Maddeleri; “Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi”nin 9. Maddesi ve Anayasa’nın 24. ve 25. Maddelerinde güvence altına alınan “düşünce, inanç ve vicdan özgürlüğünün” meşru bir kullanımıdır.

Bu nedenle vicdani reddin Anayasal bir hak olarak tanınmasını ve bu hakkın kullanımını mümkün kılacak, cezalandırıcı ve ayrımcı olmayan, vicdanları zorlamayan bir yasal düzenlemenin en kısa zamanda yapılmasını istiyoruz.

Vicdani Red İnsan Hakkıdır İnisiyatifi

_ Bu imza 25 Aralık 2011 akşamına kadar devam edecektir. Vicdani ret hakkının yeni Anayasa düzenlemesinde yer bulması talebiyle toplanan imzalar TBMM'ne sunulacaktır. Kampanyaya katılmak için lütfen internet sitesini ziyaret ediniz. _

Support Halil Savda!

Halil Savda is a human rights defender who in the past has been repeatedly prosecuted for his refusal to perform military service in Turkey. Halil Savda is also a conscientious objector. He has been declared "unfit" for military service and is speaking out in support of other conscientious objectors, for which he faces an ongoing risk of imprisonment. 
If he is sent to prison for freely expressing his support for conscientious objectors, Amnesty International will consider him a prisoner of conscience, and will demand his immediate and unconditional release.

Komutanım bizi diskoya götür!

Cüneyt Özdemir, , Radikal, 19/10/2011

Sosyal Medyada askerliğini yapmış kişilerin askerlik anılarını, özellikle diskoyla ilgili, paylaşmalarını istedim...

Cüneyt Özdemir'in yazısının devamına bu bağlantıdan ulaşabilirsiniz.

TİHV'in Uğur Kantar cinayeti hakkındaki açıklaması

"Disko" olarak bilinen askeri disiplin koğuşunda gördüğü işkence nedeniyle ölen Uğur Kantar'la ilgili olarak özür metni yayınlayan Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı, Kantar'ın işkence görmesini ve öldürülmesini engelleyemedikleri için özür diledi.

Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı (TİHV), askerlik sırasında askeri disiplin koğuşunda işkence gören ve 12 Ekim günü Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi yoğun bakım ünitesinde ölen Uğur Kantar için "Uğur Kantar'ı İşkenceden Koruyamadığımız İçin Özür Diliyoruz!" başlığıyla yayınladığı metnin tamamını aşağıda okuyabilirsiniz.

Disko işkencesi için iddianame hazırlandı

Uğur Kantar'ın İşkencecilerinin İddianamesi Hazır

"Disko"da gördüğü işkence sonucu ölen er Uğur Kantar'a işkence yapan ve işkenceye göz yuman beş asker ile cezaevi müdürü hakkında iddianame 19 Ekim 2011 tarihinde hazırlandı. İddianamede Genelkurmay'ın aksine Kantar'ın işkence ile öldürüldüğü ifade edildi.

Uğur Kantar ile ilgili "resmi açıklama"

Uğur Kantar (solda) askerliğinin bitimine 6 gün ceza sının bitimine ise sadece 2 saat kala fenalaştı ve bir daha kendine gelemedi.
Genelkurmay Başkanlığı askeri disiplin ceza ve tutukevinde kaldığı sırada gördüğü kötü muamele sonucu yaşamını yitirdiği iddia edilen Piyade Er Uğur Kantar ile ilgili bir açıklama yaptı. (Ne yazıkki GKB sitesindeki açıklamaya artık ulaşılamıyor, Radikal Gazetesi'nde yayınlanan açıklamaya aşağıdan yada bu bağlantıdan ulaşabilirsiniz.)

Kim soğutuyor halkı askerlikten

Eyüp Can, eyup.can@radikal.com.tr, 19/10/2011

Sorun, ne 28. Tümen ne de 28. Tümen'le sınırlı. Sorun, "disko" diye tabir edilen askeri disiplin koğuşlarında yaşanan işkence gerçeği.

Uğur Kantar'a Ağıt...

Askerliğini yapmaktayken askeri disiplin ceza ve tutukeving kaldığı sırada işkenceye  uğrayan Uğur Kantar bitkisel hayatta 79 gün geçirdikten sonra 12 Ekim 2011 tarihinde vefat etti. Acımız büyük... Rahat uyu Uğur...

İşkence nedeniyle iç organları zarar gören ve beyin fonksiyonları da çalışmayan Uğur Kantar 26 Temmuz 2011 tarihinden beri GATA Hastanesi'nde bitkisel hayattaydı.
Radikal Gazetesi'nde "Disko"da Cinayet başlığıyla yayınlanan ayrıntılı bilgiye aşağıdan ulaşabilirsiniz.

Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Decision on "Case against Turkey"

Council of Europe Committee of Ministers reminded Turkey the judgments of the European Court about "Ülke" case against Turkey on 1120th meeting on 14th September 2011. The Committee urged Turkey strongly to make the necessary measures to execute the judgments about continuous presecutions and criminal convictions on conscientious objectors.

The Official Decision of "Council of Europe Committee of Ministers" can be read below or here on the Committee's web site.

Avrupa Konseyi'nden Türkiye'deki Vicdani Red Durumu ile ilgili Karar

Avrupa Konseyi Bakanlar Komitesi, Eylül toplantısında vicdani retçi Osman Murat Ülke'nin Türkiye'ye açtığı dava üzerinden hazırladığı raporda, Türkiye'nin Aralık ayına kadar vicdani ret hakkı ile ilgili atacağı adımları belirlemesini istedi.

Ekin KARACA

ekin@bianet.org

Brüksel - İstanbul - BİA Haber Merkezi

23 Eylül 2011, Cuma

Avrupa Konseyi Bakanlar Komitesi, vicdani retçi Osman Murat Ülke'yi yeniden gündeme aldı.

Bakanlar Komitesi'nin Eylül ayı toplantısında gündeme gelen Osman Murat Ülke dosyasında Ülke'nin uzun süredir süregelen kovuşturma tehdidi nedeniyle saklandığına vurgu yapılarak, 2007'de ilk ara kararın alınmasından beri, Komite'nin her insan hakları toplantısında davayı düzenli olarak incelediği ifade edildi.

Askerdeki dayağa inceleme

TBMM İnsan Hakları İnceleme Komisyonu, askerlikte kötü muamele iddialarını incelemek için komisyon kuruyor.

AA, ntvmsnbc, 21/09/2011

TBMM İnsan Haklarını İnceleme Komisyonu Başkanı Ayhan Sefer Üstün, askerlikte kötü muamele iddialarıyla ilgili şikayetler geldiğini söyledi. Bütün bu şikayetleri topladıklarını dile getiren Ayhan Sefer Üstün, ancak kuruma da haksızlık etmemeleri gerektiğini vurguladı.

Komisyon Başkanı Üstün, ''TSK kapalı bir kutu gibi, orada olan olaylar da biraz kol kırılır, yen içinde kalır misali oluyor'' dedi. İntihar vakalarına da dikkat çeken Üstün, ''İşin acı tarafı er eri, onbaşı onbaşıyı döver. Daha çok alt rütbeli olanlardır, çavuş, onbaşı, er seviyesindeki birtakım olaylardır, belki diğerleri de vardır. İntiharlar çok fazla oluyor'' diye konuştu.

Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi askerlik hizmetine karşı vicdani ret hakkını teyit etti

Uluslararası Af Örgütü, Uluslararası Vicdan ve Barış Vergisi Örgütü, Uluslararası Hukukçular Komisyonu, Quaker BM Ofisi Cenevre ve Uluslararası Savaş Karşıtları ortak basın açıklaması

08/07/2011

Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi Yüce Divanı, Bayatyan v. Ermenistan davasında (Başvuru no: 23459/03, 1/6/2011) Perşembe günü verdiği çığır açan bir kararla, devletlerin, Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi’nin 9. maddesinde öngörülen  düşünce, vicdan ve inanç özgürlüğü haklarına itibar edilmesi yükümlülüklerinin bir parçası olarak, bireylerin vicdani ret haklarına da saygı göstermeleri gerektiğine kanaat getirdi.

Does a Turk have the right not to be born a soldier?

Orhan Kemal Cengiz
Turkish Daily News, 04/08/2007

The military is one of the difficult subjects to discuss in Turkey. As soon as you get ready to criticize it, you hear angry voices telling you that the army should not be harmed! I have never been able to understand why people think criticism harms any institution! As for the military, it is always a subject of tension if you are not praising it and there is no doubt the military is the most glorified institution in Turkey. Unlike the criticism of any other institution, criticism of the military sometimes feels like breaching a kind of sacred rule. I believe this is one of the biggest shortcomings of Turkish democracy and the closer Turkey comes to Europe the more apparent this situation will be.

Sorunlu askerlik ve dilekçe

TBMM İnsan Hakları İnceleme Komisyonu'na gönderilen "askerlikte kötü muamele" şikayet dilekçeleri, askeri birimlerce hemen dikkate alınıyor

Askerlikteki insan hakları ihlallerinden, onları görmezden gelenler de sorumlu.

TOLGA İSLAM
Radikal Iki, 24/04/2011

10 Nisan 2011 tarihli Vatan gazetesinin baş sayfasında “Kışlada Tokada Meclis İncelemesi” başlıklı bir haber yer aldı. Haber, askerliği sırasında komutanından tokat yiyen bir askerin, yaşadığı bu mağduriyeti Meclis İnsan Haklarını İnceleme Komisyonu’na taşımasını ve yediği tokatın hesabını sormasını konu alıyordu. Askerin yaşadıkları açısından üzücü, ama sonrasında verdiği hak arama mücadelesi açısından umut verici bir haber.

Askerlerin de Haklari Var...

"Hiç kimse işkenceye ya da acımasız, insanlık dışı ya da onur kırıcı ceza ya da muameleye uğratılamaz." (İnsan Hakları Evrensel Bildirgesi - Madde 5)

2011 yili basinda kurulan ww.askerhaklari.com internet sitesi, başta yukarıda alıntılanan 5. madde olmak üzere, İnsan Hakları Evrensel Beyannamesi'nde ortaya konan ilkelerin tüm insanlar için olduğu gibi zorunlu askerler için de geçerli olduğunu hatırlatmak için var...

Imprisonment of conscientious objector in Armenia for refusing to do military service violated his right to freedom of religion

ECHR, 07/07/2011.In today’s Grand Chamber judgment in the case Bayatyan v. Armenia (application no. 23459/03), which is final[1], the European Court of Human Rights held, by a majority, that there had been:
A violation of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The case concerned the conviction in 2003 of a conscientious objector - a Jehovah’s Witness - for his refusal to perform military service. He was imprisoned despite Armenia’s undertaking, when joining the Council of Europe on 25 January 2001, to introduce civilian service as an alternative to compulsory military service within three years and to pardon all conscientious objectors sentenced to imprisonment.

AÇIK KİTAP'TAN Bir Madde Olarak ''Militarizm''

Militarizmi anlamak istiyorsak, gözümüzü, savaşmanın meşru kılındığı, maddi-manevi savaş hazırlıklarına yoğun emek ve kaynak harcanan 'barış' dönemlerine ve 'sivil' alanlara doğru çevirmemiz şart.

Ayşe Gül ALTINAY

Biamag - Cumartesi, 10/09/2011;  Açık radyo,18/08/2011.

Militarizm, İlk olarak 1860'larda Fransız anarşist düşünür Pierre Joseph Proudhon tarafından kullanılmaya başlanan 'militarizm', en geniş anlamıyla, bir toplumun, bireyin veya kurumun kendisini 'sivil' değerlerle değil 'askerî' değerlerle tanımlaması, sosyal, kültürel, siyasi ve ekonomik pratiklerini bu değerler etrafında örmesidir diyebiliriz.

Non-Muslim soldiers’ experiences in the Turkish army

ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ,  - 21/09/2011

Last year, writer Tuba Çandar published a biography of Hrant Dink. In addition to interviewing a number of people who knew Dink, Çandar also talked to Dink himself for the book: In that interview, he narrated his memories of his military service.

Do Ask, Must Tell: Turkey's military doesn't just discriminate against gays -- it humiliates them.

PIOTR ZALEWSKI | 04/12/2010

ISTANBUL — As the United States considers repealing the ban on gays serving in the military, they might want to consider consulting their allies in NATO with whom they serve in Afghanistan and Iraq. The vast majority of the organization's 28-member states allow gays to serve openly. But Turkey offers an instructive, and extreme, contrast.
Where the U.S. "don't ask, don't tell" policy has been the subject of fierce political debate since it was launched by Bill Clinton's administration two decades ago, Turkey's ban has seen few public challenges. When Turkey's minister for women's and family affairs, Selma Aliye Kavaf, declared this March that homosexuality is a "disease that needs treatment," she wasn't just pandering to popular belief; she was repeating the official stance of the Turkish armed forces. Indeed, Turkey's gay conscripts are routinely forced to endure humiliation and abuse at the hands of their country's military authorities.

Conscientious Objector on Hunger Strike for 14 Days

Conscientious objector Süver started a hunger strike 14 days ago after his escape from prison and his arrest one day later. On 3 May, he was taken to a closed prison in Manisa where a 20-day isolation punishment was imposed on him. Reportedly, he is not in good health.

Ekin KARACA, ekin@bianet.org

BİA News Center

05 May 2011, Thursday

Conscientious objector İnan Süver started a hunger strike 14 days ago to protest the 20-day isolation punishment given to him after his short escape from prison. In the evening of 3 May, he was transferred to the E Type Closed Prison in Manisa (western Turkey).

On 21 April, Süver escaped from the Manisa Saruhanlı Open Prison. One day later, he was arrested in Izmir and taken to the Buca Prison (Izmir).

Süver started a hunger strike after he was arrested in Izmir. On 3 May, he was now given a 20-day isolation punishment because he insisted on continuing the hunger strike.

20-day isolation punishment

Süver's lawyer Hülya Üçpınar said in a statement made to bianet on Wednesday (4 May) that her client Süver was transferred to Manisa.

She announced that she called the prison on the same day to obtain information on conscientious objector Süver. She learned that the prison executives imposed a 20-day isolation punishment on Süver because he refused to interrupt his hunger strike.

Üçpınar reported that the punishment had not been approved by the time that she called the prison but that she expected the approval at any time. Once Süver was taken into the isolation cell, a telephone ban would be applied as well, the lawyer stated.

Remziye Süver: Kurdish ID reason for oppression

Remziye Süver, the wife of the conscientious objector, criticized the procedure. She claimed that her husband İnan Süver had been incarcerated for months just because of his opinion.

"Why is my husband in prison for that long on the grounds of his opinion while murderers get out of jail after five to six months? He did not commit any crime besides of [voicing] his opinion. İnan escaped after twelve months of military service. After that, he was imprisoned for four months and then again for another three months. Now, he has been in prison for the past nine months", Remziye Süver said.

She continued, "There were a total of 120 conscientious objectors by the time İnan announced his conscientious objection. There are currently about 500 conscientious objectors. Nobody else is tyrannized this way though. The reason that they keep on at İnan this much is that [the south-eastern city of] "Van" is written in his ID. I cannot explain the situation in any other way".

Süver's father: "My son did not commit any crime...

İnan Süver's father Yasin Süver met his son at the Manisa E Type Closed Prison yesterday (4 May). He told bianet that İnan was in very bad condition.

He said that his son's face looked very pale and worn out. "We rolled out the red carpet for İnan when we sent him to the military. However, İnan was tortured in the military. He escaped. Subsequently, they kept İnan in prison for a total of 16 months. He has been in jail for the past nine months. Now they imposed an isolation punishment on him because he went on hunger strike. For 20 days he will not have the opportunity to see or talk to anybody..." (EKN/VK)

http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/129762-conscientious-objector-on-hunger-strike-for-14-days

Military holds official funeral for fallen soldier at church

28 April 2011, Thursday / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL

Archbishop Tatul Anuşyan and a mourning relative by the coffin of Sevag Şahin Balıkçı.

A 25-year-old soldier who was killed accidentally at an outpost in Kozluk, Batman province, during his military service was laid to rest on Wednesday in a rare military ceremony held at a church. Pvt. Sevag Şahin Balıkçı, who died on Sunday when, according to official reports, his friend’s rifle accidentally discharged, was laid to rest after a ceremony held at the Surp Vartanants Armenian Church in İstanbul’s Feriköy neighborhood. The official report says the two soldiers were “joking around” with their rifles during the accident. Balıkçı’s family says it believes the official statement, but Balıkçı’s fiancée, Melani Kumruyan, says she has doubts about the official version.

Balıkçı’s coffin, draped in a Turkish flag, was taken to Surp Vartanants Church on Wednesday evening in the presence of a tearful crowd. In addition to family members, relatives and friends of the slain soldier, a large number of representatives of Turkey’s Armenian community, Gendarmerie Regional Commander Gen. İbrahim Yaşar, State Minister Egemen Bağış, 3rd Army Corps Commander Gen. Hulusi Akar, Şişli Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül, Adalar Mayor Mustafa Farsakoğlu and the wife and brother of slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, Rakel Dink and Orhan Dink, also attended the funeral. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) sent four wreaths to the church. Archbishop Tatul Anuşyan in his speech said the soldier had “risen to God on the day of resurrection.” Balıkçı died on Easter Sunday, April 24 -- the day Armenians mark as the anniversary of Armenians being killed at the hand of the Ottomans in 1915. This was initially a source of controversy, but the Balıkçı family said it had no doubts that it was an accident and referred to the date of their son’s death as an “odd coincidence.” http://www.todayszaman.com/news-242319-military-holds-official-funeral-for-fallen-soldier-at-church.html

Fiancee says Armenian soldier’s death suspicious

27 April 2011, Wednesday / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL Melani Kumruyan The tragic death of an Armenian Turkish private serving in the military on April 24 -- the day the Armenian diaspora marks as the anniversary of Armenians being killed at the hand of Ottomans in 1915 -- could not have been an accident, as was officially claimed, the young man's fiancée has said. Pvt. Sevag Şahin Balıkçı (25) died on Sunday when, according to official reports, his friend's rifle accidentally discharged. The military said the two boys were “joking around” with their rifles before the accident. Balıkçı's family said they believed the official statement, saying it was only a strange coincidence that their son died on April 24, which was also Easter Sunday. However, his fiancée, Melani Kumruyan, does not believe that Balıkçı's death was accidental. In statements made to various Turkish newspapers yesterday, she said: “An investigation into this is under way. I want the truth to come out as soon as possible. I don't think it happened when they were joking around. I knew Sevag really well. He was not someone who would joke around with guns.” Kumruyan and Balıkçı, who both lived in the Kurtuluş neighborhood of İstanbul, met when they were 17 and got engaged with the blessing of both families two years ago. Kumruyan says Balıkçı sent her a text message every morning. She shared his last message with the Radikal daily, sent at 7:30 a.m. on April 24. The intimate message says, “Parluys (Good Morning) my daisy-smelling angel. You never left me alone. Your clean heart is more important to me than anything else. I found happiness and love in you. I've never loved anything in my life as much as I love you.” “They say it happened around 8 a.m. I woke up around 9 that morning. He had sent me wonderful messages of love around 7:30, like he always does. I can't express the immenseness of the pain. There were only three weeks left for him to come home,” Kumruyan continued. The Sabah daily quoted her as saying: “I don't believe that it was an accident at all. The senior sergeant had beaten him up over a lost 50 lira bill.” Although Kumruyan is skeptical, Balıkçı's mother, Ani Balıkçı, a retired pre-school teacher, says she believes the military's statement. “We don't know yet whether it was an accident or not. We will go to the scene of the event on Sunday with our lawyer and talk to the officials there. The report we'll get will clarify everything. I am reading various statements on the Internet from people who are discussing the incident, whether they know about it or not. The private who shot my son was his closest friend. I'd sent Easter cookies to the unit one day before. The incident doesn't have anything to do with April 24 or genocide. I am not afraid of anything. I lost my son, what can I be afraid of? The commanders and majors also visited our house. They are as devastated as we are,” she said. The Gendarmerie General Command has announced that they invited the Balıkçı family to the outpost where the shooting happened. The family will be guests at the outpost during the examination of the site. Meanwhile, the Kozluk Criminal Court of Peace released the private who shot Balıkçı pending trial. The court said it didn't see any premeditation or deliberate act in the accident. However, the Kozluk Prosecutor's Office has criticized the release of the private -- whose name was not disclosed -- and filed for his arrest.

Questions linger as Armenian-Turkish solider receives final rites

Questions linger as Armenian-Turkish soldier receives final rites

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

DAILY NEWS photo, Hasan ALTINIŞIK

Mourners at the Istanbul funeral of a Turkish soldier of Armenian descent called Wednesday for further investigation into his death while performing his military service in the southeastern province of Batman.

Sevag Şahin Balıkçı, who was killed in an alleged accident April 24, was buried in the Armenian Cemetery in Istanbul’s Şişli district following rituals conducted at the Surp Vartananzs Armenian Church in the Feriköy neighborhood. A military ceremony for the dead solider was conducted Monday.

“Every boy wants a toy gun, but Sevag had never touched a gun [in his life], even for a single day,” Ani Balıkçı, the soldier’s mother, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, adding that she had spoken to him on the phone the day before Easter, April 24, and sent him Easter “çöreks,” a sweet Turkish bread that he liked.

“He shared his çöreks with his friends in the unit. The soldier who accidentally killed him was his closest friend,” Balıkçı said. “I just want to ask the officials why no measures were taken to prevent such an accident.”

Sevag Şahin Balıkçı, 25, was allegedly killed by a stray bullet while one of his friends was joking around with a rifle.

Speculation within the Armenian community has centered around the fact that Balıkçı’s death coincided with the date when some countries commemorate the alleged Armenian genocide in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.

Many of Turkey’s Armenians believe the accident occurred under dubious circumstances, despite Ani Balıkçı’s comments urging people not to create a link between her son’s death and the events of 1915.

“The fact that the accident coincides with April 24 is highly dubious. This issue must be thoroughly investigated... The family perhaps is afraid of expressing their anxiety because they hesitate, but we are waiting for an answer,” said Mari Yalınbaş, one of the attendants at the church funeral.

Raffi H. Araks, the deputy mayor of the Princes’ Islands in the Marmara Sea, said he believes Balıkçı’s death was an accident, arguing that the soldier who died could have been of Turkish, and not of Armenian origin. “Of course, a proper investigation needs to be conducted in order to remove all doubt, but as the family’s statement also shows [this incident] was accidental,” Araks said.

Balıkçı’s coffin was covered with a Turkish flag as he had died while performing his service in the Turkish military, and a cross-shaped wreath was placed on the flag.

The funeral was attended by State Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen Bağış, several high-ranking officers representing the Turkish General Staff, the religious leaders of several minority communities and churches, Şişli Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül and Deputy Mayor Vasgen Barın, Princes’ Islands Mayor Mustafa Farsakoğlu, as well as Araks.

Wreaths sent by Turkish General Staff and the Office of the Commander in Chief were placed both inside and outside the church. During the funeral, which was attended by hundreds of people, Muslims and members of the Armenian community prayed together for Balıkçı.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=armenian-soldier-given-his-final-dues-with-question-marks-left-behind-2011-04-27

Turkish soldier claims to be guinea pig in military experiment

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

ISTANBUL – Radikal

'They attached cables to different parts of my body and electrocuted me,' said Alabay. DHA photo

A soldier from Turkey’s eastern Şanlıurfa province has claimed that he was experimented on at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy, or GATA, and lost function of entire right side of his body. The General Staff has denied the claims.

Five months after he joined the military Fevzi Alabay experienced swelling in his hands. Alabay was first sent to the infirmary and then taken to GATA, three month ago.

Alabay claims he did not sign documents put in front of him as he is illiterate, and was then experimented on. “The doctors at GATA said the swelling was neurological and I was kept bedridden in the neurology ward. Once my body reacted to the medicine they said I would receive physical therapy. Instead they attached cables to different parts of my body and electrocuted me,” said Alabay. He was kept in a room for four days and continually received injections.

There were other soldiers experimented on too, Alabay said. “Six soldiers died during the experiments and were taken from the hospital secretly. If my family did not find me, I might have died.”

Once his family located him, the soldier had already been at GATA for 68 days. When he left he was given a month-long health leave that requested a change of scene. “I do not know whether I will heal, but I am afraid to return to the military,” said Alabay, who has no function in half of his body except for his hand.

The soldier’s family said they located Alabay after they saw him on TV. Some soldiers at GATA were using high-level electromagnetic fields to determine a patient’s diagnosis and broadcast the footage, which featured Alabay.

Alabay was serving in the Istanbul Metris 47th Motorized Infantry Troop.

The Turkish General Staff said the medical process applied to the patient was carried out according to basic treatment principles. The claims of carrying out experimental treatment within the clinic and causing the death of soldiers as a result are unrealistic, said an official statement on the website of the Turkish General Staff.

“The soldier Fevzi Alabay was continually informed both verbally and in writing and he was not forced to take a treatment outside of his will. In every stage of the treatment, the patient's approval was taken and his undergoing faintness during the treatment is out of the question," said the statement.

"In reverse of what the patient claimed, he did not under go an electromagnetic application or an experimental medical treatment. Furthermore, the views of the patient were never taken under oath," said the statement.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8216i-was-experimented-in-gata8217-claims-a-soldier-2011-04-26

Turkish-Armenian conscript was killed on 24th April 2011.

Turkish-Armenian soldier to be laid to rest Wednesday

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

ISTANBUL – Daily News with wires

A Turkish-Armenian soldier who died Sunday when his friend’s gun allegedly discharged accidentally will be laid to rest Wednesday in Istanbul’s Şişli district.

Sevag Şahin Balıkçı had only 23 days left on his military service in the southeastern province of Batman when he was allegedly shot by mistake by his friend as the two were joking around, daily Radikal reported Tuesday.

Sevag Balıkçı and other soldiers at the garrison were trying to fix the surrounding fences damaged by floods and were joking with each other when his best friend’s weapon discharged a bullet that struck the soldier in the stomach.

The Gendarmerie General Command announced Tuesday that it was planning to invite the dead private’s family to the police station where he died for a private meeting with his commanders and friends, Anatolia news agency reported.

An official ceremony was organized Monday for the dead soldier in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

An account of the event sent to the family by the military said the soldier had died “a martyr.”

“I don’t see my son as a martyr. A martyr does not die from a bullet in an accident,” the soldier’s father, Garabet Balıkçı, told daily Radikal.

While many media outlets noted that the incident occurred on April 24, the day Armenians remember their kin who were killed during World War I in the Ottoman Empire, the soldier’s family members have refused to relate the two events to one another.

“It is a pity that the press is emphasizing the subject by connecting my son’s death with the anniversary of the 1915 events,” Garabet Balıkçı told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Tuesday.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=armenian-soldier-died-of-friend8217s-carelessness-on-april-24-2011-04-26

EU nations continue to phase out military conscription

Does military conscription still have a place in Europe?

Much of Europe has done away with compulsory military service, or made heavy cut-backs. Of the 27 EU member states, 21 already make do without conscription. So does the rest of Europe still need the draft?

Many European countries, as well as most members of the transatlantic NATO military alliance, have already done away with compulsory military service. Of the 28 NATO countries, 23 have full-time professional armies, and 21 of the 27 European Union nations have abolished the draft. The latest to do so is Sweden, which ended conscription on June 30.

Alongside Turkey, Germany remains the only major NATO country that sill requires its young men to serve in the military. Conscription also still exists in Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece and Norway.

At 26 months, the longest required military service in Europe is on the island of Cyprus. Denmark's conscription seems by contrast to be impractically short, at just 4 months. However, conscription there is only employed if there is a shortage of volunteer recruits.

It has not been that long since the draft was the norm in Europe. During the Cold War and into the 1990s, compulsory military service existed in nearly every European country. Even after the constant threat of the Cold War subsided, several European states did immediately move to strike conscription. France, for example, only got rid of it in 2001. In Italy and the Netherlands, the draft has been put on hold.

Outside EU and NATO territories, compulsory service remains in Belarus, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Professional soldiers preferred

Cyprus has the longest compulsory service in the EU

Many countries experience difficulty finding enough recruits to fill their military. Another problem with getting rid of the draft is that professional armies are more expensive than those with conscripts.

Yet most national armies in the EU have shrunk to leaner, professional armies, and these do carry several advantages. Professional soldiers are generally better trained, more specialized and far more efficient than conscripts. They are also easier to deploy on overseas missions.

From Hammurabi to the French Revolution

Professional soldiers can be more easily deployed overseas

Modern conscription originated in post-revolutionary France, where in 1793, the French National Assembly marshaled an army of 300,000 soldiers from the provinces. However, forced recruitment dates back to the beginnings of civilization; draft dodging was even outlawed by the Code of Hammurabi.

In today's world, nearly all countries that require military service also have alternative requirements for those who object to taking up arms. Within NATO the exception to this rule is Turkey, where compulsory service lasts 15 months with no allowance for conscientious objection.

Author: Bernd Riegert (dl)
Editor: Rob Turner

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5749541,00.html?maca=en-newsofeurope-eu-1528-rdf