1st September 2000

URGENT ALERT: TURKEY

IHRC is urging all campaigners to act regarding the deteriorating Human Rights condition in Turkey. The government is now considering passing legislation that will allow the government to purge all Islamists from the government. This latest pressure from the National Security Council is denying the freedom of religious expression in Turkey. IHRC is calling all campaigners to voice their disgust at this latest attempt by the secularists in Turkey to undermine Muslims in the system. In May this year around 300 people were detained and tortured by the authorities just for reading an Islamic newspaper, Selam Weekly.
Please mention that this is a clear example of denying freedom of religious expression in Turkey and if they continue in this course the western powers and EU should not accept them as members. If they don’t voice their objections regarding this issue the people in Turkey, Muslims in Europe and the world would see this latest action being encouraged and endorsed by the western powers. Please write to your Foreign Minister and ask him to voice his objection to such a move by the government of Turkey. The addresses for campaigners to write to are given below:
British Foreign Secretary, Rt. Hon. Robin Cook MP, FCO, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AA

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE Norway, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
P.O. Box 8114 Dep., N-0032 Oslo, fax:+22-24 95 80/81, E-mail:osse-enheten@ud.dep.telemax.no

OSCE SECRETARIAT, Kaerntnerring 5-7, 4th Floor, 1010 Vienna, Austria, fax: +43-1 514 36 96, telex: 112 966, E-Mail: pm@osce.org
Mr. Chris Patten, European Commission, 200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium, fax: +32-2-298-1299 .[END]
Email : ihrc@dial.pipex.com, Telephone: (+44)208 9020888
Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
Middlesex
HA9 7XH