Defend Baku-Ceyhan Campaigner: Take Action!

Ferhat Kaya is a close ally of the Baku Ceyhan Campaign working in the Ardahan region of northeast Turkey. As a result of his work advocating for those whose lives have been disrupted by BTC pipeline construction, Ferhat has faced repeated repression, including having his offices smashed and being intimidated, attacked and allegedly tortured while imprisoned.

Ferhat has now been sentenced to six month's imprisonment after referring to Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan as "Mr" Öcalan during a public speech; the Turkish state deemed this to be an offence as it accorded respect to the Kurdish leader. The sentence includes an indefinite ban on any future role in public service, including voting, standing as a candidate in elections, or managing any trade union, association or company.

Support Ferhat! Please send a letter making the following points to the Turkish Embassy, copy it to the British Foreign Office and let us know.

Points you could make in your letter:

* Writing to raise concerns regarding the treatment of Ferhat Kaya, a Turkish citizen and politician living in the Ardahan region of Turkey. Despite remaining within the boundaries of legal and nonviolent action, Kaya has received significant repression from the local police forces, including intimidation, attack and alleged torture while under arrest.

* Recently, Kaya was sentenced to six months in prison, on charges that Kaya referred to the Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan as "Mr" Öcalan during a public speech. The Turkish state deemed the term "Mr" to be an offence by claiming that it accorded respect to the Kurdish leader. Kaya’s lawyers have appealed the charges; if this is unsuccessful, Kaya will be banned from any future role in public service, including voting, standing as a candidate in elections, or establishing or managing any trade union, association, corporation, company or political party.

* It appears that Kaya’s treatment is related to his work in defending the rights of people adversely affected by the BTC pipeline and his position as a candidate for DEHAP, a political party that has taken up the Kurdish issue. In this context, the curtailing of his rights to participate in the political process are particular troubling.

* Imprisoning someone for using the term "Mr" is an infringement of freedom of expression and calls into question Turkey's commitment to its accession agreements with the European Union. Turkey has long aspired to European Union membership. Such repressive mechanisms could not legally continue upon entry.

* I request that you contact the local authorities to ensure that Mr Kaya's appeal process meets the basic conditions of a fair trial and to ensure that Mr Kaya's human rights are protected.

* If Mr Kaya's appeal process is conducted in a similarly perfunctory manner to his trial, I will be sorely disappointed; I will advise friends and family not to visit Turkey on holidays, and to avoid investing in your country.

Addresses to send your letter to:

(1) Mr Mr  H.E. Mr Akin Alptuna

Turkish Embassy, 43 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PA

(2) Mr Douglas Alexander MP, Minister of State for Europe

Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH

NB: Please tell us if you receive a reply!