649 NGOs to meet with the Turkish State while DTK with Öcalan on September 17

NEWSCENTRE (DIHA) – 649 NGOs in the region will meet PM R. Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on September 17, while Democratic Society Congress (DTK) will meet Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) leader in Imralı Island, before cease-fire term ends. PKK had answered NGOs’ demand announcing cease-fire while Turkish state hadn’t.
The NGOs stated that they are ready for all kind of effective role between Kurds and State in order to provide negotiation to reach solution of Kurdish question.

They will also organize a press conference tomorrow to explain their goals to arrange the meetings with both sides. NGOs mostly focused on the State’s answer to PKK’s cease-fire. According to NGOs’ statements now the State needs to take a step which must be to stop the military operations in the Region.
To fasten the peace process, the NGOs volunteered to develop dialogue between sides following DTK’s call. Chamber of Doctors, Bar Associations, Chamber of Trade and Industrial, Human Rights Associations and Confederation of Civil Servant Trade Unions and many other organizations are the most important NGOs that took part in this attempt.
Besides the NGOs effort to develop dialogue between Kurds and the State, works for boycott continue mostly in the Region and by Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) since there is no positive step for Kurds was taken by the amendment of the constitution according to the Kurdish politician.
In addition BDP in the Region prepares a mass meeting in Diyarbakır on September 5, not only to speak up about boycott but also about democratic autonomy.
According to BDP executives, oncoming meeting in Diyarbakır will be a mass announcement of the Kurds’ will of democratic autonomy.
There will be a final meeting in Bingöl on September 7, which might show the power of boycott front in the region.
On the other hand the military operations in the region, especially in Esendere district of Hakkari and Varto, district of Muş, are going on despite cease fire announcement of PKK and intense armed conflicts have occurred time to time.
Besides all these activities, International Peace Day celebrations went on all day in Turkey. Kurds and many Human Rights Associations spent theday on the streets to speak up for peace and dialogue with Kurds.

Demonstrations in Van, Ankara, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Hatay, Urfa, Adana, Iğdır, Hakkari and Istanbul marked the day. Common point of the demonstrators was bilateral and long lasting cease fire of both sides.
Moreover, intellectuals, writers, politician, journalists and many NGOs in Hewler in the Federative Region of Kurdistan made a call for Turkish state to take a step to answer of PKK’s cease-fire.
Soldier and qaimaqam work against boycott in Van
According to allegation of locals in Van, qaimaqam and soldiers in Van works for government in Van. Local authorities are visiting village guards and forcing them to vote on referendum day. Locals also alleged that the AKP administration uses all opportunities of the state to make citizens to vote instead of boycott the oncoming referendum.
141st shipyard deaths in Turkey

23 year-old Uğur Türkkan become the 141st worker who died at the shipyards. He was fired from Tuzla which known as death place for shipyard workers. But he couldn’t save his life and death caught him in one of shipyard in Yalova, district of Bursa. His death was hidden from public for four days, since the shipyards’ death tool is very high lately.
Shipyards has topped workers’ grievances list for a long time, especially after privatization remade the Turkish economy.

According to legal experts most of these deaths are not occupational accidents but murders, since safety rules for workers are not obeyed by employers.

United Dock Workers’ Association made a press release to inform Turkkan’s death in the shipyard: “These are not accidents. We call them murder. The dock workers’ lives were left at the mercy of the employers. No control and no enforcement would have been practiced on them if it were not for such a high death rate. This DENTA shipyard has been known as a death fields by dock workers around this area. There is no lifting jack as powerful as this works need. That is why the steel cable was broken and caused a worker’s life while other two injured. Besides that, employer kidnapped the body without his family’s knowledge for fearing the other worker’s backlash. Control and enforcement have to be obligatory for employers.
The workers demand several immediate steps. Safety equipment such as hard hats, goggles, gloves, steel-toe shoes and safety belts must be provided by the shipyard. Each shipyard needs an infirmary, an ambulance and an emergency doctor. The use of grit powder, which is carcinogenic and pollutes the environment, should be banned.
Village guard beats 75 year old citizen in Mardin
According to allegation, 75 year-old Behram Altunkaynak was beaten by village guard Salih Aksin and hospitalized in Mardin. Altunkaynak, who saw Aksin in masque, complained village guard’s herds. And Aksin attacked old man to beat and hospitalized him, locals reported.
Environmentalist chained themselves to Allianoi temple
Allianoi Temple is one of historical place who is going to be under water when the Yontalı Dam will be built. Environmentalists chained themselves to protest the dam construction and draw attention on the case.
There is also another historical beauty in Batman, Hasankeyf, also will be under water because of dams. And environmentalists formed an International Solidarity Camp for Hasankeyf. The Camp will be on 11 and 17 October around Dicle river in Batman. A hundred writers will take part in the camp to support the activity.

(gü)