|
 There are numerous references in the Bill to various laws, said Associate Professor Vahit Bicak, "Laws kept in a labyrinth eventually become open to interpretation."
(Today's Zaman)Months of discussions over the Counter-Terrorism Act (CTA) as the cause of restrictions on freedoms have now changed the direction of speculations over amnesty.
Ankara Busy with Polemics on Amnesty for PKK Leader
Months of discussions over the Counter-Terrorism Act (CTA) as the cause of restrictions on freedoms have now changed the direction of speculations over amnesty.
Deniz Baykal, the leader of the main opposition Republican Peoples' Party (CHP), said a clause in the bill about active penitence will grant Abdullah Ocalan amnesty as the mastermind of the terror organization Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).
Turkey's Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek; however, said that is not the case. The clause on active penitence is applicable to only those who have not been yet convicted, said Cicek.
Judge Col. Ismail Hakki Dirik asked as representative of the National Defense Ministry for removal of the "active penitence" clause from the CTA draft for reasons that it will hinder the fight against terrorism. This request came from Dirik as he joined discussions on the European Union Commission of the Counter-Terrorism Act.
The clause over penitence is absent from the document that the ministries agreed upon, argued Dirik, as he said that it was added to the bill some time later.
"Other security units cannot confirm the validity of the representative of the Defense Ministry"™s statement. The clause is in the Bill, since the Social Reformation Act expired," said Niyazi Guney, Head Officer of Laws, a subset in the Ministry of Justice.
As testament to their inability to resist external pressure, the government in Turkey inserted this clause in the Counter-Terrorism Bill, said Onur Oymen, a member of the main opposition CHP.
The Bill was submitted to the lower commission as discussions on the Commission ended. Jurists; however, had cautious answers to the question on whether the clause in question will provide Ocalan amnesty.
Security forces suggested that the clause over active contrition be appended to the Bill to limit the degree to which one can take advantage of it, said Associate Professor Adem Sozuer, "It"™s a completely made up subject to attract attention."
Article 221 of the Turkish Penal Code, or TCK, disallows Ocalan to take advantage of the active contrition, said Professor Bahri Ozturk.
There are numerous references in the Bill to various laws, said Associate Professor Vahit Bicak, "Laws kept in a labyrinth eventually become open to interpretation."
28.04.2006
Murat Aydin Ankara |
