A chara, A side story of the UN conference on human settlements, Habitat, held in Istanbul earlier this month, which received little attention, was the arrest of up to 40 people protesting at the lack of official response by the Turkish authorities about the "disappeared". Relatives of people who have gone missing after arrest by the army and police have complained that they have been subjected to harassment and threats when making enquiries. Delegates to the conference were aghast as those arrested on June 6th were punched and beaten by police before being put on a bus.
On Friday June 7th, Eren Kanar, president of the Istanbul Human Rights Association and Mustafa Ucdere, leader of the Contemporary lawyers Association were amongst those arrested while trying to send telegrams to the prime minister protesting at the conditions in which political prisoners are being held. We have since learned that 29 lawyers and human rights workers were arrested on June 18th making a second attempt to send telegrams. This denial of the right even to make political representations is extremely worrying and calls for immediate international vigilance on human rights in Turkey. Is mise, (Chairperson), The Community Workers Co-operative, Prospect Hill, Galway.