Nuevo Objetor de Conciencia encarcelado en Turquia

El 25 de enero de 2007 fue de nuevo juzgado en Corlu el objetor de conciencia kurdo Halil Savda. Tras unos cinco minutos de audiencia fue puesto a disposición policial para ser llevado al cuartel de Tekirdağ donde tiene asignado su destino militar. Ante la previsible nueva negativa de Halil a reincorporarse a filas se espera que sea encarcelado de nuevo hasta que sea instruido un nuevo proceso judicial. Esto es debido a que al no estar reconocida la objeción de conciencia en Turquía existe un vació legal por el cual los objetores son forzados a reincorporarse continuamente al servicio militar, quedando totalmente a merced de la institución militar turca.

Halil fue arrestado por primera vez en diciembre de 2004, acusado de desobediencia reiterada y a los pocos días fue puesto en libertad con la orden de ingresar en su destino, al que no se presentó. Desde entonces se puso en marcha un proceso legal contra él en el que se le condenó en rebeldía a 3 meses y quince días de prisión. Sin embargo el Tribunal Superior Militar anuló el procedimiento en agosto de 2006 basándose en deficiencia de forma. En diciembre, cuando se inició un nuevo juicio Halil se presentó en la sala y fue detenido, permaneciendo preso desde entonces.

Se repite de este modo el proceso que siguieron los otros tres objetores turcos, que han sido obligados a reincorporarse varias veces al servicio militar y después fueron encarcelados de nuevo. Mehmet Tarhan, el ultimo caso de objeción de conciencia en Turquía, paso once meses en prisión militar, donde además sufrió torturas por parte de militares que lo custodiaban. Fue liberado en marzo de 2006 y desde entonces su situación legal, así como la del resto de objetores que han pasado por prisión es de privación de sus derechos civiles al habérseles retirado su tarjeta de identidad y pasaporte, con la incertidumbre constante de volver a ser reclamado por el ejército. En Turquia existen aproximadamente 200.000 profugos al servicio militar y 70 objetores de conciencia declarados.

Halil, custodiado por PM entra en el Tribunal Militar ante la mirada de algunas personas del movimiento antimilitarista turco. (foto de Cthuchi Zamarra para Insumissia)

En el caso de Halil, una de las estrategias que ha puesto en marcha el aparato militar para tratar de contrarrestar su actitud antimilitarista ha sido la de intentar forzar un diagnostico médico que lo declare enfermo mental y por lo tanto inapto para el servicio militar. En respuesta a ello Halil elaboró una declaración política en la que afirma que “su objeción de conciencia es la expresión de sus opiniones antiautoritarias, antimilitaristas y antibelicas” y por lo tanto se negaba a someterse a dicho examen psiquiátrico.

Anexo: fragmento del alegato de defensa de Halil Savda en el juicio de diciembre de 2006

The imperialist powers and their local puppets have transformed the Middle East into pool of blood. The ruin that these powers have brought upon Iraq is obvious. The fact that Iran and Syria will suffer the same fate in the near future is a common opinion shared by many political scientists. Turkey also takes its place in this Big Middle East Project as a part of these political calculations. The ones who take side with the working masses and with peace should and shall oppose these schemes. This is the point at which conscientious objection becomes a crucial factor in civil resistance. The milieu of armed conflict into which Turkey has been pulled promises nothing but a massive devastation. Its economical, psychological, political and social costs have been and will continue to be unbearable. It is obvious that the Kurdish Question has not been resolved by resorting to the politics of denial and destruction. On the contrary, this politics has aggravated the situation even more. The resort to armed insurrection against these policies of denial and of destruction too has fallen short of solving the problem; furthermore, it has made the problem gangrenous. The insistence on resorting to the military ways incites rebellion, and rebellion guarantees the perpetuation of military intervention. In order to establish a permanent peace, the State should immediately give an end to its military operations and the PKK should say farewell to arms. Only then the path will be cleared for the instigation of a civil and democratic process to solve the Kurdish Question. I share the pain of the families, wives, children, siblings and mothers of all the fallen soldiers, dead guerrillas, victims of unknown assailants, and all the others who perished in combat. I also share the sufferings and the loneliness of those whose villages were burned down, who have been forced to migrate, who faced torture and have been thrown into prison. My conscientious objection has been nourished by sharing these feelings. When we share each others’ grieves and sufferings, the consciousness of being a living being shall emerge. This is the very consciousness of a firm stance against war. In this way, permanent peace will evolve. Despite all the difficulties, I am very happy that as a conscientious objector my existence contributes to peace.
Lastly, I would like to state this: my psychological condition is excellent. I shall not be subjected to a forced psychiatric examination.

WE WON’T DIE, WE WON’T KILL
WE WILL BE NOBODY’S SOLDIER!”

ANEXO II

DECLARACION DE OBJECION DE CONCIENCIA DE HALIL SAVDA

I am a conscientious objector. I declared my conscientious objection in 2004, at a military quarter. At the court, where I stood trial for my conscientious objection, I explained my conscientious objection attitude in details and said that I will not participate in any militar institution. Additionally, I shared my conscientious objection with the public, again and again. I clearly maintained my conscientious objection attitude and I never ran away and hid.

The military prosecutor’s claim of «Desertion» about me is not true. I do not accept the «desertion» accusation. I never deserted or ran away. Most apparent and obvious proof that I didn’t run away and desert, is my coming to my conscientious objection trial. If I hadn’t come to the trial on 7.12.2006, I would not have been arrested and in prison now. If I had run away, I wouldn’t have come to the trial. I am a civil person, not a soldier. I didn’t accept to be a soldier, I still don’t. Despite of this reality, I am still threatened as a soldier. This is an attack against international contracts, global justice and free will. It is a tyranny to persistently force someone into being a soldier. Considering all these truths, «desertion» accusation of the military prosecutor is a shame for turkish democracy and justice.

Conscientious objection is about rejecting to enter into any sort of militar structures. Army is a military organisation and I don’t participate in the army. When I was forcefully send to the military troop with handcuffs, I refused to make the military service. I stand trial for this attitude of mine. This is also related to my behaviour when I did not go to the army after I got released after the trial of 28.12.2004. Nothing has changed since. Conscientious objection attitude is continuous. To judge an obviously continuous attitude for different raesons is against the «uniqueness» principle of judgement and the law.

If I will be released by your court today, I will not go to the troop, becasue going to the troop would mean I accept to die, kill and be a subject of the authority. If I went to the troop, I would being a part of the patriarchial system. I would have to participate in conflicts going on in turkey. I do not accept to participate in conflicts, or to be a subject of the authority! Due to my anti-war and libertarian thoughts I refuse all weapons, any sort of authortiy, die-kill’s and domination.

I wish this trial to accept conscientious objection right and to end arbitrary judgments.

Halil Savda