UK: KURDS PROTEST AGAINST THE OPENING OF THE OCALAN TRIAL
(31 May 1999) English/Nat Thousand of P-K-K supporters gathered outside the British Foreign Office in London to rally against the opening of the trial of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan in Turkey. Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is being tried for leading a 15-year guerrilla war against Turkey in which 37-thousand people have died. If convicted of treason charges, he faces the death penalty. On Monday, pleading for his life, Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan declared himself ready to cooperate with the Turkish state to work towards peace. Ocalan's supporters throughout Europe say if he is found guilty of treason and sentenced to death - there will be an all out war. SOUNDBITE: (English) Q. What do you think will happen if he's hanged - if he's sentenced to death? A. Well Turkey will turn to hell and that's for sure. It's turning to hell slowly and it will only get worse. Trust me. " SUPER CAPTION: Serap Dogan, Kurdish Protester SOUNDBITE: (English) "There's no human rights in Turkey- there's no democracy. If the people are being tortured, if the people are despairing, if the people are burning the village - so how can you believe that country." SUPER CAPTION: Bulent Calek, Kurdish Refugee SOUNDBITE: (English) "If they kill him - if they hang him there's no peace but we are still peaceful people. We want peace, we want to live together with the people which is peaceful. But if they don't want - what can you do? For your identity, for your country, for your independence, you have to fight - you have to be independent." SUPER CAPTION: Bulent Calek, Kurdish Refugee SOUNDBITE: (English) "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, freedom for Kurdistan, Freedom" SUPER CAPTION: Lamil Sahin International human rights groups have sharply criticised the three-member Turkish tribunal that will determine Ocalan's fate because it includes a military judge. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
