BBC supports Turkish junta's public relations

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rted General Evren's tradition of Mustapha Kemal the allegations or systemanc LeTI livest gatire "Ataturk" the father torture consisted of inter- ism. The last ommission of our that Demirel's Justice of the modern Turkish state. views with Evren and former CONTACT: TURKEY SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN, BM BOX 5965 However, to anyone who Prime Minister Ecevit. Ecevit did not detail the nature of People's Party had said the torture was due to that the sught upon parliamentary anti-imperialist credentials of the poor education of the generals will hand over to.

Steel workers from Huta skirmishes developed with IAGINE having to queue out consultation with Solid- Warsawa •joined In the the police as they were further "I don't mean that Turkey.

At least the BBC admitted that it wasn't easy to film in Turkey: they are not allowed to go to the Eastern, Kurdish region, or into the Mamak military prison in Ankara, where 500 political prisoners are currently on hunger strike against the conditions and ill-treatment in prison.

So instead BBC filmed about the navigation problems on the Bosphorus and local problems of inhabitants dying from lung cancer because of the volcanic rocks they use to build their houses.

Two-thirds of the programme was spent on those subjects.

The coup in Turkey last year, and the junta that has ruled since then, have received a favourable press in this country.

The view of the generals themselves that their intervention prevented the slide into outright civil war has been accepted at face value.

The Newsnight programme did nothing to alter this impression.

The programme supported General Evren's contention that the bad atention that the bad odour that Demirel's Justice Party and Ecevit's Republic- rty and Ecevit's Republican People's Party had brught upon parliamentary OH MAGINE having to queue democracy justitied the suspension of democracy and to Turkey's economic and the banning of all experien- political crisis today, the ced political figures from any future role.

The programme also supported the notion that the junta's ideology and reality. generals are entirely in the tradition of Mustapha Kemal - "Ataturk" - the father of the modern Turkish state..

However, to anyone who does not believe that the does not believe that the anti-imperialist credentials of out consultation with solidKemalism have any relevance police → they are not sophisticated enough to get information by other methods! programme did an inade- The only material on quate job of papering over prison conditions shown was the chasm between the taken from a government film.

The "investigation" of This hardly merits the the allegations of systematic inal torture consisted of interviews with Evren and former Prime Minister Ecevit. Ecevit said the torture was due to the poor education of the port workers blocked roads The "Constituent Assembly" will consist of those directly appointed by the junta or those that the junta chooses from those recommended by the Juntaappointed) local mayors.

This programme therefore assisted the Turkish dictators' attempts to legitmise in the eyes of European public opinion their vicious repression against the working class movement in Turkey.

The Thatcher government is also planning to give € 15 million in military aid to the dictatorship.

Here are a few of the facts about Turkey which the BBC willingly distorted or concealed:

*There are 120,000 political prisoners, not the 25,000 claimed in the programme.

*Eight people — one 16 years old - have been hanged, *Over 400 have been murdered in military manhunts, and 74 have died under torture.

*1768 people are being tried, with the prosecutors LONDON WC1 N 3XX.

skirmishes developed with the police as they were