Turkey

__ http://www.economist.com/countries /TURKEY/profile.cfm?folder=Profile-FactSheet ____ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human rights in ____ Turkey __ ** Background: ** The Turkish Republic was formed in 1923. Nationalist resistance forces led by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) defeated the occupying allies after the first world war to establish the country's present borders. Turkey oriented its political and economic structure towards the West, becoming a member of NATO (1952} and the Council of Europe (1949) and signing an association agreement with the then European Community (1963). A customs union with the EU took effect in 1996. EU accession negotiations were opened in October 2005, but have made slow progress.   ** Political structure: ** Turkey is a secular democratic state governed under the 1982 constitution. There have been three periods of military rule in 1960-61,1971-73 and 1980-83. The military continues to have a respected position in Turkish politics, although its constitutional powers have been reduced. The parliamentary term was cut from five years to four in October 2007. Parliament elected the current president, Abdullah Gul, in August 2007; his successor will be elected directly. Executive power will remain with the prime minister. Parties need at least 10% of the national vote to win any seats. ** Policy issues: ** IMF-backed reforms since the 2001 financial crisis have reduced macroeconomic instability. The IMF stand-by accord expired in May 2008, but co-operation with the Fund will continue. A large current- account deficit and heavy reliance on short-term capital inflows leave the economy vulnerable to sharp changes in investor sentiment. Reducing unemployment and income inequality are key policy concerns, but the resources to tackle them are limited. ** Taxation: ** The basic rate of corporation tax was lowered from 30% to 20% in 2006. Personal income tax rates range between 15% and 35% (the top rate was cut from 40% in 2006). Tax reform to reduce tax evasion was one of the main elements of the IMF programme. ** Foreign trade: ** In 2007 exports (fob) amounted to US$115.3bn, while imports (fob) were US$162bn, leaving a trade deficit of US$46.7bn. The export figures include estimates of earnings from so-called "suitcase trade". ** Human Rights: ** Forced migration of Kurds in Turkey has a long history. Following the Young Turk Revolution at the beginning of this century and the flowering of Turkish nationalism, the destruction or assimilation of minority populations (particularly Armenians and Kurds) has been a recurring pattern. In remote parts of the country, such as Southeastern Anatolia, patriarchal traditions of //namus// (family honor) prevail amongs the local Kurdish population, and women still face domestic violence, forced marriages, and so-called honor killings. Nearly all of these so-called honor killings take place among the Kurdish population and persons found guilty of committing an honor killing are sentenced to life in prison per the Turkish Penal Code. State authorities engaged in stamping out such practices are often accused of racism and of trying to suppress Kurdish culture. To combat this, the government and various other foundations are engaged in education campaigns in Southeastern Anatolia to improve the rate of literacy and education levels of women. Due to the large size of Turkish Kurds, successive governments have viewed the expression of a Kurdish identity as a potential threat to Turkish unity, a feeling that has been compounded since the armed rebellion initiated by the PKK in 1984. One of the main accusations of cultural assimilation comes from the state's historic suppression of the Kurdish language. Kurdish publications created throughout the 1960s and 1970's were shut down under various legal pretexts.'131 Following the military coup of 1980, the Kurdish language was officially prohibited from government institutions. Since 2002, as part of its reforms aimed at European Union integration and under pressure to further the rights of Kurds, Turkey passed laws allowing Kurdish radio and television broadcasts as well the option of private Kurdish education. Recent events in Diyarbakir: Violent disturbances took place in several cities in the Southeast in March and April 2006. Over 550 people were detained as a result of these events, including over 200 children. The Diyarbakir Bar Association submitted more than 70 complaints of ill-treatment to the authorities. Subsequently, investigations were launched into 39 of these claims. During the events in Diyarbakir, forensic examinations of detained were carried out in places of detention. According to the Report of the Commission, "this contravenes the rules and the circulars issued by the Ministries of Justice and Health as well as the independence of the medical profession". The Commission also believes that "the new provisions introduced in June 2006 to amend the anti-terror law could undermine the fight against torture and ill-treatment".'6' The Commission also stresses that "a return to normality in Southeast can only be achieved be opening dialogue with local counterparts".'6' "A comprehensive strategy should be pursued to achieve the socio-economic development of the region and the establishment of conditions for the Kurdish population to enjoy full rights and freedoms. Issues that need to be addressed include the return of internally displaced persons, compensation for losses incurred by victims of terrorism, landmines as well as the issue of village guards".'
 * Turkey **** Fact Sheet- ** Sources