Turks Consider Lifting Death Penalty

Associated Press ^ | 2/17

[oxi-nato]

ANKARA, Turkey -- Nationalists in Turkey's coalition government said Sunday they opposed lifting the death penalty, a key European Union demand for the country's membership in the group. In September, Turkey limited the death penalty to cases involving terrorism and those that happen during times of war. The EU, though, has demanded that Turkey eliminate capital punishment altogether and not hang Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, now on death row.

The EU's demand to abolish capital punishment would amount to giving concessions to Kurdish rebels, the nationalists said. Ocalan is the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. "Yes to EU, but you can't accept demands which overlap with those of the PKK," said Ismail Kose, deputy chairman of the Nationalist Action Party. "We will certainly continue to oppose lifting the death penalty in crimes committed against the state."

Ocalan was sentenced to death in 1999 on charges of treason for leading a separatist rebellion against the state for autonomy in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is hoping to lift the death penalty by reaching a consensus in parliament for the sake of EU membership. Turkey has not executed anyone since 1984.

[oxi-nato]

turkey must yield to its masters, after all most of the imf funding comes from the eu nations!

[jim997]

The European Union, when first started, stated they would not interfere with the internal operations of any governments within it. The first thing I saw them do was tell Austria that they must get a new vice president because the one the Austrians elected was to right wing for them. They told Ireland that they do not tax their people enough, and England that they must stop selling beer in Pints. Now Turkey, no matter how terrible a crime is committed, you can not decide to execute ANYONE in your own country! Well,,,I sure wish we could join,,, then they could tell us how to run our country!

[another cricket]

Don't do it! It's a trap!

A. Cricket
Yes, I do yell advise to actors in movies. Why do you ask?

[Smile-n-Win]

"Yes to EU, but you can't accept demands which overlap with those of the PKK,"

They'll have to learn to say "No to EU," lest they have to accept demands even worse than this!

I don't blame criminals for wanting more leniency in law enforcement--but why in the world do we have to give criminals what they want?