Turkey Abolishes Death Penalty

 Aug 3, 6:10 AM ET

By JAMES C. HELICKE, Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - After a raucous all-night debate, Turkey's parliament approved a reform package aimed at boosting its chances of joining the European Union ( news - web sites) by abolishing the death penalty and granting greater rights to the nation's Kurds.

Pro-EU legislators pushed through the legislation over fierce opposition by nationalists, who said the reforms would divide the country and amounted to giving in to Kurdish rebels who fought a 15-year war in southeastern Turkey.

And debate over the reforms has hardly ended. They are expected to be a major issue in early elections called for November. The nationalists also said they may seek to overturn the new laws in the Supreme Court.

Supporters of the changes lauded the parliament vote as a step toward Europe and the West. The EU had made abolishing the death penalty a condition for Turkey to join the union after making it a candidate for membership in 1999.

The measures, passed by a show of hands, will replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Capital punishment remains on the books, however, during times of war. The reforms also legalize long-banned TV and radio broadcasts in the Kurdish language and allow Kurdish and other regional dialects to be taught in special courses.

Turkey is under pressure from Europe to improve its much-criticized human rights record. The country has been dogged by accusations of rampant torture in police stations and prisons. Turkey does not recognize Kurds as a minority, and the country's 12 million Kurds have have long been denied cultural rights.

"Turkey has taken a giant step on the road to the EU," said Deputy Premier Mesut Yilmaz, whose party drafted the reform package. "I just wish the (nationalists) had been in on it."

An EU summit in December is to decide on expanding the 15-nation bloc and could set a date for Turkey's entry talks.

"Parliament has written history," read a headline in Hurriyet newspaper. Another paper, Milliyet, headlined: "Europe, we're coming!" The paper also thanked the leaders of five political parties who voted in favor of reforms, saying "the next generations won't ever forget you."

A nationwide poll done in May by a private think tank showed a majority of Turks favor EU membership, as well as abolition of the death penalty.

But the nationalist party, the largest in parliament, has resisted the reform, saying it would fuel the 15-year war by Kurdish rebels seeking autonomy.

For months, the debate has divided and paralyzed the coalition of ailing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, fueling a govenment crisis that led to the calling of November elections, 18 months ahead of schedule.

The parliament debate, which began Friday and stretched into Saturday morning, turned loud and angry.

"We won't let those terrorists left in the mountains come down to the city and participate in (language) courses," said nationalist lawmaker Bozkurt Yasar Ozturk. "Rather than putting out a fire, we're making it bigger."

Legislators from both sides argued across the floor about who was more patriotic. At one point, the nationalists began banging on their desks at a pro-Islamic legislator who yelled "be more respectful" and demanded an apology.

Nationalists also insisted that the death sentence be carried out against imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan and accused those advocating the reforms of scheming to save Ocalan.

Turkey has not executed anyone since 1984, although courts regularly impose death sentences. Dozens are now on death row.

The package also lifts certain restrictions on people's right to associate and form civic organizations, and imposes stricter penalties for human trafficking. It allows non-Muslim minority communities such as Greeks, Armenians and Jews greater rights over religious property such as churches.

The reforms also tighten regulations governing the police, who are frequently accused of human rights abuse.

After the session, Mehmet Sandir, a top nationalist legislator, said the party was considering appealing to Turkey's top court for it to repeal the legislation as unconstitutional. He did not elaborate.