THIS WOMAN IS IN A TURKISH PRISON FOR TELLING THE TRUTH TO THE U.S. CONGRESS

THE WASHINGTON POST
Tuesday, October 21, 1997

"When governments oppress a minority, the rights of all Its citizens-not only those of the minority-are threatened. For the sale of demoracy in Turkey, Leyla Zana ought to be freed."-Elie Wiesel, Noel loureate.

Kurdistan is a region in the Middle East, spanning parts of present day Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey with a population of approximately 30 million. The Kurdish people constitute the largest ethnic group in the world without a state of their own.

In recent years, the governments of these countries have inflicted many casualties on their Kurdish populations. What makes Turkey different is the military and economic assistance the government there receives from the United States.::

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey estimates that each day, on average 17 people die from the war in the Kurdish regions of Turkey. Amnesty International has declared a worldwide campaign to spotlight the abuses of the Kurdish people by the Turkish government.

Yet each year the United States gives Turkey hundreds of millions of dollars in low interest loans to buy new American weaponry, some of which is used against Kurdish civilians. Thus, the U.S. government shares responsibility for the crimes that are committed by Turkish authorities. .

Six years ago, there was a time of hope for a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question in-Turkey. On October 20, 1991, for the first time Kurdish representatives were allowed to take seats in the Turkish Parliament. However, of the 18 Kurds who entered the Parliament that day, one was subsequently murdered, four have been imprisoned and six were forced to flee the country. Today, there is only cowed Kurdish representation in the Turkish Parliament.

Leyla Zana, a human rights activist and mother of two children, was one of those elected in 1991. She was invited by the U.S. Congress to testify on the treatment of Kurds in Turkey. The Turkish government used reports of her speech to convict her of treason; in 1994 Leyla Zana was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

In order to call attention to the plight of Leyla Zana and others, a group of Kurds and Americans will begin a fast on October 20, 1997. There will be a vigil from 8 a m. to 6 p.m. in front .of the U.S. Capitol each day. At 5:30.p.m. on weekdays and at 2:00 p.m. on weekends there will be a march up Pennsylvania Avenue to Lafayette Park, across from the White House.

You are invited to join this vigil and to show your support for nonviolence. For more information, contact the American Kurdish Information Network at (202) 483-6444 or www.kurdistan.org

Mahatma Gandhi opposed violence, saying "the good it does is temporary; the damage it does is permanent." We agree.

Your tax-deductable contribution sent to the Human Rights Alliance at 444 North Capitol Street,

Suite 837 Washington. 20001, will be used to help support the families of Leyla la Zana and other Kurdish Parliamentarians who are in prison or exile.

Appeal to President Clinton on Behalf of Leyla Zana

As of October 28. the following 154 members of Congress have agreed to sign a "Dear Colleague" letter circulating in the Congress. The letter is addressed to President Clinton and it urges him to "raise [Leyla] Zana's case with the Turkish authorities at the highest level and seek her immediate and unconditional release" from prison in Turkey.

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-lst Hl)

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-5th NY)

Rep. Bob Andrews (D-lst NJ)

Rep. Howard Berman (D-26th CA)

Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-9th FL)

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-3rd OR)

Rep. David Bonior (D-10th MI)

Rep. George Brown (D-42nd CA)

Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-13th OH)

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-43rd CA)

Rep. Walter Capps (D-22nd CA)

Rep. Julia Carson (D-lOth IN)

Del. Donna Christian-Green (D-VI)

Rep. Bob Clement (D-5th TN)

Rep. James Clyburn (D-6th SC)

Rep. Gary Condit (D- 18th CA)

Rep, Jerry F. Costello (D-12th IL)

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-47th CA)

Rep. William Coyne (D-14th PA)

Rep. Michael Crapo (R-2nd ID)

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-7th MD)

Rep. Randy Cunningham ( R-5lst CA)

Rep. Pat Danner (D-6th MO)

Rep. Danny Davis (D-7th IL)

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-4th OR)

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-lst CO)

Rep. William Delahunt (D-lOth MA)

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd CT)

Rep. Ron Dellums (D-9th CA)

Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-20th FL)

Rep. Norman Dicks (D-6th WA)

Rep. Iohn Dingell (D-16th Ml)

Rep. Julian Dixon (D-32nd CA)

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-lOth TX)

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-17th NY)

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-14th CA)

Rep. Lane Evans (D-17th IL)

Del. Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS)

Rep. Sam Farr (D- 17th CA)

Rep. Harris Fawell (R-13th IL)

Rep. Vio Fazio (D-3rd CA)

Rep. Bob Filner (D-50th CA)

Rep. Floyd Flake (D-6th NY)

Rep. Mark Foley (R-16th FL)

Rep. Barney Frank (D-4th MA)

Rep. Bob Franks (R-7th NJ)

Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-lst OR)

Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-2nd CT)

Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-lst MD)

Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R-20th NY)

Rep. Gene Green (D-29th TX)

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-4th IL)

Rep. Tony Hall (D-3rd OH)

Rep. Jane Hangman (D-36th CA)

Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-7th AL)

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-26th NY)

Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-2nd Ml)

Rep. Tim Holden (D-6th PA)

Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-5th OR)

Rep. Stephen Hom (R-38th CA)

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th MD)

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-2nd IL)

Rep. William Jefferson (D-2nd LA)

Rep. Eddie Bemice Johnson (D-30th TX)

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-9th OH)

Rep. Sue Kelly (R-19th NY)

Rep. Joseph Kennedy 11 (D-8th MA)

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-lst Rl)

Rep. Barbara Kennelly (D-lst CT)

Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-lSth Ml)

Rep. Ron Klink (D-4th PA)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-lOth OH)

Rep. Nick Lampson (D-9th TX)

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-12th CA)

Rep. James Leach (R-lst IA)

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D- 18th TX)

Rep. John Lewis (D-5th GA)

Rep. Ron Lewis (R-2nd KY)

Rep. Sander Levin (D-12th Ml)

Rep. William Lipinski (D-3rd IL)

Rep. Vita Lowey (D-18th NY)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-16th CA)

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-14th NY)

Rep. Thomas Manton (D-7th NY)

Rep. Edward Markey (D-7th MA)

Rep. Matthew Martinez (D-31st CA)

Rep. Robert Matsui (D-5th CA)

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-4th NY)

Rep. Joseph McDade (R-lOth PA)

Rep. Jim McDemmott (D-7th WA)

Rep. James McGovem (D-3rd MA)

Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-4th GA)

Rep. Michael McNulty (D-21st NY)

Rep. Martin Meehan (D-5th MA)

Rep. Carrie Meek (D-17th FL)

Rep. Robert Menendez (D-13th NJ)

Rep. George Miller (D-7th CA)

Rep. Patsy Mink (D-2nd Al)

Rep. Joe Moakley (D-9th MA)

Rep. James Moran (D-8th VA)

Rep. Constance Morella (R-8th MD)

Rep. Sue Myrick (R-9th NC)

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-8th NY)

Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-2nd MA)

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

Rep. David Obey (D-7th Wl)

Rep. Iohn Olver (D-lst MA)

Rep. Major Owens (D-l Ith NY)

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th NJ )

Rep. Michael Pappas (R-12th NJ )

Rep. William Pascrell (D-8th NJ )

Rep. Ed Pastor (D-2nd AZ)

Rep. Donald Payne (D-lOth NJ)

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-8th CA)

Rep. John Porter (R-lOth IL )

Rep. Glenn Poshard (D-19th IL)

Rep. David Price ( D-4th NC)

Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-15th OH)

Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-13th Ml)

Rep. Steven Rothman (D-9th NJ)

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-33rd CA)

Rep. Edward Royce (R-39th CA)

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-lst IL)

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-46th CA)

Rep. Bemard Sanders (I-VT)

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-16th NY)

Rep. David E. Skaggs (D-2nd CO)

Rep. Christopher Shays (R-4th CT)

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-24th CA)

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-28th NY)

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-4th NJ )

Rep. Linda Smith (R-3rd WA)

Rep. Pete Stark (D-13th CA)

Rep. Louis Stokes (D-l Ith OH)

Rep. James Talent (R-2nd MO)

Rep. Karen Thurman (D-5th FL)

Rep. John F. Tiemey (D-6th MA)

Rep. Esteban Torres (D-34th CA)

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D- I 0th NY)

Rep. James Traficant (D-17th OH)

Rep. Jim Turner (D-2nd TX)

Del. Robert Underwood (D-GU)

Rep. Fred Upton (R-6th Ml)

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-12th NY)

Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-lst IN)

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-35th CA)

Rep. Melvin Watt (D-12th NC)

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-29th CA)

Rep. Curt Weldon (R-7th PA)

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-lOth VA)

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-6th CA)

Rep. Albert Wynn (D-4th MD)

Rep. Sidney R. Yates (D-9th IL )

Compliments of Proposition Committe