Gran. 0

......

enin

cti

•

;

Turkish Court
Acquits Writer

. ...

• 5•,:, $".

WELCOIVIE TO BABY BOUTIQUES
FEATURING RAGAZZIINFANT AND JUVENI1E FURNITURE

•The finest in innovative designs, workmanship and detail
• Designed for today's and tomorrow's children
• Beauty of wood, design, and superior quality
• Aesthetic yet operational

o u t i u e drapery„..„. boyh tjqyg„.

Just use your imagination to create your child's dream room.

A Division of drapery boutique.,

• Comforter Sets • Mattresses • Blankets • Lamps
• Window Treatments • Wallpaper • and more! 30854 Orchard Lake Rd.0 Farmington Hills

(810) 626- 4313

Portrait Special
FREE!

PROOFBOOK

Free Proofbook with
reg. sitting.
Up to 24 prints
($29.95 value)

Sitting Fee only $39.95

N

•

_

Senior Portraits
Family Portraits
Large Groups
Dance/Theatrical
Photo Business Cards
Engagement Announcements

PHOTO

And Portrait Studio

6704 Orchard Lake Rd. • West Bloomfield, MI 48322
West Bloomfield Plaza • (810) 8S1-6340

Get Results...
Advertise in our new Entertainment Section!

I

102

11„1

I 11I I Ia...111.

1111,

rOETROITI

THE JEWISH NEWS (810) 354-6060

Washington (JTA) — An Ameri-
can Jewish journalist based in Is-
tanbul expressed relief after she
was acquitted on charges of pro-
voking racial hatred within
Turkey's Kurdish minority.
A Turkish court cited insuffi-
cient evidence, and lack of intent
in clearing Aliza Marcus, a
Reuters correspondent and for-
mer staff writer for the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency in New York
"I'm really relieved and happy
that the court acquitted," Ms.
Marcus said in a telephone in-
terview from the Reuters bureau
in Istanbul. "Our position from
the beginning was that there was
nothing wrong with-the article
and that we had broken no law."
Jewish groups and human
rights activists who spoke out in
recent weeks on behalf of Ms.
Marcus welcomed the court de-
cision.
Ms. Marcus, 33, faced a three-
year prison sentence if convicted
of racial incitement for her arti-
cle, "The Army's Target: Kurdish
Villages," which referred to
forcible evacuations of Kurdish
villages as part of the govern-
ment's campaign against insur-
gent Kurdish fighters in
southeastern Turkey.
The article, transmitted by
Reuters around the world, ap-
peared last year in a pro-Kurdish
daily, Ozgur Ulke.
A panel of three judges unan-
imously ruled in a matter of min-
utes to acquit Ms. Marcus. The
court prosecutor had recom-
mended acquittal, saying that the
story bearing Ms. Marcus' byline
was not hers alone but part of a
collaborative effort with Reuters
editors in London.
"We are delighted with the out-
come, which is a complete vindi-
cation of Aliza Marcus personally
and endorses Reuters' reputation
for editorial independence and
accuracy," Reuters Editor in
Chief Mark Wood said in a
Reuters dispatch.
Ms. Marcus was the first for-
eign journalist prosecuted in
Turkey.
At least 50 local journalists re-
main jailed in that country for
their writings.
Ms. Marcus praised Jewish
groups, members of Congress,
human rights and media rights
activists who came to her defense
in the last month, urging the
Turkish government to drop the
charges.
Ms. Marcus said she was "very
encouraged" by the outpouring of
support she received.
Walter Cronkite, honorary
chairman of the N.Y.-based Corn-
mittee to Protect Journalists, met
in Ankara with Turkish Prime

Minister Tansu Ciller last month
to protest the government's ac-
tions against Ms. Marcus and
other reporters.
As part of its current aid pack-
age to Turkey, Congress put the
country on notice that it would
watch Ms. Marcus' case careful-
ly. In addition, 35 members
signed on to a letter to Turkish
President Suleyman Demirel
calling for her release.
The World Jewish Congress
filed a complaint with the Euro-
pean Union in Brussels, citing
Ms. Marcus' case and consistent
violations of press freedoms in
Turkey.
The European Parliament,
which is considering Tizkey's ap
plication for membership, has
threatened to veto its bid for a
customs union if the Turkish gov-
ernment does not improve its hu-
man rights record.
Elan Steinberg, WJC execu-
tive director, said he had "no
doubt" that Ankara felt the
mounting weight of diplomatic
pressures as it dealt with Ms.
Marcus' case.
"We are of course gratified,"
Mr. Steinberg said of Ms. Mar-
cus' acquittal. "There are only

The World Jewish
Congress filed a
complaint with the
European Union in
Brussels.

winners from this outcome — the
press, the Jewish community and
the Turkish government."
The Committee to Protect
Journalists hailed Ms. Marcus'
acquittal while simultaneously
calling on Turkey t(: free other
jailed journalists.
"We hope that this decision will
go beyond Aliza and serve as a
precedent for literally hundreds
of cases that have been brought
against Turkish journalists over
the last few years," said Avner
Gidron, research director for the
committee.
The verdict comes a week af-
ter the Turkish government loos-
ened some of its restrictions on
freedom of expression and began
releasing Turks imprisoned for
writings and speeches on the
Kurdish problem.
Human rights activists said,
however, that the changes in
Turkey's codes are not significant
and were undertaken to appease
the European Parliament as it
prepares to debate Turkey's
membership application.