Questions by the Member of Parliament Van Bommel (SP - Socialist Party) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the case involving a Turkish conscientious objector, Mehmet Bal

1. Is it correct that the Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Bal has been rearrested  and that he has been dowsed with hot water in a police station in Istanbul and that later he has been seriously mistreated in the military prison Hasdal? (1)
2. Do you remember your answer to parliamentarian questions in which you reported that Turkey has announced to put an end to the common practices of repetition of punishment for conscientious objectors? Do you share the view that it is unacceptable that Mehmet Bal is rearrested for refusing military service? (2)
3. Do you remember your answer on earlier parliamentarian questions on Mehmet Bal, in which you observed that Bal was seriously mistreated in 2002 in the prison, and in which you reported that you would bring his treatment to the attention of the Turkish authorities? Do you share my opinion that that has not any relevant result? If not, why not? (3)
4. Are you prepared to bring the abuse of human rights to attention again of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe? If not, why not? Do you share the observation that Turkey doesn’t answer to calls of the Council of Europe and that this a treatment with contempt of the Council of Europe and that therefore stronger diplomatic means have to be used?
5. Are you prepared to summon the Turkish ambassador in The Hague to protest this repeated human rights abuses? If not, why not? In which way do you think to express to the Turkish government that the treatment of conscientious objectors in general and especially Mehmet Bal in unacceptable?

Sources:

1. Süddeutsche Zeitung, 12 juni 2008, “Mit alle Macht zum Militär”. Zie http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,ra1m1/ausland/artikel/346/179794/
2. Aanhangsel 2431, vergaderjaar 2006 - 2007.
3. Aanhangsel 531, vergaderjaar 2002 - 2003.

June 12, 2008