Brussels, 30/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - Thursday morning in plenary, the President of the European United Left, Mr. Wurtz, called on the President of the EP to take steps to free the "man of honour," the Turkish defender of Human rights, Akin Birdal, and new detainee (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.10). Mrs. Fontaine said that she was "in complete agreement" with carrying out this initiative.
The President of the Socialist Group Mr. Baron indicated to the press that, during the visit that he made to Ankara, accompanied by other members of the group, he discussed with Mr. Ecevit the constitutional reforms that Turkey should adopt to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria. He also told the Turkish Prime Minister that it was not logical that people like Mrs. Zana or Mr. Birdal would remain detained at a time when the government is trying to "eliminate the reasons that brought them to prison." Questioned on the possibility that Mrs. Zana (who won the EP's Sakharov prize) be freed for "humanitarian reasons, due to health, Mr. Baron recalled that the Swedish Social Democrat Mr. Schori (who accompanied him to Ankara) worked at the beginning of the 1980's to gained the freedom of Bulent Ecevit while he was in prison, though he refused being freed for humanitarian reasons…