Anniversary of Military Coup

The Science, Aesthetics, Education, and Art Research Foundation (BEKSAV) will set off on a "Justice Ship" in Karaköy on 11 September. There will be a symbolic one-hour trial of the 12 September coup. Guillermina Del Carmen, a musician who experienced the 11 September 1973 coup in Chile, will also be on the jury.

Coup on trial

Other members of the jury are Ganime Aktas, whose son Ali Aktas was executed on 23 January 1983 in Adana, academic and human rights activist Haluk Gerger, singer Ferhat Tunc, prosecutor Sacit Kayasu, lawyer and human rights activist Eren Keskin, actor Halil Ergün, BEKSAV managing committee chair Haci Orman, lawyer Rasim Öz, president of the Yilmaz Güney Culture and Art Foundation Fatos Güney, and journalists Varlik Özmenek and Mukaddes Erdogdu Celik.

Protest by 78'ers

The 78'ers Initiative has also protested against the coup and read a press statement today (10 September) in front of a military leisure centre in Harbiye, near Taksim in central Istanbul.

What happened in Diyarbakir prison?

In Diyarbakir, the day will be marked in front of the Diyarbakir prison, infamous for its maltreatment and torture of political prisoners during the coup. The Federation of 78'ers, the 78'er Foundation Initiative, the Tükenmez Publishers, the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) and the Marmara branch of the Pir Sultan Abdal Association will declare the formation of a "Committtee for Justice and Researching the Truth about Diyarbakir Prison".

Commemoration

The committee has announced several events to mark the anniversary of the coup:

• 10 September, 6.30 pm: Opening of an exhibition of pictures entitled "Pictures of Terror and Resistance at Diyarbakir Prison" at Karsi Sanat gallery in the Elhamra Passage near Galatasaray in central Istanbul
• 11 September, 7.30 pm: a torch march starting from the Taksim tram stop in central Istanbul
• 12 September, 1pm: A display of demands for a democratic constitution in front of Taksim post office, a press statement, and sending the letters to parliament.
• 12 September, 6.30 pm: Opening of an exhibition of photographs entitled "Looking at the Past" at the BASAD gallery in Bakirköy, Istanbul Street 38.
• 12 September 12 o'clock: The announcement of the "Committtee for Justice and Researching the Truth about Diyarbakir Prison". There will be an opening of Diyarbakir prison pictures in the Kosuyolu Park in Diyarbakir and the committee will meet all day. There will also be meetings with familys of Diyarbakir prisoners.
• 6 October 2007 Work on a democratic constititution under the slogan "Abolish the 12 September Constitution" (NK/NZ/AG)