Turkish lawyers demand official probe into Sudan president

August 20, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – A number of Turkish Human Rights lawyers filed an application with the Ministry of Justice demanding an immediate investigation allegations of genocide made against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

The lawyers said that Article 13 of the Turkish Penal code empowers the general prosecutor to launch a probe against any foreigner who is suspected of committing genocide and crimes against humanity.

“Whether it is the Turkish president or the US president; anyone who commits these heinous crimes must be prosecuted” Orcun Ulusoy with the Human Rights Agenda Association told Sudan Tribune by phone from Ankara.

“This is not a request to arrest Al-Bashir. It is simply demanding an investigation in light of the allegations brought against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC)” he said.

The Sudanese president started an official visit to Ankara this week where he took part in the Turkish-African summit along with other leaders.

This is Al-Bashir’s first visit since the ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced in mid-July that he requested an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order Al-Bashir’s arrest.

Even if an arrest warrant is issued Turkey has no obligation to apprehend the Sudanese head of state since they are not members of The Hague based court.

UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1593 referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC urged but did not mandate non-state parties to cooperate.

Ulusoy called on the Turkish government “to show leadership in prosecuting the crimes committed in Darfur”.

“Turkey has a chance to lead the world in showing that those suspected of genocide have no hiding place” he stressed.

Last week Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement expressing concern “that Turkey chose to welcome al-Bashir”.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said his Sudanese counterpart that “human suffering agitates all, no matter which religion, ethnicity or language those who suffer belong to”.

He further added “I told the president [Al-Bashir] that the Sudanese government should work hard” to end the violence.

UN experts estimate some 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes. Sudan blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000.

(ST)