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LEYLA ZANA: HER LIFE FOR KURDISTAN

Turkey is prepared to enter the European union and the new Turkish president is trying to sadly spread a different image of his country known for the repeated violations of the human rights especially in the comparisons of the kurdish people.
Leyla Zana, kuridsh parliamentary and symbol of the democratic struggle for the pacific cohabitation between kurdish and turkish, is the most illustrious victim of the repression effected against the kurdish

She was born on 3 May of 1961 in the village of Bahcekoyu near the city of Silvan. She grows in a tied up environment to the traditional customs to which, despite her rebellious spirit, she is forced to undergo.
Leyla as the other girls, is forced to cover her head, not to study and to marry father's cousin twenty years older than her, Mehdi Zana.
Leyla and Mehdi will be transferred to Diyarbakir, the virtual capital of the Kurdistan, where in the 1977 Mehdi Zana become mayor. Then in 1980 the military coup d'état that effected a violent repression against this oppressed people; Leyla and Mehdi were arrested. Leyla was released shortly after because pregnant of the second child while Mehdi was heavily tortured and convict to 36 years in jail.
From that moment Leyla decided to fight for her people and so resumptions to study and to learn Turkish to bring forth her battle. In 1991 she decides to run to the political elections in the lists of the Social Democratic Party.
She elected with many vote but difficulties arrive since the oath in parliament after her discourse.. "I fight for the friendly cohabitation between kurdish and turkish people in a democratic background". the pandemonium bursts!
Accused to be a traitress separatist, her life is threatened. She is invited to leave the party, she escapes in 1993 two attacks. In 1994, together with other kurdish deputies , they leave for a traverl to Europe and United States to make to know the kurdish reality.

To the return from this trip, Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak are arrested and brought in the jail of maximum safety to Ankara.
The trial begun lightning December 8 th 1994 and concluded two days later, death sentence the accused, punishment commuted above all then for the international pressures, to 15 years in jail for Leyla Zana.
The awake sentence immediately sensation. In 1997 the Turkish government proposes her freedom under the personal pressure of Bill Clinton for the bad conditions of health but Leyla refuses. In the letter that will subsequently send to Clinton, Leyla explains in these terms his/her decision "I will leave the jail only afrter a general amnesy for all the political prisoners and to consistent footsteps to a reality democratization" ,
Despite these sad vicissitudes, the international public opinion is with her, and shet has run to the Nobel prize, she received the "Sakharov prize" for the liberty of expression from the Parliament European and declared honorary citizenship of Rome and Palermo.
The Turkish government has been condemned to pay 200.000 dollars of damages from the European Court of the human rights for the not correct trial of the Zana which has not had the opportunity to prepare a suitable defense and in June 2003 to a further sanction to have violated the European Convention of the human rights removing the parliamentary immunity to Leyla and her colleagues.
After the recent political elections the new Turkish government seems to want to give positive signals to Europe, they have been in fact you launch laws that allow a least liberty of expression for the kurdish, for instance in the broadcast plannings.
Leyla Zana from the jail where currently is held, she affirms "I wish me that the European Parliament won't appraise only the entry of Turkey in Europe in base to its geographical and strategic position and its market of 65 million inhabitants, but especially in base to the degree of civilization and democracy that Turkey will have to show with the facts."

Federico Bastiani

Leyla Zana