CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR HALUK SELAM TUFANLI IMPRISONED!

Today, 4 December 2014, Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector Haluk Selam Tufanlı was sentenced to 10 days in prison for objecting to participate in the annual compulsory military exercises in the northern part of Cyprus on the basis of his ideological conscientious objection.

Conscientious Objector Haluk Selam Tufanli refused to participate in war preparations (reservist call up) in 2011 and has been in an ongoing trial since 5th November 2013 and announcement of the court's decision took place on 4th December 2014.
In the northern part of Cyprus, the military service and annual reserve army practice are compulsory for male citizens above 18. The militarization of the island is not limited to the compulsory army service and reserve service; the civilians are being tried at the military court, the police is under the control of the Turkish army, there are lessons taught by soldiers at schools, the cities and rural areas are under the direct physical invasion of the Turkish army which is ongoing for the last 40 years.
The Initiative for Conscientious Objection in Cyprus calls upon the international community to express its solidarity with Haluk Selam Tufanlı and send letters of protest to the Turkish Cypriot authorities as well as Turkish authorities’ embassies abroad which is the country directly responsible for human rights violations in the northern part of Cyprus following the Turkish invasion of the territories in 1974.

Presidency of the Turkish Republic:
To: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Fax +90-312-4271330, email cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr.

Contact detail of Embassies and Consulates of Turkey:
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-representations.en.mfa

Turkish Embassy in northern part of Cyprus:
Fax +90 (392) 228 22 09, +90 (392) 228 51 18,
web-form: http://nicosia.emb.mfa.gov.tr/CommentsEdit.aspx?agencyID=1100093

Turkish Cypriot leadership:
To: Mr Derviş Eroğlu
Fax +90 392 227 22 52, email info@kktcb.org

Turkish Cypriot Army office
e-mail: asal@guvkk.net
Fax: +90 392 228 6663