Murat Bozlak (Boslak) is referred to as the leader (AP 29 Jan. 2002; Turkishpress.com 29 Jan. 2002), the head (AFP 1 Mar. 2002) and the Chairman (Turkish Daily News 5 Mar. 2002) of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). Associated Press reports that HADEP is the "only legal pro-Kurdish party" in Turkey and it currently faces closure by Turkish authorities (17 Jan. 2002). The Turkish Daily News reported that HADEP first came before the court in 1998 (5 Mar. 2002). Legal proceedings to close the group began in 1999 and the case came before the Constitutional Court on 17 January 2002 (ibid. 23 Jan. 2002). Charges against the group include having ties to the banned Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK) and threatening Turkey's unity (AFP 1 Mar. 2002; Turkish Daily News 23 Jan. 2002; AP 17 Jan. 2002).

Concurrent to the closure case, Murat Bozlak is among 51 top HADEP officials "accused of being political wing managers of the PKK" (Turkish Daily News 5 Mar. 2002). Earlier reports specify the number of individuals arrested as 41 (AP 29 Jan. 2002; Turkishpress.com 29 Jan. 2002). Of the accused, Bozlak is among those who the case prosecutor reportedly "asked for... postponement of the case" to determine their culpability in making "propaganda [for] the PKK" (Turkish Daily News 5 Mar. 2002). If convicted, Bozlak faces "between 15 and 22 1/2 years" imprisonment (AP 29 Jan. 2002).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 1 March 2002. "Kurdish Party Leader in Court to Argue Against Possible Ban on Party." (NEXIS)

Associated Press (AP) Worldstream. 29 January 2002. "Turkish Prosecutor Demands Jail for Kurdish Party Leader and Members." (NEXIS)

______. 17 January 2002. "Turkish Prosecutor Presses Case for Kurdish Party's Closure." (NEXIS)

Turkish Daily News [Ankara]. 5 March 2002. "Prosecutor Asks for Acquital of 29 Suspects in HADEP's 'Calendar' Case." (NEXIS)

_____. 23 January 2002. "Constitutional Court Postpones HADEP Chairman's Verbal Defense for One Month." (NEXIS).

Turkishpress.com. 29 January 2002. "Prosecutor Kizilarslan Comments on Merits of Hadep Case." (Anadou Agency) http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=4931 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2002]

Amnesty International

BBC

CNN

Google.com

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey

Human Rights Watch

People's Democracy Party Homepage

Turkish Daily News

Turkishpress.com

Yahoo.com