Turkey bans planned peace day demo by pro-Kurdish party in Ankara 

 ANKARA, Aug 28 (AFP) -  Turkish authorities on Tuesday banned a planned
 demonstration by the country's main pro-Kurdish Party on September 1 to mark world peace
 day because of fears it could spark disturbances.

 Ankara police said in a statement that the meeting "has been banned because it was deemed
 likely to lead to serious public disorder and cause unwanted incidents".

 The statement also recalled that the Ankara hippodrome, the venue where the pro-Kurdish
 People's Democracy Party (HADEP) planned to stage its gathering, would be used for official
 celebrations on August 30 to mark Turkish forces' victory in the war of independence against
 Greek forces in 1922.

 "It would be difficult to pull back the military personnel and equipment deployed in the venue for
 Victory Day celebrations by September 1," it added.

 Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen also said in a circular that the venue would not be ready
 by the planned date.

 HADEP said in a written statement that it had lodged an appeal with a local court against the
 "unacceptable" ban, arguing that both justifications put forth by police were "unrealistic".

 "The ban on the meeting ... interprets as the prevention of political party activities which are
 esential elements of democracy," the HADEP statement said.

 Earlier, a HADEP spokesman had told AFP that the sole aim of the planned demonstration was
 to "reinforce the atmosphere of peace".

 In 1981, the United Nations declared the day on which its general assembly opens its ordinary
 sessions should be marked as World Peace Day. 

 This year's session opens on September 11 but Turkey nevertheless has decided it will mark
 world peace day on September 1.

 Turkish authorities frequently take action against HADEP, detaining or jailing its members on
 suspicion of links to armed rebels who waged a 15-year armed campaign against Ankara for
 Kurdish self-rule in southeast Turkey.

 HADEP, which campaigns for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question, denies the charges,
 but nonetheless faces a possible ban for alleged association with the outlawed Kurdistan
 Workers Party (PKK).

 Turkey's normally tense southeast has been relatively calm since September 1999, when the
 PKK ended its armed campaign to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict following peace calls
 from its jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
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