♪ >> welcome to the "journal" here on dw in berlin. i am brian thomas. >> i am ben fajzullin. >> the two surviving leaders of turkey's 1980's to go on trial. >> mario draghi once the eurozone is not out of the words yet. nobel laureate after he publishes a poem in which she accuses israel of threatening global security. -- in which he accuses israel of threatening global security. ♪ >> confronting the injustices of the past, a landmark trial has opened in turkey. two retired generals involved in

a coup over 30 years ago, both symbols of a time when the military dominated turkish politics. there ex-president kenan evren and the former air force chief tahsin sahinkaya, aged 94 and 87, are being tried in absentia due to poor health. they face life behind bars if convicted of committing crimes against the state. a number of victims held a vigil and outside the courthouse in ankara. many one other former junta members tried as well. thousands were arrested during the coup and hundreds died. >> for decades, the military held a very special position in a turkey. they saw themselves as guardians and defenders of secularism in state tolerable to is honest movement's spirit 1960 to 1980, they staged three coups. as late as 1997, they applied pressure on an islamist-led government to step down. >> they may have protected

secular rule, but they threw out the rule of law, as our next report shows. >> she still feels a sense of dread as she walks towards police headquarters in istanbul. today she has brought a friend with her for support. more than 30 years ago, when she was just 19, she was arrested and held here. the military had just seized control and student activists were being rounded up. >> the police officers ripped out my hair. it has never really grown back right. they gave me electric shocks. they pinned me to the ground. and they asked me over and over if i was a virgin. >> on the morning of september 12, 1980, tanks pulled into the streets of turkey. the military coup came after

mounting violence between leftist and right wing groups. many feared the country was heading towards civil war. the junta was led by former army chief of staff kenan evren. in days, security forces arrested 650,000 people. many were tortured. kenan evren is now 94 years old. despite his age and failing health, many turks want to see him tried in the court of law. >> the former generals should face court proceedings in accordance with modern laws. >> i do not get the impression that the courts want to deal with history in an open manner. or create a more just society, for that matter. >> person belongs to an organization for survivors for regime of violence. they have worked for many years to see those connected to the coup tried in court.

>> there were police chiefs, judges, prosecutors needed justice and employers associations that welcomed the coup. >> the balance of power has shifted. in present-day turkey, authorities are quick to crush any attempt to destabilize the country. at this jail near istanbul, dozens of officers are behind bars, accused of plotting to overthrow the government. still, experts caution against underestimating the power of the military. >> turkey still has a ways to go before its the militarizes totally. the armed forces still play a major role in daily life. the trial of the coup leaders has not changed that. >> for now, she and others like her pleased to see the arrest and prosecution of high-ranking officers who participated in the coup, even if it took 32 years.

>> for more, let's go to our correspondent in istanbul. first off, hundreds of people were killed, thousands tortured. are these trials a step towards national reconciliation? >> they are at least a step towards national reckoning. i mean, the army has been shielded in this country for many, many years from prosecution, and now today this was a symbolic reckoning with the military. the highest authority in the land, a former state president, is on trial now. this could end the lead to a more open society here in turkey, but we have to wait and see how the trial proceeds. >> about that open society, just how strong is civil society in turkey right now, and our military coups a thing of the past? >> i think they are. the military has really lost

every political battle in the last couple of years against the civilian government. we saw in the last year, a las hoorah by the generals to try to challenge the government, and the lost completely. i do not think there's any chance of a coup in the future here in turkey. civil society has become more vibrant here. there are lots and lots of people supporting democracy today. i do not think that there will be a return to the battle days. >> thank you for that from istanbul. >> russia has warned other countries against arming rebels in syria, saying the opposition will never be able to defeat the government by force. >> a sign to the end of fighting in syria, the opposition says a mosque in homs was destroyed yesterday following an attack by government forces. activists are reporting more

shelling there today, that despite the government claiming it has started to pull troops out of urban areas. >> the u.n. security council has again condemned the military takeover in mali, calling on the leaders to immediately return power to the democratically-elected government. >> the council called on rebels to the north of mali to stop with political parties and other organizations. the united states wants the death penalty for five men accused of planning the 911 attacks. >> in a statement, the pentagon said a military trial would take place at the u.s. naval base on cuba, guantanamo bay. the court could sentence the defendants to death if they're found guilty. among the five is khalid shaikh mohammed, the self-proclaimed ringleader of the attacks on the

world trade center in new york in the pentagon in washington. more than 3000 people died in those attacks. police in france have carried out another round of rate on suspected islamist, arresting 10 people in a number of cities, including marseilles. special forces conducted raids in a northern town. french media are reporting that the operation that targeted people who have visited or were planning trips to afghanistan and pakistan allegedly for jihadist training. france is taking a tough line against radical islam following last month's shootings by an al qaeda-inspired gunman. time for some business. record low interest rates are here to stay in the eurozone. holding them at 1% ahead of the ecb warned of downside risks to the economy. >> he says it will take time to see the full impact of the operations to help the banks avoid the credit crunch. >> ecb president mario draghi continues to express concern

about europe's short-term economic outlook. he says the central bank's low- interest rate policy will remain in place for these foreseeable future. mario draghi hopes the low rates will provide a boost, especially in europe's most troubled economies. >> downside risks to the economic outlook prevail. they relate in particular to a renewed intensification of tensions in the debt markets and their potential spillover to the euro area real economy. >> worries about spain persist. at a bond auction wednesday, it had difficulty attracting buyers for its debt, meaning it had to pay more than expected to bar fresh capital, another sign of the wide concern about the ability to resolve the financial crisis. >> warnings from the c.p. president coupled with weak regional economic data put downward pressure on the markets. let's go to our frankfurt

correspondent. >> interest rates and the eurozone remain stable. the president of the european central bank is talking about persisting downside risks from the eurozone. mario draghi also says that it is too early to talk about an exit strategy out of the low- interest rate policy in the eurozone. in the united states, on the other hand, the fed governors indicate that no further quantitative easing can be expected from the u.s. central bank said. this is what caused many investors to exit markets, which lately have been considered to have been inflated by the cheap liquidity from the central banks. the price of crude oil dropped significantly, as well as the price of gold. and the prices of many german stocks. >> let's get a look now at the closing market figures. we start in frankfurt, where the

dax closed significantly down, almost 3%, 6784. euro stoxx 50 leading the way on the decline, 2398. the euro right now -- dow jones first, down almost 1%1%3,082. the euro down, $1.3138. >> the five multinational oil giant said have petrol stations here constitute an oligopoly. >> the competition authority has opened an investigation into whether the main refiners have been hampering the independent filling stations. >> each year, it is the same game. in early spring, fuel prices go through the roof. bed at 1.70 euros, their higher than ever before. drivers are angry. politicians are once again arguing over the causes and possible solutions. across the continent how the

situation is similar. in some european countries, drivers are shelling out even more. currently, drivers in italy are paying as much as 1.90 a leader. in britain, up to 1.80 euros. the highest gas prices in europe are in all real-rich norway. the prices topped 2 euros due to high tech unfriendly taxes. so even that -- heidi eco- friendly taxes. the oil giant said faced harsh criticism for the rise in prices, but they deny accusations of price fixing. gasoline prices, they say, are determined by market forces. >> here is a look of some of the other stories making news today. >> serbian boris tadic president's is stepping down 10 months before the end of his term, clearing the way for

parliamentary and presidential elections to be held next month simultaneously. boris tadic will be a candidate. >> in japan, a violent storm has happened for two days, leaving at least four people dead, hundreds injured. more than 200,000 homes without electricity. public transportation at and flights have been disrupted, leaving thousands stranded. >> a bomb attack in mogadishu has killed somalia's olympic committee president and the head of the country's football association. at least four others died in the blast. the explosion occurred at the city's national theater during a ceremony that was also attended by top government officials. >> the summit of the association of southeast asian nations has come to a close in the cambodian capital. in his closing speech, the prime minister reaffirmed the group's unanimous call for the lifting of sanctions on burma in recognition of its democratic reforms in the sun.'s

parliamentary by-elections. >> the taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in northern afghanistan that killed 10 people including three u.s. soldiers. witnesses say the bomber was on a motorcycle and detonated his explosives in a park in at the provincial capital. some of the victims were afghan police officers. at least 20 people were wounded. >> in the united states, the presidential hopeful mitt romney has widened his lead in the race to clinch the republican party's nomination to stand against current president barack obama. on tuesday, romney won convincingly in three primaries. wisconsin, maryland, and washington, d.c. the campaign seems to be entering a new phase to the president obama recently attacked romney for supporting a conservative budget, accusing him of "social darwinism." romney's main republican rival rick santorum is lagging way behind, but so far says he is not giving up.

we will be back after a short break with a real political controversy about a poem here in germany. do not go away. >> stay with us. ♪ ♪

♪ >> thank you so much for staying with us. the german nobel literature laureate gunter grass has drawn sharp criticism from german and israeli politicians and from jewish groups for a poem he has written accusing israel and its main supporters of "and injuring already fragile world peace." >> the work is entitled "what must be said." he writes that for decades israel has expanded its capacity without being subject to international scrutiny, and now wants to carry out a preemptive strike on iraq for doing the same thing. >> the poem appeared simultaneously in a number of international paper's including in germany, italy, and the "new york times" in the u.s. he said he expected to be accused of anti-semitism for his views. >> gunter grass is no stranger

to controversy, but this time he has strayed into sensitive political territory to israel and germany's strong support for the country. his poem "what must be said" condemns israeli and western policy toward iran. he wrote, why do i only say now, aged and with my last ink, the nuclear power israel is endangering the already fragile world peace? gunter grass has criticized berlin and accused it of stoking conflict by delivering some worry it weaponry to israel. he says the west is being hypocritical. condemnation has been swift and widespread. many german politicians said he was, at best, it ill informed, and at worst, twisting the facts. both of germany's main political parties weighed in. >> he completely ignores reality, and reality is that iran has nuclear ambitions, and it denies israel's right to exist. >> he is keen on making provocative political

commentaries, but this is the wrong topic to choose, and he is not doing it justice. >> but some marketing qualified support to the author's opinions. >> nobody has the right to question israel's right to exist, but real friendship to israel means telling them what is ok and what is not. attacking iran is not ok. >> although he often invites contention with his writing, this is the first time that gunter grass has sparked such broad criticism, both in and outside germany. >> few people in germany can remember the last time a literary work sparked so much controversy. for perspective, we're joined by our political correspondent. as a left-leaning poet, he has made provocative statements for decades. do you think he knew how incendiary this poem would be for so many people? >> maybe he did not and maybe he did. i am not sure he cares. he is a pretty curmudgeonly old fellow these days, in his mid- 80's.

for many decades, he was viewed by many as a bit of a moral conscience of the nation. i think that he feels as though he was speaking of in that role today, although it is not a role he credibly has any more here in germany. an important point about german public opinion, certainly many people here in germany, when they look to iran and the possibility that iran could develop nuclear weapons capacities, they view that with great concern because iran is so authoritarian and often aggressive. many people also look to israel and the possibility of a pre- emptive strike against the iranians with great concern, too. i think that is what gunter grass was trying to address. but he went beyond the pale by suggesting that the israelis could use nuclear weapons. that is part of the reason why there has been so much criticism and outrage, both in germany and said germany. >> gunter grass is one of the country's most read in mistranslated authors. what will this mean for his

legacy? >> it will be very damaging. he has been a waiting for us as a writer. that was compounded in a moral sense with his autobiography that was published in 2006 in which he admitted to the fact that he had hidden for a long time that he had, as a 17-year- old, been a member of the armed wing of the tint -- the notorious ss. together with this awful poem he has written today and that autobiography, a lot of people are looking at him as a tarnished nobel prize winner. >> peter craven, thank you so very much. >> call it another example of the diversity that marks germany's many regions. the debate is raging about a proposal to pay stay at home mothers raising of children. parents get state subsidies for day care. traditional families with nonworking mothers cannot get help. most of them live in bavaria in the south. conservatives there want to give the 100 euros a month, sending

number germans say the state can hardly afford. >> many children grow up under very different conditions in southern germany than in northern cities. in bavaria, many youngsters are raised by stay at home mothers. the state's conservative csu party thinks stay at home mothers should be paid for their work. just as there are government subsidies for day care providers. >> if someone stays home to raise the children, then there is no career development and income, both are risks in our society. given those risks, adding the government and taxpayers could step in and help out. >> in other places like berlin, fewer are in favor of the idea. local politicians focus instead on making kindergarten services more widely available to the social democrats say paying stay at home mothers directly would be a waste of money. >> we should not be having this discussion. we should be sensible and these,

which would only serve to keep children out of kindergarten. . 1.2 billion euros should be invested 90 care services. that is what parents need. >> the debate over payments to stay at home moms is added to the in-fighting within the governing coalition, with many christian democrats and the free democrats preferring kindergarten expansion. there are fewer day care options for children in bavaria than other states. if see is you politicians succeed with their initiative, it will stay that way. >> night flights have been banned at frankfurt airport, the biggest in germany. there has been a long legal battle each. it is not confirm that allowing even a few cargo flights overnight is illegal. it is a victory for local residents who complained about the noise. but lufthansa says it is a serious blow to germany as a location for business. city planners say infrastructure

in some of the world's mega cities could collapse and cause gridlock for traffic. it is reason why the bicycle is getting some serious consideration. >> some cyclists have decided to test the possibility of commuting by bike in one of the world's most interested in polluted nations, jakarta in indonesia. but in a city with more than 10 million people, that is easier said than done. >> 3 million cars. 9 million motorbikes. and all of them competing for space on the streets of indonesia's capital jakarta. the commute is a daily nightmare for drivers. with colombia long backups and stop and go traffic. now, small but growing number of commuters is catching on to an alternative, riding a bicycle. one of those opting for the bicycle is the accountant who fights her way through traffic every day on her way to work. >> you have got motorcycles, cars, and buses.

they cut in front oft you fronthey honk. it really gets on your nerves. >> it is crazy riding a bicycle here, but we have got to do something. >> bicycle commuters not only have to deal with congestion. there's also smog and the risk of accidents. her 30-kilometer commute would take two hours with a car in rush-hour conditions. but with her bicycle, she is at work in one hour. >> the problem is most indonesians simply love their car too much. it is a status symbol. of course, i would also like to have a car, but not with this traffic. >> jakarta's urban planning to permit is looking for ways to improve the situation. so far, most projects have been marred by red tape and corruption. but the city urgently needs to start taking action, with 300

new car and 1000 motorcycle registrations adding to the problem every day. >> they can use their car like on the weekends. certainly on sunday. i mean, we do not want to limit them to have the cars but they can have them. but please use it wisely. >> in his model of the city, there are no traffic jams. but the reality is different. experts predict a total collapse as soon as 2014. the cyclists are hoping that the situation will lead to a change in thinking. and they are already setting an example for other commuters. >> time for some art. damien hurst this opens his first read press -- retrospective in london. it is proving controversial. >> merchandising can get your hands on in the gift shop will put you back thousands of years. propel yourself for more diamond skulls.

>> one of britain's most famous contemporary artists. his works fetched astronomical prices, though they have fallen lately. the exhibition at the tate modern has been highly anticipated. the first comprehensive review of his work in the british museum. the past few decades have seen him achieve fame and considerable fortune. >> we all need money to survive. you have to respect money because so many people do not have any money. i have become aware that you can definitely use money to get people's attention. after an my auction at sotheby's, i started getting notice on the street but businessmen. that cannot be that. >> the tate has collected pretty much every piece of controversial works he produced. his pharmacyrotting meat with flies, and an oversized ashtray. but that has not delighted all art lovers.

>> why is it a work of art? it is not. there is no art in it. either he has assistance doing this. they're worthless. and they're worth it was not only artistically, but worthless financially. millions pay for them. it is all smoke and mirrors. the emperor's new clothes. >> it is unlikely that hurst will pay much attention to his detractors. the show is in certainly -- will catch the crowds. >> now your up-to-date on all the big events making news around the world. >> we will be back at the top of the hour. do join us then. ♪ captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- ♪

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