[Editor's  note: We have gotten an okay from the office of Mr. Stone 
about our proposal  --  the letter below.  All we need is a creative 
mind composing a manuscript.  Please put us in touch with such a person. 
 We may be up to seeing art in the service of liberty.]
 

September 24, 1997
Mr. Oliver Stone
201 Santa Monica Blvd., #601
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Dear Mr. Stone,

I am writing to you as part of our effort to free Leyla Zana, the first 
Kurdish woman ever elected to the Turkish Parliament, from Ankara 
Central Prison in Turkey.  Mrs. Zana was arrested in March of 1994 and 
sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in December of that same year.  
Her adversaries lobbied for the death penalty.

We at the American Kurdish Information Network humbly propose that you 
consider using the story of Leyla Zana for a film.  Her life is filled 
with inspiring and poignant events, from the imprisonment of her 
husband, who she married  -- arranged  -- at age 15, to her work 
organizing the wives of men in prison, to her swearing in ceremony at 
the Turkish Parliament, where she dared to utter the Parliament's oath 
in Turkish and Kurdish, the second which is an illegal but indigenous 
language in Turkey and her native tongue.

Leyla Zana's struggles are reminiscent of such universal themes as 
colonialism, fundamentalism, and women's liberation.  Thrice nominated 
for the Nobel Peace prize, Mrs. Zana, through messages smuggled out of 
prison and through her steadfast example of dignity and idealism, 
continues to serve as a beacon of hope to the oppressed Kurdish people 
of Turkey and to supporters of human rights worldwide.  If you should 
decide to take action to support Leyla Zana you will find yourself among 
the likes of Noam Chomsky, Arthur Miller, the Dalai Lama, and Elie 
Wiesel.

From your sympathetic portrayal of the corruption of the Turkish penal 
system in Midnight Express, it is clear that you are familiar with the 
brutality of the Turkish authorities.  Recently, we have received word 
that Leyla Zana has become ill in jail.  One can only speculate about 
the cause of her sickness.  Our office is working to raise awareness 
about the unfair and illegal imprisonment of Leyla Zana in an attempt to 
secure her release before it is too late.  I realize that there are 
great demands placed on your time, but given the seriousness of Mrs. 
Zana's case please allow me to invite you again to take a stand for 
Leyla Zana and help us to put a stop to the oppression of the people of 
Turkey.

I trust that the enclosed text will help to inform you of the details of 
Leyla Zana's history.  If you would like to discuss Leyla Zana's case, 
or have any questions about AKIN, I would welcome the opportunity to 
meet with you in person or by phone.  Thank you very much for your time 
and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jennifer L. Carnahan
Outreach Coordinator
-------------------------
The American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN)
2600 Connecticut Avenue NW # 1
Washington, DC 20008-1558 / USA
Tel: 202.483.6444 / Fax: 202.483.6476