Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
3 August 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(08/031) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling for a while to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on August 2, 2018 at 13.30 and 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on August 2, 2018, 2 people (Gülnaz Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) and at 18.00 4 people (Acun Karadağ, Mahir Kılıç, İlker Işık and Armağan Özbaş) were detained.
Thus in total 6 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on August 2, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(08/032) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on August 2, 2018 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers in order to visit their client was rejected the same day on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the law on the execution of sentences and security measures (law no 5275). With the last rejection, it was the 777th time that appeals for visiting Öcalan have been rejected so far. Abdullah Öcalan has met his lawyers on July 27, 2011 for the last time.
(08/033) Person Arrested in Bingöl…
It is learned that Nihat Aksoy, former chair of Human Rights Association (IHD) Bingöl branch and People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) MP candidate for elections on June 24, 2018; was detained by a raid on August 1, 2018. It is reported that Nihat Aksoy was arrested by the court on the same day, on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ for sharing a photo at the grave stone of Sakine Cansız, who was killed in Paris, on his social media account.
(08/034) Military Operation to Afrin…
Amnesty International declared a report on August 2, 2018 and announced that pro-Turkey forces commit serious violations of rights in Afrin.
It is learned that the report is based on interviews with 32 people some of whom were still living in Afrin and others who had fled, between May to July 2018. It is stated in the report that pro-Turkey groups such as Ferqa 55, Jabha al-Shamiye, Faylaq al-Sham, Sultan Mourad, and Ahrar al-Sharqiye, are responsible for arbitrary detentions, missing persons, property confiscation, looting homes and businesses and the military use of schools. It is also stated in the report that Turkish government was communicated as to the findings on current situation in Afrin on July 16, 2018; however no concrete responding was provided.
On the current state of the military operation of Turkish Armed Forces to Afrin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a declaration on July 1, 2018 and announced that Turkish Armed Forces will stay in Afrin for a while in order to “train and equip security forces”.
(08/035) Constitutional Court’s Decision on CHP MP in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of August 2, 2018 that Constitutional Court concluded on the individual appeal to detention made by CHP Istanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu. It is stated in the court’s decision that “the appeal is considered to be baseless thus inacceptable because the detention is within the context of ‘penalties and security measures given by courts to restrict liberty’ which is stated in 2nd clause of Article 19 of the Constitution”. As to Enis Berberoğlu’s being elected as a MP once again on June 24, 2018 and thus obtaining legislative immunity, it is stated that “it is not possible at this stage to examine whether being elected as a MP once again constitute a challenge for continuation of detention or not”.
On June 14, 2017, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 sentenced CHP Istanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu to 25 years for ‘declaring confidential information with regards to security or internal or international benefits of the state, with the intention of political and military espionage’, on the charges that he submitted the footage of Turkish National Intelligence Service’s trucks to journalist Can Dündar. Penal Department No 2 of Istanbul Regional Court reduced the sentence to 5 years and 10 months on the grounds that he committed ‘declaring confidential information with regards to security or internal or international benefits of the state’.
(08/036) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On August 2, 2018, an academician named A. V. who was dismissed by the state of emergency decree; and 9 people including dismissed teachers and public employees are detained in Edirne, on the charge of illegally attempting to flee abroad.
(08/037) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against a person named Bayram Şenkul on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 27 is held on August 2, 2018. The court sentenced Bayram Şenkul to 9 years for ‘being a member of an illegal organisation’.
The final trial of the case against 32 people on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 23 is held on August 2, 2018. The court sentenced 3 people to 8 years and 9 months each, 6 people to 8 years 1 month 15 days each, and 2 people to 7 years and 6 months each for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court sentenced 9 people to 7 years 6 months, and 6 people to 6 years and 3 months on the same charge; and released these 15 people on juridical control conditions. The court sentenced 1 person to 1 year 8 months and 15 days and deferred the announcement of the verdict, and separated the cases of 3 people.
The final trial of the case against Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel, former prosecutor of the cases known as “Ergenekon cases”, on Adana Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on August 2, 2018. The court sentenced Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel to 7 years and 6 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(08/038) Access Blocked to News Reports on Web…
On August 2, 2018, Küçükçekmece Penal Court of Peace No 2, decided to block access to the news report of Cumhuriyet newspaper which was about blockage of another news report of Cumhuriyet newspaper published on March 18, 2017. On August 1, 2018, Bakırköy Penal Court of Peace No 1 has decided to block access to the news report of Cumhuriyet, published on March 18, 2017, about public tenders of Bağcılar Municipality which were won by Hasan Turan, an AKP MP of the previous parliament.
[1] The reports on the human rights violations of the Documentation Center are claims unless they are certified. The claim of violation either is certified through thoroughly investigations of HRFT Documentation Center, including by judicial verdicts, and becomes a definite data or it is not included to the annual report.
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[5] Daily Human Rights Reports are prepared on the information gathered by the Documentation Center from its own network and the following dailies and internet portals: Vatan, Milliyet, Hürriyet, Habertürk, Evrensel, Birgün, Cumhuriyet, Fırat Haber Ajansı, Jinnews, ETHA, Mezopotamya Ajansı, Yurt, Yeni Yaşam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, T724, İleri Haber, Siyasi Haber, Alınteri, Kızılbayrak, Sendika.org, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar. Haber Sol, El Cezire, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, AFP.