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11 September 2018 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]

11 September 2018 Daily Human Rights Report

(09/101) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…

It is reported that 1 police officer from special operation force, who was wounded in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in Hakkari on August 3, 2018, died in hospital on September 10, 2018.

It is learned that 6 police officers were wounded due to roll over of a vehicle carrying special operation squad for an operation in rural areas of Hasankeyf district of Batman on September 10, 2018.

(09/102) 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 September 10, 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 September 10, 2018, 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) and at 18.00 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Gülnaz Bozkurt) were detained.

Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on September 10, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.

(09/103) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…

The police intervened into the protest of public employees to regain their jobs from which they had been dismissed by state of emergency decrees, in front of Çankaya Public Health Center on September 10, 2018 and detained 2 people (Eser Budak and Mahmut Konuk). It is learned that the detainees were released the same day.

(09/104) Detained Journalist in Istanbul…

Barış Terkoğlu, executive news director of Odatv, is detained in İstanbul on September 10, 2018, on the grounds of a detention warrant issued within a case against him on Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No 10. Barış Terkoğlu is released the same day after statement procedures.

(09/105) Lawyers on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against 20 lawyers from Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and People’s Law Office, including 17 arrested lawyers (Ahmet Mandacı, Aycan Çiçek, Ayşegül Çağatay, Aytaç Ünsal, Barkın Timtik, Behiç Aşçı, Didem Baydar Ünsal, Ebru Timtik, Engin Gökoğlu, Naciye Demir, Özgür Yılmaz, Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Süleyman Gökten, Şükriye Erden, Yağmur Ererken, Yaprak Türkmen, Zehra Özdemir) and lawyer Ezgi Çakır and 2 lawyers for whom detention warrant is issued, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37, on the charges of ‘leading an illegal organisation’ and ‘being an illegal organisation member’ started to be held on September 10, 2018. Arrested lawyers attended the trial in the courtroom and a large number of people including bar association chairs, lawyers from foreign bar associations, parliament members and human rights defenders attended the trial to monitor.

The court rejected the lawyers’ demand to end the proceedings and submit the case to Minister of Justice in order to get permission since their professional activities are being made the matter of dispute in this case.

It is learned that, Ezgi Çakır wanted to sit together with arrested lawyers and gendarmerie intervened the lawyers using physical violence and broke the glasses of 1 lawyer, and Selçuk Kozağaçlı was handcuffed. After gendarmerie violence in the courtroom, lawyer Aytaç Ünsal stated the following: “We are kicked in our faces, we are dragged on the floors. We demand identification of those who did this to us”.

After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to September 11, 2018.

(09/106) Merasim Street Case…

The final trial of the case against 68 people including 16 arrested defendants, about the bombing attack in Merasim Street on February 17, 2016, where 29 people have died, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 14 is held on September 10, 2018. The court sentenced Kubbettin Onur, Ahmet Karaman, Muharrem Canikli, Hayrettin Tomak, Hüseyin Karadaş, Metin Aslan to heavy life imprisonment for 30 times, 1 for ‘disrupting the unity of the state’ and 29 times for killing 29 people. The court sentenced these 6 defendants to 1185 years each and 33.320 Turkish Liras of fine for ‘attempting to murder 75 people’ and ‘producing and carrying explosive material’. The court sentenced 2 defendants (Fahri Deniz and Bahri Onur) to 9 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court sentenced 7 defendants (Mustafa Bulut, Turgut Kahraman, Hüseyin Gökduman, Murat Karaca, İsmail İpar, Hasan Avsan, Metin Cura) to 6 years for ‘aggravated fraud’ and acquitted them on other charges. The court acquitted 2 defendants on all charges, rejected the case for 1 defendant, dismissed the case for 4 defendants who died during trials and separated the case of 46 fugitive defendants.

(09/107) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editors Pınar Gayıp and Semiha Şahin, and Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF) members Ferhat Pehlivan and Gülsen İmre on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 23, on the charges of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, started to be held on September 10, 2018. All 4 defendants who were arrested, attended the trial. After defence hearings the court decided to continue detention for 4 people and adjourned the trial to December 5, 2018. Pınar Gayıp and Semiha Şahin were detained on April 13, 2018 and were arrested by the court on April 19, 2018.

(09/108) Publisher and Human Rights Defender on Trial in Istanbul…

It is learned from the news coverage of September 5, 2018 that, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 3 has applied for “red notice” for journalist, author, publisher and rights defender Ragıp Zarakolu. Ragıp Zarakolu stated the following on the issue: “The court verdicts for red notice but Interpol puts the notice in process in case Directorate General for International Law and Foreign Relations of Ministry of Justice approves. Thus we will make an appeal until September 28, in order to reverse the decision”.

A case was opened against Ragıp Zarakolu in 2011 on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 which was a specially authorised court, for his speech at Academy of Politics of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), and Zarakolu was arrested in October 2011. He was then released in April 2012 and after abolishing of specially authorised courts in 2014, the case was not dismissed and was transferred to Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 3. The court issued “red notice” application on June 4, 2018.

(09/109) Co-Mayor on Trial…

The sentenced given by Van Heavy Penal Court No 1 to 13 people including Van Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Bekir Kaya, who was then replaced by a trustee appointed by the Ministry of Interior, was reversed by Penal Department No 16 of the Supreme Court. The final hearing of the re-trial on Van Heavy Penal Court No 1 is held on September 10, 2018.

Bekir Kaya attended the trial from prison via sound and vision system. The court rejected the demand for consolidation of the case with the case on Van Heavy Penal Court No 2. Bekir Kaya stated that the legal opinion as to accusations was not submitted to himself and thus his right to defence was taken away. Bekir Kaya then stated “Why would I defence myself on something that I did not see? I do not want my lawyers to make defence either”, and lawyers did not make any declarations in defence.

The court sentenced 6 people including Bekir Kaya to 8 years and 9 months, 6 people to 7 years and 6 months and 1 person to 6 years and 3 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court decided to arrest 11 people according to the verdict.

The sentences given in this case which is known as “Van KCK Main Case” were reversed by Penal Department No 16 of the Supreme Court on June 20, 2017. The Supreme Court stated in the justified decision that acts and activities which are matter of dispute in this case are in the scope of political party activities.

(09/110) Academicians on Trial in Ankara…

The final trial of the case against 5 academicians (Onur Can Taştan, Nail Dertli, Celil Kaya, Aysun Gezen and İlkay Kara) who were detained in police intervention to Ankara University Cebeci Campus during Kobane protests on October 9, 2014, on Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 35 on the charge of ‘opposition to Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No 2911, is held on September 10, 2018. The court acquitted 5 academicians.

(09/111) CHP PM on Trial…

The appeal made to Penal Department No 17 of the Supreme Court, to cease legal proceedings against Enis Berberoğlu, Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP who was re-elected on June 24, 2018 and who is still in prison, is rejected. Penal Department No 16 of the Supreme Court has also rejected the appeal on July 20, 2018 and upon objection, has sent the case to Penal Department No 17 as the higher court.

(09/112) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

On September 10, 2018, a detention warrant is issued for 13 majors 3 of which are on active duty in Turkish Land Forces Command, through an Ankara based investigation. It is learned that 1 major is detained in Eskişehir in operations through this investigation.

On September 10, 2018, 1 person (former sergeant Ömer Canbulat who was dismissed by a state of emergency decree) is detained in Uludere district of Şırnak in alleged attempt to illegally cross to Iraq; and 10 people are detained in operations covering 8 cities through an Isparta based investigation.

On September 10, 2018, 1 person (former sergeant Cumhur Mesut who was dismissed by a state of emergency decree) who was detained is arrested by the court the same day.

(09/113) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

The final trial of the case against 156 defendants on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 16 is held on September 10, 2018. The court sentenced 115 defendants to jail penalties differing from 1 year and 3 months to 8 years and 9 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court postponed 1 year and 3 months’ sentences given to 17 people who benefit from effective remorse laws. The court acquitted 1 person, decided on impunity for 5 people and separated the case of 35 fugitive defendants.

(09/114) Labor Killings…

Worker Health and Worker Safety Council (ISIG) revealed that at least 180 workers including 11 children and 15 women, died while working in August. According to ISIG data at least 1290 workers died within the first 8 months of the year.

(09/115) Prevented Event in Ordu…

It is learned from the news coverage of September 10, 2018 that the march from Ordu to Ankara organized by Trade Union of Turkish Producers in the Agricultural Sector (TÜM Köy Sen) Ordu branch, to express the demands of hazelnut producers concerning the rates for hazelnut set by the state, is banned by Ordu Governorate on the grounds of being “inconvenient”.

[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.

[2] To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.

[3] https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT

[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari

[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.