Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
20-22 October 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(10/317) Suspicious Death of a Private in Ankara…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2018 that H.A., a private soldier on his compulsory military service at Orbay Quarters in Sarıkamış district of Kars, was wounded at head due to his gun’s going off during a guard duty and that he died in hospital. It is stated in the news coverage that the gun accidentally went off while H.A. and a friend was joking around together.
(10/318) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 20, 2018 that 2 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas between Lice and Hani districts of Diyarbakır on October 2, 2018.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 21, 2018 that 5 militants died in clashes in within Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government borders on November 13, 2017 and June 28, 2018.
(10/319) Person Was Subjected to Police Violence in Afyon…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2018 that Mustafa Uçmak, a person who went to the police station to check the situation of his detained nephews in Afyon, was subjected to physical violence of the police.
Mustafa Uçmak stated the following about the police violence: “My nephews got into something and I heard about it. I went to see them and saw the beating. I asked my nephews about it but they could not answer. And then I asked to the police officers, saying ‘What happened, how did it happen?’. As soon as I ask this question they started to beat me (…) They handcuffed me behind my back and sprayed pepper gas on me. They dragged me to the police car and hit my head to the iron parts 3-5 times. And then they started to kick me with their boots on. Then they left me in front of the hospital with the police car and went away.” It is learned that Mustafa Uçmak had a medical report evidencing the physical violence and made an official complaint to the prosecutor’s office.
(10/320) Allegation of Kidnapping in Istanbul…
People’s Law Office announced that Deniz Eriş, one of their clients who has been released almost a week ago on a case that he was arrested through, was detained by a civilian car in Okmeydanı neighbourhood of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district at 23.00 on October 19, 2018 and that they did not receive any news from him since then.
People’s Law Office made another declaration on October 20, 2018 and announced that Deniz Eriş has called and told that he was kidnapped by undercover police with face masks on, was subjected to physical violence in the car they forced him to get in, was hit with a gun at his head and was left in woods.
(10/321) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2018 that Sinem Oğuz, a prisoner who was transferred from Kayseri Bünyan Women’s Prison to Ankara Sincan Women’s Prison, was forced to strip search at the entrance of prison and was subjected to physical violence upon rejecting strip search. It is also stated in the news reports that prison administration punished Sinem Oğuz with 3 months of visit ban and 27 days of solitary cell; and Sinem Oğuz had a medical report evidencing the physical violence and made an official complaint.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2018 that Berivan Bitmen, a prisoner who was transferred from Tarsus Prison to Kayseri Bünyan Prison on August 26, 2018, was subjected to physical violence of the gendarmerie during transfer.
(10/322) Newspaper not Given to Prisoners…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 21, 2018 that prisoners in Elazığ Prison No 1 were not given Evrensel newspaper on the grounds that “it would disturb the peace and silence among prisoners”.
(10/323) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on October 19, 2018 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s tutelary and lawyer 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).
(10/324) 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 712 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on October 19, 20, and 21, 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 October 19, 2018, 3 people (Alev Şahin, Acun Karadağ and Eyüp Aksoy) and at 18.00 5 people (Alev Şahin, Mehmet Dersulu, Nazan Bozkurt, Gülnaz Bozkurt and Emrah Yaraşır) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on October 20, 2018, 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) and at 18.00 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on October 21, 2018, 4 people (Nazan Bozkurt, Mehmet Dersulu, Cemal Öksüz and Çetin Koçyiğit) and at 18.00 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Gülnaz Bozkurt) were detained.
Thus in total 18 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on October 19, 20, and 21, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(10/325) Police Intervention Against Saturday Mothers’ Protest in Istanbul…
Police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square in Istanbul to prevent Saturday Mothers who rally every Saturday for 23 years in the same place to gather for the 708th time on October 20, 2018. Upon police prevention, the group including parliament members, representatives of political parties, human rights defenders and artists along with families of disappeared people gather in front of Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul office and started to march. The police prevented the march too, thus, the group had a sit-in protest and made a press declaration there. It is reported that the police prevented journalists who watch the protest to report.
(10/326) Arrested Local Headman in Urfa…
Emin Öztürk, local headman of Çiftlik neighbourhood of Birecik district of Urfa who was detained on October 17, 2018, is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ on October 19, 2018.
(10/327) Arrested Local Headman in Diyarbakır…
Mehmet Altunkılıç, local headman of Aşağışeyhler neighbourhood of Çermik district of Diyarbakır who was detained on October 19, 2018, is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘aiding and abetting an illegal organisation’ on the same day.
(10/328) Australian Citizens Detained in Antep…
3 people (C.K., Y.K. and İ.K.) who were detained at Gaziantep Airport on their way back to Australia from Turkey on October 17, 2018, are referred to the court on October 20, 2018. Y.K. is released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office, C.K. and İ.K. are released on juridical control conditions.
(10/329) Detained HDP Members in Izmir…
13 people including Orhan Ayhan, MP candidate of People’s Democratic Party (HDP) for June 24, 2018 elections; Alev Özkiraz, Free Young Women (ÖGK) central coordination member; Medine Kaymaz, Peace Mothers’ Assembly member, who were detained in house raids in Izmir on October 18, 2018; are released after statement procedures at the police on October 19, 2018. 13 people were detained for attending HDP’s youth conference on October 7, 2018.
(10/330) EMEP Members Are Detained in Adana for Distributing Leaflets…
On October 20, 2018, 5 members and executives of Labour Party (EMEP) who were distributing leaflets in Adana Organized Industrial Zone are detained. 5 people are released on the same day after statement procedures.
(10/331) The Case Against People Evacuated from Nusaybin…
The case against 53 people who were detained and then arrested during the curfew on Nusaybin district, on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 is held between October 15 and 19, 2018.
On the first day of the trial, Osman Bozkurt expressed that he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody and stated the following: “During 6 days of custody I was subjected to a barbarous torture. They tortured both physically and psychologically. I still have the marks of this torture. They kicked me, punched me and hit with an unknown object at the eye and made me blind. Thus I demand an examination of a forensic medicine institution and the medical report given afterwards to be submitted the court.”
It is learned that the defendants refuse to defence themselves on the second day of the trial as a protest to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
On the fourth day of the trial, lawyers stated the response of the police department which claims that the video footage of the detention room where 12 children were kept and were subjected to torture and ill-treatment was deleted.
After defence hearings, the court rejected the demand of release for arrested defendants and adjourned the trial to December 10, 2018.
(10/332) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The separate cases against 2 academicians (PhD Aylin Kuryel from Amsterdam University and Assoc. Professor Nazan Haydari Pakkan from Bilgi University) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 30 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ is held on October 19, 2018. The court decided to consolidate two cases with other cases ongoing and adjourned the trial to February 1, 2019.
(10/333) The Case Against Former HDP MP…
The re-trial of the case against former Mardin HDP MP Gülser Yıldırım on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 3 is held on October 19, 2018. The court has sentenced Gülser Yıldırım to 7 years and 6 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ was reversed by Gaziantep Regional Court. Gülser Yıldırım joint the trial via sound and vision system. The court decided to continue detention of Gülser Yıldırım and adjourned the trial to November 9, 2018.
(10/334) The Case Against Former HDP MP and Former Chair of EMEP…
The final trial of the case against Levent Tüzel, former HDP MP and former chair of EMEP, on Küçükçekçeme Penal Court of First Instance No 14, for Newroz celebration in 2012 is held on October 19, 2018. The court sentenced Levent Tüzel to 1 year and 3 months for ‘opposition to the law on meetings and demonstrations’.
(10/335) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
17 people are detained in house raids in Mersin on October 19, 2018.
(10/336) Blocked Web Sites and Social Media Posts…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 20, 2018 that Ankara Penal Court of Peace No 1 blocked access to 16 accounts on Twitter, 1 account on Facebook, 4 web sites and 3 channels on Youtube, on the grounds of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
(10/337) Special Security Zone in Hakkari…
Hakkari Governorate made a declaration on October 20, 2018 and announced 30 areas with given coordinates in central, Çukurca, Şemdinli and Yüksekova districts as special security zones from October 21, 2018 to November 4, 2018.
[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, YeniYaşam, 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.