Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
20 July 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/228) Allegedly Missing Person in Diyarbakır…
It is learned from news coverage of July 19, 2018 that, no news was received from Kamil Acar, business person and former executive of HDP, since July 18, 2018. It is reported that, according to video footage, Kamil Acar’s car was last seen while leaving Siverek district centre on his way back to Diyarbakır; and the car was found, empty and with doors left open, near Diyarbakır Pirinçlik Gendarmerie Station.
Witnesses state in news reports that Kamil Acar was made get out of his car.
It is also reported that Kamil Acar’s family and lawyers applied to the police and the prosecutor’s office to report the missing case.
(07/229) Claim of Torture Under Custody in Van…
On July 15, 2018, the police raided a house in İpekyolu district of Van, where 3 people including 1 police officer died and 2 police officers were wounded; and detained people in the house. Platform of Lawyers of Freedom in Van, made a declaration on July 19, 2018 and claimed that 6 people including 2 children who were detained, were tortured by the police. It is learned that Abdülbaki Şahin (56) has broken rib and hip fracture; Ayfer Şahin (46) who has been subjected to torture by the police during search and in police headquarters where she was taken afterwards, has bruises on her body and face and a swollen eye due to torture. Lawyers who visit F. Ş. (16) in custody, reported that he was brought for statement procedures with bandages on his head and arm; and his statement was taken while he was still in shock. It is claimed that, D. G. (16), who has been kept in children police department, was threatened to be raped by police officers from other departments.
6 people (Abdulbaki Şahin, Ayhan Şahin, Ayfer Şahin, F. Ş., D.G. and Şehriban Mamuk) were referred to the court on July 19, 2018 and were arrested for ‘aiding and abetting an illegal organisation’. Lawyers reported that, 6 people were subjected to strip search in Van T Type Prison, and were subjected to physical violence of wardens.
(07/230) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from news coverage of July 19, 2018 that, 7 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas of Hakkari on July 7, 2018.
It is reported that 1 soldier (Recep Öncebe) died due to gunfire shot from an armoured vehicle of security forces, during the military operation in Giresun on July 19, 2018. It is learned that Recep Öncebe was assumed to be a HPG militant by the personnel in the armoured vehicle, and thus the place he stood was covered with gunfire.
(07/231) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of July 19, 2018 that Sultan Gökçek, a member of Grup Yorum band, in İzmir Şakran Prison, was subjected to physical violence by wardens in the cell.
It is stated in the same news report that Bahar Kurt and Betül Varan, members of Grup Yorum band in Burhaniye T Type Prison, were given less water than the limited quota per prisoner.
(07/232) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on July 19, 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 773rd 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.
(07/233) 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 July 19, 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 July 19, 2018, 2 people (Derviş Lermi and İlker Işık) and at 18.00 3 people (Gülnaz Bozkurt, Derviş Lermi and İlker Işık) were detained. It is reported that at 13.30, the police committed physical violence against a reporter following the press declaration and threatened the reporter to detain.
Thus in total 5 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on July 19, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(07/234) Arrested HDP Executives and Members in Istanbul…
8 of 16 people who were detained in the police raid against HDP office in Sancaktepe district of Istanbul on July 15, 2018, are arrested by the court on July 19, 2018. The names of detainees are: İlknur Yusufoğlu, HDP Sancaktepe district co-chair; Nevzat Kılıç, HDP İstanbul provincial executive; Sıtkı Akbaş, Cahit Avcı, Sabat Karul, Nesim Kılıç, Abdurrahman Irmak, Nurettin Sevluk.
(07/235) People Arrested for Social Media Posts in Antalya…
2 of 11 people who were detained in Antalya on July 14, 2018, are arrested by the court for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ on July 19, 2018. 9 people, 6 of whom on juridical control conditions, are released.
(07/236) Co-Mayor on Trial in Muş…
Figen Yaşar, co-mayor of Bulanık district of Muş, has been released by the court on July 17, 2018, on a trial of the case against her on Muş Heavy Penal Court. Upon the prosecutor’s objection to release, Figen Yaşar who was detained at her house in Van on July 18, 2018, is arrested again by a verdict of the higher court on July 19, 2018.
(07/237) People on Trial in Ankara for Reacting to Military Operation to Afrin…
The case against 12 politicians including Professor Onur Hamzaoğlu, co-spokespeople of People’s Democratic Congress (HDK) and Academic for Peace; Fadime Çelebi, Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) deputy chair; Ahmet Kaya, The Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) co-chair; Naci Sönmez and Özlem Eylem Tuncaeli, the Greens and Left for the Future Party co-chairs; Hacer Özdemir, DBP deputy co-chair; Kezban Konukçu Kok, Socialist Solidarity Platform spokesperson, for the press declaration held in Ankara, on Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 11 is held on July 19, 2018.
After defence hearings, the court decided to release Onur Hamzaoğlu and Fadime Çelebi, who were arrested through this case. The court also decided to send an inquiry to The Grand National Assembly of Turkey, regarding demand of ending judgment for Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Serpil Kemalbay, Musa Piroğlu and Tülay Hatimoğulları, to check whether they are members of the parliament. The court lifted juridical control conditions for defendants without arrest and adjourned the trial to January 29, 2019.
(07/238) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against Canan Coşkun, reporter of Cumhuriyet newspaper, for the news reports “14 lawyers of Nuriye and Semih are arrested”, on detention and arrest of lawyers from People’s Law Office on September 20, 2017, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26 is held on July 19, 2018. The court sentenced Canan Coşkun to 2 years and 3 months for ‘identifying and spreading the information of people assigned for anti-terror tasks’. The court did not postpone the verdict.
(07/239) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The case against cartoonist Sefer Selvi, and Çağrı Sarı, former managing editor of Evrensel newspaper, upon the complaint made by former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and his son Erkam Yıldırım demanding mental anguish for the cartoon on “Paradise Papers”, on Istanbul Anatolian Civil Court of First Instance No 29, is held on July 19, 2018. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to November 8, 2018.
(07/240) Journalist on Trial in Van…
The case against journalist Adnan Bilen, on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, on Van Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on July 19, 2018. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to December 6, 2018.
Adnan Bilen has been dismissed from his job at Van Metropolitan Municipality, after a trustee was appointed there, and then was sued upon the denunciation made by the municipality authorities.
(07/241) Police Officer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The case against police officer İlyas Mekikli, for death of 4 people (Serhat Buldan, Rahmi Safhalı, Necdet İşözü and Aydın Tümen), and injury of 2 people due to gunfire of an armoured vehicle known as “Cobra”, in Yüksekova district of Hakkari on October 8, 2016, on Diyarbakır Heavy PEnal Court No 3 is held on July 19, 2018. After defence hearings, the prosecutor declared legal opinion and demanded jail sentence up to 15 years for police officer İlyas Mekikli on the charge of ‘killing by conscious negligence’. The court adjourned the trial to October 2018.
(07/242) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On July 19, 2018, 25 people in operations covering 8 cities through an Istanbul based investigation; 15 people in Ankara; 2 people in Edirne in an alleged attempt to illegally flee to Greece, are detained.
8 people, including Ali Fuat Yılmazer, former deputy police chief of Istanbul; Erol Demirhan, former chief of Istanbul police intelligence department; Yurt Atayün, former chief of anti-terror department, who were detained through the investigation on the case where National Intelligence Agency undersecretary and several officers have been called on to provide testimony by Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office Terror and Organized Crimes Department, on February 7, 2018, are arrested by the court on July 19, 2018. With the last arrests, 14 people who were detained through this investigation are all arrested.
8 of 24 people who were detained through a Tekirdağ based investigation, are arrested by the court on July 19, 2018. 16 people, 12 of whom on juridical control conditions, are released.
Yusuf İnan, who was brought to Turkey by an operation of National Intelligence Agency in Ukraine, is arrested by the court in Izmir on July 19, 2018.
(07/243) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against 24 personnel of Turkish Naval Forces including 21 military members, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 16 is held on July 19, 2018. The court sentenced 18 defendants to jail penalties differing from 6 years and 3 months to 8 years and 9 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. 1 defendant benefiting from effective remorse law, is sentenced to 1 year 6 months and 22 days. The court separated the case of 5 defendants including 3 fugitives.
The final trial of the case against 33 former military judges and prosecutors on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 16 is held on July 19, 2018. The court sentenced 28 defendants to jail penalties differing from 6 years and 3 months to 8 years and 9 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court separated the cases of 5 defendants.
(07/244) People Detained Through an Istanbul Based Investigation…
168 of 187 people including Adnan Oktar who were detained on July 11, 2018, and on following days, through an Istanbul based investigation, are arrested by the court on July 19, 2018. All personal assets of 235 people for whom detention warrant was issued through this investigation, has been seized and transferred to trustees.
[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.