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21 December 2018 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

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

21 December 2018 Daily Human Rights Report

(12/266) Hunger Strike in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2018 that, in 9 prisons, 40 prisoners including People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Leyla Güven, are on hunger strike, demanding an end to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in prison. The names of prisoners on hunger strike are:

  • Hacer Halil Yusuf, Ruhşan Bozan, Özlem Özdemir, Ayten Gülsüm, Özlem Söyler (5 prisoners) in Gebze Women’s Prison;
  • İbrahim Kaya, Umut Çamlıbel, Yusuf Başaran, Güven Süvarioğlu, Rıdvan Güven, Necla Atak (6 prisoners) in Kandıra F Type Prison No 1;
  • Mehmet Bozdağ, Cengaver Aykul, Atilla Coşkun Özer, Ömer Kabul, Abdullah Kızılkaya (5 prisoners) in Patnos L Type Prison;
  • Metin Serhat, Harun Alkan, Musa Candemir (3 prisoners) in Elazığ Prison No 1;
  • Sercan Gümüş, Rıdvan Kaya, Nimetullah Cinkılıç, Hayati Uzman, Cüneyt Aslan (5 prisoners) in Diyarbakır D Type Prison;
  • Cihan Tamur, Barış Kahraman, Şahin Öncü, Azim Sökemen, Bahtiyar Kemal Hasan (5 prisoner) in Van F Type Prison;
  • Esma Başkale, Belgin Kanat, Zozan Kutum, Reyhan Coşmuşlu (4 prisoners) in Bakırköy Women’s Prison;
  • Leyla Güven, Evin Kaya, Kibriye Evren, Hilal Ölmez (4 prisoners) in Diyarbakır E Type Prison;
  • Ali Bektaş, Dılgeş Yaşar, Abdullah Aydın (3 prisoners) in Trabzon Beşikdüzü T Type Closed Prison.

It is also reported that 6 prisoners (Emine İnan, Sevim Ekin, Gülistan Seçkin, Remziye Karadağ, Kader Peker and Zeynep Turan) in Elazığ Women’s Prison are on an indefinite hunger strike for the same cause since November 2, 2018.

(12/267) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2018 that 3 prisoners (Ali Bektaş, Dılgeş Yaşar and Abdullah Aydın), who were on hungers strike in Trabzon Beşikdüzü T Type Closed Prison since December 17, 2018; are taken out of their wards and put in solitary cells.

(12/268) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…

It is learned that the appeal made on December 20, 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 774th 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.

(12/269) 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 772 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on December 20, 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 December 20, 2018, 4 people (Engin Karataş, Mehmet Dersulu, Nazan Bozkurt and Cemal Öksüz) and at 18.00 3 people (Acun Karadağ, Alev Şahin, Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.

Thus in total 7 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on December 20, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.

(12/270) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…

Türkan Albayrak, who was dismissed from her job at Sarıyer district Health Department, on the grounds of ‘personnel security investigation’ and ‘archive search’, on August 3, 2018; made a press declaration to regain her job on December 20, 2018 and attempted for a sit-in protest in front of Health Department. The police intervened into the sit-in and detained Türkan Albayrak. It is learned that Türkan Albayrak was released the same day. It is the 62nd time of detention of Türkan Albayrak.

(12/271) Police Intervention Against TOKI Workers’ Protest in Ankara…

On December 20, 2018, the police intervened into workers of TOKİ construction who are picketing at Mamak district of Ankara, for not receiving their wages for a while; and detained 6 workers. The names of detained workers are: Ozan Demirtaş, Ömer Özkaya, Doğan Özkaya, Doğukan Özkaya, Abdullah Çelik and Abdurrahim Çelik.

Workers went on a strike action after their employer asked for a pre-arranged bankruptcy and TOKI, as the contract giver did not pay workers’ wages; and they quit the strike after being promised to be paid. The police have intervened the picket line on December 2, 4, and 5, 2018 and detained 21 people in these three interventions.

(12/272) Detention of Members and Executives of HDP and Activists of TJA for Supporting HDP MP Leyla Güven’s Hunger Strike…

35 people, who were detained on December 12, 2018 in the police raid to People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) Diyarbakır office where people have started a hunger strike to support HDP Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Leyla Güven, who went on a hunger strike to protest isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan; are released by the court on December 20, 2018 on judicial control conditions.

(12/273) Detained Writer in Istanbul…

Writer İhsan Eliaçık is detained on December 20, 2018 at Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul, where he went to give his official statement through a case opened in Batman. It is learned that the case was opened on the charge of ‘insulting the President’.

(12/274) 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 (Research Assistants Gülay Kılıçaslan and Ömer Çelebi from Yıldız Technical University) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ are held on December 20, 2018. The court adjourned both trials to April 11, 2019.

The case against Assoc. Professor Ahmet Altınel from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 29 is held on December 20, 2018. The court decided to await the response of the Ministry of Justice in order to continue judging according to Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code and adjourned the trial to April 2, 2019.

The case against Assist. Professor Bayram Güneş from Munzur University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26 is held on December 20, 2018. The court adjourned the trial to March 19, 2019.

The case against 2 academicians (Assist. Professor Alper Akyüz and PhD M.A. from Bilgi University) for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 is held on December 20, 2018. The court adjourned the trial of the case against M.A. to January 16, 2019 and the trial of the case against Alper Akyüz to January 10, 2019.

The case against Assist. Professor Murat Koyuncu from Boğaziçi University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 27 is held on December 20, 2018. The court adjourned the trial to March 19, 2019.

(12/275) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against Deniz Yücel, Turkey reporter of German newspaper Die Welt, on the charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and ‘inciting hatred and hostility among public’ is held on December 20, 2018 on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32. The indictment demands jail sentence from 4 years to 18 years for Deniz Yücel, on the grounds of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and ‘publicly provoking hatred or hostility in one section of the public against another section’. Deniz Yücel did not attend the trial. The court adjourned the trial to April 11, 2019.

Deniz Yücel was detained on February 14, 2017 and was arrested by the court on February 27, 2017. The indictment was accepted by the court on February 16, 2018 and Deniz Yücel was released on preliminary approbation order of the court.

(12/276) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against Hüseyin Aykol and Zana Kaya, executive editors of Özgür Gündem newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree; and against editor in chief İnan Kızılkaya and Hatip Dicle, on Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2 is held on December 20, 2018. The court adjourned the trial to February 21, 2019.

(12/277) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against Cumhuriyet newspaper Hakan Dirik, for his news reports on chemical substance transfer to jihadist groups in Syria which is used to make sarin gas; is held on December 20, 2018 on Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to March 2019.

(12/278) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against Cumhuriyet newspaper reporters Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç, for the news reports on house confinement of USA citizen pastor Andrew Brunson, on the charge of ‘degrading state of Turkish Republic, and the organs and institutions of the state’ as to Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, is held on December 20, 2018 on Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to April 4, 2019.

(12/279) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…

The final trial of the case against Evrensel newspaper’s writer Kamil Tekin Sürek, on the charge of ‘insulting the President’ in his column titled “Fascist Dictatorship” is held on December 20, 2018. The court acquitted Kamil Tekin Sürek.

(12/280) Members of CHP on Trial in Mersin for ‘insulting the President’…

The final trial of the case against Republican People’s Party (CHP) Mersin Youth Branch chair Ethem Güzel, Erdemli district Youth Branch chair Bekir Kamil Çağlayan and members Fırat Yıldız and Mehmet Reyhan, on the charge of ‘insulting the PResident’ is held on Mersin Penal Court of First Instance No 2 is held on December 20, 2018. The court sentenced 4 people to 11 months and 20 days each and suspended the sentences.

(12/281) ESP Members on Trial in Istanbul…

The case against Aylin Yıldız, a member of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ is held on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 35 on December 20, 2018. After defence hearings the court released Aylin Yıldız and adjourned the trial.

(12/282) Kemal Kurkut Case…

The case against police officer Y.Ş., for killing university student Kemal Kurkut by shooting him behind his back during Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır in 2017, is held on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 7 on December 20, 2018. Police officer Y.Ş. is charged with ‘killing on probable intention’ and the indictment demands life imprisonment for this charge.

It is learned that the report of Forensic Medicine Institute on Kemal Kurkut’s death has reached to the court board. It is argued in the report that Kemal Kurkut died due to the bullet ricocheting off firm ground.

Police officer Y.Ş. attended the trial to make defence.

The court rejected the demand for arrest of Y.Ş. and decided to request a forensic report from National Criminal Bureau; and in case of not receiving a report from the Bureau, to demand the report from commission of experts consisting of Istanbul University Institute of Forensic Sciences personnel. The court adjourned the trial to February 28, 2019.

(12/283) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

The final trial of the case against Gürcan Balık, former ambassador and former senior advisor of Abdullah Gül, 11th President, is held on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 29 on December 20, 2018. The court sentenced the defendant to 6 years and 3 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court released the defendant with a ban on leaving the resident and the country. Upon the appeal made by Ankara Public Prosecutor’s office, Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 30 suspended the release and issued a detention warrant for Gürcan Balık.

(12/284) Ban on Events in METU…

It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2018 that Middle East Technical University (METU) Rectorate banned all talks, meetings and such events to be organized by political parties, organisations, institutions and any groups apart from official student clubs until the local elections to be held on March 31, 2019.

(12/285) Student Club is Closed in METU…

It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2018 that Middle East Technical University Rectorate closed down Students’ Media Club on December 20, 2018. It is reported that the Rectorate sent an e-mail to other student clubs and claimed that Students’ Media Club is closed down in accordance with the articles related to permissions of events, stated in “Instructions on Establishment and Activity of Students’ Cultural Clubs”. Media Club’s equipment were seized and activities were suspended for recording and reporting on the protests held at Graduation Ceremony on July 6, 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.

[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, 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.