Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
4 April 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/022) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
As a result of an attack to a chump carrying vehicle around Bayır village of Diyarbakır’s Kulp district on April 3, 2018, 1 village guard died and 6 people including 4 village guards, 1 retired village guard and 1 civilian.
(04/023) Police Violence in Izmir…
It is learned from news coverage of April 3, 2018 that 2 people who were detained in Dikili district of Izmir on December 30, 2017 were subjected to physical violence of the police in the hospital that they were taken. On camera footage, it is seen that 1 person is taken to the emergency room and the other person is taken out of the police vehicle and was kicked and punched while being handcuffed behind. It is reported that this person was beaten for minutes and punched 51 times, kicked 18 times and slapped once. It is also reported that the person who was taken to the emergency room was also subjected to the physical violence of the police that came to the ER afterwards.
After being covered on media, Izmir Governorate released a statement and declared that 3 police officers were suspended and being investigated.
(04/024) Claim of Police Violence in House Raids in Istanbul…
It is claimed on news coverage of April 3, 2018 that students were subjected to physical and verbal violence of the police during house raids within the investigation against protestors in Boğaziçi University of Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin. On March 19, 2018 students made a protest to say “No celebration delight for massacre” as a response to Turkish delight serving at the school campus to celebrate Afrin operation. It is reported in the news that the police asked students whether they are married or not and slapped a male student after his negative response.
(04/025) Interventions, Detentions and Arrests for Protests Against Afrin Operation…
On April 3, 2018, 9 of 15 students who were detained for protesting to say “No celebration delight for massacre” as a response to Turkish delight serving at the school campus to celebrate Afrin operation, are arrested for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ by the court. 6 of the students are released on juridical control conditions. According to the news coverage, it is claimed in the prosecutor’s office’s referral document that students have chanted as “The Palace wants war, people want peace”, “No to war, peace right now”, “Murderer AKP, its partner is FSA” and have hold a banner as “No celebration delight for massacre” and have hung posters as “Kurdistan will be the grave of fascism” and “We do not want FSA in our campus”. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on this issue have said “(…) faithful, indigenous and nationalist youth serve Turkish delight for Afrin. While they serve Turkish delight, these communists and traitors attempt to attack their stand. These are terrorist youth. I should say that we are doing everything about this terrorist youth. By detecting their identities, we are not going to give them the right to be a student of this university”.
It is learned that on April 3, 2018, a detention warrant was issued for Kemal Özkiraz, coordinator of Eurasia Public Opinion Research Center for his social media posts on Afrin operation of Turkish Armed Forces. It is reported that Kemal Özkiraz’s house and office were searched and he was not detained since he was not present in these addresses.
(04/026) Solitary Confinement for 100 Prisoners in Tarsus Women’s Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of April 3, 2018 that a disciplinary proceeding was conducted for 100 prisoners in Tarsus Women’s Prison who rejected to stand in military position during roll-calls and that the result of proceeding was solitary confinement for these 100 prisoners.
(04/027) Rejection of Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on November 9, 2017 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s 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 743rd 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.
(04/028) 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 April 3, 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 April 3, 2018 4 people (Gülnaz Bozkurt, Mehmet Dersulu, Nazan Bozkurt, and Mahmut Konuk) and at 18.00 3 people (Nazan Bozkurt, Gülnaz Bozkurt and Acun Karadağ) were detained.
Thus in total 7 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on April 3, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(04/029) Police Intervention Against the Protest of Halkevleri in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of Halkevi members in front of The Ministry of Education’s building and put a symbolic seal on the door to protest the closing down of 3 Halkevi branches for “unauthorized educational activity” and detained 5 people.
(04/030) People Detained in Istanbul…
6 people from Life and Solidarity Passengers including Bahadır Altan, former spokesman of Peace Block and ecologist Oktay Konyar are detained by the police while having a breakfast in Yoğurtçu Park of Istanbul’s Kadıköy district on April 3, 2018. It is reported that 6 people who were detained on the grounds that they would protest the nuclear plant which will be founded in Mersin on April 3, 2018, are taken to Kadıköy İskele police station. The names of detainees are: Oktay Konyar, Ender Eren, Selen Yıldızlar, Hakan Gültürk, Bahadır Altan, Hakan Tosun.
(04/031) Journalist Detained in Ankara…
RED journal writer Nevriye Kurt is detained after a house raid in Ankara on April 3, 2018. It is learned that Nevriye Kurt was detained for her social media posts.
(04/032) Detained and Arrested HDP and DBP Members and Executives…
After house raids in Ankara on April 3, 2018 3 people including HDP council member Dilan Çetin are detained. The names of detainees are: Dilan Çetin, Ahmet Çiçek and Numan Dalkılıç.
3 of 4 people including 1 HDP council member and university students (HDP council member Berat Kıran, Hasan Koçuk and Tuncay Doğdan) who were detained on March 20, 2018 in Istanbul are arrested by the court for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘causing damage to property’ on April 3, 2018. 1 person (Serkan Satılmış) is released on juridical control conditions.
12 people including HDP İpekyolu co-chair Tahirhan Sayyiğit and district executives Nuri Gür, Ali Beyaz and Fikret Duman are detained in house raids in Van on April 3, 2018.
It is learned that Abdullah Öcalan’s brother Mehmet Öcalan’s house was raided by the police on April 3, 2018 and 5 people including DBP Urfa co-chair who were at the house for Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday are detained.
It is reported that 4 HDP district executives who were in Amara village of Halfeti district of Urfa for Abdullah Öcalan’s are detained on April 3, 2018.
(04/033) People Detained in Erzincan for Social Media Posts…
1 of 7 people who were detained for making propaganda of an illegal organisation in social media posts in İliç district of Erzincan is arrested by the court on April 3, 2018. 6 people are released on juridical control conditions.
(04/034) People Detained in Antalya for Social Media Posts…
6 people are detained for social media posts in house raids in Antalya on April 3, 2018. The names of detainees are: Akman Şimşek, Ertuğrul Sağlam, İbrahim Şaban, Aydın Dönmez, Mehmet Demir, Sevgi Yeğin.
(04/035) Prohibitions and Interventions on Newroz Celebrations…
14 people including HDP Siirt co-chair Necibe İlhan, DTK executive board member Mekiye Güzel and HDP executives who were detained on March 3, 2018 for Newroz celebrations in Siirt in 2018, are released on juridical control conditions by the court on April 3, 2018.
(04/036) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The case against 7 academics G. M., E.B., Onur Buğra Kolcu, Emrah Dönmez, Aytül Fırat, Elif Çevik, Fatma Gök) 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’ started to be held on March 13, 2018. The court rejected the demands for immediate acquittal and for consolidation of the cases with the case on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 and adjourned the trial of E.B. to April 10, 2018, of Onur Buğra Kolcu and Emrah Dönmez to April 11, 2018, of G.M. to June 7, 2018, of Aytül Fırat, Elif Çevik and Fatma Gök to July 8, 2018.
On the trial held on April 3, 2018, of the case against academic Naci Günalp for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37, the court rejected the demands for immediate acquittal and for consolidation of the cases with the case on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 and adjourned the trial to October 17, 2018.
On the trial held on April 3, 2018, of the case against academic Erol Köroğlu for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 24, the court adjourned the trial to June 21, 2018.
(04/037) The Trial of Journalist Hasan Cemal…
The acquittal decision for journalist Hasan Cemal, on the case against him for his series of article “Çekilme Günlüğü” (Regression Chronicles) was reversed by Penal Department No 2 of Istanbul Regional Court. On the trial which was held on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 24 on April 3, 2018 the court sentenced Hasan Cemal to 3 months and 22 days for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
(04/038) Trial of Journalists in Sakarya…
The case against journalist Çağdaş Kaplan for the news he reported in 2010 about discrimination against Kurdish students in Sakarya both in campus and in the city on Sakarya Heavy Penal Court No 2 is continued to be held on April 3, 2018. The prosecutor’s office gave the legal opinion on the case and demanded punishment for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court adjourned the trial to May 31, 2018.
(04/039) People on Trial in Antalya for ‘Making Propaganda of an Illegal Organisation’…
The final trial of the case against Nuray Erçağan and Ömer Karacagil, parents of Ayşe Deniz Karacagil who died while fighting with ISIS in Syria, for the funeral of their daughter is held on Antalya Heavy Penal Court No 2. After the defence hearings the court decided on acquittal of Erçağan and Karacagil.
(04/040) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
Sub-governor of Mardin’s Dargeçit district Mehmet Yaşar Yeşiltaş and sub-governor of Ömerli district Erol Korkmaz who were sustained by the Ministry of Interior are detained through “Fethullahist terrorist organization/Parallel state structure investigation” on April 3, 2018. Mehmet Yaşar Yeşiltaş and Erol Korkmaz were appointed by the Ministry of Interior as trustees replacing elected mayors.
On April 3, 2018, through the investigation o Hacettepe Teknokent, Cihangir Ulusoy, former Director of Intelligence Bureau of Ankara Police Department; in operations covering 13 cities through a Zonguldak based investigation 15 people including soldiers on active duty, in operations covering 5 cities through a Kırşehir based investigation 5 teachers and in operations covering 5 cities through a Konya based 30 out of 59 people for whom a detention warrant was issued are detained.
(04/041) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against Ergüder Can, former secretary of İzmir Development Agency on İzmir Heavy Penal Court No 13 is held on April 13, 2018. The court sentenced Ergüder Can to 11 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The final trial of the case against 22 defendants on events of Istanbul Samandıra highway entrances during July 15 coup attempt on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 23 is held on April 3, 2018. The court decided on heavy life sentence for 5 defendants for ‘violation of the constitution’ and life sentence for 17 defendants for the same reason.
The final trial of the case against Ali Ahmet Böken, former deputy chair of Turkish Radio and Television News and Sports Department and News Channel Coordinator on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 18 is held on April 3, 2018. The court sentenced Ali Ahmet Böken to 9 years and 9 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The final trial of the case against Sezer Zurnalı, on the grounds that he is ‘confidential imam in charge of Buca’ on İzmir Heavy Penal Court No 13 is held on April 3, 2018. The court sentenced Sezer Zurnalı to 12 years and 6 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The case against Ahmet Eğerci, former member of State Council who was dismissed by the state of emergency decree on Penal Department No 9 of Supreme court is held on April 3, 2018. After the defence hearings the court decided on continuation of detention and adjourned the trial to August 1, 2018.
(04/042) The ECHR Decision on Mehmet Altan not Being Sent to the Court…
Lawyer Engin Cinmen, who represents Mehmet Altan, stated in his declaration to the press on April 2, 2018 that they have demanded from the Ministry of Justice that ECHR decision about violation of rights given on March 20, 2018 should be translated and should be issued to the authorities in order to be corrected. Cinmen declared that ECHR decision was not translated and published on the website of the ministry within 14 days and as a result their demand for Mehmet Altan’s acquittal was rejected.
[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, ETHA, Dihaber, Yurt, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, Ntv, Bianet.org, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Alinteri, Kızılbayrak, Özgür Radyo, Sendika.org, El Cezire,BBC, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar.