Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) Documentation Centre released the “Report on Human Rights Violations Committed between 6 – 27 February 2023 in the Aftermath of the Antep, Maraş, Hatay and Malatya Earthquakes”. According to the report, which is prepared by monitoring the written and visual media and statements and reports of specialised/professional organisations and other human rights organisations, the events “worryingly reveal that the rights perspective has been completely abandoned in order to make the truth invisible.”
The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV/HRFT) has released a report compiling incidents of rights violence in the regions hit by the massive earthquakes on February 6.
The report is based on news reports and statements from professional and human rights organizations.
By declaring a three-month state of emergency in the 10 provinces affected by the quakes, the government “is trying to hide the crisis,” the TİHV said in a statement. “The declaration of the state of emergency is a blow to the citizens’ efforts to overcome the crisis by solidarity.”
Some highlights from the report:
Aid collection
The authorities hindered citizens, NGOs, political parties and municipalities that collected aid materials for earthquake survivors at least 20 times. In seven cases, the collected materials were seized.
One person was injured in an armed attack targeting efforts to collect aid.
The authorities seized 100 aid trucks sent by the Future (Gelecek) Party and 1,500 tents, 10 trucks, 30 containers and 120 power generators sent by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Journalists
At least 22 journalists working in the quake-hit region faced intervention, 11 from law enforcement officers and 11 from civilians. At least one journalist was injured and four were detained. One foreign journalist was not allowed to enter Türkiye.
Ill-treatment
Seventeen people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment in nine separate cases. One of them died and 10 were injured. The perpetrators were police officers in four cases and gendarmerie officers in three cases.
Three prisoners died and nine others were injured during law enforcement forces’ intervention in prison riots after the quakes.
One person was killed after torture in detention.
Eighty-one children who were left without care after the quakes could not be identified.
Freedom of expression
Legal action was taken against 575 people over their social media posts about the quakes. Some 141 of them were detained and 27 were arrested.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed fines on Halk TV, TELE1 and Fox Tv over earthquake coverage.
Law enforcement forces prevented 10 peaceful demonstrations against universities’ switch to online education in order to resettle earthquake survivors in dormitories. During these events, 246 people were subjected to maltreatment and detained. – Bianet.