Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[i][ii][iii][iv][v]
1 February 2017 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/001) Curfews Since 16 August 2015…
According to the information gathered by the HRFT Documentation Centre, between 16 August 2015 and 31 January 2017, there has been at least 169 officially confirmed round-the-clock [all daylong] and open-ended curfews in 10 cities and at least 39 districts of Turkey. These cities are as follows: Diyarbakır (100 times), Mardin (23 times), Şırnak (13 times), Hakkari (19 times), Bitlis (4 times), Batman (3 times), Muş (2 times), Bingöl (2 times), Elazığ (1 time) and Tunceli (2 times). In terms of right to life, right to health and other fundamental human rights, these curfews affected at least 1 million 809 thousand people.
(02/002) Extra-Judicial Killing in Istanbul…
According to the news appeared in the press on 31 January 2017, a person R. Ö., was shot to death by the police after he had not obeyed the “stop warning” and had tried to escape from the police during a narcotic operation in Gaziosmanpaşa district of Istanbul. Another person, H. Ö., was reportedly wounded.
(02/003) Workers’ Death…
On 31 January 2017, Worker’s Health and Job Safety Assembly (İSİG) announced that at least 1970 workers died in 2016 during work accidents due to untaken security measures.
(02/004) Arrested Peoples’ Democratic Party MP…
Ayhan Bilgen, Kars MP and Spokesperson of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was arrested on 31 January 2017 in Diyarbakır. The number of the HDP MPs in prison reached 12 and are as follows: HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, Selma Irmak, Nursel Aydoğan, Gülser Yıldırım, Ferhat Encü, Abdullah Zeydan, Nihat Akdoğan, Çağlar Demirel, Besime Konca, Meral Danış Beştaş and Ayhan Bilgen.
(02/005) Member of Party Assembly of People’s Republican Party Detained …
Seda Kadıgil, a member of CHP Party Assembly was detained when she went to Çağlayan Court House to give testimony in connection with another case on 31 January 2017. Public Prosecutor demanded Seda Kadıgil to be arrested on the allegations of “inciting people hatred and enmity.” Kadıgil was released by the Court.
(02/006) Detentions and Arrests…
Former HDP Co-Chair for Tarsus, district of Mersin province, Orhan Çakmak was arrested on 31 January 2017 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation.”
9 persons including HDP members and executives who were among 10 persons were detained during house raids in Manisa for “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” were arrested on 31 January 2017.
Ayetullah Altun, HDP district executives to Batman, who was detained on 29 January 2017, was arrested on 31 January 2017 for “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” and “insulting the Head of State.”
13 HDP members and administrators were detained during house raids in Seyhan district of Adana on 31 January 2017.
(02/007) Detained Teachers in İzmir…
Of the 18 teachers who were detained on 25 January 2017 in Izmir by a police operation against the members of Egitim-Sen (the trade union of workers in the education field), 5 were released after their testimonies were taken by the prosecutor on 31 January 2017. Also 10 people, who were detained by the same operation, had been released after their police testimonies were taken.
(02/008) The Case of a Newspaper Deliveryman…
Adana Penal Court of First Instance No 2 started on 31 January 2017 to hear the case against Hakan Ergün, distributor of the dailies of Azadiye Welat and Özgür Gündem, which were closed down by the government via a decree having force of law, and other 12 persons on the allegations of ‘making propaganda of an illegal organisation’, ‘incitement to commit a crime.‘ After the identification and testimonies of the defendants, the court released 7 defendants to be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to 28 March 2017. The only arrested defendant of the case is Hakan Ergün.
(02/009) Persons on Trial in Bursa…
Bursa Penal Court of First Instance No 8 started on 31 January 2017 to hear the case against HDP Party Assembly member Nadiye Gürbüz, Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) Chair for Bursa province Birol Göçmen, Rıza Çimen, Ufuk Köse and İdris Yıldız.
The indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced for ‘being member of an illegal organisation,’ ‘making propaganda of an illegal organisation’, and ‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations.’ The court rejected the release demands of the defendant lawyers and adjourned the hearing to 28 March 2017.
(02/010) Trustee Appointed to Municipality…
On 31 January 2017, Ministry of Interior appointed Cemil Sarıoğlu, Karakoçan sub-governor, as a trustee to Karakoçan District Municipality in Elazığ province. The total number of trustees appointed to municipalities governed mayors from Democratic Regions Party (DBP) reached the 67 following the appointment of Karakoçan district.
(02/011) Investigation Against Lawyers…
According to the news appeared in the press on 31 January 2017, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor opened an investigation against 18 lawyers within the context of the Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code for participating a demonstration at Beyoglu about the curfews and civilian losses in Cizre. Among these lawyers there are Gökmen Yeşil, The Chairperson of Istanbul Branch of Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) and Sinan Zincir,Co-Chair of Istanbul Branch Of Libertarian Lawyers’ Association (ÖHD).
(02/012) Confiscated Belongings of Kurdish Institute…
According to the news appeared in the press on 31 January 2017, the belongings of Kurdish Institute, which was founded in 1992 and closed down by a decree having force of law, were confiscated by the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund.
[i] 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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[v] 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.