Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
11 – 13 February 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/095) Earthquakes in Antep and Maraş…
According to the information recorded by Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, on February 6, 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 in Şehitkamil district of Antep which struck at 04:17 local time and an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 in Ekinözü district of Maraş which struck at 13:24 local time killed at least 31,643 people and injured 80,278 people in Adana, Adıyaman, Antep, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Maraş, Osmaniye, Urfa provinces as of February 13, 2023. It is reported that at least 12,141 buildings had collapsed.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 10, 2023 that, 12 prisoners in Maraş Türkoğlu Prison were transferred to Konya Ereğli High Security Prison due to the earthquakes. It is stated in the news reports that the prisoners were not allowed to take their personal belongings along with them.
The Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CISST) made a statement on February 11, 2023 and announced that at least 17,600 prisoners were affected by the earthquakes.
On February 11, 2023, the President announced that the 2022-23 spring semester in universities will be online all over the country and the students in state dormitories will be evacuated and earthquake survivors will be placed there.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 11, 2023 that, 350 prisoners in Hatay T Type Prison were transferred to prisons in Diyarbakır, Adana, Yozgat, Uşak and Antalya.
(02/096) State of Emergency Decree…
According to the Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette on February 11, 2023, regarding the measures in the judiciary within the scope of the state of emergency declared in 10 provinces, the detention period cannot exceed 4 days from the moment of arrest for the crimes of “theft and looting”, however, the detention period will be extended for 3 days by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
(02/097) Persons Killed by Lynching in the Earthquake Zone…
It is claimed in the news coverage of February 12, 2023, that 3 people whose names were not learned were lynched and killed in Defne district of Hatay on February 12, 2023.
(02/098) Person Died Under Custody in Hatay…
The Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) and the Lawyers’ Association for Freedom (ÖHD) reported that Ahmet Güreşçi and Sabri Güreşçi, and 4 people whose names cannot be learned who were detained by the gendarmerie in Hatay on February 11, 2023 and taken to Altınözü Gendarmerie Station, were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. It is learned that Ahmet Güreşçi died as a result of torture and that Sabri Güreşçi was injured. It is reported that the lawyers who went to the gendarmerie station were also threatened by the gendarmerie.
The statement goes as follows: “Ahmet Güreşçi and Sabri Güreşçi were taken from their house in Büyükburç neighbourhood on 11.02.2023 by the gendarmerie. It is reported that they did not have any health problems. Ahmet Güreşçi, who was taken to the gendarmerie station, was urgently taken from the police station to the hospital at around 19:30 in the evening. It was understood that he died when his family followed him and learned about the situation (…) Lawyers had a meeting with Sabri Güreşçi at Altınözü Gendarmerie Station. Ahmet Güreşçi was beaten to death in custody; the interviewee was in poor condition, his ribs were broken, and he had bruises on his hand and face; his testicles were squeezed, he was beaten by soaking, and there was a threat of rape. At the same time, the lawyers who interviewed the detainees were also threatened by the gendarmerie officers saying ‘the same thing will happen to you’.”
(02/099) Allegations of Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in the Earthquake Region…
In several videos shared on social media between 9-12 February 2023, it was claimed that at least 31 people were subjected to physical violence by law enforcement officers and civilians in 14 incidents reported to be in the earthquake region. It is alleged that at least 6 people in the videos were detained by the police.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 12, 2023 that, 5 people (Recep Tanrıverdi, Aydın Tanrıverdi, Yusuf Abatay, İbrahim Tanrıverdi and Erhan Tanrıverdi) who went to Adıyaman by being assigned by Diyarbakır’s Çınar District Governorate’s Office to help search and rescue in the earthquake area, were taken by the gendarmerie on the grounds of “suspect” to the police, and they were subjected to torture and ill-treatment and were injured in various parts of their bodies at the police station. It is reported that 5 people were later left out of the city naked.
(02/100) Prevention of Journalists in Earthquake Region…
It is learned that Halk TV reporter Şirin Payzın was prevented by the civilians while reporting in Hatay on February 10, 2023.
It is learned that Fox TV reporter Sevgi Şahin and cameraman Ömür Dikme were intervened by the civilians around as they were reporting in Maraş on February 10, 2023.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 10, 2023 that, journalist Mir Ali Koçer was prevented by a police officer saying “the state is here”, as he was interviewing an earthquake survivor in Maraş.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 10, 2023 that, journalist and documentarist Kazım Kızıl was prevented by the police as he was reporting in Maraş.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 11, 2023 that, Le Point reporter Guillaume Perrier who came to Turkey to report on search and rescue efforts in the earthquake region, was not allowed in the country on the grounds of an administrative order.
It is learned that journalist Anıl Olcan was intervened by the police as he was reporting in Hatay on February 11, 2023. Anıl Olcan stated the following: “The police took my camera batteries, memory card, hard disk and press card and burned them in the fire. I said that I would make criminal complaints but the officer was taken away from the area.”
It is learned from the news coverage of February 11, 2023 that journalist Rabia Çetin was subjected to the attack of a group of 15 people as she was reporting in Adıyaman.
It is learned that journalist Zübeyde Sarı was prevented from recording search and rescue efforts in Hatay on February 11, 2023.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 12, 2023 that, Artı TV reporter Yağmur Kaya was subjected to physical attack of the people around as she was broadcasting in Malatya.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 12, 2023 that, journalist Arzu Efeoğlu was subjected to verbal attack of 3 people as she was interviewing earthquake survivors in Antep.
(02/101) Prevention of Relief Activities in Earthquake Region…
It is learned that the police intervened in the distribution of relief material in Osmaniye on February 11, 2023 which was brought by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Izmir; and that seized the relief truck and detained 3 people. It is reported that HDP Osmaniye provincial co-chair Celal Eker was subjected to physical violence of the police.
(02/102) Detentions in Earthquake Region…
It is learned that at least 1 person was detained on the grounds of protesting the Justice Minister in Diyarbakır on February 11, 2023.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 13, 2023 that, an earthquake survivor named Hasip Türkmen, who said “the buildings are damaged, they have felt on side, you should give us a paper evidencing it” to the mayor who says the residences built by the municipality in Şahinbey district are okay to live in, was detained in the relief tent upon the mayor’s complaint and was released on the same day.
(02/103) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened in the press declaration held by the Labourer Movement Party (EHP) in Istanbul on February 12, 2023, regarding the earthquakes in Antep and Maraş, and detained 40 people including EHP chair Hakan Öztürk. Detained people were released after statement procedures on the same day.
(02/104) Detained CHP Executive in Istanbul…
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) Zeytinburnu district deputy chair Süleyman Dağ, was detained in Istanbul on February 11, 2023, on the grounds of social media posts about the earthquakes in Antep and Maraş. Süleyman Dağ is released by the court on judicial control conditions on the same day.
(02/105) Prosecutions and Detentions for Social Media Posts…
The General Directorate of Security announced that prosecutions were initiated against 475 people and 56 people were detained, 14 people were arrested for their social media posts about the earthquakes in Antep and Maraş, as of February 13, 2023.
(02/106) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 11, 2023 that, in Urfa T Type Prison No. 2 the prisoners’ visit rights were prevented on the grounds of earthquakes. It is reported that the visit rights were not prevented in the T Type Prison No. 1 which is in the same compound.
(02/107) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned that the indefinite hunger strike which started in Afyon T Type Prison No. 1 and in Giresun Espiye L Type Prison, demanding an end to right violations, were ended on February 12, 2023 due to the earthquakes in Antep and Maraş.
(02/108) Investigation Against Person…
It is learned that Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against BaBaLa TV YouTube channel moderator Oğuzhan Uğur on the grounds of “publicly disseminating misleading information” in his social media post about the status of some dams in Hatay and Maraş, and that Oğuzhan Uğur gave his official statement to the prosecutor’s office on February 13, 2023.
[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, Tr724, 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.