Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
11 – 13 July 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/129) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 10, 2020 that 3 HPG militants died in an air operation of Turkish Armed Forces to Haftanin area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on July 2, 2020.
It is learned that 1 soldier (Ethem Demirci) died in a clash between Turkish Armed Forces units and HPG militants during “Operation Claw-Tiger” in Haftanin area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on July 12, 2020.
It is learned from the news coverage of July 12, 2020 that 2 HPG militants died in an air operation of Turkish Armed Forces to Zap area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on July 7, 2020.
(07/130) Asylum Seekers Died in Van…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 4, 2020 that the death toll raised up to 29 in the sinking boat in Van Lake on June 26, 2020 where numerous asylum seekers are lost.
(07/131) People Subjected to Physical Violence of the Watchmen in Diyarbakır…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 10, 2020 that, 1 person in Ofis district of Diyarbakır was subjected to verbal and physical violence of the watchmen for not wearing a face mask, and then was handcuffed behind his back, on July 8, 2020.
It is learned that 2 people who were recording the physical violence of the watchmen were detained, and they were released after the video recordings were deleted from their devices. The names of detained 2 people are unknown.
(07/132) Person Subjected to Torture and Ill-Treatment in Izmir…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 10, 2020 that, a person named Sedat Aşhin was subjected to physical violence of the watchmen on July 9, 2020 in Karşıyaka district of Izmir; and he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at the police station where he was taken to after being detained.
Sedat Aşhin states the following: “I was stopped for ID check by 4 watchmen on patrol. I did not have my ID card with me at that moment. And I said them ‘My ID card is in my shop, it is too close, let me go and get it’. But they did not believe me. They said ‘You ran away when you saw us yesterday’ and swooped down on me. They sprayed pepper gas in my eyes. They put me in the patrol car by using violence. Then they took me to Bostanlı Police Station, I have hardly regulated my breathing when we got there. I shouted, ‘’What did I do to you, why are you treating me like this’. 4 watchmen swooped down on me again, they used physical violence to handcuff me behind my back. The police chief and other officers did nothing although I asked for help. They just turned their backs”.
It is learned that Sedat Aşhin got a medical report evidencing the torture and ill-treatment and will make a criminal complaint against officers in charge.
(07/133) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the press declaration in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on July 10, 2020, organized by The Northern Forests Defence activists to protest wind turbines planned to be built in Northern Forests of Istanbul, and detained 4 people (Seda Elhan, Seçkin Ulaş Barbaros, Eren İpçizade and Mustafa Çakır). It is learned that 4 people were released on the same day.
(07/134) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declarations of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1342 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on July 10, 11, and 12, 2020 at 13.30 and at 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.
(07/135) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
On July 10, 2020, the police intervened the press declaration of Alev Şahin in order to regain her job from which she was dismissed by a state of emergency decree, in front of Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning in Ankara and detained her on the grounds of governorate’s ban. Alev Şahin is released after being fined.
(07/140) Police Intervention to a Commemoration in Adana…
The police prevented the commemoration of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) Adana organisation for Kadri Bağdu, who has lost his life in Suruç Massacre, on July 11, 2020; on the grounds of governorate’s ban. It is learned that the commemoration was held at the place where the group was stopped.
(07/141) Detained Co-Mayor in Ağrı…
Betül Yaşar, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-mayor of Diyadin district of Ağrı is detained on July 13, 2020.
(07/142) Person Arrested in Izmir…
Şehriban Özadikti, who was detained in Menemen district of Izmir on July 8, 2020, is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on July 10, 2020.
(07/143) Detained People in Mardin…
8 of 10 people who were detained in Mardin on July 1, 2020 are released by the court on July 12, 2020. 1 person (A. Y.) is arrested on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. 1 person (Aynur Kuaç) who was released by the court earlier, was arrested on July 10, 2020, upon prosecutor’s appeal to the release. Thus, the number of arrestees through this investigation became 2.
(07/144) Detained HDP and DEBP Executives in Urfa…
4 people (Democratic Regions Party [DBP] Party Assembly member Bekir Karageçili, HDP Viranşehir district co-chair Hıdır Oktay, district executive İhsak Gündüz and Vedat Güler) who were detained in Urfa on July 8, 2020 are referred to the court on July 11, 2020. The court decided to arrest İhsak Gündüz on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation’ and to released 3 people on judicial control conditions.
(07/145) Detained People Through an Adana Based Investigation…
It is learned that 17 people are detained on the grounds of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ through an Adana based investigation, in house raids in Adana and Mersin on July 10, 2020. Names of detained people learned so far are: Sever Uzun, Zeynep Taşgir, Ekrem Taşgir, Azmi İrtan, Mecit İrtan, Abdulaziz Kandemir, Fazıl Demirkıran. It is learned that 1 person (Ekrem Taşgir) is released after statement procedures at the police on July 12, 2020.
(07/146) Detained People in Diyarbakır…
On July 10, 2020, 4 people (Cengiz Atsız, Ferda İldan, Pınar Altaş, Umut Manap) are detained through an Adana based investigation, in house raids in Diyarbakır. It is learned that detained 4 people are taken to Adana.
(07/147) Detained People in Ağrı…
It is learned that 2 people (Mesut Arslan and Mustafa Alparslan) in Diyadin, and 1 person (Zeynel Abidin Bozkurt) in Düzce are detained on July 13, 2020, through the investigation in which HDP co-mayor of Diyadin district of Ağrı was detained.
(07/148) Detained HDP Executive in Batman…
On July 10, 2020, HDP district executive Burhan Atan in Kozluk district of Batman, is detained after the search at HDP’s district office.
(07/149) Arrested Person for Social Media Posts…
1 person (Levent Özeren) who was detained in Bursa on July 10, 2020 on the grounds of ‘provoking hatred and hostility among people’ and ‘insulting the President’ in social media posts, is arrested by the court on July 11, 2020.
(07/150) Investigation Against Political Party Executive for Social Media Posts…
It is learned that an investigation was initiated against Adem Korkmaz, provincial secretary of Labour Party (EMEP) in Kocaeli, for his social media posts about the explosion in a firework factory in Hendek district of Sakarya; and that Adem Korkmaz gave his official statement through the investigation.
(07/151) The Case Against People Evacuated from Nusaybin…
The case against 70 people who were detained and then arrested on May 26, 2016, after being evacuated from the buildings they were stuck in during the curfew on Nusaybin district, is held on July 10, 2020 on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4. The court has decided to separate the case for each defendant and to start proceedings all over again with new case files on April 5, 2019.
The court sentenced 1 person (Abdulkadir Baybars) to heavy life imprisonment on the charge of ‘distributing unity and integrity of the state’, to 16 years on the charge of ‘intentional killing’, to 7 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘possessing explosive material without permission’, and to 3 years for ‘damage to public property’. With the last verdicts, 47 people in total are sentenced through this case.
(07/152) Police Raid to a Political Party Office in Batman…
HDP’s office in Kozluk district in Batman is raided and searched by the police on the grounds of a denunciation on July 10, 2020.
(07/153) The Case on Death of Barış Kerem and Oğuzhan Erkul…
On April 15, 2017, in Gazi neighbourhood of Sultangazi district of Istanbul, the police opened fired at a car alleged to disobey stop warning and caused death of Oğuzhan Erkul (17) and Barış Kerem (17) along with 2 wounded children.
The case against 4 police officers (Erkan E., Zafer S., Davut B. and Kenan A.) for death of 2 people and injury of 2 people is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 1 on July 10, 2020.
The indictment demands jail penalty for 4 police officers up to 15 years for ‘causing death and injury of more than one person on conscious negligence’. The indictment includes police radio transcripts of the incident. It could be understood that the police knew 10 minutes before opening fire that the report about the car is groundless. The medical report given on July 20, 2018, by Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution Specialization Board No 2, for Ramazan Altürk who got wounded in the incident is also included in the case file. On the contrary to the report given by Gaziosmanpaşa Forensic Medicine Department on November 1, 2017, this report states that, Ramazan Altürk’s injury is life-critical.
The prosecutor declared legal opinion on the case and demanded sentence for 4 police officers from 3 years to 22 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘causing death and injury of more than one person on conscious negligence’.
The court adjourned the trial.
(07/154) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that a news report on https://www.evrensel.net/ and https://kizilbayrak45.net/ websites is banned to access by Gaziantep Penal Court of Peace No 5 on July 11, 2020.
(07/155) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On July 10, 2020, 1 person (former judge Menekşe Uyar) is detained on a warrant in Ankara.
(07/156) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Ministry of Health declared that 23 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,003 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on July 10, 2020.
Ministry of Health declared that 21 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,016 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on July 11, 2020.
Ministry of Health declared that 19 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,012 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on July 12, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 5,363 and total number of confirmed cases is 212,993 as of July 12, 2020.
It is learned from data shared by Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine on July 10, 2020 that 218 health workers including 49 doctors, 92 nurses and delivery nurses, 3 paramedics, 33 health personnel, 1 medical technician, 5 automation personnel, 6 medical secretaries, 22 technicians, 1 laboratory assistant, 2 social service experts, 1 officer, 1 health care service officer, 2 private security guards in Diyarbakır tested positive for Covid-19.
[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.