Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
14 – 16 January 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/111) Operations and Attacks…
The Ministry of National Defence announced that 1 soldier (Selçuk Kur) died in an attack against the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria on January 14, 2023.
(01/112) Bomb Attack in Istanbul…
It is learned that a person named Hazni Gölge who was detained in Bulgaria in relation to the bomb attack in Istiklal Street of Beyoğlu district in Istanbul killed 6 people including 2 children, and wounded 81 people on November 13, 2022; and was deported to Turkey is arrested by the court on January 13, 2023. The number of arrestees in relation to the attack raised to 27.
(01/113) Asylum Seeker Subjected to Sexual Assault of Soldiers in Van…
On January 13, 2023, Van Bar Association declared the report on the allegations of sexual assault of 2 soldiers to an Afghan asylum seeker woman (L. M.) in Saray district of Van on January 4, 2023.
The report states the following: “The information that a migrant woman named L. M., who is an Afghan national, on the Iranian border in the Saray district of Van, was sexually assaulted by two soldiers, was covered in the press and shared to the public. Upon detection that L. M., who was sexually assaulted by the soldiers, had entered Turkey illegally as an immigrant, she was caught by law enforcement officers, together with the captured irregular immigrant group, to be deported unlawfully with the “push back” method without any legal action such as “national protection”. She was taken to the Iranian border, accompanied by soldiers. The body search of the migrant woman L. M., who was taken to the border, and the irregular migrant group accompanying her, were carried out by the soldiers using methods that amounted to sexual harassment, contrary to human dignity. Two soldiers, who took the irregular migrant group to the border, separated L. M. from the group and sexually assaulted her (…) After being pushed outside the border, the Afghan woman came to the Border Gendarmerie Station by her own means and complained about the soldiers who had raped her. The woman identified two soldiers here. Two suspects were arrested on 4 January on charges of sexual assault. The relevant prosecutor’s office has taken a confidentiality order in the investigation file.”
(01/114) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 14, 2023 that the prisoners were prevented by the correction officers from speaking to each other during sport times in Ankara Sincan Women’s Prison.
It is learned from the news coverage of January 14, 2023 that, in Rize L Type Prison the water has been cut off for 2 weeks.
(01/115) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded…
It is learned that the appeal made on January 13, 2023 to the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by families and tutelary of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in Imralı Prison, in order to visit them was not responded.
(01/116) Police Intervention to Protest in Izmir…
The police intervened in the press declaration held by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Izmir on January 13, 2023 to protest the isolation of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, detained 2 executives of the HDP. Detained people are released after statement procedures on the same day.
(01/117) Police Intervention to Celebration in Van…
The police intervened in the people gathering for the Serê Salê (the Hijri New Year) celebration in the Yüzüncü Yıl University campus in Van on January 13, 2023, and detained 7 people (Azize Onat, Eylem Güneş, İsmail Hakkı Tuncer, Besna Ediş, Ramazan Kalkan, Nurullah Çelik, Esat Polat). Detained people are released after statement procedures on the same day.
(01/118) Police Intervention to Protest in Izmir…
The police stopped a group leaving the rally of the Labour and Freedom Alliance held in Kartal district of Istanbul on January 15, 2023; and detained 14 people including lawyer Elif Taşdöğen and HDP Youth Assembly members.
(01/119) Investigation Against Journalist in Van…
It is learned that an investigation was launched against journalist Oktay Candemir on the allegation of “publicly disseminating misleading information to the public” on the grounds of a news report, and that Oktay Candemir gave his official statement at the Van Provincial Security Directorate on January 14, 2023.
(01/120) HKP Chair on Trial…
The final trial of the case against the People’s Liberation Party (HKP) chair Nurullah Efe, on the grounds of insulting the President in his article titled “Country Seller, Yezid Religious and American Pawn” is held at Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No. 12 on January 13, 2023. The court sentenced Nurullah Efe to 1 year 9 months and 26 days.
(01/121) Person on Trial in Aydın…
The final trial of the case against musician Kadir Çat, on the grounds of the songs he sang at the HDP event in Aydın on September 20, 2022, is held on January 13, 2023. The indictment demands sentence for Kadir Çat on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’. The court acquitted Kadir Çat.
(01/122) Prevention of HDP MP to Go Abroad…
It is learned that HDP Antalya MP Kemal Bülbül, who came to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to go to London on January 13, 2023, was not allowed to go abroad on the grounds that there was an administrative measure against him.
(01/123) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that the news reports about the first prosecutor of the case regarding sexual assault against and killing of a woman named Şule Çet, published on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr, https://artigercek.com, https://bianet.org websites are banned on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Ankara Penal Court of Peace No. 5 on January 13, 2023.
It is learned that the news report about the “Menzil religious sect” published on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr, https://gazetemanifesto.com, https://abcgazetesi.com websites are banned on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Ankara Penal Court of Peace No. 4 on January 13, 2023.
(01/124) Ban of Events in Hakkari…
Hakkari Governorate’s Office made a declaration on January 13, 2023 and announced that all meetings, open-door assemblies, demonstrations, marches, sit-in protests, human chains, op-ed stands, public sessions, any kind of audio-visual activities with mobile audio-visual vehicles, hunger strikes, opening stands, collecting petitions, flying sky lanterns or balloons, commemorations, concerts, festivals, theatre plays, screening shows, firing torches, distributing leaflets, hanging banners and so on are banned for 15 days as of January 14, 2023. All events are banned in Hakkari for 390 days since January 4, 2022.
[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.