Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
14 January 2021 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/117) Labour Killings…
Worker Health and Worker Safety Council (ISIG) revealed that at least 356 workers died while working in December 2020. Thus, at least 2427 workers including 148 women, 68 children and 101 asylum seekers, died while working in 2020.
(01/118) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 13, 2021 that, Ahmet Sürme, a prisoner in Tekirdağ F Type Prison No 2 was subjected to physical violence of the correction officers because he rejected strip search. Ahmet Sürme stated the following through his declarations to his father: “After I met my lawyer, the correction officers said ‘take off your clothes’. I asked why, and told them that I would not take my clothes off. The correction officers said that the x-ray scanner has beeped while my lawyer was passing through it at the entrance of prison, and thus I should take my clothes off. I said, ‘If the x-ray scanner beeped for my lawyer then go search over him, why are you searching my body?’. I resisted to take my clothes off, and the correction officers started to beat me. They pushed me to the ground, stepped on my back and forcibly removed my clothes. They left only my underwear. They were continuously kicking my body and my head when they forced me to lie down, they made bruises everywhere. The correction officers, after committing violence and forcibly removing my clothes, wanted me to wear my clothes back on. But I told them that I would not, I would go to my ward like this. Then they started beating me again, forced my lie down and put my clothes on. I wanted to go to a hospital for a medical report evidencing the violence, but they did not take me to a hospital.”
It is learned from the news coverage of January 13, 2021 that, Bünyamin Sürme, a prisoner in Izmir Kırıklar F Type Prison No 1 was being kept in a solitary cell for 4 months.
(01/119) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration in front of Ankara Courthouse on January 13, 2021 and detained 5 people by using physical violence. The press declaration was held to announce the criminal complaint filed against the police officers who broke the leg of 1 person (Deniz Baran Erbudak) in the intervention against the press declaration in Ankara, to protest the new rector appointment to Boğaziçi University by the President. It is learned that the police prevented journalists from recording the intervention. Detained people (Seçil Işık, Celil Resuloğulları, Ayşenur Gidergi, Çağla Çakır and Simla Eroğlu) are released after statement procedures on the same day.
(01/120) Detained ESP Members…
On January 13, 2021, 48 people including co-chair of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), 1 journalist and executives and members of ESP and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) members are detained through an Izmir based investigation against ESP. It is learned that detained people will be taken to Izmir.
The names of detained people learned so far are: ESP co-chair lawyer Özlem Gümüştaş, Etkin News Agency reporter Pınar Gayıp, HDP Party Assembly member Sıtkı Güngör, Socialist Women’s Assembly (SKM) executive board member Satiye Ok, ESP provincial co-chair Ezgi Bahçeci, HDP İstanbul provincial executive Pınar Türk, lawyer Kamil Ağaoğlu, Zindan Dorudemir, Alev Özkiraz, Ozan Özgenler, Kerim Altınmakas, Meliha Kayacı, Deniz Bakır, Tuncay Kılıç, Rıdvan Coşkun, Nesrin Salduz, Kutay Soybil, Efe Özcan, Hakan Kafadar, Nazlı Masatçı, Mehmet Küçükgünaydın, Yunus Kara, Medine Çam, Burak Yılmaz, Begüm Ateş, Deniz Dilli, Cihan Taşkın, Ceren Çoban, Levent Akhan, Fatih Bilben, Deniz Çanak.
It is learned that Meliha Kayacı was released after statement procedures on the same day.
(01/121) Arrested HDP Executive in Şırnak…
HDP Party Assembly member Resul Sadak who went to Şırnak Directorate of Security for an investigation against him on January 13, 2021, is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation’ on the same day.
(01/122) Detained Association Member in Istanbul…
Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) member Mert Karadağ, is detained on January 13, 2021 at Istanbul Security Directorate where he went to make his official statement through the investigation against him for participating in protests at Boğaziçi University against the new rector appointment.
(01/23) Detained People in Urfa for Social Media Posts…
On January 13, 2021, 9 people are detained in house raids in Urfa for “making propaganda for an illegal organisation on social media”. The names of detained people are unknown.
(01/124) Detained People in Hakkari…
3 people (Yaşar Coşkun, Beyaz Coşkun and Süleyman Durmaz) who were detained in Hakkari on January 12, 2021, are released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office on January 13, 2021.
(01/125) Co-Mayor on Trial in Mardin…
The trial of the case against Mülkiye Esmez, HDP co-mayor of Sur district of Diyarbakır, is held at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 11 on January 13, 2021
Mülkiye Esmez joined the trial from prison via sound and vision system. After defence hearings the court decided to send a writ for hearing anonymous witnesses at the trial and to continue detention of Mülkiye Esmez and adjourned the trial to March 5, 2021.
Mülkiye Esmez was detained on November 16, 2019 and was arrested by the court on November 26, 2019. Ministry of Interior appointed a trustee to Derik district on November 16, 2019.
(01/126) Mayor on Trial in Edirne…
The trial of the case against Edirne mayor Recep Gürkan, on the grounds of the statements that he allegedly made during July 15 coup attempt, is held at Edirne Penal Court of First Instance No 8 on January 13, 2021. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to March 12, 2021.
(01/127) Investigation Against Journalist in Istanbul…
It is learned that the indictment of Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ against journalist Melis Alphan, for her social media post about Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır in 2015, is accepted by Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 on January 13, 2021.
(01/128) Investigation Against Journalist in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against Dicle Müftüoğlu, co-chair of Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG); and that Dicle Müftüoğlu made her official statement through this investigation on January 13, 2021 at Diyarbakır Directorate of Security.
(01/129) Proceedings Against Parliamentary Members…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 13, 2021 that, 10 proceedings demanding lift of impunity of 10 parliamentary members are submitted to Grand National Assembly.
Parliamentary members subjected to proceedings are:
- HDP co-chair and Istanbul MP Pervin Buldan
- HDP group deputy chair and Siirt MP Meral Danış Beştaş
- HDP group deputy chair and Istanbul MP Hakkı Saruhan Oruç
- HDP Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan
- HDP Istanbul MP Hüda Kaya
- HDP Van MP Sezai Temelli
- HDP Mardin MP Pero Dündar
- HDP Mersin MP Fatma Kurtulan
- HDP Izmir MP Serpil Kemalbay
- HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu.
(01/130) Police Raid to News Agency in Istanbul…
It is learned that the office of Etkin News Agency in Istanbul is raided by the police on January 14, 2021. It is learned that after the search at the office, computers, cameras and digital material along with 6,600 Turkish Liras cash were seized.
(01/131) Police Raid to Political Party Offices in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir…
On January 14, 2021, headquarters, Istanbul and Izmir provincial offices and Bayraklı district office of ESP are raided by the police. It is learned that the search at ESP headquarters were conducted without any members of executives of ESP and some documents at the office were seized.
(01/132) Police Raid to Foundation Office in Istanbul…
The police raided the office of the Foundation for Science, Education, Aesthetics, Culture and Arts Research (BEKSAV) in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on January 14, 2021. It is learned that computers and digital material which include album studies of the musical band of the foundation were seized.
(01/133) Administrative Fine for TV Channels…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 13, 2021, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) issued Halk TV channel with administrative fine, for the expressions of Fikri Sağlar, former MP of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), “I have doubts that a judge with headscarf would defend justice” during a programme aired on the channel.
It is learned from the news coverage of January 13, 2021, RTUK issued TELE 1 television channel with administrative fine, for the expressions “Now you will watch the news reports on how the Directorate of Religious Affairs interfere in our femininity, our home and family, on issues like having kids and a professional life. It seems that as long as they will interfere in, woman murders will continue”, during the prime time newscaster.
(01/134) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that the news reports on the ban of access to the news reports on corruption allegations at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality from the previous period published on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/, https://odatv4.com/, https://www.birgun.net/, https://www.sozcu.com.tr/, http://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/ and https://www.aykiri.com.tr/ websites are banned to access on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Istanbul Bakırköy Penal Court of Peace No 2 on January 12, 2021.
(01/135) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On January 13, 2021, 21 people are detained in operations covering 12 cities through an Edirne base investigation and 12 people are detained in Istanbul.
(01/136) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 173 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 971 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on January 13, 2021. It is also declared that the daily number of Covid-19 case is 9,554.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 23,325 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 2,355,839 as of January 13, 2021.
It is learned from the news coverage of January 13, 2021 that 30 prisoners in Karabük T Type Prison tested positive for Covid-19.
It is learned that 2 health workers (ambulance driver Nebi Mehmet Efendioğlu in Trabzon and doctor Hasan Erdoğan in Istanbul) lost their lives from Covid-19 on January 13, 2021.
[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.