Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
15 – 17 December 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/201) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 16, 2018 that 2 militants died in a bombardment of Turkish Air Force to Qandil area on December 14, 2018.
It is learned that 10 soldiers falling due to icing of the land got wounded during an operation in rural areas of Şirvan district of Siirt on December 16, 2018.
(12/202) People Who Were Subjected to Police Violence in Ankara…
It is learned that 14 people who were detained through an operation against participators of “I Want My Job Back” protests in Ankara on December 10, 2018, were subjected to physical and verbal violence of the police at Ankara Courthouse, where they were taken for extension of detention period for them on December 13, 2018. It is learned that Deniz Aydın and Sibel Balaç have bruises on their bodies and Özge Çıpan is suffering from hematuria due to the physical violence.
It is also learned that the health institution where these 14 people were referred did not provide a medical report evidencing the violence.
People’s Law Office declared on December 16, 2018 that, these 14 clients of them who were on hunger strike since they have been detained, stopped to receive water and sugar as well after their detention period was extended 4 more days; and that those who use medications regularly including Acun Karadağ, stopped to get their medication.
(12/203) Person Who Was Subjected to Police Violence in Hakkari…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 14, 2018 that the police raided to “İran Shopping Arcade” in Yüksekova district of Hakkari, on the grounds of “possession of smuggled goods” and committed violence against shop owners and detained 4 people.
Fatma Duman, whose 2 sons were detained in the police raid stated in her expressions covered by the news reports as following: “Our workplace is raided on the grounds of possession of smuggled goods. Shop owners are insulted by sexist curses. Most of them are subjected to violence. Several shop owners who try to intervene were also subjected to violence. The reason for all these is said to be smuggled goods. They came to our houses and commit violence against us as well as raiding our workplace.”
(12/204) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 14, 2018 that prisoners in Düzce T Type Prison were threatened by the prison director saying “You have not seen September 12 yet” with reference to September 12, 1980 military coup.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 14, 2018 that in Tekirdağ F Type Prison No 2, belongings of the prisoners were scattered around during ward searches; and prisoners were forced to strip search before family visits and those who reject it were subjected to physical violence of the wardens.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 16, 2018 that prisoners in Elazığ High Security Prison No 1 were forced to strip search at the entrance of the prison and those who reject it were put in solitary cells. It is also stated in the news reports that Kurdish books sent to prisoners were not given to them on the grounds of security reasons.
(12/205) Coercion to Uniforms and Reactions Against This…
The press declaration of TAYAD (Prisoner’s Families’ Solidarity Association) members attempted to be held in Sakarya Street in Ankara on December 15, 2018 against uniform coercion in prisons is prevented by the police. It is reported that 1 person (Bengisu Demirel) was detained in police intervention.
(12/206) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 768 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on December 14, 15, and 16, 2018 at 13.30 and 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on December 14, 2018, 4 people (Deniz Yılmaz, Bülent Özgül, Engin Karataş ve Cemal Öksüz) and at 18.00 3 people (Engin Karataş, Cemal Öksüz ve Bengisu Demirel) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on December 15, 2018, 2 people (Engin Karataş ve Hatice Yüksel) and at 18.00 3 people (Hatice Yüksel and Abidin Sırma) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on December 16, 2018, 2 people (Engin Karataş ve Cemal Öksüz) and at 18.00 3 people (Engin Karataş, Meltem Servi and Cemal Öksüz) were detained.
Thus in total 16 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on December 14, 15, and 16, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(12/207) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…
Türkan Albayrak, who was dismissed from her job at Sarıyer district Health Department, on the grounds of ‘personnel security investigation’ and ‘archive search’, on August 3, 2018; made a press declaration to regain her job on December 14, 2018 and attempted for a sit-in protest in front of Health Department. The police intervened into the sit-in and detained Türkan Albayrak. It is learned that Türkan Albayrak was released the same day. It is the 60th time of detention of Türkan Albayrak.
(12/208) Police Intervention Against Saturday Mothers’ Protest in Istanbul…
Police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square in Istanbul to prevent Saturday Mothers who rally every Saturday for 23 years in the same place to gather for the 716th time on December 15, 2018. Upon police prevention, the group including parliament members, representatives of political parties, human rights defenders and artists along with families of disappeared people gather in front of Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul office and started to march. The police prevented the march too, thus, the group had a sit-in protest and made a press declaration there. It is learned that the police prevented the journalists reporting on the press declaration as well.
(12/209) Detention of Members and Executives of HDP and Activists of TJA for Supporting HDP MP Leyla Güven’s Hunger Strike…
On December 14, 2018, the police raided People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) Hakkari office where people have started a hunger strike to support HDP Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Leyla Güven, who went on a hunger strike to protest isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and detained 11 people including Edremit district co-mayor Rojbin Sevil Çetin. 11 people who were detained are released on December 15, 2018 after statement procedures at the police.
5 of 47 people who were detained in the police raid to People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) Urfa office where people have started a hunger strike to support hunger strike of HDP Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Leyla Güven, are arrested on December 14, 2018. It is learned that 38 people are released 33 of which are on judicial control conditions. The names of arrested people are: Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Urfa co-chair Bekir Karakeçili, Peace Mothers Selvi Ötünç, Hadle Oğur and Şükrü Turgut, and Mehmet Ali Oba. It is also learned that Halid Müslüm, a Syrian citizen were taken to Repatriation Center of Provincial Migration Directorate to be deported.
(12/210) Detained Members of HDP and DBP in Izmir…
7 of 22 members of DBP and HDP who were detained in Izmir on December 12, 2018, on the charges of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ are arrested by the court on December 15, 2018. The names of arrested people are: Ramazan Yavuz, Hacay Yılmaz, Abdulkerim Kaya, Serkan Korkmaz, Vedat Sezer, Vasfi Özer and Orhan Şeker. 15 people are released on judicial control conditions.
(12/211) Detained Executives of HDP in Diyarbakır…
Ramazan Kavaş and Mustafa Akengin, provincial executives of HDP, who were detained at Diyarbakır Police Headquarters where they have been called to sign the documents related to detention of 35 people in the police raid to HDP’s Diyarbakır office are released on December 16, 2018 after statement procedures. Those 35 people were detained on December 12, 2018, by the police raiding HDP Diyarbakır office, on the grounds of supporting Leyla Güven’s hunger strike.
(12/212) Detained HDP Executive in Osmaniye…
Kamuran Babrak, HDP Osmaniye executive who was detained on December 14, 2018 is arrested by the court on December 15, 2018, on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(12/213) People Arrested in Antalya for ‘Insulting the President’…
5 people (R.G., Y.Y., B.G.K., B.Ö. and S.Y.) who were detained in Antalya on the grounds of ‘insulting the President’ are detained by the court on December 15, 2018.
(12/214) People Detained for Social Media Posts…
4 of 6 people including 2 police officers who were detained in Istanbul, Tunceli, Maraş, Izmir and Antalya on the grounds of social media posts, are arrested by the court on December 14, 2018. 2 people are released on judicial control conditions. The names of arrested people are: N.Ö., S.İ., and police officers S.E. and R.O.
(12/215) The Case Against People Evacuated from Nusaybin…
The case against 53 people who were detained and then arrested during the curfew on Nusaybin district, on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 is held between December 10 and 14, 2018.
The defendants who joined the trial via sound and vision system demanded to attend the trials.
Osman Uçar and Nubahar Özdemir stated in their defences that, they have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody after they were evacuated from Nusaybin; and that they were forced to sign a pre-written testimony without even being permitted to read.
Jiyan Ay stated the following on the torture and ill-treatment they were subjected to: “They tortured us when they detained us. They physically abused us and exerted brutal acts on us. They took us to a house. We were subjected to heavy torture for almost 3 hours there. They broke my chin there. There are still marks of the handcuffs on my wrists although it has been 3 years. The road travel took too long, and they attacked us in several ways during travelling. Then they took us to a sports hall. We were waited on our knees and were subjected to torture until the next morning. And then we were taken to the police headquarters. We were subjected to sexual abuse, threats and any kind of brutality there. They were attacking me while they say ‘Who is Jiyan Ay? Give her to us’.”
After defence hearings, the court rejected the demand of release for arrested defendants, decided to bring the defendants to the courtroom for the next trial and adjourned the trial to February 25, 2018.
(12/216) The Case Against Journalist in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 16, 2018 that sendika.org web portal’s writer Hamide Yiğit was sentenced by Ankara Penal Court of First Instance to 7 months and 15 days in accordance with the Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, for sharing the cover of her book “AKP’s War of Syria” on social media.
(12/217) The Case Against Journalist in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against İshak Yasul, the arrested editor in chief of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 on December 14, 2018. İshak Yasul joined the trial via sound and vision system. The court sentenced İshak Yasul to 1 year 10 months and 15 days for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
(12/218) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On December 14, 10 people are detained in operations covering 8 cities through a Muş based investigation.
It is learned that on December 14, 2018, detention warrants were issued for 219 military members in active duty including 4 colonels, 5 lieutenant colonels and 10 majors, through an Istanbul based investigation on Turkish Armed Forces.
It is learned that on December 14, 2018 detention warrants were issued for 48 people through an Ankara based investigation on employers of defence industry companies.
(12/219) Curfew in Lice…
Diyarbakır Governorate made a declaration on December 14, 2018 and lifted the curfew in 7 villages of Lice district as of 24.00 on December 14, 2018 which was declared as of 06.00 on December 13, 2018 until a further notice. The curfew is lifted on following villages: Budak, Dallıca, Türeli, Tepe, Kabakaya, Kutlu and Oyuklu villages.
(12/220) Curfew in Kulp…
Diyarbakır Governorate made a declaration on December 14, 2018 and lifted the curfew in 12 villages of Kulp district as of 24.00 on December 14, 2018 which was declared as of 06.00 on December 13, 2018 until a further notice. The curfew is lifted on following villages: Çukurca, Akbulak, Demirli, Bayırköy, Düzce, Temren, Taşköprü, Güleç, İnkaya, Barın, Üçkuyu and İnan villages.
(12/221) Curfew in Silvan…
Diyarbakır Governorate made a declaration on December 14, 2018 and lifted the curfew in 2 villages of Silvan district as of 24.00 on December 14, 2018 which was declared as of 06.00 on December 13, 2018 until a further notice. The curfew is lifted on following villages: Dolaplıdere and Dağcılar villages.
[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, YeniYaşam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, T724, 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.