Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
16-18 December 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/145) Suspicious Soldier Death in Bitlis…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 15, 2023 that Mustafa Fatih Yetişen, a specialist sergeant at Bitlis Tanrıyar Gendarmerie Station Command, died due to a gun accident.
(12/146) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 15, 2023, that notebooks and books of prisoners were seized during ward searches in Patnos L Type Closed Prison.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 17, 2023, that prisoners in Tekirdağ F Type Prison No 2 were subjected to strip searches and physical violence, 3 prisoners (Mehmet Sait Dayan, Cemil Doster and Mahmut Denktaş) were put in solitary cells, televisions and refrigerators belonging to prisoners and 4 letters written to the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan were seized by the prison administration during ward searches.
(12/147) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded to…
It is learned that the families and guardians of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, along with Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım, and Veysi Aktaş, made an appeal on December 15, 2023, to visit them in Imralı Prison through the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa, but have not received a response.
(12/148) DEM Parti Members Arrested in Istanbul…
Sipan Çoban and Ramazan Akgül, members of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Parti) Youth Assembly, who were detained in house raids on December 14, 2023, were arrested by the court on December 16, 2023, on the charges of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’.
(12/149) Journalist Arrested in Van…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 18, 2023, that journalist Sıddık Güler was arrested and sent to prison after the Court of Cassation upheld the 2 years 4 months and 3 days jail sentence given to him by Van Heavy Penal Court No 2 on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’.
(12/150) Journalist on Trial in Tekirdağ…
The trial of the case against Ramazan Dışari, employee of Demokratik Modernite magazine, continued December 15, 2023, at Tekirdağ Heavy Penal Court No 2. The prosecutor declared the final opinion on the case and demanded a sentence for Ramazan Dışari on the charge of ‘financing an illegal organization.’ The court adjourned the trial to December 22, 2023.
(12/151) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The retrial of the case against Eylül magazine editor Erdal Süsem continued on December 18, 2023, at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 12. The court decided to approve the verdict and to continue Süsem’s sentence.
Erdal Süsem was detained on March 21, 2000, on charges of being a member of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Liberation Army of Turkey (TIKKO) and sentenced to life imprisonment for ‘attempting to overthrow the constitutional order’. The European Court of Human Rights (AİHM) ruled that statements that do not belong to Süsem were written down and forcibly signed, that he was subjected to torture, and that he was deprived of his lawyer during the detention process. During the retrial of the case at the Heavy Penal Court No. 12, an individual application to the Constitutional Court (AYM) was made after the court ruled without Süsem’s testimony, and a violation was ruled once again by the AYM.
(12/152) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the case against journalists Miyase İlknur and Timur Soykan, on the charge of ‘publicly insulting through an audio, written or video message’ due to their statements about the owner of Turkish Media Group in a program on Halk TV on June 28, 2022, was held at Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No 32 on December 15, 2023. The court acquitted both journalists.
(12/153) People on Trial in Urfa…
The trial of the case against 7 people, including 3 arrestees, on the charges of ‘disrupting the unity and integrity of the state’ and ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ continued on December 15, 2023, at Urfa Heavy Penal Court No 5. The court released Reşat Demirkol among 3 arrested people and adjourned the trial to March 1, 2024.
(12/154) Person Threatening the Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 16, 2023, that the indictment against Fatih Haral, who shared personal information and photographs of Diyarbakır Bar Association President Nahit Eren and his family and threatened them with death, on the charges of ‘insulting by means of an audible written or visual message’ and ‘simple threat’ was accepted by Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No 9 and the trial date will be announced in the following days.
(12/155) Criminal Complaint on Threatening a Journalist…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 17, 2023, that the objection of Artı Gerçek reporter Hale Gönültaş’s lawyer to the non-prosecution of her criminal complaint about being threatened on the phone and social media after her news report titled “ISIS woman’s jihad video with a knife was filmed in a national garden” was rejected by Ankara Penal Court of Peace and the case was closed.
(12/156) Indictment Prepared Against a Person Due to Social Media Posts…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 18, 2023, that an indictment was prepared against social media celebrity Ahmet Sonuç, known as ‘Jahrein’, for insulting Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
(12/157) Person on Trial for “Sexual Abuse of a Minor” in Ordu…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 17, 2023, that the decision of Penal Department No 3 of Samsun Regional Court of Appeals, which reversed the sentence of 48 years of imprisonment given by Fatsa Heavy Penal Court to Y.K., a course instructor who was prosecuted for sexual abuse of a child (12, m) in a private secondary school boys’ dormitory in the Fatsa district of Ordu, and ruled for 1/6 of good behavior reduction, was approved by the Court of Cassation on September 4, 2023.
In 2021, Y.K., who was charged with “sexual abuse of a child” and “depriving a person of their liberty”, was sentenced to a total of 48 years in prison by Fatsa Heavy Penal Court on February 9, 2022, on the grounds that the abuse was not limited to a single incident and had been going on for a long time. Upon objection, the Samsun Regional Court of Appeals Penal Department No. 3 overturned the verdict and sent the file back to the Fatsa Heavy Penal Court. Upon the Heavy Penal Court’s insistence on its previous verdict, the Regional Court of Appeals reduced the sentence by 1/6 for good behavior considering “the defendant’s social relations, his behavior during the trial process after the abuse and the effects of the punishment on the defendant” and sentenced Y.K. to 22 years and 16 months imprisonment.
(12/158) Person on Trial for the Death of Cihan Aymaz…
The trial of the case against Mehmet Caymaz, who killed musician Cihan Aymaz on May 2, 2023 for not playing the song ‘Ölürüm Türkiyem’, started on December 15, 2023, at Istanbul Anadolu Heavy Penal Court No 22. The court adjourned the hearing to February 26, 2024.
(12/159) Police Officer on Trial for the Death of Uğur Kurt…
The retrial of the case on the death of Uğur Kurt, who was shot in the head by police officer S.K. while he was waiting at the Cemevi in Okmeydanı, Istanbul to attend the funeral of a relative, continued at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 11. In his final opinion on the case, the prosecutor demanded a jail sentence from 2 years to 6 years for the defendant police Officer S.K., on the charge of ‘causing death by negligence’. The court rejected the requests for viewing the footage and obtaining a new expert report and adjourned the trial to March 1, 2024.
(12/160) Police Officer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final trial of the case against police officer S. G. in connection with the injuries of Menice and Şeyhmus Yılmaz by police dogs during the police raid on their houses was held at Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No. 4 on December 18, 2023. The court acquitted S. G.
(12/161) Police Officer on Trial in Batman…
On December 15, 2023, the final hearing of the retrial of the case against 1 police officer in connection with the physical violence against lawyer Orhan Alphan by police officers in the Batman Courthouse on April 14, 2022, was held after the reversal of the verdict of the case at Batman Penal Court of First Instance No 1. The court sentenced police officer M.G. to 1 year, 3 months, and 16 days on the charge of ‘intentional injury’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(12/162) Concert Banned in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 16, 2023, that the concert to be held at Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Show Center in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, for the 32nd anniversary of Mesopotamia Cultural Center (MKM) was banned by the District Governorate of Küçükçekmece.
(12/163) People Detained and Arrested in Relation with the Coup Attempt…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 17, 2023, that three people, including a former deputy commissioner and a teacher, were sent to prison after being detained on the grounds of finalized prison sentences.
[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.
[2]To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.
[3]https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT
[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari
[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.