Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
16 – 18 November 2019 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/166) Military Operation to North and East Syria…
It is learned that 1 soldier (Bekir Can Hereklioğlu) who got wounded on November 11, 2019 in Resulayn city within the military operation of Turkish Armed Forces to north and east Syria, died in hospital on November 16, 2019.
(11/167) Person Was Shot by Police During Detention in Kayseri…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 17, 2019 that Murat E., who was being detained by the police on a warrant issued against him on the charges of ‘robbery’, ‘threat’, and ‘insult’, in Melikgazi district of Kayseri, got wounded due to fire opened by the police and was taken to hospital in handcuffs.
(11/168) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 15, 2019 that, Sur district council member Halime Akyol and Bağlar district council member Hêvidar Bozkuş who were arrested on November 11, 2019, were subjected to strip search at the entrance of Diyarbakır D Type Closed Prison.
(11/169) 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 1104 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on November 15, 16, and 17, 2019 at 13.30, and at 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on November 15, 2019, 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Nazan Bozkurt) and at 18.00 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Alev Şahin) were detained. It is learned that Mehmet Dersulu and Nazan Bozkurt was detained once again, on the grounds of “wearing shirts related to the protest” after being released from the hospital.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on November 16, 2019, 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Alev Şahin) and at 18.00 2 people (Nuriye Gülmen and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on November 17, 2019, 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Nazan Bozkurt) and at 18.00 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
Thus in total 12 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on November 15, 16, and 17, 2019. It is learned detained people were released on the same days they were detained.
(11/170) Prevention of 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 764th time on November 16, 2019. Upon police prevention, the group including representatives of political parties, human rights defenders and artists along with families of disappeared people held a press declaration on the street of Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul office.
(11/171) Prevention of Human Rights Defenders’ Event in Istanbul…
“F sit-in”, which is organized for the 399th time by Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Prison Watch Committee, to demand release of ill prisoners, on November 16, 2019, is prevented by the police. The police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square. Human rights defenders made the press declaration in front of IHD Istanbul office.
(11/172) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the press declaration of Revolutionary High-School Students, about suspicious death of Rabia Naz Vatan (11), held at Taksim Square in Istanbul on November 17, 2019, and detained 3 people. The names of detained people are: Şirin Yıldız, Harun Savğat and Doğukan Uçan.
(11/173) Police Intervention to a Protest in Urfa…
The police intervened the press declaration of People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in Urfa on November 16, 2019, to protest suspension of Suruç district co-mayor Hatice Çevik and appointment of trustee to Suruç, and detained 5 people. It is learned that HDP MP Ayşe Sürücü fainted due to police violence. Detained people (HDP provincial co-chairs Mikail Gözen and Emine Çetiner, district council members Fatma Taş Ekmez, Nahide Kılıç, and HDP executive Ferit Tamga) are released on the same day after statement procedures.
(11/174) Detained Co-Mayor in Urfa…
Suruç district co-mayor Hatice Çevik is detained on the grounds of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ on November 15, 2019. It is learned that detention period for Hatice Çevik is extended 2 more days on November 16, 2019.
(11/175) Detained Co-Mayors in Mardin…
Savur district co-mayor Gülistan Öncü, Mazıdağı district co-mayor Nalan Özaydın and Derik district co-mayor Mülkiye Esmez in Mardin are detained on ‘suspicious activities on behalf of an illegal organisation’ on November 15, 2019. It is learned that confidentiality order and 24 hours of prevention from lawyer are applied to the case.
(11/176) Arrested Co-Mayor in Mardin…
Nusaybin district co-mayor Semire Nergiz, who was detained in Mardin on October 15, 2019 and was arrested on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on October 17, 2019 is released on judicial control conditions and with a ban on leaving the country on November 15, 2019 by Mardin Penal Court of Peace No 2. Semire Nergiz was suspended by Ministry of Interior on October 18, 2019 and Nusaybin Sub-governor Mehmet Balıkçılar was appointed as a trustee.
(11/177) People Detained in Mardin…
It is learned that 10 people are detained in house raids in Değerli, Kılavuz, Umutlu and Baysun neighbourhoods of Dargeçit district of Mardin on November 15, 2019. The names of detained people known so far are: Hüsamettin Kaya, Halil Bozkurt, Lokman Kaya, Mahmut Kaya and Mustafa Baran.
(11/178) Detained Journalist in Mardin…
Journalist Ömer Akın is detained in Derik district of Mardin on November 15, 2019 and is released after statement procedures on the same day.
(11/179) Person Detained in Diyarbakır…
Muhammet Şiyar Tosun, HDP MP Remziye Tosun’s son, who was detained in Diyarbakır on November 14, 2019, on the grounds of ‘involving in an assault to the police’, and ‘matching fingerprints on an explosive’, is released on November 15, 2019.
(11/180) Detained Journalists and Other People in Izmir…
11 of 12 people who were detained in house raids in Izmir (journalists Melike Aydın and Ruken Demir, TUHAY-DER executives and members Selma Altan, Hediye Tekin, Şehmus Dağhan, Murat Tufan, Sait Bahadır, Ramazan Tufan, İsmail Akbay, Hayri Dikilitas and Mazlum Koç) are detained by the court on the charge of ‘activities on behalf of an illegal organisation’ on November 16, 2019. 1 person (Mehmet Gergin) is released with a ban on leaving the country.
(11/181) Detained People in Istanbul…
10 of 36 people including 1 child, who were detained in house raids in Istanbul on November 8, 2019 and following days, are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on November 15, 2019. 26 people are released provided that 25 of them are under judicial control conditions. The names of arrested people are: Nihat Demir, Merdal Bahadır, Livan Orman, Metin Yılmaz, Alaaddin Adanır, Muhammet Erkmen, Tuncay Doğdan, Gülistan Yılmaz, Zehra Aslan and Yunus Altun.
It is learned from the news coverage of November 16, 2019 that these 36 people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody. Merve Öztep, one of detainees who were released after 8 days, stated that they were subjected to physical violence because of rejecting strip search at the police headquarters, and on second day they were subjected to physical violence again, this time for rejecting being handcuffed behind their backs on the way to hospital for medical check; and that the police laid down them on the ground to handcuff at the hospital. Ercan Özdaş, another detainee who was released states the following about Metin Yılmaz, who is arrested: “A person around 70 or 80 kilos weight, jumped onto Metin and was beating him. Metin could not even breathe under him.”
(11/182) June 5 – Diyarbakır Case…
The case on the bombing attack to HDP’s rally in Diyarbakır on June 5, 2015, is held on Sincan West Courthouse Heavy Penal Court No 2 on November 15, 2019. Defendants Orhan Gönder, İsmail Korkmaz and Mustafa Kılınç and Burhan Gök joined the trial via sound and vision. The court decided to continue detention of arrested defendants and adjourned the trial to November 29, 2019.
(11/183) 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 November 15, 2019 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 (Baver Başar) to heavy life imprisonment and 19 years; 1 person (H. B.) to 11 years.
(11/184) Police Officers on Trial in Hakkari…
The final trial of the case against lawyers Fırat İke, Uğur Yaşar and journalist Yılmaz Gözyan, on the charge of ‘resisting police to prevent duty’ and ‘publicly insulting an officer’; and against 3 police officers (K. U., E. B. and F. A.) on the charge of ‘intentional injury’ is held at Yüksekova Penal Court of First Instance No 2 on November 15, 2019. Fırat İke, Uğur Yaşar and Yılmaz Gözyan have been subjected to police violence in street in Yüksekova district of Hakkari on November 27, 2014. The court sentenced 3 police officers to a fine of 3000 Turkish Liras each and deferred the announcement of the verdict. The police sentenced Fırat İke to 1 year and 15 days, Uğur Yaşar and Yılmaz Gözyan to 10 months each; and deferred the announcement of all verdicts.
Fırat İke, Uğur Yaşar and Yılmaz Gözyan have been stopped by the police while leaving Fırat İke’s office in Yüksekova on November 27, 2014; and they have been subjected to physical violence and threats of the police, before being handcuffed behind their backs and being detained.
(11/185) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On November 15, 2019, 45 people are detained in operations covering 29 cities through an Istanbul based investigation, and 35 people are detained in operations covering 27 cities through an Ankara based investigation.
12 people who were detained on November 4, 2019 through an Adana based investigation are arrested on November 16, 2019.
(11/186) Ban of a Leaflet in Adana…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 16, 2019 that “Uprising Against Male and State Violence” leaflets of HDP Women’s Assembly, related to November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, is banned by Adana Governorate.
(11/187) Ban of an Event in Ankara…
It is learned that the event for Atılım newspaper’s 25th year which was to be held in Mamak district of Ankara on November 16, 2019 is banned by Ankara Governorate on November 15, 2019.
(11/188) Ban of Events in Şırnak and Mardin…
Şırnak Governorate made a declaration on November 15, 2019 and announced that, all open events such as demonstrations, press declarations, meetings, sit-ins, opening stands and tents, festivals, concerts, delivering leaflets and so on are banned for 15 days as of November 15, 2019. This is the fourth time of banning all events for 15 days in Şırnak since October 1, 2019.
Mardin Governorate made a declaration on November 16, 2019 and announced that, all open and indoor events such as demonstrations, press declarations, meetings, sit-ins, opening stands and tents, festivals, concerts, delivering leaflets and so on are banned for 30 days as of November 16, 2019. This is the second time of banning all events for 30 days in Mardin since October 17, 2019.
(11/189) Trustees Appointed to Four Districts…
It is learned that Suruç district co-mayor Hatice Çevik in Urfa is suspended by Ministry of Interior on November 16, 2019 and Suruç sub-governor Kenan Aktaş is appointed as trustee.
It is learned that Derik district co-mayor Mülkiye Esmez, Mazıdağı district co-mayor Nalan Özaydın and Savur district co-mayor Gülistan Öncü in Mardin are suspended by Ministry of Interior on November 16, 2019 and Derik sub-governor Hakan Kafkas, Mazıdağı sub-governor Muhsin Duran Kalkan and Savur sub-governor Bayram Türker are appointed as trustees.
With this last appointments, the number of trustees appointed to municipalities that HDP won the local elections on March 31, 2019, raised up to 24 including 3 metropolitan cities and 1 city.
[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.