16-22 July 2016 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/036) Coup Attempt in Turkey…
A junta in the military allegedly related to Gülenist Movement attempted a coup d’état on 15 July 2016 in Turkey
The attempt started by closing both bridges on the Bosporus in İstanbul and low approach of war planes in Ankara. The clashes continued the whole night and the attempt was quashed on 16 July 2016.
The military troops of the junta called “Yurtta Sulh Konseyi / Peace at Hoe Council” attacked the parliament, National Intelligence Service, Ankara Security Directorate, İstanbul Governorate, İstanbul Municipality, Special Forces Unit in Göbaşı district of Ankara, Gendarmerie Command, and State Presidency Palace.
Protests against the coup attempt were staged in several cities including İstanbul and Ankara. Troops of the junta attacked civilians who also attempted to stop passage of military vehicles and attacks of the troops.
According to the first official announcement, at least 173 civilians, 62 police officers and 5 soldiers died during the coup attempt.
55 of the police officers were killed in Ankara, 5 in İstanbul and 2 in Muğla.
4 soldiers were killed in Ankara and 1 solider in İstanbul.
78 civilians in Ankara, 94 civilians in İstanbul, and 1 civilian in Malatya were killed.
153 persons were also wounded during the incidents following the coup attempt: 124 police officers including 96 in Ankara, 23 in İstanbul, 3 in Muğla, 1 in Sakarya, 1 in Bayburt were also wounded.
18 soldiers in Ankara, 2 soldiers in Sakarya, 1 soldier in İstanbul were wounded.
800 civilians in Ankara, 589 civilians in İstanbul, 1 civilian in Eskişehir were wounded.
24 soldiers from the junta were reportedly killed during the incidents.
The junta reportedly abducted the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces. The Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar was also abducted under beatings. He was kept in the centre of the junta “Akıncı 4th Main Jet Base” and he was rescued on 16 July 2016.
Military troop of 40 commandos of the junta also organised an operation against a hotel where State President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on vacation in Marmaris district of Muğla. The operation was organised an hour after the leave of the State President of the hotel. State President reportedly went to İstanbul instead of Ankara for security reasons.
After the quash of the coup attempt, operations against the junta was started on 16 July 2016. According to the reported investigation, most of the junta members were from Gülenist Movement.
The coup attempt was allegedly started on 15 July 2016 on the grounds that an operation was planned against the members of the Gülenist Movement (FETÖ/PDY – Fettullah Terror Organisation / Parallel State Structure) in the military. (FETÖ was named after the first name of the leader of Gülenist Movement: Fettullah Gülen.)
Following the coup attempt, 10,410 persons including 7,423 military personal were reportedly detained. 4,060 of the detainees were arrested. The arrestees included 119 generals and admirals. There were a total of 358 generals and admirals in the turkish army. Alleged leader of the junta Commander of the 2nd Army Adem Huduti, Supreme Military Council member Akın Öztürk, military assistants of the Chief of the General Command and State President, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Vice-Chair Şaban Dişli’s brother General Mehmet Dişli were among arrestees.
Besides detention and arrest operations, public servants from several public institutions were suspended of dismissed from duty on the grounds of having relation to Gülenist Movement.
57 public servants including 22 public servants from Ministry of National Education were suspended from duty. Prime Ministry called all public servants on leave back to service. Public servants who were abroad for official reasons were also called back to country.
Some members of Constitutional Court, Highest Administrative Court, and the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors were also suspended from duty following the coup attempt. Some of them were also arrested.
Ministry of National Education cancelled the licenses of 626 educational institutions on the grounds of having relation to Gülenist Movement. 21 teacher working for those institutions were also banned from working.
Radio and Television Supreme Council also cancelled the licenses of 24 radio and TV stations. These stations were also closed and banned from broadcasting.
Closed radio and TV station are as follows: STV, Samanyolu Haber, Samanyolu Haber Radyo, Can Erzincan TV, Kanal 124, Yumurcak TV, Hira TV, MC TV, Dünya TV, Kanal Türk, Bugün TV, Mehtap TV, Berfin FM, Kanal Türk Radyo, Burç FM, Samanyolu Haber Radyosu, Radyo Mehtap, Haber Radyo Ege, Dünya Radyo, Radyo Küre, Merkür TV, Esra Radyo, Tuna Shoping TV, Samanyolu Haber Radyo Anadolu.
Presidency of The Council of Higher Education asked 1577 deans in all universities to resign. The deans resigned from their positions.
Following the coup attempt, State President and the government called civilians on the streets stage demonstrations to protest the coup attempt. Starting from 16 July 2016, people gathered on Taksim Square in İstanbul and on Kızılay Square in Ankara for meetings which were banned for public meetings and gatherings for years.
The crowds demanded death penalty for the members of the junta during the meetings. The State President who was present during the meetings in İstanbul replied the crowd that the demands of the people could not be turned blind eye. He referred to the parliament for the decision. He also admitted that he would immediately ratify any law passed by the parliament concerning the issue.
Demonstrations and meetings continued every evening and nights since 16 July 2016. According to the news appeared in the media, some of the participants of the meetings attempted lynching of opposition groups.
The persons who did not take part in the meetings, especially women, were subjected to assaults and beatings. Their vehicles were damaged. The monument in front of Ankara Train Station for the victims of 10 October Ankara Massacre was also attacked and damaged. The Alevite quarters in Hatay and Malatya were attacked by the demonstrators. The quarters where Syrian refugees were living were reportedly attacked in several cities. The schools allegedly owned by Gülenist Movement were reportedly set to fire.
9 persons who objected lynching attempts in Hopa district of Artvin were arrested on 16 July 2016 on the allegations of supporting the coup attempt.
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) premises were also attacked by the demonstrators. HDP premises in Osmaniye and Kocaeli provinces, İskenderun district of Mersin, Sancaktepe district of İstanbul were attacked.
Following the declarations of the governmental officials concerning the death penalty, international bodies and human rights organisations objected even the discussion of any legal amendment for death penalty relying on the international treaties.
Following the discussions on death penalty and protests against the coup attempt, the Principal Consultant to State President Şeref Malkoç made a public statement and announced a law to be prepared on owning fire arms by civilians to protect themselves from the coup attempts.
According to the news and photos appeared in the media, the soldiers who were detained or arrested during the operations against junta and Gülenist Movement were subjected to ill-treatment and torture in custody. The allegedly leaders of the junta were beaten, there were traces of beatings and bruises on their bodies. The privates were allegedly raped in custody.
The detainees were not examined by the Forensic Institute upon order of the Public Prosecutors.
Newspaper close to Gülenist Movement stopped being published and Telecommunications Communication Presidency banned on 16 July 2016 access to web sites of 20 news agencies.
The leader of the junta was not disclosed. The State President declared a State of Emergency all over the country for 3 months following the meetings of National Security Council (MGK) and the Council of Ministers held on 20 July 2016. The decree was published on the Official Gazette and the Parliament also passed the decision during the general assembly on 21 July 2016.
(07/037) Selling Local Clothing Banned in Diyarbakır…
According to the news appeared in the press on 12 July 2016, Diyarbakır Governor Hüseyin Aksoy banned selling of local cloths ‘şal û şepik’ and ‘kiras û fîstan’ after seeing the cloths on the shop windows in Sur district of Diyarbakır.
(07/038) Former Political Party Executive on Trial in Diyarbakır…
According to the news appeared in the press 15 July 2016, a court case was launched against Zübeyde Zümrüt, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) former Co-Chair for Diyarbakır. Zübeyde Zümrüt was arrested on 6 May 2016 after being detained during the operations conducted in Diyarbakır.
The indictment wants the defendant to be sentenced to a term of imprisonment up to 20 years for “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” and “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations”. Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5 will start to hear the case.
(07/039) Operations and Attacks in the Southeast…
2 soldiers were wounded when a military base of Dikboğaz Gendarmerie Station was attacked on 18 July 2016 in Eruh district of Siirt.
3 police officers were killed, 4 police officers and 1 civilian were wounded when a police team was attacked on 19 July 2016 during a road control in Maka district of Trabzon.
1 temporary village guard died 4 temporary village guards were wounded when a trapped bomb exploded on 20 July 2016 in Şirvan district of Siirt.
2 soldiers were wounded during an armed clash on 20 July 2016 in Çukurca district of Hakkari.
3 police officers and 2 alleged HPG militants were killed when an armed clash broke out following a house raid on 22 July 2016 in Ergani district of Diyarbakır. 2 police officers were also wounded during the clash.
2 police officers were heavily wounded when Siteler Police Station in Sümer quarter of Akdeniz district in Mersin was thrown a bomb on 18 July 2016.
3 persons were wounded when 2 trapped bombs exploded on 15 July 2016 in Serhad quarter of İpekyolu district in Van.
Governorate of Siirt imposed curfew on 15 July 2016 in several quarters of provincial centre on the ground of military operations to be conducted in the province.
(07/040) Curfew in Nusaybin…
Heyhat Müjde (43) and her daughter Saadet Müjde (19) died when a bomb exploded on 19 July 2016 in Nusaybin district of Mardin. Curfew was imposed in the district on 14 March 2016 and blockade in the district was on-going. They were taking out their wares from their house in Yenişehir quarter when the bomb exploded.
(07/041) Extra-judicial Killing in Hakkari…
Sürmi İnce (55) was shot to death when military troops opened fire on 18 July 2016. She was going to arable fields to see the children working in the field nearby Büyükçiftlik town of Yüksekova district in Hakkari.
(07/042) Enes Ata and Mahsum Mızrak Investigation…
Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 1 continued on 19 July 2016 to hear the case against the police officers Bilal Özkara, Hayrettin Akar and Nuri Özgenç launched on charges of causing deaths of Enes Ata (8) and Mahsum Mızrak (14) on March 2006 in Diyarbakır.
After the testimonies of the defendants and defence of their lawyers, the court adjourned the hearing to 8 December 2017 to wait for the result of the investigation concerning the missing tear gas canister. It was revealed at the previous hearings that the recordings of the radio conversations of the day of incident were deleted. Tear gas canister which caused the death of Enes Ata has also gone missing.
On 28 March 2006, the police intervened the funeral of PKK militants in Diyarbakır. 10 persons were killed and 400 persons were wounded during the incidents. Public Prosecutor asked for permission to start an investigation against the police officers in connection with the killing of Enes Ata (8), but Diyarbakır Governorate did not allow the investigation on 25 July 2012 on the grounds the perpetrator could not be identified. Public Prosecutor objected the decision and Diyarbakır Regional Administrative Court suspended the decision on 4 December 2012.
(07/043) Committee Beaten in Mardin…
The police attacked the committee of 60 persons including Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Leyla Güven, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Leyla Birlik and Gürsel Yıldırım who wanted to visit Nusaybin district of Mardin following the announcement that curfew in the district was partially lifted on 19 July 2016.
The police forced the members of the committee to stand still for a long period of time facing a wall in Kışla quarter of the district. Some members of the committee were also beaten. The committee was released after a while, but the press cards of the media representatives were seized by the police.
(07/044) Detentions and Arrests…
JINHA news agency editor Zehra Doğan and Mazlum Kavak were detained on 21 July 2016 in a coffee in Nusaybin district of Mardin when they were following incidents in the district.
T.Ö. (14-male) and Ferdin Öner (20) who were detained during a house raid in Xaçort quarter of İpekyolu district in Van were arrested on 19 July 2016 on the allegations of “aiding an illegal organisation”.
İbrahim Albak, Cesim Güler and Davut Güler who were detained in Çaldıran district of Van were arrested on 15 July 2016 on the allegations of “aiding an illegal organisation”.
Security Forces conducted operations on 15 July 2016 in Silvan district of Diyarbakır and detained 20 persons.
4 persons including Co-Mayor for Özalp district Şerafettin Özalp who were among 9 persons detained during operations in Özalp district of Van were arrested on 16 July 2016 on the allegations of “aiding an illegal organisation”.
(07/045) Condition of Prisoner Set Himself to Fire…
According to the news appeared in the press on 19 July 2016, the health condition of the prisoner Mehmet Yamaç worsened. He set himself to fire on 28 April 2016 in Edirne F-type Prison to protest in the recent military operations and arrests.
Despite the vital burns, his treatment was allegedly prevented by the prisons administration. His wounds were reportedly cleaned with scouring pad.
(07/046) Death in Prison…
Democratic Regions Party (DBP) executive for Uludere district in Şırnak province Segvan Yaman incarcerated in Kalkandere (Rize) L-type Prison allegedly committed suicide on 18 July 2016 in his cell. He was arrested during the operations conducted in March 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
(07/047) Impunity in Medeni Yıldırım Investigation…
According to the news appeared in the press on 19 July 016, Public Prosecutor in Diyarbakır concluded the investigation against a gendarmerie commander and his team concerning the killing of Medeni Yıldırım with the decision of on-prosecution. Medeni Yıldırım was killed and 8 persons were wounded on 28 June 2013 during a demonstration against the construction of a new gendarmerie outpost in the Kayacik village of Lice district in Diyarbakır.
(07/048) Correspondent on Trial in Malatya…
Malatya Heavy Penal Court No 2 started on 18 July 2016 to hear the case against Dicle News Agency (DİHA) correspondent Nuri Akman who was arrested on 2 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation” when he went to the Malatya Public Prosecutor to testify in connection with a case.
Public Prosecutor in Malatya referred his being member of Free Students Association (Özgür Öğrenci Derneği) while being student and his photographs taken in Kobanê as evidences in the indictment.
After the identification and testimony of the defendant, the court decided to release the defendant to be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to a later date.
(07/049) Persons Died during Curfews…
A person who was reportedly stuck in a basement of a house on Caferi Sadık street in Cudi quarter during the night-curfew in Cizre district of Şırnak and died on 30 January 2016 was identified as Sultan Irmak (16) after DNA tests. The body was previously identified as Derya Karahan and buried in common grave. Her body was taken by her family on 15 July 2016.
(07/050) 3. KCK/TM Main Trial in İstanbul…
Çağlayan (İstanbul) Heavy Penal Court No 3 continued on 15 July 2016 to hear the case against 46 journalists and correspondents launched after the operation conducted on 20 December 2011 against the premises of Dicle News Agency and several other news agencies in connection with a KCK investigation.
The indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced for “being member of an illegal organisation” and “being leading member of an illegal organisation”.
At the previous hearing of the case, the lawyers defended that the files of the case should be sent to the Constitutional Court on the grounds that the Temporary Article 14/4 of the Anti-terror Law and the Article 1 of the Law No 6526 on Amendments in Anti-Terror Law, Law on Criminal Procedures and in other laws were against the constitution. Since the court did not accept the demand, the court continued with testimonies of the defendants and adjourned the hearing to 18 November 2015.