Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
16 October 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(10/211) Person Died Due to Fire Opened by the Police in Istanbul…
It is learned that a person named A. İ. died due to fire opened by the police intervening a quarrel in Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul on October 15, 2020.
It is learned that 6 people including the police officer causing death of A. İ. were detained in relation to the incident.
Istanbul Governorate’s Office made an announcement and stated the following: “While officers were intervening two sides of the quarrel, two individuals with weapons and clubs came into the street and opened fire randomly; and A. İ., one of those individuals who pointed his gun to a police officer, got wounded due to fire opened by the police officer. The injured person died in hospital.”
(10/212) Soldier Died in Hatay…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that Volkan Soy, a soldier on duty at Naval Base Command in Iskenderun district of Hatay fell ill and died in hospital.
(10/213) Person Threatened by the Police in Ankara…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that, a person named Meliha Kayhan in Ankara was followed by persons who claim themselves as police officers in October and were threatened by them for the events that she participated in. It is reported that Meliha Kayhan was once abducted by persons who claim to be police officers.
(10/214) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that, prisoners who were transferred from Diyarbakır D Type Prison to Diyarbakır High Security Prison No 2 under coercion, were subjected to torture and ill-treatment during transfer and were put in solitary cells. It is also stated in the news reports that prisoners went on a hunger strike to protest right violations and they were intervened by wardens using physical violence which caused fracture in a prisoner’s foot.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that Bekir Kudak, a prisoner in Adana Kürkçüler Prison was subjected to physical and verbal violence of the wardens. It is also stated in the news reports that Bekir Kudak was being kept in a solitary cell although the quarantine period for him was over. It is reported that Bekir Kudak’s lawyer made a criminal report against wardens who are responsible for physical and verbal violence.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that 4 prisoners were transferred on September 15, 2020 from Kırşehir Prison to Kayseri T Type Prison No 1 under coercion, for they went on a hunger strike to protest right violations; and they were penalised with solitary cell confinement for they rejected strip search at the entrance of the prison. It is also stated in the news reports that prisoners were subjected to physical violence of the wardens for they reject to stand during roll-calls, they were forced to give oral reports in military style during phone calls and the calls were cut in case they reject to do so; and that the meals given to prisoners were of poor quality.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that, in Kayseri T Type Prison No 2, letters of prisoners were not sent, and the newspapers they request were not given to prisoners.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that in Kayseri Women’s Prison, social, cultural and sports rights of prisoners were prevented, the number of books that could be kept per prison is limited to 10, letters about right violations written by prisoners addressing human rights organisations and Grand National Assembly were not sent by prison administration for having ‘controversial expressions’, and the goods were sold at high prices at prison commissary.
(10/215) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…
It is claimed in the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that, 7 ill prisoners (Adem Durmuş, Mazlum Dinç, Şeyhmuz Koç, Bilal Akbaş, Şemsettin Özer, Engin Aydınalp, Ömer Çeken) in Samsun Bafra T Type Prison were not medically treated.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 15, 2020 that prisoners in Kayseri Women’s Prison were forced to be in handcuffs during medical examinations.
(10/216) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on October 15, 2020 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers in order to visit their client was rejected the same day on the grounds of the ban for Abdullah Öcalan which prevents lawyer visits for 6 months.
(10/217) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration which was made within the scope of “I Want My Job Back Protest” going on for 1437 days in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on October 15, 2020 at 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.
(10/218) Özgür Gündem Case…
The final trial of the case against Kars co-mayor Ayhan Bilgen, who was suspended and replaced by a trustee, for being a member of advisory board of Özgür Gündem newspaper that was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 24 on October 15, 2020. Ayhan Bilgen joined the trial from prison via sound and vision system. The court acquitted Ayhan Bilgen on the charges of ‘disturbing unity and integrity of the state’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, and separated the case on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(10/219) Former Co-Mayor on Trial…
The final trial of the case against Cengiz Kök, former co-mayor of Nusaybin district of Mardin, is held at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 on October 15, 2020. The court sentenced Cengiz Kök to 6 years and 3 months on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
Cengiz Kök was arrested on January 13, 2017 and was released from prison on December 15, 2017.
(10/220) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Sabiha Temizkan, for a social media post in 2014, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 35 on October 15, 2020. The court adjourned the trial to October 22, 2020.
(10/221) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against Mezopotamya News Agency reporters Sadık Topaloğlu and Sadiye Eser is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 22 on October 15, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for 2 journalists on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The court decided to lift judicial control conditions on journalists, to continue the ban on leaving the country and to return seized digital material, and adjourned the trial to March 9, 2021.
(10/222) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against executive editor Yılmaz Yıldız, and editor in chief Ishak Yasul of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26. The court sentenced Ishak Yasul to 10 months on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, and did not postpone the sentence. The court decided to separate the case against Yılmaz Yıldız.
(10/223) Person on Trial in Van…
The final trial of the case against Fadıl Barıştıran, for his expressions “Hemu şehide Kürdistanê ra El Fatiha (Al-Fatihah for all martyrs of Kurdistan)” at the commemoration for Yunus Emre Şen who lost his life in Suruç Massacre, is held at Van Heavy Penal Court No 7 on October 15, 2020. The court sentenced Fadıl Barıştıran to 1 year on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
(10/224) Prevention of HDP Committee in Muş…
The committee of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) members including Muş MP Şevin Coşkun who wants to survey wildfires in Kolan village of Varto district of Van on October 15, 2020, are prevented from entering the village by gendarmerie, on the grounds of continuing military operation in the area.
(10/225) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Ministry of Health declared that 66 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,693 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on October 15, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 9,080 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 342,143 as of October 15, 2020.
It is learned that 2 health workers (pharmacy technician Hüseyin Seyirt and ambulance driver Hasan Onur) died from Covid-19 on October 15, 2020.
[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.