Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
17-19 February 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/164) Operations and Attacks…
The Ministry of National Defence (MSB) announced that 1 soldier (Salih Ay) died on February 17, 2024, in a clash between Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) units and HPG militants during the “Pençe-Kilit” operation in Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY).
(02/165) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Istanbul…
It is learned that on February 16, 2024, in a house raid in Ataşehir district of Istanbul, the police took the footage of Free Young Women (ÖGK) Central Committee member Sinem Çelebi, who was in the same house during detention of Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) member Kalender Polat for his social media posts, by breaking the door of the bathroom where she was taking a shower.
(02/166) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on February 16, 2024, to the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by families and tutelary of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in Imralı Prison, to visit them was not responded to.
(02/167) Political Party and Association Executives Arrested in Bursa…
Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Bursa Provincial Executive İshak Tekin and Mahmut İpek, executive of the Association for Assistance and Solidarity with Detained and Convicted Families (TUHAY-DER), who were among 4 people detained through a Bursa based investigation on 14 February 2024, were arrested on 17 February 2024 on the allegations of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The other 2 people, whose names are unknown, were released on judicial control condition by the Criminal Peace Judgeship on the same date.
(02/168) People Arrested in Istanbul…
13 of 15 people who were detained on February 13, 2024, in house raids in Istanbul on the allegations of ‘financing an illegal organization’ and ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ were released by Istanbul Peace Judgeship No 2 on February 16, 2024. 2 people were arrested on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The names of the arrested people could not be learned.
(02/169) People Arrested in Diyarbakır…
3 persons (Ali Akalan, Mehmet Ali Akalan, and Hasip Şimsek) were detained on February 12, 2024, in the Lice district of Diyarbakır on the allegations of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and ‘disrupting the unity and integrity of the state’ and were arrested by the criminal court of peace on February 16, 2024.
(02/170) People Arrested in Batman…
2 people (Mehmet Yılmaz and Diyar Arma) who were among the 7 people detained on the allegations of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ during house raids in Batman on February 14, 2024, were arrested by the Criminal Peace Judgeship on February 17, 2024. 5 people (Halil Yıldırım, Adnan Vural, Hamza Karaman, Kadir Nebioğlu, Samet Aravi) were released.
(02/171) People Arrested in Şırnak…
4 of 32 people who were detained during house raids on 13 and 14 February 2024 in Silopi, İdil, and Cizre districts of Şırnak were arrested on February 17, 2024, on the allegations of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. 28 people were released on the same date.
(02/172) Journalists and Political Party Staff Detained in Izmir…
5 journalists and 1 press worker of a political party who were detained on February 13, 2024, in Izmir through house raids in connection with an investigation initiated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Izmir, on February 16, 2024, were referred to Criminal Peace Judgeship on February 16, 2024, for arrest without their statements being taken by the prosecutor’s office.
Mezopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Delal Akyüz and Tolga Güney, JINNEWS reporter Melike Aydın and Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) press worker Fatma Funda Akbulut were released under house arrest, while Gazete Duvar reporter Cihan Başakçıoğlu and MA reporter Semra Turan were released under a travel ban.
(02/173) Association Member Detained in Istanbul…
On February 16, 2024, SGDF member Kalender Polat was detained in a house raid in the Ataşehir district of Istanbul, on the grounds of social media posts. Kalender Polat was taken to Istanbul Security Directorate Anti-Terror Department and it is learned that the detention period of Kalender Polat was extended for one more day on February 19, 2024.
(02/174) People Detained Diyarbakır…
11 persons (Peyam Kutlu, Berivan Nergiz, Eyüp Hekimoğlu, Hêja Jiyan Arıkboğa, Hêja Jiyan Arıkboğa, Yusuf Yokuş, Yusuf Taşcar and 5 unidentified persons) who were detained in Diyarbakır on February 14, 2024, on the grounds of a denunciation against them were released after statement procedures at the police on February 16, 2024.
(02/175) Person Detained in Istanbul…
On February 16, 2024, the play ‘Qral û Travis’, which was to be staged in Kurdish at Şişli Cemil Candaş Kent Cultural Center in Istanbul, was banned the same day by Şişli District Governorate without giving any reason, and the actors and some audience members who expressed that they would not leave the stage were blockaded by the police. The police detained at least one person (Uğur Özsunar).
(02/176) Ecological Activist Detained in Erzincan…
Sedat Cezayirlioğlu, life/environment defender who was detained in İliç on February 14, 2024, for his statements on the landslide in a gold mine in İliç district of Erzincan, was released by İliç Criminal Peace Judgeship on February 15, 2024, on judicial measures of signing his name twice a day at the nearest law enforcement unit and being banned from going within 3 kilometers of the mine site in İliç where the landslide occurred. It is learned that Sedat Cezayirlioğlu was prevented from entering his village by the gendarmerie after the verdict.
(02/177) Lawyer Detained due to Social Media Posts…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 19, 2024, that Istanbul Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against lawyer Feyza Altun, on the grounds of ‘publicly inciting a section of the public with different characteristics in terms of social class, race, religion, sect or region to hatred and hostility against another section’ through a social media post, and that she was detained.
(02/178) Indictment Prepared against a Journalist…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 16, 2024, that the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against journalist Tolga Şardan for his news reports on alleged irregularities in the judiciary, was sent to the Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. The indictment demands a jail sentence of up to 5 years for the journalist on the charges of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ and ‘denigrating the judicial organs of the state’.
(02/179) Theatre Play Banned in Alanya…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 18, 2024, that the play ‘Manukyan’, about the life of Matild Manukyan, which was to be staged at Alanya Municipality Cultural Center, was banned by Alanya Municipality without giving any reason.
(02/180) Theatre Play Banned in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 16, 2024, that the Kurdish theatre play ‘Qral û Travis’ which was to be staged in Şişli Cemil Candaş City Cultural Center in Istanbul on February 16, 2024, was banned on the same day by Şişli District Governorate without giving any reason.
(02/181) March 31st Elections…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 17, 2024, that Van Metropolitan Municipality prevented DEM Party and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) from putting up posters in Kurdish and Dimilkî languages on billboards for February 21, World Mother Language Day and the March 31 local elections.
(02/182) Discriminatory Practice by MEB…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 17, 2024, that according to the Ministry of National Education (MEB) Regulation on the Amendment of the Regulation on Educational Institutions published in the Official Gazette on February 16, 2024, celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc. are banned in institutions affiliated to MEB because they are ‘contrary to national and cultural values and cannot contribute to the psychosocial development of students’.
(02/183) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 19, 2024, that 45 social media posts about the collapse in a gold mine in the İliç district of Erzincan were banned from access by Ankara Criminal Peace Judgeship No. 8 on February 14, 2024, on the grounds of ‘protection of national security and public order’.
[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.