Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
17 July 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/195) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned that 7 police officers including 2 pilots died in the scout plane of General Directorate of Security that crashed for an unknown reason into Artos Mountain in Van on July 16, 2020. Names of police officers are: Gökhun Mete Altunbaş, Samet Üstüner, İrfan Aydoğan, Semih Güzelay, Mustafa Keskin, Onur Ramazan Bayram and Burak Derya.
It is learned that 2 special operations police officer (Muhammet Demir and Anıl Kemal Kurtul) died and 2 of them got wounded in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in Pervari district of Siirt on July 16, 2020.
It is learned from the news coverage of July 16, 2020 that, 2 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas of Tatvan district of Bitlis on June 19, 2020.
(07/196) Syrian Citizen Died in Attack of a Racist Group in Bursa…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 16, 2020 that, Syrian citizen Hamza Acan (17), working at a farmers’ market in Gürsu district of Bursa, warned a group working at the same place and verbally assaulting a Syrian woman; which then turned into a quarrel and Hamza Acan got wounded due to being hit by a rock at the head. It is reported that Hamza Acan lost his life at hospital due to brain haemorrhage.
(07/197) Child Got Wounded Due to Fire Opened by Soldiers in Van…
It is learned from the news reports that a 15 years old child, A. B., who was grazing sheep in Yukarı Çilli neighbourhood of Çaldıran district of Van on July 16, 2020, got wounded due to fire opened by soldiers and were taken to Yüzüncü Yıl University Hospital.
(07/198) Asylum Seekers Died in Van…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 16, 2020 that the death toll raised up to 40 in the sinking boat in Van Lake on June 26, 2020 where numerous asylum seekers are lost.
(07/199) Child Subjected to Sexual Assault by a Soldier in Batman…
It is claimed in the news coverage of July 16, 2020, that a 17 years old child was subjected to sexual assault by specialised sergeant M. O. in Batman.
It is learned that the child was under treatment at intensive care unit and in life critical condition.
It is reported that specialised sergeant M. O. is detained.
(07/200) Police Intervention to Protests in Istanbul…
The police intervened members of TAYAD (Solidarity Association of Families of Prisoners) in Kartal Square of Istanbul who march from Istanbul to Ankara on July 16, 2020; to support lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal. Ebru Timtik is on a death fast for 197 days in Silivri Prison No 9 and Aytaç Ünsal is on a death fast for 166 days in Burhaniye T Type Prison to demand a fair trial. The police detained 2 people (Feridun Osmanağaoğlu and Yıldırım Deniz) who were released on judicial control conditions later on the same day.
(07/201) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declarations of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1346 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on July 16, 2020 at 13.30 and 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.
(07/202) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Düzce…
On July 16, 2020, the police intervened the press declaration of Alev Şahin in order to regain her job from which she was dismissed by a state of emergency decree, in front of Düzce Governorate and detained her. Alev Şahin was released on the same day.
(07/203) Detained City Council Members in Diyarbakır…
Gülşen Güneş, city council member from Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Yenişehir district of Diyarbakır who was detained in Diyarbakır on July 14, 2020 is released by the court on judicial control conditions on July 16, 2020 It is reported that 3 people (Ronda Bat, city council member from HDP in Yenişehir district and Panayır Çelik and Halime Bayram, city council members from HDP in Bağlar district) who were detained through the same investigation, are still under custody.
(07/204) Detained People in Diyarbakır…
Aklime Hanas, Rabia Ataş, Zeynep Suncak, 3 of 19 people including TUHAD-FED co-chair Elif Haran and Tevgera Jinên Azad (Free Women’s Movement – TJA) spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan and activists who were detained in house raids in Diyarbakır on July 14, 2020, are released on judicial control conditions on July 16, 2020. Hayriye Türkekul (70) who was also detained was released by the court on judicial control conditions on July 15, 2020.
(07/205) Detained People While Distributing Leaflets in Adana…
On July 16, 2020, 2 people who were distributing leaflets “Don’t forget Suruç, Don’t let it be forgotten”, in Adana, are detained. 2 people, whose names are not learned, are released after statement procedures at the police on the same day.
(07/206) Detained Executives and Members of Political Parties in Antep…
14 of 29 people including provincial co-chairs of HDP, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) who were detained in house raids in Antep on July 14, 2020, are referred to the court on July 16, 2020. 9 people (HDP provincial co-chair Musa Aydın, Adnan Erol, Hurşit Besle, Abdullah Acar, Enver Özman, Sevinç Selçuk, Ömer Sungur, İbrahim Dağ and Hasan Saran) are arrested; 5 people are released on house confinement.
It is learned that 15 people are still under custody.
(07/207) CHP Chair on Trial…
The final trial of the case against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, chair of Republican People’s Party (CHP), for his allegations about tax evasion of President and his relatives through commerce relations with Man Island, is held at Istanbul Anadolu Civil Court of First Instance No 5 on July 16, 2020. The court rejected recusation demand of Kılıçdaroğlu’s lawyers and sentenced him to pay 197.000 Turkish Liras as compensation.
(07/208) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against Deniz Yücel, Turkey reporter of German Die Welt newspaper, on the charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and ‘inciting hatred and hostility among people’ is held on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 on July 16, 2020.
The court sentenced Deniz Yücel to 2 years and 9 months for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
Deniz Yücel was detained on February 14, 2017 and was arrested by the court on February 27, 2017. The indictment against him was accepted by the court on February 16, 2018 and released Deniz Yücel on scheduling order.
(07/209) Grup Yorum Members on Trial…
The trial of the case against Grup Yorum band members Bergün Varan and Sultan Gökçek is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 36 on July 16, 2020.
Bergün Varan and Sultan Gökçek attended the trial. After defence hearings the court decided to continue detention of Bergün Varan and Sultan Gökçek and adjourned the trial to September 30, 2020.
It is learned that Sultan Gökçek and Bergün Varan held a sit-in in the court room to protest the court’s verdict and they were forced out of the court room by gendarmerie using physical violence against them.
Bergün Varan and Sultan Gökçek were detained in the raid to Idil Cultural Center in Okmeydanı, Istanbul on November 29, 2019 and were arrested by the court on December 2, 2019.
(07/210) October 10 – Ankara Massacre Case…
The trial of the case against Erman Ekinci and 16 fugitive defendants, for October 10 – Ankara Massacre, is held at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 4 on July 16, 2020.
The court decided to send a writ to Ministry of Justice about defendants Mustafa Delibaşlar, Fadile Delibaşlar, Cebrail Kaya and İlhami Balı who were in camps in Syria; and adjourned the trial to September 21, 2020.
19 defendants have been sentenced to jail sentences on August 3, 2018, at the final trial of the case on October 10 – Ankara Massacre and the case against 16 fugitives was separated.
(07/211) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Ministry of Health declared that 21 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 933 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on July 16, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 5,440 and total number of confirmed cases is 216,873 as of July 16, 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.