Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
21 – 23 July 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/245) Claim of Torture Under Custody in Urfa…
It is learned from news coverage of July 20, 2018 that, D. D., who has been detained in Urfa on July 23, 2018 was subjected to torture at Akçakale district Gendarmerie Station and Şehit Nusret Bey Gendarmerie Station where was under custody. Lawyer of D. D., made an official complaint and stated following about the torture: “D. D. was hitchhiking on Harran-Suruç road around noon on July 23. A white car stopped and picked him up. The driver told that he was a police officer and took D. D. to Akçakale Gendarmerie Station. It was seen by criminal record check that D. D.’s ID was fake, and his real ID is detected via fingerprints (…) He was taken to a room without security cameras, there were three people in plain clothes. One of them said ‘Shall we start? Tell’ to D. D. When D. D. asked ‘Tell what?’, one of the people in the room started to hit D. D.’s head to the wall. Other two people and those who brought him to the room started to beat D. D. (…) After hospital, he was taken to Gendarmerie Command. Torture continued here as well. He told that he was handcuffed behind his back, kicked at his head and body, and was given electric shocks. (…) He was kept there until July 29. (…) He told that he was ‘subjected to sexual torture, was stretched by being tied to the wall and the table at his hands and feet, was subjected to electric shocks, was hit at head and face, was subjected to pressurized, cold and salty water, was beat with a sack on his head’. And he was made to wait for three days so that the marks of torture would disappear.”
- D. was referred to the court on July 29, 2018, and was arrested on the charge of “forgery of official documents” for carrying a fake ID and not having a stable address. It is claimed that D. D. was taken by the police from Eyyübiye E Type Prison to Urfa Police Headquarters and was subjected to torture again until June 16, 2018.
(07/246) Allegedly Missing Person in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that Kamil Acar, business person and former executive of HDP, from whom no news were received since July 18, 2018, is back at home on July 20, 2018. Kamil Acar was taken to Diyarbakır Police Headquarters for official testimony.
Kamil Acar’s lawyers made a declaration on July 21, 2018 and stated the following: “Our client Kamil Acar, was on his way back home in Diyarbakır from Nevşehir on July 18, 2018; and his car was stopped near Pirinçlik around 20.30, by anonymous people with long barrelled weapons and he was kept captive by these people. Right after getting out of his car, he was handcuffed behind his back with plastic cable, his eyes and face were covered with a piece of cloth, and he was forced to get in a car and was kidnapped. He was taken to an uncertain place and was kept closed until evening of July 20. In the evening of July 20, he was released in a field near Diyarbakır city center, and he made his way to main road there, take a cab that he came across. He called his family on the taxi driver’s phone and told them he was on his way home, and reached his home around 21.30. After getting back home, he was taken to the police headquarters for legal procedures, and came back to his home the next morning.”
(07/247) Operations and Attack in Southeast…
It is learned from news coverage of July 20, 2018 that a forest fire started during the military operation on Cudi Mountain in Şırnak. It is claimed in the news report that the fire started due to cannon shots made from surrounding security stations.
It is learned from news coverage of July 21, 2018 that, in clashes between HPG militants and security forces, 2 militants died in rural areas of Şırnak on July 9, 2018; 2 militants died in rural areas of Mardin’s Ömerli district on June 5, 2018; 3 militants died in rural areas of Diyarbakır’s Kulp district on July 11, 2018; and 1 militant died due to the bombardment of Turkish Armed Forces in rural areas of Bitlis.
It is learned that 1 village guard died, 1 village guard and 2 soldiers were wounded due to an attack against security forces in rural areas of Şemdinli district of Şırnak on July 22, 2018.
It is learned from news coverage of July 22, 2018 that 2 militants died in a clash in rural areas of Hakkari on July 8, 2018; 2 militants died in a clash in rural areas of Şırnak on July 11, 2018.
(07/248) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of July 20, 2018 that prisoners in Antalya L Type Prison who reject to stand in military order during roll-calls were subjected to physical violence, and books and magazines of prisoners were seized during ward searches. It is also stated in the news reports that prisoners were not referred to hospitals on time.
(07/249) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on July 20, 2018 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s sister and brother along with the families of Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysel Aktaş in order to visit, was rejected the same day on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the Law on the Execution of Criminal and Security Measures Number 5275. With the last rejection, it was the 85th time that appeals for visiting Öcalan have been rejected since September 11, 2016.
(07/250) Coercion to Uniforms and Reactions Against This…
The press declaration of TAYAD (Prisoner’s Families’ Solidarity Association) members attempted to be held in Sakarya Street in Ankara on July 21, 2018 against uniform coercion in prisons is prevented by the police. It is reported that 1 people (Halil İbrahim Şener) were detained in police intervention.
(07/251) Police Intervention Against Commemoration for Suruç Massacre in Istanbul…
The police intervened with gas bombs into the commemoration organized by Suruç Families’ Initiative, to mark the 3rd anniversary of Suruç Massacre, on July 20, 2018 in Kadıköy district of Istanbul. It is reported that a person named Ulaş (unknown surname) was hit by a bomb shell, and had a head trauma and was taken to hospital. It is also learned that a person named Roza Kahya’s arm was broken due to police intervention. It is learned that the police detained 14 people, handcuffed them behind their backs and took them to Kadıköy Rıhtım Police Station.
It is learned that the police intervened with gas bombs and clubs into the journalists who follow the press declaration, and detained journalist Zeynep Kuray.
It is reported that lawyer Tuba Güneş, who reacted that detainees were handcuffed behind their backs and forced to testify under such conditions, was subjected to physical violence by the police that force her to get out of the station. It is learned that the police said “I do not care about the law; things do not go as you want here”.
14 people who were detained are released after statement process on July 21, 2018.
(07/252) Police Intervention Against Commemoration for Suruç Massacre in Ankara…
The police intervened the commemoration to mark the 3rd anniversary of Suruç Massacre, on July 20, 2018 in Sakarya Street in Ankara, and detained 20 people.
It is reported that, a person attempted to attack HDP MP Musa Piroğlu, who was participating the press declaration; and that the police intervened with clubs into people who tried to stop the attacker.
It is learned that the journalists following the press declaration were also prevented by the police.
It is learned that detainees were released the same day after statement procedures at the police.
(07/253) 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 for a while to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on July 20, 21, and 22, 2018 at 13.30 and 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on July 20, 2018, 3 people (Alev Şahin, Gülnaz Bozkurt and İlker Işık) and at 18.00 2 people (Alev Şahin and Mehmet Dersulu) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on July 21, 2018, 2 people (Gülnaz Bozkurt and Mahmut Konuk) and at 18.00 1 person (Mehmet Dersulu) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on July 22, 2018, 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Armağan Özbaş) and at 18.00 2 people (Gonca Başak Öz and Mehmet Dersulu) were detained.
Thus in total 12 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on July 20, 21, and 22, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(07/254) Detained HDP Members in Urfa…
On July 20, 2018, Mehmet Ural, former district co-chair of HDP and a HDP member Salih Aslan were detained in house raids in Bozova district of Urfa.
(07/255) CHP MP on Trial…
Penal Department No 16 of the Supreme Court, rejected the demand of ending legal proceedings against Enis Berberoğlu, who has been re-elected as a MP on June 24, 2018. The Supreme Court ruled that the demand of release should be considered during the main examination on the case.
It is learned from news coverage of July 21, 2018 that Enis Berberoğlu, who is kept in Silivri Prison, decided not to use his rights of contact and non-contact visits, phone rights and defence right at the court, in order to protest the Supreme Court’s verdict.
(07/256) Prosecuted HDP MP’s…
It is learned from news coverage of July 20, 2018 that Batman Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against HDP Batman MP’s Feleknas Uca and Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, for attending the funeral of a HPG militant.
(07/257) Person Arrested for Insulting Ataturk…
Safiye İnci, who was detained for her social media posts where she allegedly insults Ataturk, is arrested by the court on July 22, 2018.
(07/258) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
A person named İsa Özdemir, who was captured in Azerbaijan by an operation of National Intelligence Agency of Turkey, is brought to Turkey and arrested by the court on July 20, 2018.
5 of 7 people who were detained in Antalya, are arrested by the court on July 20, 2018. 2 people are released on juridical control conditions.
On July 21, 2018, 15 military personnel including 2 majors and 2 lieutenants are detained in operations covering 12 cities through a Kars based investigation.
5 of 9 people, who were detained through a Bursa based investigation, on the charge that they attempt to get people who were arrested through “Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation / Parallel State Structure investigation” released for money, are arrested by the court on July 21, 2018. 3 people are released on juridical control conditions. 1 person is still under custody.
(07/259) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against Davut Hancı, a Canadian citizen, on Trabzon Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on July 20, 2018. The court sentenced Davut Hancı to 15 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The final trial of the case against lawyer Özge Elif Hendekçi, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 16 is held on July 20, 2018. The court sentenced Özge Elif Hendekçi to 7 years and 11 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(07/260) Special Security Zone in Hakkari…
Hakkari Governorate made a declaration on July 22, 2018 and announced that 30 areas with given coordinates in central, Çukurca, Şemdinli and Yüksekova districts of Hakkari are special security zones from July 23, 2018 to August 6, 2018.
[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, T724, 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.