Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
21 December 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/186) Union Executive Threatened in Diyarbakır…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2023, that Erhan Gümüş, Diyarbakır branch secretary of Energy, Industry and Mine Public Workers’ Union (ESM) of Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions (KESK), was subjected to threats and forced to be a spy by people who introduced themselves as intelligence officers in Diyarbakır. At the press conference organized at the Human Rights Association (IHD) Diyarbakır branch, Erhan Gümüş shared the following: “On August 21, I was called and invited to the police station. I was told that the car I was driving had dual license plates and that I had to sign for it. I delayed this process a bit. 3 days later, I went to the District Security Directorate and was told that there was no such thing. I called the number that called me and gave it to the police officer there. When the police officer spoke, they told me that they were from the intelligence department and requested an interview. I told them I would be at work. They came to the public institution at around 13.00. They said they were coming on behalf of the state. They entered the workplace without registering. They offered me to be an informant. When I refused, they threatened me with the words, ‘We will dismiss you from public office.’ A week later, when my brother was supposed to be released, he was given a one-year extension. On December 18, they cut me off on my way home and threatened me, saying, ‘We have come to warn you for the last time on behalf of the state; you are on the last exit of the road’.”
(12/175) Child Subjected to Physical Violence by a Village Guard…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 21, 2023, that a child (10, f) was subjected to physical violence by a village guard in a village in the İdil district of Şırnak and was wounded in various parts of her body. The mother of the child reported the incident as follows: “My daughter is 10 years old, and my son is 2 years old. My daughter left the house to take her brother to the store. The village guard’s son slapped my son. At that moment, my daughter reacted to him and said, ‘Why are you hitting my brother? Then the boy’s father, who is a village guard, comes. As a result of the village guard’s violence, my daughter’s teeth were broken, and her back, head, and face were bruised. Her mouth was covered in blood. He was going to hit me too, but after I told them, ‘I will report you to the police station,’ he stopped. The mukhtar came to our house and said, ‘Don’t file a complaint for my sake.’ We did not file a complaint, but the soldiers said there would still be an investigation. The village guard and our statements were taken”.
(12/188) People Subjected to Physical Violence by Village Guards and Soldiers in Diyarbakır…
According to news coverage of December 21, 2023, village guards and soldiers allegedly used physical violence and insulted some people during house raids in the Duru village of the Lice district of Diyarbakır.
(12/189) Person Subjected to Torture and Ill-Treatment by the Police…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2023, that Cumali Aslanhan, a teacher who was stopped by the police on December 18, 2023, in connection with a robbery report, was subjected to physical violence by the police officers in the police car on the grounds of not presenting his ID card and was wounded in various parts of his body. Cumali Aslanhan made a criminal complaint against the police officers and shared the following: “I said I was a teacher, but they threw me into the police car. They hit me with punches and kicks, saying ‘you are a teacher’. I am especially complaining against 2 police officers”.
(12/190) Racist Attack in Bursa…
It is learned that Bursaspor players attacked Diyarbekirspor players during the football match between Bursaspor and Diyarbekirspor in Bursa on December 21, 2023.
(12/179) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 20, 2023, that prisoners in Samsun Bafra T Type Closed Prison were subjected to mouth searches, their social rights were restricted, and books sent to them were not given to them. It is also learned from the news reports that 3 prisoners who went to see the prison director about rights violations were handcuffed behind their backs and were subjected to ill-treatment by correction officers and were taken back to their rooms, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against them. Serdar Başaran, one of the prisoners who went to see the prison director, stated: “We went to the interview room of the prison director to talk about the rights violations we have been experiencing. When we started to tell our problems by sitting, he instructed us to stand up and tell our problems. We did not accept this and said, ‘We will tell our problems sitting down.’ The guards dragged me and two of my friends off the floor in handcuffs and took us to our room. As if that wasn’t enough, the first director started a disciplinary investigation against us”.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 21, 2023, that 7 prisoners in Menemen T Type Closed Prison were sentenced to ‘deprivation of visitation rights’ for 10 months each. On December 13, 2023, visits in Menemen T Type Closed Prison were interrupted due to the intervention of a correctional officer, and upon the reaction of prisoners’ relatives, correctional officers used physical violence against prisoners and took them to their wards, and visitors were taken out of the prison.
(12/192) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Adana…
On December 20, 2023, it is learned that the march of Peace Mothers and executives of Çukurova Association of Families of Prisoners and Detainees (Çukurova TUAY-DER), who support Justice Watch in Adana to demand an end to the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, was prevented by the police on the grounds of chanting and many people were wounded due to police intervention with shields.
(12/193) People Detained in Urfa…
On December 20, 2023, Fethi Ötünç and Zeynep Ötünç were detained in a house raid in Urfa through an Adıyaman based investigation. The reason for detention could not be learned.
(12/194) The Constitutional Court Decision on Can Atalay…
Following the violation decision of the Constitutional Court (AYM) on the application of Can Atalay, Hatay MP of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for ‘aiding the overthrow of the government’ in the Gezi Trial’s final hearing on April 25, 2022 and whose sentence was upheld by the Penal Department No. 2 of the Court of Cassation, the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13 sent the file to the Penal Department No. 3 of the Court of Cassation on the grounds that the Court of Cassation has the authority to decide on the case. The Penal Department No. 3 of the Court of Cassation, which ruled on the case on November 8, 2023, refused to comply with the Constitutional Court’s violation decision on the grounds that it violated the constitution and exceeded its authority, and ruled to file a criminal complaint against the members of the Constitutional Court who issued the violation decision. The second individual application made by lawyers to the Constitutional Court regarding Can Atalay was discussed by the General Assembly of the Constitutional Court on December 21, 2023, and it was decided by a majority of votes that the right to be elected and to engage in political activity and the right to personal liberty and security were violated.
(12/195) The Person on Trial in Urfa…
On December 20, 2023, the case against Emine Şenyaşar, whose husband Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar were killed after a quarrel between Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP candidate İbrahim Halil Yıldız and his bodyguards and shopkeepers in the Suruç district of Urfa on June 14, 2018, on the grounds of insulting Halil Yıldız in her statements during the justice watch, was held on Urfa Penal Court of First Instance No 3. The court sentenced Emine Şenyaşar to a 1700 TL fine and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(12/196) Journalist on Trial in Ankara…
The first hearing of the case against journalist Hasan Sivri for his social media post on the Maraş earthquake: “Let them take notes of it, these are the ones we took notes of with evidence,” was held at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 33 on December 21, 2023. The indictment demands Hasan Sivri to be sentenced for ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’. The court acquitted Hasan Sivri.
Nadiye Gürbüz was detained on April 30, 2023, arrested on May 3, 2023 and released on judicial control condition on October 12, 2023.
(12/197) The DİAYDER Case…
The trial of the case against 23 members and executives of Religious Scholars Assistance and Solidarity Association (DİAYDER) continued on December 21, 2023, at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14. The indictment demands a sentence for ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. The court adjourned the trial to March 7, 2024.
(12/198) Union Executives on Trial…
On December 20, 2023, Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 22 continued to hear the case against 8 union executives, including KESK-affiliated Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) General Women’s Secretary Selma Atabey and former co-chair Gönül Erden. The indictment demands a sentence for the executives on the charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization,’ ‘being an illegal organization member’, and ‘leading an illegal organization.’ The court rejected Selma Atabey and Gönül Erden’s request to lift the judicial control condition and adjourned the trial to April 18, 2024.
Gönül Erden was detained on May 25, 2021 through an investigation against SES members and executives and was released on June 1, 2021. Upon objection of the prosecutor’s office, Gönül Erden was detained in Ankara on September 21, 2021 and was arrested by the court. Gönül Erden was released at the trial held on March 13, 2023. Selma Atabey was arrested at the hearing held on July 4, 2022 and was released on judicial control condition on June 6, 2023.
(12/199) Artist on Trial…
The trial of the case against artist Ferhat Tunç for insulting then Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım continued on December 20, 2023, at Büyükçekmece Penal Court of First Instance No 16. The court adjourned the hearing to April 3, 2024.
(12/200) Halkevleri Executive on Trial…
The trial of the case against Nebiye Merttürk, Chairperson of Halkevleri, for insulting the President and MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli in a social media post, continued on December 19, 2023 at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 70. The indictment demands a sentence for Nebiye Merttürk on the charge of ‘insult.’ The court adjourned the hearing to March 28, 2024.
(12/201) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned that on December 18, 2023, Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 7 issued a ban on access to 200 news reports on the owner of Show TV, Habertürk TV, Habertürk newspaper and Habertürk Radio.
(12/202) People Detained and Arrested in Relation with the Coup Attempt…
5 of the 10 people detained in Izmir on December 20, 2023, were arrested.
[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.