Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
23 May 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/207) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from news coverage of May 22, 2018 that 7 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas of Tunceli’s Pülümür district.
(05/208) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of May 22, 2018 that a prisoner named Enes Taşkın, who was transferred from Mardin E Type Prison to Bolu F Type Prison, was tried to put in a ward with prisoners judged for ISIS cases in Sincan F Type Prison No 2, where he was kept temporarily for 3 days during the transfer. It is also learned that Enes Taşkın was subjected to physical violence of the wardens for rejecting to be put in the same cell with ISIS prisoners. It is reported in the news that Enes Taşkın was subjected to physical violence for rejecting undressed search and standing in military order during roll-calls too.
(05/209) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on May 22, 2018 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 limitations for prisoners in accordance with the law on the execution of sentences and security measures (law no 5275). With the last rejection, it was the 757th time that appeals for visiting Öcalan have been rejected so far. Abdullah Öcalan has met his lawyers on July 27, 2011 for the last time.
(05/210) 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 May 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 May 22, 2018, 5 people Acun Karadağ, Selvi Polat, Gülnaz Bozkurt, Nazan Bozkurt and Mahmut Konuk) and at 18.00 4 people (Nazan Bozkurt, Gülnaz Bozkurt, Acun Karadağ and Selvi Polat) were detained.
Thus in total 9 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on May 22, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(05/211) Medeni Yıldırım Case…
The case against Adem Çiftçi, a soldier on compulsory military service, about the killing of Medeni Yıldırım in Lice district of Diyarbakır on June 28, 2018, on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 7 is held on May 22, 2018. Medeni Yıldırım was killed with a shot fired from military station during a march to protest the construction of a high security military station in Kalecik village of Lice. The indictment demands jail penalty up to 18 years for Adem Çiftçi for ‘killing with an eventual intent under unjust provocation’. The court rejected the demand oh Adem Çiftçi to be excluded from hearing, and decided that the reconnaissance which was cancelled due to security reasons will be carried on and adjourned the trial to September 2018.
The earlier acquittal verdict of Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 7 was reversed by Gaziantep Regional Court Penal Department No 1.
(05/212) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The case against journalist Ahmet Şık based on Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, for his social media posts, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 17 is held on May 22, 2018. After Ahmet Şık’s defence the court adjourned the trial to September 18, 2018.
(05/213) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The cases against 3 academicians (Yıldız Silier, Ayşen Candaş Bilgen and Elif Aysimi Duman) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 29 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ started to be held on May 22, 2018. The court adjourned the trials of Ayşen Candaş Bilgen and Elif Aysimi Duman to October 12, 2018 and adjourned Yıldız Silier’s trial to September 27, 2018.
The cases against Noemi Clause Matilde Levy and Ayşe Neşe for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 27 started to be held on May 22, 2018. The court rejected the demands for immediate acquittal and consolidation, and adjourned the trials to November 1, 2018.
(05/214) HDP PM on Trial…
The case against HDP Kars PM and spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen, for HDP central executive board’s call for Kobanî which was attacked by ISIS, on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5 is held on May 22, 2018. Ayhan Bilgen did not attend the trial, and the lawyers demanded consolidation of the case with the case on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 19 against HDP former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş for the same reason. The court decided to send a writ to Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 19 to ask whether a consent is needed or not and adjourned the trial to October 2018.
(05/215) Van Co-Mayor on Trial…
The case against Van co-mayor Bekir Kaya and municipality employees Cuma Köylüoğlu, Çetin Çiftçi, Zelal Tanlı, Mehmet Halim Eryiğit, Can Tayan, and MEYA-DER (Mesopotamia Solidarity Association for Missing People’s Families) executive İdris Şaybak and Neriman Uyar, on Van Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on May 22, 2018. Bekir Kaya attended the trial via sound and vision system. After defence hearings the court decided to consolidate two indictments of Van Heavy Penal Court No 1 for Bekir Kaya, and to continue detention for Bekir Kaya and adjourned the trial to June 19, 2018.
(005/216) People on Trial for Reacting to Military Operation to Afrin…
The case against 13 people including 11 arrestees, for the press declaration of Peace Block and Anti-War Coordination in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on January 21, 2018, to protest Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 is held on May 22, 2018. After defence hearings the court released 11 arrestees and adjourned the trial to October 3, 2018. The names of released people are: Koray Türkay, Şengül Yüksel, Ulaş Değerliyüz, Cezmi Özdemir, Özge Akyüz, Fatma Akaltun Fırat, Ali Karakaş, Ramazan Utku, Savaş Tirbap, Ali Bozkurt and Nurullah Ay.
The case against Kutay Meriç, Halkevleri central executive board member, for his social media posts on Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin started to be held on May 22, 2018 in Antalya. The court acquitted Kutay Meriç. Kutay Meriç was detained on February 13, 2018 and was arrested on February 20, 2018. Upon objection he was released on February 28, 2018.
The case against Fatma Gün and Erdinç Kırova, members of EMEP (Labour Party) for their social media posts on Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin, on Balıkesir Heavy Penal Court No 3 started to be held on May 22, 2018. The court acquitted 2 defendants.
(05/217) Newspaper Employee on Trial in Mersin…
The final trial of the case against Özkan Erdoğan and Serkan Erdoğan, employees of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper, for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘making propaganda of an illegal organisation’ on Mersin Heavy Penal Court No 8 started to be held on May 22, 2018. The court acquitted 2 defendants for both accusations.
(05/218) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On May 22, 2018, Zeki Güven, former chief of Intelligence Department of Ankara Police and his wife Sevda Güven, former judge, are detained in Eskişehir. 18 people in operations covering 6 cities through an Aydın based investigation are detained.
8 of 13 colonels who were detained on May 14, 2018 through an Ankara based investigation are arrested by the court on May 22, 2018. 5 people are released on juridical control conditions. With the last arrests, the number of arrestees raised up to 21 and the number of released people on juridical control conditions raised up to 9.
It is learned that 9 pilots of Turkish Air Force, who were among 56 people detained on May 17, 2018 through an Ankara based investigation, are released by the court on juridical control conditions for being repentant.
(05/219) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trials of the separate cases against 7 people for leaking the questions of Public Personnel Selection Examination in 2010, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 2 are held on May 22, 2018. The court sentenced 6 defendants to 6 years and 3 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court also sentenced 2 defendants to 3 years 1 month and 15 days and to fine penalty for ‘chain fraud towards public institutions’. The court acquitted 1 defendant.
The final trial of the case against 10 defendants (including 1 arrestee) on Eskişehir Heavy Penal Court No 4 is held on May 22, 2018. The court sentenced 8 defendants to jail penalties differing from 3 years 1 month and 15 days to 6 years and 10 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court released the arrestee with the verdict and separate the cases of 2 fugitive defendants.
(05/220) Elections on June 24, 2018…
On May 22, 2018, a racist group attempted to attack the campaign stand of HDP members in Konur Street in Çankaya district of Ankara. It is reported that the campaign continued after the scene was resolved.
(05/221) Special Security Zone in Hakkari…
Hakkari Governorate made a declaration on May 22, 2018 and announced that 30 areas with given coordinates in Central, Çukurca, Şemdinli and Yüksekova districts are special security zones from May 24, 2018 to June 7, 2018.
(05/222) Strike Postponed by Council of Ministers…
The strike decision of Petrol-İş (Petroleum, Chemical and Rubber Workers Union of Turkey) in several workplaces of Soda Industry Inc. İn Adana and Mersin, is postponed by the Council of Ministers’ decision dated May 17, 2018 and numbered 2018/11832 on the grounds that it violates national security. The decision is published on official gazette on May 23, 2018. Thus the number of banned strikes in several industry branches since July 20, 2016, the announcement of state of emergency, raised up to 7.
[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, ETHA, Dihaber, Yurt, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, Ntv, Bianet.org, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Alinteri, Kızılbayrak, Özgür Radyo, Sendika.org, El Cezire,BBC, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar.