Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
25 – 27 February 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/206) Suspicious Death Under Custody…
It is learned that a person named Ahmet Bugur who was detained on the grounds of having a discussion with the imam in front of a mosque in Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı on February 23, 2023, lost his life in Doğubayazıt District Security Directorate. It is claimed in the news reports that Ahmet Bugur killed himself.
(02/207) Operations and Attacks…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 23, 2023 that, 1 militant died in a clash between the Turkish Armed Forces units and HPG militants in Garzan area of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on August 8, 2022; 1 militant died on October 20, 2022 and 1 militant died on September 30, 2022; and 1 militant died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in the rural areas of Van on September 30, 2022.
(02/208) Earthquakes in Antep, Maraş and Malatya…
According to the information recorded by Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, on February 27, 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 in Yeşilyurt district of Malatya which struck at 12:04 local time killed 1 person and injured 110 people while 29 buildings had collapsed in the city.
According to the information recorded by Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, on February 6, 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 in Şehitkamil district of Antep which struck at 04:17 local time and an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 in Ekinözü district of Maraş which struck at 13:24 local time killed at least 44,374 people as of February 26, 2023.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 24, 2023 that the prisoners in Hatay İskenderun T Type Prison were transferred to other prisons in Bolu and Adana on the grounds of “security”. The number of transferred prisoners is unknown.
The Minister of Justice made a statement on February 25, 2023 and declared that the number of “looting” incidents were 4 in the earthquake zone and that 4 people were arrested in relation to these incidents.
The Minister of Family and Social Services made a statement on February 25, 2023 and declared that a total of 1,894 unaccompanied children were registered in the system, 1,431 of them were identified and given to their families, 357 children were in the hospital, 106 children were in the institutions of the ministry, and 86 children could not be identified.
It is learned from the news reports that the number of contractors, including Nurdağı district mayor Ökkeş Kavak, who were arrested for their responsibility in the buildings collapsed in Antep and Maraş earthquakes is 188 as of February 26, 2023.
(02/209) People Subjected to Torture and Ill-Treatment of Police in Earthquake Region…
The Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) Anti-Torture Commission declared that on February 24, 2023, 3 people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment by the special operations police in Antakya district of Hatay. It is learned that a person named Ö. T. suffered from temporary memory loss due to trauma, as a result of torture. It is reported that 3 people were also forced to withdraw their complaints.
ÇHD stated the following: “On 24.02.2023 in the evening, in Hatay Antakya, Ö.T. and his two nephews were battered by the special operations police who came near them while they were on their house’s street. The clients were tortured for minutes in the middle of the street by being hit on their heads with the gunstocks, their phones were forcibly taken and checked, and then they were released. Ö.T. lost consciousness for a short time after the torture he was subjected to. He still has partial memory loss due to trauma. After the health examinations that lasted throughout the night, on 25.02.2023, they made their statements accompanied by our members and complained about the special operations police who tortured them. One of the clients who was subjected to torture, Ö.T. was called to the police station today and was asked by the District Police Chief to give up his complaint.”
(02/210) Police Interventions to Protests in Istanbul…
The police intervened in the groups gathering to participate in the press declaration about the earthquakes in Antep and Maraş, to be held by Istanbul Labour, Peace and Democracy Forces in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on February 26, 2023.
The police intervened in the groups gathering to participate in the press declaration for the same reason, to be held by the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) in front of the Red Crescent office in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on February 26, 2023.
The police intervened in the press declaration held on the same day in front of TİP district office in Kadıköy, held to protest the former intervention and the prevention of loading relief material to trucks.
It is learned that 109 people including TİP Istanbul provincial chair Cengiz Yeter and the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-Sen) Branch No. 3 chair Ayfer Koçak were detained and they were released on the same day. It is learned that the police prevented journalists from recording and 1 journalist was subjected to physical violence of the police.
(02/211) Prevention of Relief Activities in Earthquake Region…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 24, 2023 that, 14 tents which were set for earthquake survivors who came to Mersin, were removed by the police on the grounds of lack of permission.
It is learned that the police blockading the district office of TİP in Kadıköy, Istanbul, prevented loading of relief material to trucks.
(02/212) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 26, 2023 that, some prisoners in Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison were transferred to a prison in Bolu. The number of transferred prisoners is unknown.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 26, 2023 that, a prisoner named Sabahat Kunduracı in Afyon Prison was subjected to physical violence of a prison employee.
(02/213) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded…
It is learned that the appeal made on February 24, 2023 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, in order to visit them was not responded.
(02/214) Detained HDP Executive in Mardin…
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Nusaybin former district co-chair Şiyar Koç who was detained in a house raid in Nusaybin district of Mardin on February 23, 2023, was released after statement procedures at the gendarmerie on February 24, 2023.
(02/215) Prosecutions and Detentions for Social Media Posts…
The General Directorate of Security announced that prosecutions were initiated against 575 people and 141 people were detained, 27 people were arrested for their social media posts about the earthquakes in Antep and Maraş, as of February 27, 2023.
(02/216) The Case Against Executives of Chamber of Architects…
The final trial of the case against the executive board members of the Chamber of Architects Ankara branch (branch chair Tezcan Karakuş Candan, branch secretary Nihal Evirgen, and board members Muteber Osmanpaşaoğlu, Ünal Kara, Tuğba Arslan, Ece Yoltay and Özgür Bayramoğlu) for giving the International Television Journalism to Jin TV channel, is held at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 25 on February 24, 2023. The court sentenced Muteber Osmanpaşaoğlu, Ece Yoltay, Tezcan Karakuş Candan and Nihal Evirgen Kabal to 1 year and 8 months each and banned them from public office on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’. The court acquitted Tuğba Arslan and Mustafa Özgür Bayramoğlu, and did not make a decision about Ünal Kara.
(02/217) People on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against members of Avcılar Women’s Platform who were detained on November 22, 2022 while distributing leaflets to call for the 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women march in Istanbul, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance on February 24, 2023. The court acquitted all defendants.
(02/218) Nihat Kazanhan Case…
The retrial of the case against police officer N. G., regarding death of a 12-year-old child, Nihat Kazanhan, who died by police fire in Cizre district of Şırnak on January 14, 2015, is held at Cizre Heavy Penal Court No. 1 on February 23, 2023, as the Court of Cassation has ruled that the right to live was violated. The defendant police officer did not attend the trial. After defence hearings the court decided to issue an arrest warrant for the defendant police officer and adjourned the trial to March 24, 2023.
(02/219) İbrahim Baykara Case…
The final trial of the case against 2 soldiers (A. C. A. and R. İ.) regarding death of İbrahim Baykara, who lost his life by the fire opened by the soldiers in Yukarı Çil village of Çaldıran district of Van on August 4, 2020, is held at Van Erciş Heavy Penal Court on February 24, 2023. The defendant soldiers did not attend the trial. The prosecutor has demanded sentence for 2 defendants on the charge of ‘killing with probable intent’ in the legal opinion on the case. The court decided no reason for penalty on the grounds of self-defence.
(02/220) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that the social media post of lawyer Erdoğan Akdoğdu, about death of Ahmet Güreçşi as a result of torture and ill-treatment after being detained by the gendarmerie in Hatay, is banned to access upon demand of the Gendarmerie General Command Cybercrime Department, on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Ankara Penal Court of Peace on February 24, 2023.
[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.
[2]To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.
[3]https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT
[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari
[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.