Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
27 August 2021 Daily Human Rights Report
(08/224) Operations and Attacks…
It is learned from the news coverage of August 26, 2021 that the wildfire that is claimed to start due to the military operation in Hozat district of Tunceli on August 18, 2021 has spread to Buzlutepe area of Ovacık district because of inadequacy of firefighting. Tunceli Governorate’s Office made the following declaration on ongoing wildfires: “There is no access facilities to the area from Hozat district. Because of that the vehicles and squads intervene the fire from Ovacık district. The area is risky for those who are not on duty. We demand our citizens to enable the personnel on duty and to not enter the area without the permission of Ovacık Sub-Governorate’s Office.”
It is learned from the news coverage of August 27, 2021 that 3 HPG militants died in an air operation of Turkish Armed Forces to the rural areas of Şırnak on August 14, 2021.
(08/225) Abducted HDP Executive in Istanbul…
It is learned that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly and Party Assembly member Celalettin Yalçın was abducted by persons who present themselves as police officers, at the subway station in Levent, in Beşiktaş district of Istanbul on August 25, 2021. It is learned that Celalettin Yalçın was handcuffed behind his back and blindfolded while he was taken to a forestland where he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment and forced to be a police informant.
Celalettin Yalçın stated the following to the press: “One of them handcuffed me behind my back, pushed my head down and took me into a car. Then I was blindfolded. There were some other persons in the car. They said ‘Our older brothers will come and we will let you go if you answer their questions properly’. After an hour, another car approached and they took me off the car, and put into another one (…) I did not see who else got in the car because I was blindfolded. After a while we stopped at one point where I thought as a forestland. They took off my shoes as they got me off the car and the ground was bushy. It was too windy and I could hear the sounds of trees. Then I was taken into a house and they forced me to lie down on my face. And then my hands and feet were cross-tied. They asked me for how long I have been living in Istanbul. I told them I was born and grown up in Istanbul. They told me that I was dealing with some illegal business. And I told them that I was a member of HDP where I conduct political activity openly. (…) Then they strip me off and beat me. They were kicking my kidneys at first. They said ‘If you do what we say, and cooperate with us we will give you some opportunities’ and forced me to be a police informant. But I did not accept it. As they did not get what they want by torture, they attempted to rape me. They took videos of me while I was naked (…) They said we will sterilize you and applied pressure on my penis. They tried to force me to sing the National Anthem. After a long while they took me to another place while I was still in handcuffs and blindfolded. They forced me to kneel down, put a gun into my head, and said ‘Say your last words as a Muslim to testimony for Allah’. Then they said ‘We let you live for one last time. You will not have a second chance if you do not leave Istanbul’. (…) They released me about Tuzla district at around 6 a.m. They did not give me any of my belongings back, I was in my underwear. They took my money, which was almost 3,000 Turkish Liras, my cell phone and my backpack. I was left at the roadside in the forestland in my underwear. I tried to reach somebody for two hours. After a long waiting a public bus took me and I called my family in the bus to make them come and get me.”
(08/226) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Compulsory Military Service…
It is learned from the news coverage of August 26, 2021 that Mehmet Ali Akşit, a person who was on compulsory military service at Memduh Tağmaç military post in Kocaeli was subjected to torture and ill-treatment.
Mehmet Ali Akşit states the following in the petition he wrote on torture: “On August 16, 2021, at around 9 p. m. Lieutenant R. T. came and took me to the security gate and started to yell at me saying ‘You are planning to escape’. Then he ordered three squads of soldiers to prepare their G3 weapons and to put them towards my neck. He made me wait in this position for half an hour and then took me to an old cold storage room at around 10 p. m. They stripped me off, I was in my underwear. They kept me there until 6 in the morning and did not let me to sleep (…) They took me out to the training area in the morning and forced me to lie down and stand up, duck walking and crawling for one kilometre way. As I collapsed down from exhaustion they tied me to a car at my waist and forced me to run after the car for almost two kilometres. Then I wanted them to give my medication for chronic bronchitis. I had to take the medicine on an empty stomach so I threw up and fainted.”
(08/227) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that 8 people who were detained by the gendarmerie in the house raids in Yazı rural neighbourhood of Kocaköy district of Diyarbakır on August 27, 2021 were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. It is learned that 8 people were taken to District Gendarmerie Station but the reason of detention is unknown.
The names of detained people learned so far are: Saliha Narin, Rojda Narin, Ubeydullah Narin, Veysi Narin.
(08/228) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of August 27, 2021 that, 5 prisoners have been transferred from Ağrı Patnos L Type Prison to Erzurum Dumlu High Security Prison under coercion.
It is learned from the news coverage of August 27, 2021 that, Belma Nergiz, HDP’s provincial co-chair in Muş who was arrested on August 13, 2021 has been transferred from Muş Prison to Kayseri Bünyan Women’s Prison under coercion.
(08/229) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded…
It is learned that the appeal made on August 26, 2021 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers in order to visit their client was not responded.
It is learned that the appeal made on August 27, 2021 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers, family and tutelary in order to visit him was not responded.
(08/230) Discriminatory Attack on Alewis in Adana…
It is learned that some of the houses of Alewi people in Ova and Uçak neighbourhoods of Seyhan district of Adana were marked with crosses and with “redhead” words.
(08/231) Detained People in Van…
2 people (Mahsar Kurt and Ramazan Duman) who were detained in Van on August 24, 2021 are arrested by the court on the chare of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on August 26, 2021.
(08/232) Conscientious Objector on Trial in Artvin…
It is learned from the news coverage of August 26, 2021 that the trial of the case against conscientious objector Şendoğan Yazıcı at Artvin Borçka Penal Court of First Instance for his social media posts saying “Do not go into the army, do not be a part of the militarist order, take a dislike to compulsory military service, do not experience and let others experience millions of inhuman treatment and degrading” is held. The court sentenced Şendoğan Yazıcı to 42 months and 6 days on the charge of ‘discouraging people from performing military service’ and ‘degrading Turkish Nation, state of Turkish Republic, the organs and institutions of the state’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’; and then converted it to a penalty fine of 12,957 Turkish Liras.
It is learned from the news coverage of August 26, 2021 that in another case against Şendoğan Yazıcı for violating Article 63/1-d of the Military Penal Code for not serving in military, at Artvin Borçka Penal Court of First Instance; the court sentenced him to 16 months.
(08/233) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On August 27, 2021, 30 people including military members on active duty are detained in operations covering 32 cities through and Ankara based investigation.
(08/234) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 257 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 19,616 as of August 26, 2021.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 55,469 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 6,293,297 as of August 26, 2021.
On August 25, 2021, 3 health workers (Mahmut Ağdemir in Antep, doctor Murat Tad in Kırşehir and doctor İlham Atılgan in Ankara) lost their lives due to Covid-19.
On August 26, 2021, doctor Harun Alper Yalınçetin in Izmir lost his life due to Covid-19.
[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.