4 May 2016 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/015) Mardin JİTEM Case…
Adıyaman Heavy Penal Court continued on 3 May 2016 to hear the gendarmerie intelligence JİTEM case launched in connection with the killings and crimes committed by JİTEM members in Dargeçit district of Mardin. The case was transferred from Midyat district of Mardin to Adıyaman for security measures.
The report of İstanbul Forensic Institute certifying that the skulls and bones previously found were belonging to Nedim Akyön and Davut Altınkaynak was read at the hearing.
After the testimonies of the defendants, the court adjourned the hearing to 14 July 2016 to hear the eyewitnesses.
The indictment concerning the killings of 8 persons including 3 children and one solider was accepted by Midyat (Mardin) Heavy Penal Court. The persons had been found dead after having been detained by gendarmerie intelligence JİTEM between 30 October 1995 and 3 November 1995 in Dargeçit district of Mardin or killed by unidentified persons.
Former Mardin Gendarmerie Commander Hurşit İmren, former Dargeçit Gendarmerie Commander Mehmet Tire, Gendarmerie Station Commander Mahmut Yılmaz, Gendarmerie Station Vice-Commander Haydar Topçam and driver in Gendarmerie Station Kerim Şahin were indicted in the case.
Süleyman Seyhan (57), Nedim Akyön (16), Mehmet Emin Aslan (19), Seyhan Doğan (14), Davut Altınkaynak (13), Abdurrahman Olcay (20), Abdurrahman Coşkun (21) had been detained by gendarmerie intelligence JİTEM between 30 October 1995 and 3 November 1995 during operations conducted in Dargeçit and its villages on the allegations of “aiding PKK” and taken to Dargeçit Gendarmerie Station.
According to the indictment, 7 persons had been detained during house raids by gendarmerie soldiers along with the temporary village guards. They had been killed under torture and thrown in lime pit. Specialist Sergeant Bilal Batırır (25) who had witnessed the killings and informed officials had been also killed and burnt in a coal bunker.
The body of Abdurrahman Olcay (20) was found on 10 June 2013 and his body was given to his family right after the report of the Forensic Institute.
The indictment wants Hurşit İmren, former mayor candidate of Democrat Party for Gümüşlük town of Bodrum district in Muğla, and Çepni Beldesi, mayor for Çepni town in Sivas from Republican Party, 8 times to be sentenced to life imprisonment for “murder and instigating to murder”.
Mahmut Yılmaz was asked 6 times to be sentenced to life imprisonment for “murder”, Haydar Topçam 3 times, Kerim Şahin 6 times to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
(05/016) Mass Grave in Van…
Çatak (Van) Civil Court of Peace continued on 3 May 2016 to hear the case launched with the demand of opening the mass grave of 27 PKK militants who had been killed during an armed clash on 12 October 1998 nearby Çatak district of Van. The bodies of the militants were not given to their families but buried in a mass grave nearby Govkan (Badirgalı) village.
The court adjourned the hearing to 14 June 2016 for the determination of the coordinates to locate the mass grave.
The report of the Forensic Institute certifying that the bodies were not identified was read at a previous hearing of the case. Gendarmerie General Command previously sent a letter to the court concerning the incident and accepted that 22 persons had been killed during the military operations in the region. But they also alleged that 14 of the persons were of Syrian origin.
(05/017) Sedat Akbaş Case…
After the bomb attack against a military convoy in Dağlıca district of Hakkari, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) premises and Kurdish people were attacked starting throughout Turkey. On 6 September 2015, Sedat Akbaş (21) was stabbed to death for talking in Kurdish on the phone in İstanbul.
İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No 17 continued on 3 May 2016 to hear the case against 6 persons including 2 remanded defendants launched şn connection with the killing of Sedat Akbaş. After the testimonies of the defendants, the court adjourned the hearing to 23 June 2016 for the completion of deficient documents.
(05/018) Suspicious Private Death in Bitlis…
According to the news appeared in the press on 3 May 2016, Adem Gül (23) who was serving for compulsory military service in Yelkenli Gendarmerie Station in Tatvan district of Bitlis accidentally shot himself to death.
(05/019) Operations and Attacks in the Southeast…
According to the news appeared in the press on 3 May 2016, 2 persons who were killed during the armed clashes in Yüksekova district and transferred to Erzurum were identified as YPS members Cahit Ekmekçi (Roni Serhat) and Ferdi Aydemir (Andok Eşit).
1 gendarmerie solider was killed and 3 soldiers were wounded when a gendarmerie station was attacked nearby Çığlı village of Çukurca district in Hakkari. Curfew was imposed in the village after the attack.
Üçyol Gendarmerie Station on Mardin-Şanlıurfa road was attacked with a bomb vehicle on 3 May 2016. 1 soldier was killed, 4 soldiers and 1 civilian were wounded during the attack.
(05/020) Correspondents Detained…
Dicle News Agency (DİHA) correspondents Erdoğan Alayumat and Ergin Çağlar were detained on 3 May 2016 on Syrian border nearby Karbeyaz village of Altınözü district in Hatay province.
(05/021) Detentions and Arrests…
5 persons who were among 13 persons detained during the operations conducted against Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in İzmir were arrested on 3 May 2016 on the allegations of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation”.
2 persons were detained on 3 May 20”16 in Ortaklar town in Aydın province.
Metin Keleş who was detained in Adana was arrested on 3 May 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
(05/022) Columnist on Trial on the Allegations of Insulting the State President…
Anadolu (İstanbul) Penal Court of First Instance No 2 started on 2 May 2016 to hear the case against Murat Belge, columnist with the daily Taraf, launched in connection with his column “If you don’t vote for 400 MPs (Vermezsen 400’ü)” dating 12 September 2015. The indictment wants the defendant to be sentenced according to the Article 299 TPC for “insulting the State President”.
After the identification and first testimony of the defendant, the court adjourned the hearing to a later date for the completion of deficient documents.