Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
5 April 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/043) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is reported that 2 soldiers were injured (1 of them heavily) as a result of an attack by HPG militants to Gökaya Border Battallion in Iğdır on April 4, 2018.
It is learned that 1 soldier were injured as a result of a bombing attack during passage of a military vehicle and 2 soldiers were injured in clashes afterwards the attack in Çemişgezek district of Tunceli on April 4, 2018.
(04/044) Interventions, Detentions and Arrests for Protests Against Afrin Operation…
15 students were detained for protesting to say “No celebration delight for massacre” as a response to Turkish delight serving at the school campus to celebrate Afrin operation on March 19, 2018, and 9 of them were arrested by the court. It is learned that 1 student was detained in the entrance of Boğaziçi University entrance on the grounds of campaigning for sending letters to the arrested students on April 4, 2018.
(04/045) 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 April 4, 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 April 3, 2018 3 people (Mehmet Dersulu, Selvi Polat and Mahmut Konuk) and at 18.00 3 people (Acun Karadağ, Mehmet Dersulu and Bülent Özgül) were detained.
Thus in total 6 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on April 4, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(04/046) Journalists Detained in İstanbul…
7 people including 3 editors are detained in house raids against employees of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi on April 4, 2018. It is learned from news coverage that a warrant was issued for 7 more people. The names of detainees are: Mehmet Ali Çelebi, Reyhan Hacıoğlu and Hicran Ürün and workers Pınar Tarlak, Ramazan Sola and Nedim Demirkıran and former employee Mehmet Beyazit.
On March 28, 2018, trustees were appointed for Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper and Gün Printing House were the newspaper was published and 25 people were detained in raids to the offices of the newspaper and the publishing house.
(04/047) People Detained in İstanbul…
6 people including Bahadır Altan, former spokesman of Peace Block and ecologist Oktay Konyar who were detained by the police while having a breakfast in Yoğurtçu Park of Istanbul’s Kadıköy district on April 3, 2018 are released from police station on April 4, 2018. The names of released people are: Hakan Aktuğ Gültürk, Oktay Konyar, Ender Eren, Selen Yıldızlar, Hakan Tosun, Bahadır Altan.
(04/048) Journalist Raided in Iğdır…
Mezopotamya News Agency reporter Berzan Güneş’s house was raided on April 4, 2018. Berzan Güneş was not detained due to being absent at home, his father Ahmet Güneş (68) is detained for the books found at home.
(04/049) Detained and Arrested HDP and DBP Members and Executives…
4 people including DBP Silopi co-chair Bişeng Mete who were detained after being stopped by the police on their way from Cizre district of Şırnak to İdil district on April 2, 2018 are referred to the court. While Bişeng Mete is arrested, other 3 people (DP executive Delil Ürek, DBP executives Cemile Alyanak and Mustafa Uğet) are released under juridical control conditions.
HDP Avcılar district office in Istanbul is raided by the police on April 4, 2018. It is learned that the reason for the raid was an event about Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday. 23 people including district co-chairs Şebnem Değerli and Mahmut Çakan and also children are detained. It is reported that women were taken to Firuzköy police station and men were taken to Avcılar central police station. The names of detainees are: Şebnem Değerli, Yasemin Duman, Sabriye Bulut, Günel Karaman, Betül Yıldız, Mahmut Çakan, Nesibe Karakaya Çakan, Duygu Yurtsever, Bermal Yıldırım, Sevim Muratlı, Ayşan Yıldırım, Hatice Gazioğlu, Sürreya Aydın, Barış Bozkurt, Abdullah Tima, Güven Gök, Alaaddin Duygun, Yalçın Demir, MevlütYalpazoğlu, Ramazan Çakan, Serhat Yıldırım, U.K., I. D.
In house raids in Bulanık district of Muş on April 4, 2018, 15 people are detained. It is reported that 15 detainees are taken to Muş Police Headquarters while the reason for detention is unknown. The names of detainees are: Zeki Gün, Tahsin Demir, Devrim Tanrıkulu, Yakup Şahin, Fesih Çağlayan, Cüneyt Duran, Sadullah Demir, Selahattin Topçu, İbrahim Kaltuş, Hayrettin Yılmaz, Hikmet Aras, Kerem Kayaalp, Yaşar Taş, Melike Tozyılmaz, Mehmet Ali Çetinkaya.
It is learned that 2 employees of a cake shop who were delivering a cake to Diyarbakır office of HDP for an event on Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday on April 4, are detained and the police seized the cake.
5 people including DBP Urfa co-chair and 1 journalist who were detained in the raid to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s brother Mehmet Öcalan’s house on April 3, 2018 and 4 HDP district executives who were detained in Amara village of Urfa’s Halfeti district are released after procedures at gendarmerie station. The names of released people are: DBP co-chair Bekir Karakeçili, journalist Hacı Yusuf Topaloğlu, HDP Bozova district co-chair Ömer Yıldırm and executives Halil Satıcı, Bekir Durmaz and Cindi Zencirkıran, HDP Hilvan district executives Ramazan Demir, Zafer Bürtü and İsmail Salar.
(04/050) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The case against Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstel, Doç. Dr. Veli Polat and Yrd. Doç. Dr. Yasemin Gülsüm Acar for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ continued to be held on April 4, 2018.
The court declared the decision for Zübeyde Füsun Üstel after the defence hearings and sentenced Üstel to 1 year and 3 months and did not postponed the sentence.
The court declared the decision for Veli Polat after the defence hearings and sentenced Polar to 1 year and 3 months and postponed the sentence.
The court adjourned the trial of Yasemin Gülsüm Acar to April 12, 2018.
The case against Prof. Dr. Nüket Esen for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 is continued to be held on April 4, 2018. The court rejected the demands for consolidation of the cases with the case on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 and for removal of social media transcripts of Nüket Esen from the case file and adjourned the trial to June 28, 2018.
(04/051) Trial of Kezban Saçılık…
The case against Kezban Saçılık, who was subjected to physical violence of the police and was detained during “I Want My Job Back!” protests of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling for a while to regain their jobs in Ankara’s Yüksel Street, started on Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 12 on April 4, 2018. The case is grounded on the claim of ‘opposing law on meetings and demonstrations’ and ‘resisting a police officer’. After the indictment and defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to June 2018.
(04/052) HDP Members and Executives on Trial in Manisa…
The case against 22 people including 8 arrestees and HPD members and executives on Manisa Heavy Penal Court No 3 is continued to be held on April 4, 2018. It is learned that the chief judge has yelled as “shut up” at a lawyer during the discussion upon lawyers’ being interrupted over and over by the chief judge. Gülcihan Çelik and Ayşe Karagöz, who did not make defence statements in the previous trial since their demand to defence themselves in Kurdish was rejected, repeated their demand for defence in Kurdish. The court decided to reject the demand for defence in Kurdish. After the declarations of lawyers, the court decided to release 2 defendants (Halil Aydemir and Abdurrahman Taş) under juridical control conditions (with a ban on leaving the country) and on continuation of detention for 6 defendants including Gülcihan Çelik and Ayşe Karagöz.
On the trial held on December 20, 2017 of the case against 138 people including HDP members and executives, the court has decided to separate the case into 3 cases and adjourned the trials to April 4, 11, and 24, 2018.
(04/053) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On April 4, 2018, 13 people in operations covering 3 cities through a Manisa based investigation, 6 people (which makes the total number of detentions in this investigation 21) through a Zonguldak based investigation, 21 people (including business people, crafts people and former public employees dismissed by the state of emergency decree) in operations covering 11 cities through an Izmir based operation, 26 people (including 23 soldiers on active duty and 3 military school students) in operations covering 17 cities through a Yozgat based investigation are detained.
(04/054) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of case against 15 arrestee defendants on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 29, about the incidents on Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul on July 15 coup attempt is held on April 4, 2018. The court decided heavy life sentence for 12 people including 1 former lieutenant colonel, 1 former commander and 1 lieutenant for ‘violating the constitution’ and life sentence for 3 defendants for the same reason.
The final trial of case against 128 people on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 22, about the incidents on Istanbul Selimiye Barracks and the attempt to occupy Riot Squad Department’s Üsküdar Compound on July 15 coup attempt is held on April 4, 2018. The court decided heavy life sentence for 13 defendants for ‘violating the constitution’, life sentence for 37 defendants for the same reason and 8 years and 9 months’ sentence for 1 defendant for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court acquitted 77 defendants for all accusations. The court also decided for detention of 9 defendants and 6 defendants present at the trial are arrested afterwards.
The case against former Supreme Court member Murat Cevher who was dismissed by the state of emergency decree is held on April 4, 2018. The court decided on continuation of detention for Murat Cevher and adjourned the trial to August 1, 2018.
The case against 65 defendants on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 28, about the incidents on Tuzla Orhanlı highway entrances during July 15 coup attempt is held on April 4, 2018. After the defence hearings the court decided on continuation of detention for defendants and adjourned the trial to May 18, 2018.
(04/055) Event Banned in Ankara…
It is learned from news coverage of April 4, 2018 that “From Birth to Freedom, Talking the Isolation” forum which was planned to be held by HDP Ankara branch is banned by Ankara Police Directorate for not having the permission of Ankara Governorate.
(04/056) Special Security Zone in Hatay…
Hatay Governorate made a statement and declared areas on Syrian border as Special Security Zone. Also the governorate prohibits video footage or photographing, broadcasting and interviewing and entrance of all vehicles and people in these areas unless being permitted by law enforcement.
(04/057) Special Security Zone in Şırnak…
Şırnak Governorate made a statement on April 5, 2018 and declared that 56 areas are Special Security Zone from April 5 to April 19, 2018.
[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.