6-12 February 2016 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/045) Curfew in Cizre…
The curfew in Cizre district of Şırnak where the operations of Security Forces concluded reached its 62nd day as of 12 February 2016.
Ministry of Interior Affairs announced that the operations were completed as of 11 February 2016, but the curfew will be on-going.
The bodies of 3 unidentified persons were found on 5 February 2016 on Site street in Sur quarter.
2 bodies in Huzur street and 2 bodies on Paraşüt street were also found on 7 February 2016
7-month pregnant Zerin Uca living in Sur quarter reportedly had heart attack on 6 February 2016. Since the ambulance was not allowed to enter on Çalı street due to the clashes for 1.5 hour, Zerin Uca died in her house.
Abdullah Gün (16) who was stuck in a building on Narin street in Cudi quarter where 9 persons were burnt to death on 5 February 2016 was shot to death when he left the building to check the condition on the street.
Security Forces allegedly conducted operations on 8 February 2016 against 2 building where wounded persons were stuck in.MP Faysal Sarıyıldız announced that burnt bodies of 22 persons were found in the buildings. He added that there were no bullet wounds on the bodies.
On 10 February 2016, operations were allegedly conducted against a 3rd building in Sur quarter. 22 persons allegedly died in the building and 23 wounded persons were also stuck in the building.
According to the news appeared in the press, 149 persons were stuck in these 3 buildings as of 12 February 2016. 82 persons were reportedly died.
Though there were bullet wounds on some of the bodies, some others were burnt and bodily integrity of the persons was violated. Some of the bodies were allegedly unrecognisable.
8 bodies were sent on 11 February 2016 to Şanlıurfa for autopsy. 2 persons were identified as Sultan Irmak (16) and Fehmi Dinç by their families. Sultan Irmak reportedly died on 30 January 2016 in the basement of the building on Caferi Sadık street in Cudi quarter. Fehmi Dinç was stuck in the same basement.
(02/046) Curfew in Sur…
The blockade and military operations in Sur district of Diyarbakır entered its 64th day on 12 February 2016.
Murat Menekşe (13) who was heavily wounded when a house in Hasırlı quarter was shot with a bomb on 2 February 2016 died on 4 February 2016.
On 9 February 2016, Governorate of Diyarbakır banned entrance of civilians to the Gazi Avenue from Çiftehan street to Mardinkapı.
(02/047) Curfew Protests Attacked…
The police intervened the protest staged on 9 February 2016 in Diyarbakır. Mahmut Bulak (16) was shot to death when the police opened fire to disperse the crowd on Sento Avenue.
Süleyman Güzel (19) who was wounded on 10 February 2016 when the police opened fire to disperse the crowd in Bağlar district of Diyarbakır died on 12 February 2016 in the hospital. 2 persons were also wounded during the attack.
The police intervened a group of persons who wanted to march on 5 February 2016 from Nusaybin district of Mardin to Cizre district of Şırnak to protest in the operations and detained 51 persons.
The police intervened a group of persons who were making noise on 7 February 2016 in Fatih district of İstanbul to protest in the blockades and detained 14 persons.
The police prevented the protest on 8 February 2016 on Galatasaray Square in İstanbul and detained 17 persons under beatings.
The protest staged on 8 February 2016 in İzmir was prevented by the police and 48 persons including HRFT board member Coşkun Üsterci.
The police conducted house raids on 9 February 2016 in Menemen district of İzmir and detained 10 persons on the allegations of taking part in the demonstrations staged to protest in the blockades.
The police intervened a group of persons who started a signature campaign on 10 February 2016 in Didim district of Aydın and detained 9 women under beatings.
3 children were detained for taking part in the protest by making noise in Ortaklar town of Aydın were arrested on 10 February 2016 on the allegations of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation”.
2 persons including 1 child were arrested on 10 February 2016 in Adana on the allegations of “committing crime in the name of an illegal organisation”.
(02/048) Person Killed by the Police in Hakkari…
An armed clash broke out when Security Forces intervened a group of persons who staged a demonstration on 11 February 2016 in Yüksekova district of Hakkari to protest in the blockade and possible curfew in the district.
Security Forces opened fire to disperse the crowd in Esentepe quarter and Osman Alıcı (22) was shot to death.
(02/049) Extra-judicial Execution Allegation in Diyarbakır…
Selahattin Çeliktepe (45) from Karayakut village of Diyarbakır was reportedly shot to death with 2 bullets on 5 February 2016. His body was taken to Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital.
The police allegedly called the family and informed that he died when caught between fires during the attack against Pirinçlik Gendarmerie Station.
When the family revealed that there was no armed clash on the alleged day and place, the police declared that he was shot to death during a demonstration on Beşyüzevler road staged after an armed clash on Siverek road.
(02/050) Operations and Attacks in the Southeast…
A police officer was killed during an armed clash that broke out on 4 February 2016 in Cudi quarter of Cizre district in Şırnak.
4 militants were reportedly killed during the armed attack on 5 February 2016 against Security Directorate in Şırnak.
Gendarmerie Lieutenant Abdulselam Öztak (25) and 1 solider died during an armed clash on 5 February in Sur district of Diyarbakır. Non-commissioned Officer Ünal Bıçakçı (24) who was wounded during the clash also died in the hospital. 2 more soldiers were wounded during the clash.
Mehmet Sıddık Tekmen (27) who was when caught between fires and heavily wounded when an armoured police vehicle was attacked with a rocket launcher on 5 February 2016 in Şırnak died in the hospital.
4 soldiers were wounded during an armed clash on 6 February 2016 in Sur district of Diyarbakır where curfew was imposed.
Gendarmerie specialist sergeants Osman Öz and Yusuf Alsancak, specialist corporal Kadir Genç were killed, 2 soldiers were wounded during an armed clash that broke out during the operations on 10 February 2016 in Sur district of Diyarbakır.
Police officer Abdulkadir Oğuz who was attacked on 8 February 2016 in the city centre of Yüksekova district in Hakkari died in the hospital. 2 militants were reportedly killed during the operations conducted after the attack.
1 police officer and 1 soldier were killed, 2 soldiers and 1 police officer were wounded during an armed clash on 9 February 2016 in Sur quarter of Cizre district in Şırnak.
2 soldiers and 5 police officers were reportedly wounded during the armed clashes on 8 February 2016 in Cizre district of Şırnak.
Police officer Mehmet Güngördü (32) and 1 police officer was wounded when an armoured police vehicle was attacked on 9 February 2016 in Şırnak.
Police officer Osman Yurt (44) and private Arif Subaşoğlu were killed whenan armed clash broke out on 10 February 2016 in the city centre of Cizre district in Şırnak.
Yüzsüren Military Border Station was attacked on 10 February 2016 and private Vedat Dolançay died.
Specialist Sergeant Hasan Talay who was wounded during an armed clash in Sur district of Diyarbakır died on 9 February 2016 in the hospital in Ankara.
Captain Fatih Yaşar (37) who was heavily wounded during an armed clash in Sur district of Diyarbakır died on 9 February 2016 in the hospital.
The civil servants Ahmet Arttı (27) and Diyar Oslu (33) died; Abdülkerim Oslu was heavily wounded when a shuttle bus exploded on 9 February 2016 while going from Mergeh village of Uludere district in Şırnak to Uludere city centre.
Police officer Tayfun Yüce (24) who was heavily wounded when a bomb exploded during the passage of an armoured police vehicle on 1 February 2016 in İdil district of Şırnak died in the hospital in Ankara.
Köyceğiz Military Border Station was attacked on 9 February 2016. 1 private died, 2 soldiers and 1 major were wounded during the attack.
1 police officer was wounded when an armoured police vehicle was attacked with a rocket launcher on 10 February 2016 in Nusaybin district of Mardin.
4 police officers were reportedly wounded during an armed clash that broke out on 11 February 2016 in Sur district of Diyarbakır.
(02/051) Extra-judicial Killing in Şanlıurfa…
Ahmed Ubeyd (27) was killed when military troops opened fire on the grounds that he did not obey the stop warning while trying to pass the border from of Rojava to Akçakale district of Şanlıurfa province in Turkey.
(02/052) Extra-judicial Killing in Kilis…
A 9 or 10 years old girl from Afrin canton of Rojava was reportedly killed when military troops opened fire on 5 February 2016 against her on the grounds that she was too close to the border.
(02/053) Extra-judicial Killing in Kilis…
Emel El-Şêx (10) and Endan Hemze (36) were reportedly killed when military troops opened fire against them while trying to pass the border from Afrin canton of Rojava to Kilis province in Turkey.
(02/054) Children Wounded in Van by the Police…
S.O. (13-boy), U.K. (14-boy) and D.A. (16-boy) were wounded when police officers opened fire during patrol on 7 February 2016 in Hacıbekir quarter in Van on the allegations that the children were planning to attack the police officers.
(02/055) Torture and Ill-treatment in Custody…
The faces of YPG militants Mehmet Naif Yusuf and Ala Vezax Xelil who were detained on 6 February 2016 on Rojava border in Nusaybin district of Mardin on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation” allegedly became unrecognizable for being subjected heavy torture in custody.
The detainees were beaten with the butt of rifles and the nose of Mehmet Naif Yusuf was reportedly broken.
(02/056) Death under Torture Trial Concluded
On 27 October 2010 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 3 had sentenced sub-lieutenant Salih Üner (who has “Rambo” as nickname) to life sentence in solitary confinement and with no possibility of parole in connection with killing Abdulkadir Kurt (36) with torture who had been detained in Ağıllı Village of Bismil District of Diyarbakır Province on 19 February 1992 on charges of “homicide with torture with evil sentiments”. The court had also acquitted 14 soldiers. The court had acquitted remaining 14 defendants following the opinion of the Public Prosecutor as to the accusations.
The Penal Chamber No. 1 at the Court of Cassation quashed the verdict on the grounds that some of the witnesses were not faced with the defendant and some of the documents were not read in the hearings reported on 11 February 2013.
After the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chambers No. 1 the court went on hearing the case on 30 May 2013. The court took the defence of Salih Üner through teleconference system who is in Bursa E Type of Closed Prison and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment on charges of “homicide with torture in order to get a confession during his duty”.
But The Penal Chamber No. 1 at the Court of Cassation also quashed the verdict on 20 April 2015.
According to the news appeared in the press on 11 February 2016, the court sentenced Salih Üner once again to 20 years’ imprisonment for the same offence.
(02/057) Journalists on Trial…
Çağlayan (İstanbul) Heavy Penal Court No 14 accepted on 5 February 2016 the indictment against Can Dündar, editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet, and Erdem Gül, Ankara representative of the paper. The journalist were arrested on 26 November 2016 in connection with an investigation started concerning the news appeared in the paper on the transportation of fire arms to Syria by National Intelligence Service (MİT).
The indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced for “revealing information on the security of the state”, “political and military espionage”, “revealing confidential information”, and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation”. Çağlayan (İstanbul) Heavy Penal Court No 14 will start to hear the case on 25 March 2016.
(02/058) Political Party Executive on Trial on the Allegations of Insulting State President…
According to the news appeared in the press on 9 February 2016, a court case was launched against Labour Party (EMEP) executive for Mersin province Mehmet Taşçı on charges of “insulting the State President” with the speech he gave during the demonstration staged on 13 October 2015 to protest in the Ankara Massacre.
Mersin Penal Court of First Instance No 6 will start to hear the case on 14 March 2016.
(02/059) Imam Convicted on the Allegations of Insulting State President…
Şırnak Penal Court of First Instance started on 9 February 2016 to hear the case against the imam Bakır Kutlu (Baki Kutlu) who was released after being detained on 29 December 2015 to testify on the allegations of “defending self-governance declarations during Friday sermons” and was arrested on 1 January 2016 on the allegations of “insulting the State President”. He was arrested in Şırnak Court House where he was called to testify in connection with the incident.
After the identification and testimony of the defendant, the court sentenced Bakır Kutlu (Baki Kutlu) to 3 years and 2 months’ imprisonment and suspended the sentence.
(02/060) Students on Trial on the Allegations of Insulting State President…
İzmir Penal Court of First Instance No 30 started on 10 February 2016 to hear the case against Aegean University students Muhammed Kül, Çiğdem Geçimli and Erdal Kozan for putting up a poster saying “Tea for everyone on me, but not to Tayyip (Herkese benden çay, Tayyip’e yok)” referring to a classic Turkish movie Çiççek Abbas. The students were protesting the price rise and the indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced for “insulting the State President”.
After the identification and testimonies of the defendants, the court adjourned the hearing to a later date.
(02/061) Columnist on Trial on the Allegations of Insulting State President…
Çağlayan (İstanbul) Penal Court of First Instance No 2 continued on 11 February 2016 to hear the case against Ender İmrek, columnist with the daily Evrensel, launched in connection with expressions he used against State President in a column he wrote concerning the ban on publications regarding the parliamentary commission for corruption allegations dating 29 November 2014. The indictment wants the defendant to be sentenced according to the Article 299 TPC.
After the testimony of Ercan İmrek, the court adjourned the hearing to 17 March 2016.
(02/062) Journalis Convicted on the Allegations of Insulting State President…
Afyonkarahisar Penal Court of First Instance No 3 concluded on 11 February 2016 to hear the case against Hilal Kalafat launched on charges of “insulting the State President”. The case was launched for the columns she wrote on the web site of a local news portal.
The court sentenced the defendant to 2 years and 4 months’ under the Article 299 TPC and suspended the execution of the sentence.
(02/063) Journalist Arrested in Gaziantep…
Dicle News Agency (DİHA) Nazım Daşdan who was detained on 10 February 2016 in Gaziantep was arrested on 11 February 2016 on the allegations of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” through facebook comments and the news he wrote.
(02/064) Web Site Banned…
Access to web site “herkul.org” was banned upon decision of İstanbul Peace Penal Judge 7 dating 11 February 2016. The articles of Fettullah Gülen were published on the web site.
(02/065) Protesters on Trial in Aydn…
Aydın Penal Court of First Instance No 1 started on 8 February 2016 to hear the case against 77 persons launched in connection with a demonstration staged in Aydın to protest in the killing of 301 miners in Soma district of Manisa. The indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced for “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations”.
After the identification and testimonies of the present defendants, the court adjourned the hearing to a later date to complete the testimonies.
(02/066) Protest Attacked in İzmir…
The police intervened a demonstration staged on 10 February 2016 in İzmir to commemorate the suicide bomb attack on 10 October 2015 in Ankara. 16 persons were detained during police intervention.
(02/067) Political Party Premises Attacked in Bursa…
Unidentified persons organised an armed attack on 11 February 2016 against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) premises in Yenişehir district of Bursa. HDP Chair for the district Rahmi Dağyar and former Chair Hasan Ural were wounded during the attack.
(02/068) Detentions and Arrests…
Selçuk Doğan and Gurbet Ektiren who were among 5 persons detained during house raids in Derik district of Mardin were arrested on 5 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
On 5 February 2016, Security Forces detained 3 persons including Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) executive for Karlıova district Emrah Özcan in Karlıova district of Bingöl.
Leyla Nergiz (22) who was detained in Silvan district of Diyarbakır was arrested on 5 February 2016 on the allegations of “acting in the name of an illegal organisation”.
The police conducted house raids on 11 February 2016 in Antalya against the houses of HDP members and supporters and detained 25 persons including Dicle News Agency (DİHA) correspondent Feyyaz İmrak.
The police conducted house raids on 6 February 2016 in Başkale district of Van and detained Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair for the district Senar Yeşilırmak.
Human Rights Association (HRA) members Erdal Özakçil, Yavuz Karabudak, Hamit Ateş who were detained during house raids in Erzurum were arrested on 6 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation” and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation”. Latif Polat who was detained in Diyadin district of Ağrı was also arrested on the same day on the allegations of “aiding and abetting an illegal organisation”.
11 member of Labour Party (EMEP) were detained on 7 February 2016 when they were putting up posters of the party saying “Unite to Raise the Voice of Peace (Barışın sesini yükseltmek için birleşelim)”. The detainees were released after a while, but 8 of them were fined TL 219 under the Law on Misdemeanours.
5 persons including HDP and DBP co-chairs for Bingöl province who were detained during operations in Bingöl were arrested on 8 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
İhsan Denk, Hamit Güleç and Erhan Aktay who were detained during house raids in Derik district of Mardin were arrested on 8 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
The police intervened a march organised on 8 February 2016 in Mersin and detained 6 persons.
HDP Co-Chair for Beyoğlu district in İstanbul province Rukiye Demir who was detained on the grounds that there was an arrest warrant against her was arrested on 8 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
Union in health sector SES representative in Ağrı province Recep Altındağ was arrested on 9 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
Rojava Association board members Mustafa Ocaklı, Ramazan Karabalı and Davut Kesen were detained on 10 February 2016 in Mardin.
The police conducted house raids on 10 February 2016 in Edremit district of Van and detained 10 persons.
Kübra Oğul, Susin Şengül and Mücahit Kaplan who were among 5 persons detained during house raids in Ankara were arrested on 11 February 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
5 persons were detained during the house raids conducted on 11 February 2016 in Tatvan district of Bitlis on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”. 5 persons in Suruç district of Şanlıurfa and 3 persons including Co-Mayor Rahmi Çelik in Bulanık district of Muş were reportedly detained on 11 February 2016.
Helin Öncü who was wounded when Security Forces opened fire and was under treatment in Mardin was detained on 11 February 2016 when discharged from hospital.