Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
6-8 January 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/049) People Wounded by the Gunfire of Watchmen in Urfa…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 7, 2024, that 3 people, including two people who allegedly disobeyed ‘stop’ warning, and a Syrian refugee named Diyar Mihammed, who was passing by, were wounded due to the fire opened by watchmen in Haliliye district of Urfa and were taken to Urfa Balıklıgöl State Hospital.
(01/050) Worker Subjected to Racist Attack in Ankara…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 5, 2024, that Levent Güner, a worker at a sugar factory in Etimesgut district of Ankara, had a quarrel with a group of workers and was attacked by them after they asked him “Are you Kurdish?” on January 2, 2024. It is reported that Levent Güner got a report from the hospital to medically document the violence he was subjected to. It is learned that Levent Güner went to Ankara Etimesgut Şehit Necdet Alıcı Police Station to file a complaint and his medical report was confiscated, and although he stated that he was attacked because he was Kurdish, the police intervened and did not record his statement.
Levent Güner stated the following to the press: “They were kicking me on the ground. My friends caught up and took me away from them. But then they started beating my friends too. The head of a union there, whose name I don’t know, said, ‘They are Kurds, hit them. You will not employ Kurds here’. He was the one who escalated the situation. To protect their own men, they said there was no CCTV footage.”
(01/051) Person Who Lost His Life in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 6, 2024, that Recep Koçak (68), a prisoner in Ankara Sincan Prison, lost his life in hospital due to a heart disease on January 6, 2024.
(01/052) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on January 5, 2024, 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, to visit them was not responded to.
(01/053) House Raids in Hakkari…
It is learned that on January 6, 2024, the police raided and searched houses in Aşağı Bağlar neighbourhood of Hakkari’s central district on the grounds of seeing two suspicious persons. It is learned that windows and doors of 6 houses were broken and furniture in the basements were damaged. It is reported that no one was detained during the raid and two people were called to give statements.
(01/054) Journalist Detained in Istanbul…
On December 28, 2023, journalist Furkan Karabay was called to the police station on the grounds of a news report he had published and was detained on the charges of ‘targeting people who took part in the fight against terrorism’ and ‘slander’ and was arrested by the court on December 29, 2023. Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 7 evaluated the objection filed by Karabay’s lawyers on January 2, 2024 and ruled for the journalist’s release on January 8, 2024.
(01/055) Association and Party Executives Detained in Adıyaman…
Mahmut Elçi, Adıyaman Representative of MEBYA-DER (MEBYA-DER), Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Adıyaman Provincial Co-Chair Aziz Akdağ and Bedriye Polattaş were detained in house raids on January 8, 2024, through an investigation in Adıyaman on the allegations of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’.
(01/056) People Detained in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that 2 of 5 people (Murat Aslan, Selman Aktar, Cihan Almaz and 2 unidentified people) who were detained in house raids in Silvan district on January 5, 2024 and following days through an investigation by Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office, were released by the court; 3 of them (Murat Aslan, Cihan Almaz and Selman Aktar) were arrested on January 8, 2024 on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organisation’.
(01/057) Person Arrested in Adana…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 7, 2024, that B.Y., who was allegedly insulting Atatürk’s picture in Adana, was arrested by the court.
(01/058) Journalist Under Investigation in Istanbul…
It is learned that an investigation was initiated against Halk TV reporter Seyhan Avşar for the news she reported on January 4, 2024 about Deputy Minister of Justice, and that the police came to her house on January 5, 2024 and called Avşar to testify.
Seyhan Avşar made the following statements on the subject on her X (Twitter) account: “When I was about to arrive at my house, I learned from my mother that there were police officers in front of the building and at my door. My mother called me from the balcony and said ‘don’t come home’. I entered the building saying ‘there is nothing to run away from’. The police officers said, ‘We apologize, we came at this hour, but we had to call you to testify urgently. This is the instruction,’ they said. They did not detain me. But they tried to intimidate me. (…) I will go with my lawyer and give a statement…”
(01/059) Journalist Under Investigation…
Fatih Altaylı, against whom an investigation was launched due to ‘praising offense and offender’ and ‘Provoking the Public to Hatred, Hostility or Degrading’ through his social media posts, was released by the Criminal Peace Judgeship on January 5, 2024 on judicial control condition.
(01/060) Association Executive on Trial in Izmir…
İzmir Heavy Penal Court No 13 accepted the indictment against EGE-TUHAYDER Co-Chair Nilay Güleser, who was arrested by the court on December 1, 2023 after being detained in a house raid on November 28, 2023. The first hearing of the trial in which Yalçınkaya will be tried on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ will be held on March 19, 2024.
(01/061) Association Executive on Trial in Izmir…
İzmir Heavy Penal Court No 18 accepted the indictment against Ali Yalçınkaya, Co-Chair of Avesta Language and Culture Research Association, who was arrested by the court on December 1, 2023 after being detained in a house raid on November 28, 2023. The first hearing of the trial where Ali Yalçınkaya will be tried on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ will be held on January 18, 2024.
(01/062) Person on Trial in Mersin…
T.T., who was sentenced to 10 months by Mersin Heavy Penal Court No 4 to 10 months on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ for shouting slogans about PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in Mersin in 2014, made an appeal to the Court of Cassation through his lawyer on September 27, 2021, which was concluded by Penal Department No 3 of the Court of Cassation on January 5, 2024. The Penal Department No 3 of the Court of Cassation reversed the verdict on the grounds that the elements of the crime of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ did not occur.
(01/063) People on Trial in Şırnak…
The trial of the case against TJA activist Dorşin Gök, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly members Miraç Dinç and Emin Kalkan, about Tahir Güven, brother of former Justice and Development Party (AKP) Cizre district chair Cihan Güven, who died in an armed assault on December 4, 2021, was held at Şırnak Heavy Penal Court No 2 on January 5, 2024. After defenses the court decided to continue detention of 3 people and adjourned the trial to February 26, 2024.
(01/064) The Case Against Tarlabaşı Community Center…
The trial of the case against the Association for Supporting Tarlabaşı Community (known as Tarlabaşı Community Center), demanding the declaration of the expiration of the association on the grounds of ‘unlawful and immoral’ activities, was held at Istanbul Civil Court of Peace No. 18 on January 8, 2024. The court adjourned the trial to May 6, 2024. It is learned that 2 people, reported to be members of Bir Avuç Humanitarian Aid Association, threatened TTM volunteers after the hearing.
(01/065) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 5, 2024, that Ağrı Criminal Peace Judgeship banned access to a news report on https://yeniyasamgazetesi5.com, which is about Urfa Bar Association’s criminal complaint to Urfa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office about an academic at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University making racist comments on Roboski Massacre.
It is learned that 3 news reports on https://medyascope.tv, https://www.dokuz8haber.net and https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr, on the allegations that a judge detained students who cursed at his wife, on the grounds of violation of personal rights, are banned to access by Mardin Criminal Peace Judgeship No 1 on January 5, 2024.
It is learned that a news report on https://halktv.com.tr website and a social media post about a fake access ban on a news report of journalist Seyhan Avşar were banned to access by Istanbul Criminal Peace Judgeship No 4 on January 5, 2024, on the grounds of violation of personal rights.
It is learned that 3 news reports on https://artigercek.com, https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr and https://www.sozcu.com.tr about the release of a döner cook who was arrested in Erzurum for insulting Atatürk, on the grounds of tuberculosis, were banned to access by Erzurum Criminal Peace Judgeship No 1 on January 5, 2024 on the grounds of violation of personal rights.
It is learned that 20 news reports on the allegations of nepotism against the Deputy Minister of Justice on https://www.birgun.net, https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr and https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr were banned from access by Ankara Criminal Peace Judgeship No. 9 on January 5, 2024 on the grounds of violation of personal rights and the content was ordered to be deleted.
[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.