Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
8 – 10 February 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/066) Operations and Attacks…
Speaking at an event on 8 February 2025, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Erzurum MP Meral Danış Beştaş announced that Turkish citizen journalist Aziz Köylüoğlu lost his life in an Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) attack on 27 January 2025 in Sulaymaniyah province of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
(02/067) Police Intervention to a Protest in Diyarbakır…
On February 8, 2025, the police intervened the people leaving the rally organized by Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in Diyarbakır and detained 12 people including 1 child by using physical violence. The detainees were released the same day after statement procedures at the police. It is learned that 1 person named Vedat Özdemir was wounded during the intervention. Vedat Özdemir stated the following in his statement to the press “The police first hit me hard on the back of my neck and then deliberately targeted me and sprayed pepper spray directly on my face. I fainted and I don’t remember what happened afterwards.”
(02/068) Arrested Journalist in Istanbul…
Journalist Ali Barış Kurt is detained in Istanbul on February 7, 2025, after his sentence of 2 years and 4 months is upheld and he is arrested and taken to prison on the same day.
(02/069) Detained Journalists in Istanbul…
Uğur Koç and Berkant Gültekin, editorial coordinators and Yaşar Gökdemir, managing editor of BirGün newspaper’s website, were detained on February 8, 2025 on the grounds of ‘targeting people who took part in the fight against terrorism’ through a news article on Sabah Newspaper’s visit to Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor.On February 9, 2025, Berkant Gültekin is released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office; Uğur Koç and Yaşar Gökdemir are released by the criminal court of peace on judicial control conditions with a ban on leaving the country.
(02/070) People Arrested in Adana…
3 people including 1 child who were detained in Adana on February 5, 2025 are arrested by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on February 7, 2025 on the charges of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘possession of flammable explosive material’. The names of the arrested people are: Demhat Sağlam, Umut Dicle and M.F.
(02/071) Person Arrested in Istanbul…
On February 9, 2025, astrologer Hilal Saraç, who was detained in Istanbul on the grounds of insulting the President and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairperson in a social media post, is arrested by the criminal court of peace on the same day.
(02/072) Journalist on Trial in Izmir…
The trial of the case against JINNEWS reporter Melike Aydın, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Semra Turan and Tolga Güney started on February 10, 2025 at Izmir Heavy Penal Court No 13.
The indictment demands sentence for journalists on the charge of ‘being an illegal organization member’. The court decided to lift the house confinement order against Melike Aydın and Tolga Güney and adjourned the trial to May 12, 2025.
(02/073) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
It is learned that the indictment of Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office against journalists Necla Demir and Velat Ekinci is accepted by Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 23 on February 10, 2025. The indictment demands sentence for 2 journalists on the charge of ‘being an illegal organization member’.
Necla Demir and Velat Ekinci were detained on January 17, 2025 and were arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 20, 2025.
(02/074) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against Cumhuriyet Newspaper columnist Orhan Bursalı due to a social media post was held on February 7, 2025 at Istanbul Anadolu 28th Criminal Court of First Instance. The court sentenced Orhan Bursalı to 1 year and 8 months for ‘unlawful acquisition or dissemination of personal data’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(02/075) Spice Bazaar Case…
On February 7, 2025, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 15 continued the retrial of the case after the acquittal verdict of sociologist Pınar Selek in the case related to the explosion at the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü district of Istanbul on July 9, 1998 which resulted in the death of seven people and 127 people were injured. The court adjourned the hearing to April 25, 2025.
The acquittal verdict given on June 8, 2006 in the case against Pınar Selek on the allegation of ‘membership of an illegal organization’ based on the statements of Abdülmecit Öztürk was overturned by the 9th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation and the case was retried by the Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court. On May 23, 2008, Pınar Selek was acquitted again, but the 9th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned this verdict as well. The case was then reopened at the Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court and Selek was acquitted once again on February 9, 2011. Upon the reversal of this verdict, Pınar Selek was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on January 24, 2013. Following the reversal of the aggravated life sentence by the 9th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, Pınar Selek was acquitted for the 4th time in the retrial held at Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court. However, this acquittal was also overturned on June 21, 2022.
(02/076) Hrant Dink Case…
The final hearing of the case against 15 public officials, 7 of them arrested, related to the murder of Hrant Dink, Editor-in-Chief of Agos Newspaper, was held on February 7, 2025 at Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court. The court sentenced 8 defendants to life imprisonment for ‘attempting to overthrow the constitutional order of the Republic of Turkey’; 1 defendant to 12 years and 6 months and 1 defendant to 10 years for ‘aiding to intentional killing by design’; 1 defendant to 15 years for ‘killing by negligence’; 1 defendant to life imprisonment and 3 defendants to 25 years for ‘intentional killing by design’. The court also issued an arrest warrant for 3 defendants.
(02/077) Investigation Against CHP Executive…
It is learned that Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against Yankı Bağcıoğlu, deputy chair of Republican People’s Party (CHP), for inviting retired soldiers to a press declaration and that he gave his official statement to the prosecutor’s office through the investigation on February 10, 2025.
(02/078) Racist Attack in Elazığ…
On February 8, 2025, it is reported that after the match between Elazığspor and Vanspor Fk in Elazığ, the bus carrying Vanspor was attacked with stones by unidentified people on the way to Van. It is learned that 3 people including the driver of the bus were injured and 3 people were detained.
(02/079) Banned Event in Istanbul…
On February 7, 2025 it is learned from the news coverage of February 7, 2025 that the march of CHP on Galata Bridge in Fatih district of Istanbul on February 9, 2025 about Palestine was not allowed by Istanbul Governorate.
(02/080) Banned Internet Contents…
It is learned that 3 news reports about Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) on https://www.birgun.net/, https://www.medyaradar.net/, https://yurtsever.org.tr/ websites are banned to access on the grounds of ‘violation of privacy’ by Ankara Gölbaşı Criminal Judicature of Peace on February 7, 2025.
On February 10, 2025, it is learned from news coverage of February 10, 2025 that 126 social media accounts, including those of journalists Metin Cihan and Hayko Bağdat, were banned from access by Ankara Penal Court of Peace No 4 on February 5, 2025 on the grounds of national security and protection of public order.
(02/081) Special Security Zone in Şırnak…
Şırnak Governorate made a declaration on February 10, 2025 and announced that Gabar Mountain, Bestler Dereler, Cudi Mountain, Kurt Mountain, Kelmehmetler, Dönmezler, Kovankaya, Tahtareş, İncebeldağları, Altındağlar Oyakaya areas within the borders of Şırnak Province Central, Güçlükonak, Silopi, Cizre, Uludere districts have been declared as temporary security zones for 15 days between February 11, 2025 and February 25, 2025 and all access to the area is banned.
(02/082) Detained People in “Clamp-38” Operations…
On 10 February 2024, the Ministry of Interior made a declaration and announced that 45 people were detained in 22 provinces (Aksaray, Amasya, Antalya, Burdur, Bursa, Erzurum, İstanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Karabük, Kırıkkale, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Trabzon and Yozgat) during the “Kıskaç-38” operations on the allegations of ‘being an illegal organization member’, ‘making illegal organization propaganda’ and ‘using ByLock’; 24 of these people were arrested and 21 of them were released, 8 of them on judicial control conditions.
[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.