Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
8 October 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(10/091) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 7, 2020 that, 3 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas of Hakkari on September 15, 2020.
(10/092) Person Wounded Due to Explosion of Ammunition in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that a person named Mehmet Yıldız got wounded due to explosion of an ammunition that he found while he was grazing his herd in Gökçe rural neighbourhood of Lice district of Diyarbakır on October 7, 2020. It is learned that Mehmet Yıldız was first taken to Lice Public Hospital and then was admitted to another hospital at Diyarbakır city center.
(10/093) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 7, 2020 that, the appeal to the verdict of Bursa Office of Judge of Execution No 2 on September 23, 3030 which restricts lawyer meetings for 6 months for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım who are kept in Imralı F Type Prison was rejected by Bursa Heavy Penal Court No 1.
It is learned from the news coverage of October 7, 2020 that, Yekta Savaş Deli, a prisoner in Mersin Tarsus T Type Prison, was subjected to torture and ill-treatment by wardens while he was moving into a new ward. It is reported that Yekta Savaş Deli has rib fracture and he was taken to prison infirmary but not to a hospital.
(10/094) Person Forced to Be a Police Informant…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 7, 2020 that, a person named Medine Çeken was called in to Yakacık Police Station Anti-Terror Department in Kartal district of Istanbul on September 23, 2020, in relation to her son who lost his life in Syria on October 14, 2019; and she was forced to be a police informant there.
Medine Çeken had a press declaration at Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Office and stated the following: “They asked me when my son left. And I told them when he left and when he died as a martyr. Then they said ‘we want you to help us’. I asked them what they wanted me to help about. They said ‘We could not stop your son leaving, help us to stop other young persons to leave’. I said, ‘I cannot help, I would help my son if I could do so, there is nothing I can do fır help’. (…) And I left there telling them not to disturb me again. They said, ‘No we will call’. (…) On October 1 they called me once again. I said, ‘I came over there, we talked and it is over. Why are you calling again?’. They said they want to talk again. I responded, ‘I don’t’ want to talk, I will not come’. They said ‘You will’, ‘You are nervous, calm down and come over here tomorrow’. I said, ‘I will come on Thursday but I will not be alone’. They answered, ‘You will come alone, you have to come’.”
(10/095) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration which was made within the scope of “I Want My Job Back Protest” going on for 1429 days in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on October 7, 2020 at 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.
(10/096) Detained Co-Mayor, City Council Members, Political Party Executives and Other People in Kars…
15 of 21 people including Kars co-mayor Şevin Alaca from Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and city and district council members who were detained in Kars on October 1, 2020 are referred to the court on October 7 and 8, 2020. 13 people are arrested; 2 people are released on judicial control conditions.
Arrested people are: Kars co-mayor Şevin Alaca, HDP Kars provincial co-chair Cengiz Anlı, Mustafa Yardımcıer, Şengül Erkmen, Suat Bayhan, Kaya Naki, Fahrettin Kaya, Reis Baykiz, Hamit Daşdelen, Hamdi Erkmen, Medya Tağay, Bülent Ağbaba and Ömer Albayrak.
3 people (Zorba Başkutlu, Hazal Ağdeve ve İzzet Artuğ) who has been detained through the same investigation were arrested before while 3 people were released on judicial control conditions.
(10/097) Detained People in Mardin…
3 people who were detained through a Mardin based investigation are released on October 7, 2020.
(10/098) People Subjected to Penal Fine for Participating in a Protest in Mersin…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 7, 2020 that, 18 members of Mersin Women’s Platform were fined to 3,150 Turkish Liras each according to Public Health Law No 1593, for participating in protests about government’s plan to withdraw from Istanbul Convention Against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which were held in Mersin on August 5 and 18, 2020.
(10/099) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against Can Dündar, former executive editor of Cumhuriyet newspaper for publishing the footage of MIT (National Intelligence Service) trucks stopped in Adana and Hatay on January 19, 2014, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 on October 7, 2020. The court decided to treat Can Dündar as fugitive and confiscate all of his property. It is learned that Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) will be appointed as a trustee for his property. The court also decided to send a writ to the Banks Association of Turkey in order to ascertain bank accounts of Can Dündar and to send a writ to the related banks to confiscate deposit and checking accounts of Can Dündar in ascertained banks.
At the previous trial held on September 17, 2020, the court has decided to make an official call to Can Dündar via newspaper ad, and to treat him as a fugitive in case he does not appear to court in 15 days, and to confiscate his property; and adjourned the trial to October 14, 2020.
(10/100) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against Ayşegül Doğan, programme director of IMC TV television channel which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 9 on October 7, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for Ayşegül Doğan for her news reports, interviews and events she participated in.
The prosecutor declared legal opinion on the case and demanded jail sentence from 7 years and 6 months to 15 years on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court adjourned the trial to December 7, 2020.
(10/101) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Ceren Sözeri, upon complaint of Serhat Albayrak, Turkuvaz Media Group Vice President of Executive Board, for the article titled “Who caused poll defeat of AKP”, is held at Istanbul Commercial Court of First Instance No 2 on October 7, 2020. The court adjourned the trial to February 3, 2020.
(10/102) Poet on Trial in Ankara for ‘Insulting the President’…
The trial of the case against poet Ahmet Telli, on the grounds of ‘insulting the President’ in social media posts on an account that is not his, is held at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 22 on October 7, 2020. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to January 7, 2021.
(10/103) Investigation Against Bar Association Chair and Lawyers in Urfa…
It is learned from the news coverage of October 7, 2020 that, Urfa Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against 26 lawyers including Urfa Bar Association chair Abdullah Öncel, for participating in the press declaration and sit-in protest against the amendment on structure and elections of bar associations, held in Urfa on July 7, 2020.
Layers subjected to investigation are: Urfa Bar Association Cahir Abdullah Öncel, Fazilet Taştan Arserim, Gülistan Ayalp, Hasan Murat Umut, Hidayet Enmek, İbrahim Halil Alagöz, İbrahim Halil Durmaz, Berfin Gökkan, İsmail Alakuş, Meliscan Güneş, Mevlut Güneş, Mustafa Aydınlık, Mustafa Vefa, Nahide Polat Aslan, Ronahi Paydaş, Serdil İzol, Velat Karahan, Sedat Altundağ, Mihriban Çelik, Esra Altun, Ferhat Altun, Ferhat Benek, Gül Tektaş, İbrahim Halil Öyke, Gülbeyaz Ağaç Tuncel, Ömer Elden.
(10/104) Broadcast Ban for TV Channels…
On October 7, 2020, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued Halk TV channel with an administrative fine at the highest level, for expressions “Is Azerbaijan really a state? It is a clan; there is no democracy, no law, the regime is authoritarian and there are no elections. They swim in money, but they could not establish a proper state up to the present”, used about Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan on a programme.
(10/105) Ban of Access to a Website…
It is learned that https://nupel.net/ website is banned to access by Diyarbakır Penal Court of Peace No 3 on October 6, 2020.
(10/106) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On October 7, 2020, 5 people are detained through an Ankara based investigation on Deputy Chief Police Exam in 2009; 22 people are detained in operations covering 12 cities through an Adana based investigating; 23 people are detained in operations covering 7 cities through an Antalya based investigating; 13 people including public officers dismissed by state of emergency decrees are detained in operations covering 3 cities through an Ankara based investigating.
5 people who were detained in Antalya are arrested by the court on October 7, 2020.
(10/107) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Ministry of Health declared that 56 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,581 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on October 7, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 8,609 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 329,138 as of October 7, 2020.
It is learned from data shared by Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine on October 7, 2020 that 915 health workers including 220 doctors, 324 nurses and delivery nurses, 1 dentist, 34 paramedics, 123 health personnel, 48 technicians, 15 automation personnel, 15 security guards, 24 public officers, 11 laboratory experts, 44 medical secretaries in Diyarbakır were diagnosed with Covid-19, and 12 health workers lost their lives due to Covid-19.
[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.