Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
8 September 2017 Daily Human Rights Report
(09/044) Abduction Claim in Ankara…
On September 7,2017 news coverage reported that HDP Party Assembly member and SGDF MYK member Ozancan Sarı was abducted by civil police officers and physically abused in a rural area of Ankara for 3 hours. Sarı was later released in Gölbaşı.
(09/045) Armed Assault to Hakkari Mayor’s House…
It is learned that on September 7, 2017 there was an armed assault towards the house of Fatih Keskin, an independent mayor for Hakkari’s Durankaya sub-district. No one was harmed in the assault.
(09/046) Suicide Claim in Prison…
News coverage on September 2, 2017 reported that a prisoner committed suicide in Tarsus No 2 Type T Prison. Prison management has denied the claim and stated that ‘‘No such thing happened.’’.
(09/047) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned through news coverage on September 7, 2017 that 68 female prisoners are subject to physical abuse and ill-treatment in Bayburt Type M Prison.
It is learned that Yılmaz Uçar who was physically abused by wardens on August 8, 2017, has been transferred to Seydişehir Type T Prison against his will and demand. Uçar has been transferred before the stiches in his head wound was received medical treatment.
It is learned on September 7, 2017 that the distributor of Daily Özgürlükçü Demokrasi Serkan Erdoğan was sent to an isolation cell because he allegedly resisted wardens in Tarsus Type T prison, where he is a prisoner.
It is learned from the news outlets on September 7, 2017 that in Silivri Prison cameras which can monitor toilets and baths were placed in wards of women prisoners.
(09/048) Workplace Killings…
Work Place Healthy and Safety Committee (İSİG) declared that in August, 217 workers including at least 16 child workers lost lives due to workplace accidents/killings. The number of deaths in the first 8 months of the year is 1338.
(09/049) Detentions in Sur…
It is learned from news coverage that as demolition continues in Alipaşa and Lalebey neighborhoods in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, Ayşe Dün’s house was demolished and she was restrained from taking out her belongings. Due to Ayşe Dün and her son reacting to police officers, more people from the neighborhood gathered to resist the demolition. This resulted in police forces firing arms in the air, physically abusing and detaining 3 persons.
(09/050) Police Intervention in Ankara towards “I Want My Job Back” demonstration…
Civil servants discharged from their jobs with KHK legislations planned for a public statement in front of the Human Rights Monument in Ankara Yüksel Street on September 7, 2017. Two meetings planned at 13.30 and 18.00 respectively were both prevented by the police forces who clocked entrance to the street by barriers.
During the police intervention at 13.30’da 1 person named Deniz Aydın was detained. Aydın was later released after a fine for demeanor was issued. No detainment took place at the 18.00 meeting.
(09/051) Person Detained for Wearing the “Hero” T-shirt…
It is learned that on September 7, 2017, a university student named B.Ö. was detained for wearing a tshirt that wrote ‘’Hero’’ on the front. The student was interrogated at the police station half naked for 3 hours and later transferred to prosecution.
(09/052) Detentions and Arrests in Connection with the Coup d’État Attempt…
It is learned that 13 out of 24 people with detainment order in Kayseri, 32 out of 40 in Adiyaman and 30 in Manisa were detained. Also 25 soldier were detained in Kocaeli.
It is reported that through a Mersin based ongoing investigation, detainment orders were issued for 35 soldiers and operations are in place in 16 cities for capturing these soldiers.
It is learned that among 2 German citizens that were detained on August 31, 2017 in connection with ‘‘FETÖ/PYD investigation”, K.A. is released on September 7, 2017 with an overseas travel ban condition. The other detainee S.A. was previously released on September 4, 2017.
(09/053) Trial of DBP Co-chair Sebahat Tuncel…
The trial of DBP co-chair Sebahat Tuncel’s Diyarbakır 8. Criminal Court case continued on September 7, 2017. Tuncel is charged with ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’ and ‘‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations’’. Tuncel refused to attend the trial through SEGBİS as she requested to be present in person to make her defense. It is learned that Court Judge has reacted to this decision ad stated ‘‘Unacceptable. She will come and sit there. We will decide whether she attends or not.’’. Following the defenses of attorneys, the court ruled that the defendant is not entitled to decide whether to be or not in the SEGBİS room thus adjourned the trial to January 2018 and requested Tuncel to be present in the SEGBİS room at the time.
(09/054) Trial of HDP MP’s…
The trial of HDP MP Selma Irmak continued in Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Penal Court on September 8, 2017. Irmak refused to attend the trial through SEGBİS because she wanted to be present in person. Irmak is charged with ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’ for 6 times. The court ruled the continuity of Irmak’s arrest and adjourned the trial to a further date. Selma Irmak was arrested on November 4, 2017.
HDP Hakkari MP Nihat Akdoğan’s trial continued on September 8, 2017 in Diyarbakır 4th Heavy Penal Court. Criminal charges for Akdoğan include ‘‘being member of an illegal organization’’, ‘‘endorsing crime and criminals’’, ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’. Akdoğan did not attend the trial. The court overruled the request to lift Akdoğan’s overseas travel ban and adjourned the trial to a further date.
On September 8, 2017 HDP Kars MP Ayhan Bilgen’s trial in Diyarbakır 5. Criminal Court, resulted with the release of Bilgen. Bilgen was detained in January 29, 2017 and was later released. Following an objection from Prosecution Office, Bilgen was once again detained, later arrested on January 31 2017 and charged with illegal organization membership.
(09/055) Trials in Connection with the Coup d’État Attempt…
Final hearing for 35 defendants including former Artillery Regiment Commander Coronel Turgut Çelebi took place on September 7, 2017 in Antep 7th Heavy Penal Court. After last testimonies of defendants, the court sentenced 9 defendants to heavy life imprisonment, all of whom found guilty of “trying to overthrow constitutional order”. 26 defendants were acquitted. Names of the defendants found guilty are: Colonel Turgut Çelebi, Lieutenant Colonel Özgür Öztürk, Major Hakan Aydemir, Lieutenant Colonel Yüksel Acı, Lieutenant Colonel İnanç Asım Anıl, Major Mehmet Akif Ayhan, Lieutenant Şamil Topal, Lieutenant Kürşat Aktaş and Lieutenant Akın Ergül.
The trial of arrested defendant former Afyonkarahisar Supply Station Commender İsmet Gökhan Gülmez continued in Afyonkarahisar Heavy Crime Court on September 7, 2017. Gökhan was released with juicidial control condition.
A relative of Fettullah Gülen, Ömer Gülen’s hearing took place in Erzurum 2nd Heavy Court. Ömer Gülen is found guilty of ‘‘being member of an illegal organization’’ and sentenced to 6 years 3 months.
The trial of 40 defendants including CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s former advisor Doç. Dr. Fatih Gürsul continued at the Istanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court. 7 of 40 defendants are already arrested. The court ruled the continuity of 7 defendant’s arrests and lifted the judiciary control condition on others. The trial has been adjourned to November 13, 2017.
The final hearing for the trials of a former police officer and TRT Executive took place on September 7, 2017 in Ankara 17th Heavy Penal Court. Both defendants are found guilty of ‘‘being member of an illegal organization’’ and sentenced to 9 years.
(09/056) Supreme Court Decision on Cancellations of MP Status…
Supreme Court has overruled the objection towards cancellations of MP statuses for HDP Şırnak MP Faysal Sarıyıldız and Van MP Tuğba Hezer Öztürk with a unanimous vote, based on 85th amendment of the constitution.
Both Sarıyıldız and Öztürk’s MP statuses were cancelled due to lack of ‘‘attendance’’ through a voting at the Parliament. Previously HDP Van MP Figen Yüksekdağ’s and HDP Diyarbakır MP Nursel Aydoğan’s MP statuses were also cancelled due to final court orders. Currently the Parliaments MP number is down to 546 and HDP’s MP number is down to 55.
[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.