Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center – 21-23 September Report
Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 20, 2019 that, 4 HPG militants died in an air operation to Heftanin area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on August 25, 2019. It is learned that a civilian, Yusuf Kurt, died due to blast of an improvised explosive, alleged to be put by PKK, in rural areas of Dağiçi village of Nusaybin district of Mardin on September 22, 2019.
Soldier Died in Adana…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 22, 2019 that, Şükrü Gündüz, who was on compulsory military service in Adana had a brain haemorrhage and died in hospital.
Person Died Due to Being Hit by Military Vehicle in Tunceli…
It is learned that Oktay Er died due to being hit by a military vehicle in Göktepe village of Tunceli’s Mazgirt district on September 22, 2019.
Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 20, 2019 that, Mehmet Emin Taş and Fatma Ay, co-mayors of Diyarbakır’s Kulp district who were suspended, and civil works director Şener Aktaş, People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Kulp district co-chair Abidin Karaman and Mehmet Emin Ay who were kept in Diyarbakır D Type Prison, were transferred to Osmaniye T Type Prison under coercion.
It is learned from the news coverage of September 21, 2019 that, Özgür Sevim, a prisoner in Trabzon Beşikdüzü T Type Prison, was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at Elazığ T Type Prison where he was kept overnight on the way to Mardin for attending the trial of a case against him. It is reported that Özgür Sevim was subjected to physical violence of the wardens since he rejected strip search and was put in a solitary cell.
It is learned from the news coverage of September 22, 2019 that, prisoners who reject to be forced to stand up in military order and to sing national anthem in Maraş Türkoğlu Prison were subjected to physical violence.
Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on September 20, 2019 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s sister and brother and tutelary along with the families of Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysel Aktaş in order to visit, was rejected the same day on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the Law on the Execution of Criminal and Security Measures Number 5275.
Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1048 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on September 20, 21, and 22, 2019 at 13.30, and at 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on September 20, 2019, 2 people (Acun Karadağ and Merve Demirel) and at 18.00 2 people (Alev Şahin and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on September 21, 2019, 2 people (Merve Demirel and Nazan Bozkurt) and at 18.00 2 people (Derviş Lermi, Nazan Bozkurt and Merve Demirel) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on September 22, 2019, 2 people (Derviş Lermi and Merve Demirel) and at 18.00 2 people (Acun Karadağ and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
Thus in total 13 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on September 20, 21, and 22, 2019. It is learned detained people were released on the same days they were detained.
Police Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the sit-in protest in front of Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Ankara office on September 20, 2019 by Cemal Yıldırım who rally to regain his job at Ministry of Finance from which he had been dismissed by state of emergency decree, and detained Cemal Yıldırım and 2 people who support him (Labourist Movement Party (EHP) Ankara chair Sanem Deniz Kural and Mahmut Konuk). It is learned that 3 people were released on the same day.
Prevention of Saturday Mothers’ Protest in Istanbul…
Police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square in Istanbul to prevent Saturday Mothers who rally every Saturday for 23 years in the same place to gather for the 756th time on September 21, 2019. Upon police prevention, the group including representatives of political parties, human rights defenders and artists along with families of disappeared people held a press declaration on the street of Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul office.
Prevention of Human Rights Defenders’ Event in Istanbul…
“F sit-in”, which is organized for the 391st time by Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Prison Watch Committee, to demand release of ill prisoners, on September 21, 2019, is prevented by the police. The police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square. Human rights defenders made the press declaration in front of IHD Istanbul office.
Police Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the protest of Zeynep Koçak and Hakan Koçak, mother and father of lawyer Mustafa Koçak who is on indefinite hunger strike in prison, in front of Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on September 20, 2019 and detained them. It is learned that detained 2 people are released on the same day.
Police Interventions and Preventions Against Protests After Appointment of Trustees to Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van…
6 people who were detained for getting on a bus without tickets to protest appointment of trustees to Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van in Diyarbakır on September 17, 2019, are released by the court on judicial control conditions on September 20, 2019.
Police Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of the Women’s Defense Network in Tuzluçayır Square of Mamak district of Ankara on September 20, 2019 and detained 3 people by using physical violence and handcuffing them behind their backs. It is learned that detained people were subjected to physical violence in detention car too. The names of detained people who were released on the same day are: Aysun Gençtanır, Buse Üçer and Meziyet Yıldız.
Police Prevention Against a Protest in Istanbul…
The police prevented the protest of families of military school students who have been arrested through July 15 coup attempt, in front of Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Istanbul office on September 20, 2019.
Arrest Warrant for Former HDP Co-Chairs…
On September 20, 2019, a new arrest warrant is issued by Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office for Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chairs of HDP, through an investigation on protests held on October 6 and 7, 2014. It is learned that a limitation of having only 3 lawyers is imposed on Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş for this investigation. Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ gave their official statements in prison through sound and vision system.
On September 21, 2019 President Tayyip Erdoğan stated the following on arrest of Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ once again: “This nation did not and will not forget those who called out to streets and killed 53 children of this nation. We will pursue this to the end. We cannot release them. If we do so our martyrs in the eternal realm will call us to account for.”
Detained Journalist in Istanbul…
Taylan Kulaçoğlu, editor of Gazete Tamam newspaper, is detained in Istanbul on September 21, 2019 and is released on the same day after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office.
The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The separate cases against 20 academicians (Assoc. Professor Ayten Alkan Mertoğlu from Istanbul University, Assoc. Professor Zeynep Dilek Hattatoğlu from Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Assist. Professor Ceren Ergenç Glauberman from METU, Didem Çınar Ünal from Istanbul Technical University, Assist. Professor Battal Odabaşı from Istanbul Aydın University, Professor Mine Gencel Bek from Ankara University, Professor Mehmet Teoman Pamukçu from METU, Assist. Professor Evrim Özlem Kavcar from Artuklu University, Emel Yuvayapan Yıldırım from Dokuz Eylül University, Professor Fatma Gök from Boğaziçi University, Research Assistant Hande Gülen from Yalova University, Assist. Professor Tuba Kıyan from Yıldız Technical University, Professor Nilüfer Göle Akat from Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Emine Aslı Odman from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, PhD Başak Ertür and PhD student Ayşe Arslan from University of London, Research Assistant Hazal Halavut from Boğaziçi University, Assist. Professor Gülsüm Depeli Sevinç from Hacettepe University, Assoc. Professor Hakan Koçak from Kocaeli University, Ümit Çetin from Westminster University) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 are resulted in acquittal as a preceding judgment of the court on September 19, 2019.
223 of 808 cases against academicians for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” are resulted in acquittal as of September 23, 2019.
Journalists, Writers and Others on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against Bloomberg reporters Kerim Karakaya and Fercan Yalınkılıç who reported news on financial crisis and increasing exchange rates, and 36 people who shared and commented on these news reports on social media including Mustafa Sönmez, Merdan Yanardağ, Gazi Kozanoğlu, Sedef Kabaş Yirmibeşoğlu, upon the official complaint of Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 3 on September 20, 2019. The indictment demands jail penalty from 2 years to 5 years for 38 people, on the charge of ‘attempt to weaken financial order and stability of the state’. After defence hearings the court issued a warrant for absent defendants and adjourned the trial to January 17, 2020.
Person on Trial for ‘Insulting the President’ in Van…
The final trial of the case against Burhan Borak, on the charge of ‘insulting the President in social media posts’ is held at Van Penal Court of First Instance No 2 on September 22, 2019. The court sentenced Burhan Borak to 12 years and 3 months for 7 posts on social media and did not defer the announcement of the verdict.
Ankara JİTEM Case…
The case known as “Ankara JİTEM case” continued to be held on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 1 on September 20, 2019.
The indictment demands jail sentence for defendants Mehmet Ağar, İbrahim Şahin, Korkut Eken, Ayhan Çarkın, Ayhan Akça, Ziya Bandırmalıoğlu, Ercan Ersoy, Ahmet Demirel, Ayhan Özkan, Seyfettin Lap, Enver Ulu, Uğur Şahin, Alper Tekdemir, Yusuf Yüksel, Abbas Semih Sueri, Lokman Külünk, Mahmut Yıldırım, Nurettin Güven, Muhsin Korman, on the charge of “committing murder as a part of activities of an armed organisation with the purpose of committing offences” for unidentified murders committed in an around Ankara between 1993 and 1996.
The court accepted to grant time to the prosecutor for legal opinion and adjourned the trial to December 13, 2019.
June 5 – Diyarbakır Case…
The case on the bombing attack to HDP’s rally in Diyarbakır on June 5, 2015, is held on Sincan West Courthouse Heavy Penal Court No 2 on September 20, 2019. Arrested defendants Orhan Gönder, İsmail Korkmaz and Mustafa Kılınç joined the trial via sound and vision system from the prisons they are kept while Burhan Gök, unarrested defendant did not attend. The demand of complainants’ lawyers that Ahmet Davutoğlu, Prime Minister back then, should be heard as a witness is rejected by the court on the grounds that it would not make a significant contribution to the case as to accusations. he court decided to continue detention of arrested defendants and adjourned the trial to November 15, 2019.
Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On September 20, 2019, 6 people are detained in operations covering 3 cities through an Elazığ based investigation.
It is learned that a detention warrant is issued for 74 military members on active duty through an Istanbul based investigation on Turkish Armed Forces personnel and that operations are initiated in 30 cities.
Ban of Events in Urfa…
Urfa Governorate made a declaration on September 20, 2019 and announced that over trustee appointment to Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van; all out-door events such as demonstrations, press declarations, meetings, sit-ins, opening stands and tents, festivals, concerts, delivering leaflets and so on are banned for 15 days as of September 20, 2019. This is the second time of governorate ban on events for 15 days in Urfa.
Ban of Event in Ankara…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 22, 2019 that, concert of Sabahat Akkiraz at Vedat Dalokay Park in Ankara on September 22, 2019, is banned on September 20, 2019 by Ankara Governorate on the grounds of security reasons.
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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.
