Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center – 4 September Report
Murdered Women…
According to the report issued by We Will Stop Femicide Platform on September 3, 2019, at least 49 women are murdered by men in August 2019 in Turkey.
Child Was Wounded Due to Mine Blast in Mardin…
It is learned that a child named A. S. (14) who was shepherding in Akdogan village of Mardin’s Kiziltepe district on September 3, 2019, got heavily wounded due to blast of a mine that he finds on the land.
Torture and Ill-Treatment Under Custody in Mardin…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 3, 2019 that a person named F.A., who was detained in the police intervention against protests in Mardin on August 21, 2019, which started after trustee appointment of the Ministry of Interior to Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin; was subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody. It is reported that F.A. had to have sutures on his back due to torture, and that he was forced to sign a detention report and since he rejected to do so, he was taken to containers in the yard of the police directorate. F.A. states the following: “They told me that I had to sign it and that they would rape me and harm my family if I do not sign (…) A police officer with long hair who was named Ahmet, told me that he would rape me, take me to another place where he would torture and rape me and then arrest me on a report and harm my family, in case I do not sign the report (…) I was afraid of being subjected to torture and rejected to sign it. The police officer named Ahmet started to kick and punch me. And he threatened me by saying ‘Now it is too late. I will rape you and beat you whether you sign it or not. I can kill you here and dump your dead body’ (…) He said ‘You are a man aren’t you? Now you will not be a man anymore, I know what to do to you’. Another police officer came in and told that it was the time for hospital examination and said ‘He should first go to medical examination and then we will rape and torture him’ to the police officer Ahmet. The other one (Ahmet) said ‘I enjoy doing it. I did not do it for a while and I want to do it now’. And the other police officer said ‘Okay then go on’ (…) The police officer named Ahmet asked the other one to bring a soda bottle and said ‘I will start slowly and then I will go with the baton’, and the other one said ‘He is dirty and his faeces will stain here’ to which Ahmet responded as ‘Okay then I will just beat him now and rape him afternoon when I got the equipment’ (…) He started to touch my body with the baton, I cried because of fear and shame. He made me sit on a chair and started hitting my genitalia. He made me to lean on the wall on my finger toes and stretching my arms. His friend asked him ‘the old method?’ and he said ‘Yes, let the muscles got tired so I can beat him as I wish without leaving any mark’. He was chatting with his friend while at the same time hitting me with the baton, he was disturbing my genitalia. I was crying with fear and shame. I stood leaning on the wall for about 10 minutes and then he started beating me with the baton (…) He threatened me as saying ‘Do not feel relieved now. There is no way out for you. If anyone knows what I did to you here, I will tell that you cursed to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to statesmen, to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and make 4 police officers to witness against you. And I will extend your detention period and do terrible things to you’. This police officer named Ahmet came to the hospital with us to prevent me saying anything to doctor. I could not tell the doctor what happened and could not get a medical report. But I told it to my lawyer and will make an official complaint.”
Person Was Subjected to Police Violence in Mardin…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 3, 2019 that Hamza Yildirim, a member of People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly in Artuklu district of Mardin was subjected to verbal and physical violence of the police stopping him on the way on August 21, 2019 and was forced to be a police informant and was threatened. Hamza Yildirim stated that, the police said him ‘If you do not want to end up like others you will do what we want. You saw what we did to your friend in Diyarbakir, do you want us to do the same to you?’ and, holding a gun to his head first and then putting the gun in his hands, continued ‘Now there are your fingerprints on the gun. If you do not do what we want, we will shoot you here and put the gun in your hands and claim that we had a clash where we had to kill you’.
People Were Subjected to Police Violence in Bingöl…
On September 2, 2019, Berat Çeçen, who was stopped by the police while he was riding a bike in Uydukent neighbourhood of Bingöl’s central district, and his father Lütfü Çeçen and his brother Kadir Çeçen, were subjected to physical and verbal violence of the police, and the police have detained them forcing to lay down on the ground and handcuffing behind their backs. It is learned that Lütfü Çeçen and Kadir Çeçen are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘resisting to the police’ and Berat Çeçen was released on September 3, 2019.
Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 3, 2019 prisoners in Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison were subjected to ward searches 3 times a week and their personal belongings were scattered around; books, magazines and newspapers which are sent to prisoners were not given to them on arbitrary conditions; prisoners were not referred to hospital; sports and communication rights were limited and prisoners were forced to stand in military order during roll-calls.
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 1029 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on September 3, 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 3, 2019, 2 people (Mahmut Konuk and Mehmet Dersulu) and at 18.00 2 people (Merve Demirel and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on September 3, 2019. It is learned detained people were released on the same days they were detained.
Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…
Türkan Albayrak, who was dismissed from her job at Sariyer district Health Department, on the grounds of ‘personnel security investigation’ and ‘archive search’, on August 3, 2018; has been holding a sit-in protest in front of Health Department for 1 year since September 3, 2018. The police intervened into the sit-in protest held on September 3, 2019, and detained 4 people (Türkan Albayrak, Nazife Onay, Nursel Tanriverdi and Acun Karadag).
Detained People in Mardin…
It is reported that 3 people are detained at a road check point in between Derik and Mazidagi districts of Mardin on September 3, 2019. The names of detainees are unknown.
Detained DTK Member in Diyarbakir…
It is learned that Democratic Society Congress (DTK) board member Mekiye Güzel was detained at Diyarbakir Police Directorate where she went to give an official statement on September 3, 2019.
People on Trial in Sirnak…
The first trial of the case against 10 people from organization committee of Newroz celebration of this year in Cizre district of Sirnak, including HDP’s Cizre district co-chair Güler Tunç, on the grounds of “organizing and leading illegal demonstrations”, is held at Cizre Penal Court of First Instance No 1 on September 3, 2019. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to November 19, 2019.
Journalists, Lawyers and ESP Members on Trial in Istanbul…
The case against 23 people (2 of them are arrested) including lawyers from Law Office of the Oppressed, Etkin News Agency reporters and members and executives of Socialist Party of the Oppressed, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 27 is held on September 3, 2019. The court decided to continue detention of Erkan Kakça and Coskun Yigit, and adjourned the trial to November 26, 2019.
Minister of Interior Threatened Istanbul Mayor…
Süleyman Soylu, Minister of Interior, attending a meeting in Bursa on September 3, 2019, stated the following for Ekrem Imamoglu’s recent visit to co-mayors of Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin who were suspended recently: “He is painting in glowing colours that they hugged each other and dance the halay and etc. May Allah enhance your cheer (…) I am saying here: Do your job, you are more than welcome. But if you engage in other things outside of the job, we will devastate you. It is so clear”.
Report on Right Violations Against Journalists…
Free Journalists Initiative (ÖGI) declared the report on right violations against journalists in August, on September 2, 2019. It is stated in the report that, 146 journalists are in prison, and 15 journalists were detained in August; 2 journalists were subjected to investigations while 5 journalists were subjected to lawsuits against them and 1 journalist faced jail penalty. It is also remarked in the report that 700 news reports were banned to access; 1 journalist’s house was raided; 2 journalists were subjected to physical violence while 1 journalist were subjected to armed assault, and 1 journalist quit their job due to pressures.
Ban of Events in Adana…
Adana Governorate made a declaration on September 3, 2019 and announced that over trustee appointment to Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van; all 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 3, 2019.
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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, Firat Haber Ajansi, Jinnews, ETHA, Mezopotamya Ajansi, Yurt, Yeni Yasam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Tr724, Ileri Haber, Siyasi Haber, Alinteri, Kizilbayrak, Sendika.org, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karinca, Gazete Duvar. Haber Sol, El Cezire, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, AFP.