A non-government information center on Turkey
Un centre d'information non-gouvernemental
sur la Turquie
A non-government information center on Turkey
Un centre d'information non-gouvernemental
sur la Turquie
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juillet 2005 July N° 323 53 rue de Pavie - 1000 Bruxelles Tél: (32-2) 215 35 76 - Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60 editor@info-turk.be Chief Editor /Rédacteur
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Informations du mois
Informations of the monthDroits de l'Homme / Human Rights
La Turquie condamnée pour les meurtres de Gazi en 1995
La Turquie a été condamnée mardi par la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme (CEDH) pour les émeutes qui avaient fait 17 morts en mars 1995 dans la confrérie alévie d'Istanbul.
La Cour a donné raison à 22 proches des personnes décédées en estimant que les autorités turques avaient violé l'article 2 (droit à la vie) de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme en recourant "à une force qui n'était absolument pas nécessaire" pour réprimer des manifestations dans les quartiers de Gazi et d'Umraniye à Istanbul.
Les émeutes de Gazi, un quartier déshérité et peuplé d'Alévis, des musulmans qui revendiquent un islam d'inspiration soufie, avaient fait suite au meurtre d'un chauffeur de taxi le 12 mars 1995. 15 personnes avaient au total été tuées et 276 autres blessées par la police qui, selon les requérants, n'avaient pas hésité à faire feu sur la foule et à empêcher les manifestants d'emmener les blessés à l'hopital.
Trois jours plus tard à Umraniye, de nouvelles manifestations étaient réprimées brutalement par la police durant lesquelles deux autres personnes avaient été tuées et plusieurs blessées.
Selon les autorités turques, aucune des balles récupérées sur les corps des victimes ne correspondaient aux armes des représentants des forces qui étaient de service pendant les deux incidents, une version contestée par les proches des victimes qui avaient porté plainte devant la justice turque dès le mois suivant.
Deux policiers furent condamnés respectivement à cinq et un an et huit mois de prison pour avoir tué quatre personnes au total, mais une instruction, ouverte à la même époque et portant sur les décès de quatre autres victimes est toujours pendante.
La CEDH a également condamné mardi Ankara pour n'avoir pas mené une "enquête rapide et adéquate" sur les circonstances entourant les décès, estimant notamment que "la manière dont le système de justice pénale turc a opéré en résponse aux évènements tragiques de 1995 n'a pas permis de garantir que les fonctionnaires concernés répondent pleinement de leurs actes".
La Turquie a enfin été condamnée pour absence d'un "recours effectif" (article 13) qui aurait permis aux requérants de "se plaindre du décès de leurs proches" et d'obtenir des actions en réparation.
Les familles des victimes ont jusqu'à présent obtenu que 150 millions de livres turques (2.800 EUR) à titre d'indemnités d'un fonds d'entraide turc.
La Cour européenne a décidé mardi d'allouer 30.000 EUR conjointement à six des requérants et 30.000 EUR à chacun des 16 autres pour dommage moral. (AFP, 26 juillet 2005)
Explosion d'Istanbul: la presse soupçonne un attentat, enquête en cours
L'explosion qui a fait deux blessés samedi à Istanbul serait due à un attentat, selon des informations parues dimanche dans la presse, mais la police poursuivait son enquête sans en dévoiler les détails.
"L'incident est en cours d'examen et la cause de l'explosion deviendra plus claire quand les enquêteurs auront terminé leurs recherches", a déclaré à l'AFP un porte-parole de la police d'Istanbul.
Le porte-parole a refusé de se prononcer sur des informations de presse selon lesquelles l'explosion devant un café-restaurant de la métropole turque serait due à une bombe à retardement ou télécommandée.
Un touriste néerlandais et un serveur ont été blessés dans l'explosion qui s'est produite sous l'une des tables placées à l'extérieur du café, situé sous le pont de Galata à la Corne d'Or, sur la rive européenne du Bosphore.
Le chef de la police d'Istanbul Cellalettin Cerrah avait déclaré samedi que l'explosion n'était pas due à une fuite de gaz, sans autre indication sur son origine. (AFP, 24 juillet 2005)
Ankara s'apprête à amender la loi anti-terreur pour renforcer la répression
Suivant l'appel de l'Armée turque, le gouvernement s'apprête à amender la loi anti-terroriste pour renforcer la répression de l'opposition sous prétexte de faciliter la lutte contre des "terroristes".Dans un entretien publié jeudi par le quotidien Vatan, le ministre de la Justice Cemil Cicek a déclaré: "Les préparations en sont à leur stade final. Nous allons soumettre le projet de loi au Parlement dès qu'il se réunira, après les vacances estivales, le 1er octobre."
Cicek a fait valoir que les pays européens eux-mêmes procédaient à des révisions de leurs lois anti-terrorisme. "Nous examinons les mesures prises par l'Espagne et la Grande-Bretagne au lendemain des attaques d'al-Qaïda" qui ont frappé ces pays, a expliqué le ministre. "Nous allons aussi introduire des mesures dans ce contexte".
Le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan a confirmé mercredi qu'Ankara prévoyait aussi de créer une agence gouvernementale spécialisée dans les affaires de terrorisme.
L'armée avait appelé à la création d'une telle institution, attachée aux services du Premier ministre, qui définirait les stratégies et assurerait la coordination de la lutte anti-terroriste. (AFP, 21 juillet 2005)
Cinq morts dans une explosion à Kusadasi sur la côte turque
L'explosion samedi d'une bombe dans un minibus dans la station balnéaire turque de Kusadasi, sur la mer Egée, a fait cinq morts dont deux touristes, une Irlandaise et une Britannique, et treize blessés, dont plusieurs ressortissants du Royaume-Uni.
Cinq personnes, dont une Irlandaise, une Britannique et trois Turcs, ont été tuées et treize autres, dont cinq Britanniques, ont été blessées lorsqu'une bombe a a déchiqueté un minibus qui transportait des vacanciers d'une plage vers le centre de Kusadasi, sur la mer Egée.
Le ministre britannique des Affaires étrangères, Jack Straw, a condamné un "acte répugnant", et son homologue irlandais, Dermot Ahern, a estimé que cette "atrocité" était "totalement injustifiable".
Devant la presse, le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a qualifié l'explosion d'"attaque terroriste", mais sans en désigner les auteurs.
Yilmaz Orhan, le chef de la police de la province de Aydin, dont dépend Kusadasi, a souligné que les forces de sécurité n'étaient pas parvenues à une conclusion définitive sur l'origine de l'explosion.
"Il n'apparaît pas clairement si cela a été causé par un kamikaze ou par la détonation d'un engin", a-t-il dit à l'agence Anatolie.
Selon le gouverneur adjoint de la province, Nurdogan Kaya, les explosifs utilisés étaient "d'un genre plutôt puissant".
Le vice-gouverneur de Kusadasi, Ali Baris, a d'abord évoqué la possibilité d'un attentat suicide perpétré par "une jeune fille de 16 ou 17 ans". Mais après que les cinq morts eurent été identifiés, il a déclaré à l'agence Anatolie que cette hypothèse s'affaiblissait.
Depuis avril, les heurts entre l'armée et le PKK se sont intensifiés dans le sud-est de la Turquie, faisant plus de 100 morts.
Les responsables turcs ont annoncé dimanche matin la mort de 10 militants fortement armés du PKK lors de combats ces derniers jours dans la province de Sirnak.
Les recettes générées par le tourisme en Turquie ont atteint en 2004 15,9 milliards de dollars (13,2 milliards d'euros), avec l'entrée de près de 17,5 millions de vacanciers étrangers, un record. (AFP, 16-17 juillet 2005)
Le PKK nie, des personnalités kurdes condamnent l'attentat de Kusadasi
Les premiers soupçons des autorités turques se sont portés sur le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) après l'attentat qui a fait cinq morts samedi dans la station balnéaire de Kusadasi, dans l'ouest de la Turquie, mais le PKK a nié dimanche toute responsabilité.
Samedi après-midi aucune revendication n'avait encore été rendue publique. Toutefois, cette dernière attaque s'est produite une semaine après un autre attentat à la bombe à Cesme, non loin de Kusadasi, revendiqué par les "Faucons de la Liberté du Kurdistan", un groupuscule clandestin kurde. Ce groupuscule a promis d'autres attentats contre des sites touristiques turcs.
Le PKK a démenti toute participation à l'attentat. "Les accusations sont complètement fausses et sans fondement (...) Nous n'avons rien à voir avec Kusadasi", a affirmé le PKK dans un communiqué paru dimanche sur le site web de l'agence MHA, proche de l'organisation séparatiste kurde.
Le PKK a aussi déclaré dans ce communiqué n'avoir "aucun lien" avec le TAK. Les responsables turcs demeurent néanmoins convaincus que le TAK fait bien partie du PKK et n'est qu'un paravent qui permet d'attaquer des cibles civiles sans ternir l'image du PKK.
Un groupe de quatorze activistes kurdes ont condamné l'attentat commis samedi contre un minibus dans la station balnéaire turque de Kusadasi, sur la mer Egée, qui a fait au moins quatre morts et quatorze blessés.
"Nous n'approuvons jamais et nous condamnons toute action contre des civils innocents et sans défense, quels qu'en soient les motifs et quels qu'en soient les auteurs", soulignent ces personnalités dans une déclaration commune publiée à Ankara.
Parmi les personnalités signataires de cette déclaration figurent notamment Mme Leyla Zana, la première autonomiste kurde à siéger au parlement turc, et M. Tuncer Bakirhan, président du Parti démocratique populaire, pro-kurde. (AFP, 16-17 juillet 2005)
Les principaux attentats en Turquie depuis 2003 (CHRONOLOGIE)
L'attentat commis samedi contre un minibus dans la station balnéaire de Kusadasi (ouest de la Turquie) et qui a provoqué la mort d'au moins quatre personnes, intervient après près de deux ans de recrudescence des actes de terrorisme en Turquie.
--2003--
- 15 et 20 nov: Quatre attentats suicide à la voiture piégée à Istanbul contre deux synagogues et contre le consulat britannique et la banque britannique HSBC font 63 morts, dont le consul général britannique, et des centaines de blessés.
Ces attentats sont revendiqués par le réseau Al-Qaïda.
--2004--
- 9 mars: Deux personnes, dont un des auteurs de l'attentat, sont tuées lors d'une attaque suicide contre un immeuble abritant une loge maçonnique à Istanbul.
- 17 mai: Trois bombes explosent devant des succursales de la banque britannique HSBC à Istanbul et Ankara, faisant des dégâts matériels, quelques heures avant l'arrivée du Premier ministre britannique Tony Blair dans la capitale turque.
- 24 juin: 4 morts dans l'explosion d'une bombe dans un autobus à Istanbul, dont une militante d'extrême gauche qui transportait l'engin.
L'attentat est revendiqué par le DHKP-C (Front-Parti de libération du peuple révolutionnaire).
Quelques heures auparavant, un engin de faible puissance avait explosé à Ankara près de l'hôtel où devait loger le président américain George W. Bush, avant de se rendre à Istanbul pour le sommet de l'Otan.
- 29 juin: Trois personnes blessées par l'explosion d'une bombe à bord d'un avion de la Turkish Airlines, après le débarquement des passagers à l'aéroport d'Istanbul. La police soupçonne un groupe d'extrême gauche.
- 2 juil: Trois personnes sont tuées et 24 blessées dans l'explosion d'une voiture piégée dans le centre de Van (est), au passage d'un convoi escortant le gouverneur local. La police attribue l'attentat à l'ex-PKK (Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan, séparatiste -- rebaptisé Kongra-Gel) qui dément.
- 5 août: Une fillette de 13 ans est tuée dans l'explosion d'une bombe artisanale près d'une école dans la province de Mardin (sud-est).
- 10 août: Deux personnes sont tuées et 11 blessées, dont des touristes, dans des attentats à la bombe visant deux hôtels du centre d'Istanbul et un complexe gazier en périphérie de la ville. Un groupe kurde armé, les Faucons de la liberté du Kurdistan, revendique ces attaques.
- 19 sept: Une bombe explose à Mersin (sud), près d'un lieu où se déroulait un concert, faisant treize blessés. L'attentat est revendiqué par les Faucons de la liberté du Kurdistan.
--2005--
- 30 avr: Un attentat à l'explosif, revendiqué par les Faucons de la liberté du Kurdistan, tue un policier et en blesse quatre autres dans la ville touristique de Kusadasi sur la mer Egée.
- 1er juil: un militant d'extrême gauche recherché tente de commettre un attentat suicide contre une cible gouvernementale en plein centre d'Ankara avant d'être abattu par la police.
- 2 juil: Une bombe explose au passage d'un train dans l'est de la Turquie, une région à majorité kurde, causant la mort de six personnes et en blessant 11 autres.
- 10 juil : Une bombe de faible puissance explose dans la ville balnéaire turque de Cesme, sur la mer Egée, blessant 20 personnes. Le groupe armé kurde, les Faucons de la liberté du Kurdistan, a revendiqué cet attentat. (AFP, 16 juillet 2005)
La Turquie condamnée à Strasbourg pour enquête insuffisante sur un meurtre
La Cour européenne des droits de l'homme a condamné jeudi la Turquie pour avoir insuffisamment enquêté sur le meurtre d'un homme, proche du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) et abattu en 1994 à Diyarbakir, dans le sud-est à majorité kurde du pays.
La Cour a estimé qu'Ankara avait violé les article 2 (droit à la vie) et 13 (droit à un recours effectif) de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme et alloué 10.000 euros pour dommage moral à la veuve et aux trois orphelins de Halis Kaçar.
Il avait été tué de plusieurs balles dans le dos le 11 mars 1994, alors qu'il quittait son domicile, a rappelé la Cour dans son arrêt.
Son épouse soutenait qu'il avait été victime d'une exécution extrajudiciaire tandis que le gouvernement affirmait qu'il avait été tué dans règlement de comptes entre organisations terroristes."A la lumière des éléments en sa possession", la Cour a considéré "qu'une conclusion selon laquelle Halis Kaçar aurait été tué par des agents de l'Etat ou avec leur complicité relèverait plus du domaine de l'hypothèse et de la spéculation que d'indices fiables".
Toutefois, "les autorités turques ont fait preuve d'un manque de diligence dans la manière dont elles ont mené l'enquête pénale, celle-ci étant marquée par des périodes d'inactivité inexpliquées", a poursuivi la Cour, qui s'étonne notamment de négligences dans l'expertise balistique.
En outre, bien qu'une enquête ait été ouverte sur les auteurs présumés du meurtre, "tous n'ont pas été retrouvés et la procédure engagée contre certains des suspects" interpellés ou localisés est "toujours pendante", ajoute-t-elle. (AFP, 15 juillet 2005)
Physicians: "Isolation at Prisons Should be Eliminated"
The Istanbul Chamber of Physicians (ITO) has called on the government to improve the physical and psychological health conditions of the inmates, especially of those at the maximum-security F-type prisons. The Chamber has also asked the government to cooperate with the chambers of physicians when needed.
Through legal amendments, the government has left the people's right to a healthy life to the mercy of the market, the ITO board of directors said in a written statement. "This is also affecting the prisoners."
ITO said that tens of people have chosen to die since the "returning to life" operation 4.5 years ago. It cited the complaints of the families of inmates and added that health conditions at the F-type prisons are threatening the lives of the prisoners.
"The prisoners are forced to live in physical and social isolation," said the statement. "From the increasing number of complaints from their families, it can be told that the prisoners are deliberately left to die. Prison authorities are preventing treatment although some inmates have serious health problems. They are only transferred to hospitals at the very last stage of their sickness. They are even prevented from using medicine."
ITO had earlier applied to the Justice Ministry and proposed that an independent group of physicians, under the supervision of the Turkish Physicians Association, inspect the health services in prisons. The Justice Ministry rejected the proposal saying "health services are being provided in the related units," according to ITO.
"Media's silence about what's going on in the prisons is interesting," said ITO, adding:
"The pressure and insults the inmates and their families are faced with at the F-type prisons are unacceptable and cannot be kept in the dark anymore. They virtually have no rights. It is clear that hiding this problem would only lead to the creation of a cruel political regime and would have no contribution to the democratization of our country." (BIA News Center, july 12, 2005)
Ankara condamnée trois fois pour la violation des droits de l'Homme
La Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme a condamné mardi la Turquie dans trois procès pour la violation des droits de l'Homme.
1.
La Cour a condamné la Turquie pour avoir empêché des responsables du Parti de la démocratie et de la paix (DBP) de se rendre en 1998 dans plusieurs villes du sud-est du pays et de tenir une réunion publique dans celle de Van.
La Cour a estimé qu'Ankara avait notamment violé l'article 11 (liberté de réunion et d'association) de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme et alloué 2.000 euros au parti DBP et 1.500 euros à chacun des trois requérants pour dommage moral.
Refik Karakoç, Ilhan Güneri et Nevzat Eski étaient alors respectivement président du DBP, président de la section locale de Van du DBP, et membre du comité directeur du parti, rappelle la Cour dans son arrêt.
Ils décidèrent début juin 1998 de visiter une douzaine de villes dont Mardin, Diyarbakir et Van afin de rencontrer la population de cette région du sud-est de la Turquie, à majorité kurde et soumise à l'état d'urgence.
Le 10 juin 1998, le préfet de la région interdit la tenue de la réunion en plein air prévue à Van, au motif que la situation y était "sensible", ainsi que les déplacements programmés à Mardin et Diyarbakir.
La Cour européenne a reconnu que "l'atmosphère politique pouvait peser (...) en raison de l'insécurité liée aux actes de terroristes perpétrés dans le sud-est de la Turquie à l'époque des faits".
"Néanmoins, le préfet était prévenu à l'avance", a poursuivi la Cour, rappelant que rien n'indiquait que le DBP allait "diffuser des idées de violence et de rejet de la démocratie".
La Cour a estimé que ces "mesures d'interdiction" ne pouvaient raisonnablement être considérées comme répondant à un besoin social impérieux".
2.
La Cour a condamné la Turquie pour avoir refusé en 1996 de fermer trois centrales thermiques polluantes, situées dans le sud-ouest du pays, malgré plusieurs décisions de justice allant dans ce sens.
Ces centrales, de Yatagan, Yeniköy et Gökova (Kemerköy) situées dans la province de Mugla, sont gérées par le ministère de l'Energie et des Ressources naturelles ainsi que par une société publique, la "Türkiye Elektrik Kurumu" (TEAS), rappelle la Cour dans son arrêt.
A la suite d'une action intentée au milieu des années 1990 par dix avocats, le tribunal administratif de Aydn ordonna une expertise.
Elle révéla que ces centrales émettaient des quantités considérables de dioxyde d'azote et de dioxyde de souffre et que leur exploitation était dangereuse pour l'environnement dans un périmètre de 25 à 30 kilomètres.
En juin 1996, le tribunal jugea notamment que la TEAS exploitait ces centrales depuis 1994 sans avoir obtenu les autorisations nécessaires pour la construction, les émissions de gaz et le rejet des eaux usées.
Il ordonna la suspension de leur exploitation. Cette décision fut confirmée par la suite par le Conseil d'Etat en juin 1998.
Toutefois, en septembre 1996, le gouvernement préféra poursuivre l'exploitation des centrales, soulignant entre autres que leur contribution à l'économie était de l'ordre de 500 milliards de livres turques.
"Les requérants ont le droit de vivre dans un milieu sain", a d'emblée rappelé la Cour européenne, relevant que la décision du gouvernement "était de toute évidence illégale au regard du droit interne" et qu'elle s'opposait à "la notion d'Etat de droit".
Elle a condamné Ankara pour violation de l'article 6 alinéa 1 (droit à un procès équitable) de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme.
3.
La Turquie a été condamnée par la Cour pour traitements inhumains ou dégradants infligés à un mineur de 17 ans battu pendant sa garde-à-vue.
Soner Onder, Turc d'origine chaldéenne, avait été arrêté le 25 décembre 1991 pendant une manifestation à Istanbul.
Fin 1996, il avait été condamné à la peine de mort, commuée plus tard en 16 ans et 8 mois de prison, pour avoir lancé ce jour-là un cocktail molotov dans un magasin et pour aide à une organisation armée illégale.
Le requérant se plaignait devant la Cour européenne d'avoir été victime de mauvais traitements lors de sa garde-à-vue pour le contraindre à faire des aveux.
La veille de la fin de cette garde-à-vue de 15 jours, un rapport médical n'avait fait été d'aucune blessure. En revanche, quelques jours plus tard, à un moment où il était en détention provisoire, un second examen avait constaté des douleurs sur son corps et un gonflement inhabituel du testicule gauche.
"Au vu des éléments et en l'absence d'explication plausible de la part du gouvernement (turc), notamment sur la discordance constatée des rapports médicaux versés au dossier, force est de conclure que l'examen médical initial n'a pas eu lieu en bonne et due forme et que les séquelles constatées ont pour origine un traitement dont la Turquie porte la responsabilité", a estimé la Cour européenne.
Les juges ont ainsi condamné la Turquie pour traitements inhumains ou dégradants.
Ankara, qui a également été condamné pour la durée excessive de la procédure (5 ans et 11 mois), devra verser 8.000 euros au requérant pour dommage moral. (AFP, 12 juillet 2005)
Detention conditions worsening in F-type prisons
Union of Prisoners' Relatives (TUYAB) announced on 9 July that the conditions in the prisons worsened concerning the rights to communicate, live and health after the new TPC. They announced that the prisoners were arbitrarily sentenced by administration, were not treated and were beaten in F-type prisons.
Hanzey Güldogan, sister of Aysel Güldogan who is a prisoner in Gebze F-type Prison the prisoner, told that she made an official complaint in connection with the beating of her sister showing the traces of wounds on the body of her sister during the hearing at the Heavy Penal Court No 3. Güldogan, who told that the intensified searches are made to impose pressure on the prisoners, said: "Filiz Gülkokuer who suffers from leukaemia was not taken to the hospital because she denied to be searched continuously".
Seza Mis Horoz, a member of TUYAB, who told that the prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment were put to single cells after the new TPC come into force, said that Menderes Leyla and Ali Baba Ari were beaten when they were being taken to cells in the Tekirdag F-type Prison, and the leg of Menderes Leyla was broken. Horoz told that they wrote a petition to the Ministry of Justice upon the fact that the medicine of Zeynel Firik and Ali Sahin written on their recipes by the doctor were not bought. However, Horoz told, the Ministry told them the Prison should supply the medicines: "The prison administration told us to buy the medicine with our money. The rights of the convicts are violated."
Bahar Ertürk stated that her brother Kemal Ertürk in Ankara Sincan F-type Prison suffers from hypertension and diabetics but the prison administrations does not led him to be treated.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that the 121 letters written in the last three years to the political prisoner Murat Eser by his family were not delivered to him by the prison administration. His father Hüseyin Eser, who told that his son had been in Malatya Closed Prison in 2002 but sent to Elbistan Closed Prison in 2003, said that the letters were given to him when he went to visit to his son on 17 May. (Cumhuriyet-Özgür Gündem-TIHV, July 9-10, 2005)
OSCE report on the modification of the Turkish Penal Code
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today praised the Turkish authorities for introducing important changes to the new Penal Code, following a legal review his Office produced last May listing 23 provisions that needed to be revoked. {BR}
However, "despite some improvements, the amendments do not sufficiently eliminate threats to freedom of expression and to a free press," Mr Haraszti said.
The revised Turkish Penal Code was finally approved by parliament on Wednesday, 29 June. It now has to be published in the Official Gazette in order to enter into force.
Out of the 23 changes the OSCE Representative suggested in May, seven provisions have been brought into line with media freedom principles.
A welcome improvement is the deletion of most of the provisions which assumed stronger sanctions when the media was involved. Turkish lawmakers acknowledged that information about crimes could be in the interest of free discussion of public affairs.
Relating to Article 305 on "offences against fundamental national interests", the Representative noted with satisfaction that two examples in the explanatory "Reasoning Document" - making it a crime to demand the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus or to claim that Armenians were exposed to genocide - have been removed.
On a negative note, however, Mr Haraszti observed three major areas where media freedom remains endangered:
- the right of journalists to report and discuss on public-interest issues is not secured;
- restrictions on access and disclosure of information have not been lifted;
- defamation and insult provisions remain a criminal rather than a civil offence, thereby leaving the free discussion of public affairs at risk.
The Representative expressed his hope that modernisation of the Turkish Penal Code would continue in the spirit of improving the freedom of public scrutiny, while the provisions promoting self-censorship would all be removed. (OSCE, July 10, 2005)
Le champion de la "tolérance zéro à la torture" entouré de tortionnaires!
L'année dernière, le passé sinistre de Maksut Karal, chef de la garde rapprochée du premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan, avait éclaté au grand jour lorsqu'un ex-détenu du DHKP-C exilé, du nom de Erdal Gökoglu, avait reconnu en lui le tortionnaire qui le maltraita dans le fameux centre de torture d'Ankara, connu sous le nom de « laboratoire de recherches approfondies ».
A présent, c'est un autre garde du corps du Premier, un certain Hanefi Karal, parent de Maksut Karal, qui est éclaboussé par des histoires de tortures.
Le 3 avril 2002, une opération policière avait été menée à Ankara contre des militants présumés du DHKP-C. Au cours de cette opération, quatre personnes avaient été arrêtées et sauvagement torturées. Par la suite, deux des victimes, Bahar Güler et Tekin Demir, ont porté plainte contre leurs tortionnaires. Parmi les 19 inculpés, il y avait Hanefi Karal.
Le 29 juin dernier, se déroulait la deuxième audience du procès des tortionnaires de Bahar Güler et Tekin Demir devant la Première cour des lourdes peines (l'équivalent de la cour d'assises) d'Ankara.
Néanmoins, Hanefi Karal n'a pas assisté à son procès pour des raisons professionnelles. Au cours de cette audience, Bahar Güler et Tekin Demir ont déclaré avoir été complètement déshabillés, avoir été aspergés d'eau, puis avoir subi des chocs électriques. Ils auraient été roués de coups et menacés de mort et de viol. Leurs cheveux auraient été arraché. Tekin Demir aurait eu les poils des moustaches arrachées une à une.
La date de la prochaine audience a été fixée au 27 juillet.
Ce n'est évidemment pas un hasard qu'Erdogan s'entoure de tortionnaires. Ce constat laisse même penser que le critère de sélection des sbires d'Erdogan aient été établis selon leurs palmarès en matière de tortures. En tout cas, ce nouveau scandale apporte un sérieux discrédit à la campagne "tolérance zéro à la torture" initiée par Erdogan lui-même, à l'aube de son mandat. Après cette affaire, peut-on encore se laisser bercer par le mythe de la démocratisation de l'Etat turc et nier que la torture demeure une politique d'Etat? (HÖC Info, 7 juillet 2005)
L'exécution policière d'un militant de gauche menotté à Ankara
Un militant de gauche recherché a été abattu à Ankara par la police sous les regards effarés des passants. Eyup Beyaz, âgé de 25 ans et membre du Parti-Front révolutionnaire de libération du peuple (DHKP-C), a été tué par balles à une heure de pointe, dans un quartier bondé abritant des bâtiments gouvernementaux très protégés, dont les bureaux du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan, après avoir été refoulé à l'entrée du ministère de la Justice.
Selon un communiqué de la police, l'homme portait deux bombes dans un corset et une explosion est survenue à un point de contrôle de la police juste à l'intérieur du ministère de la Justice alors qu'il était fouillé à 09H05 locales (06H05 GMT). Le communiqué ne précise pas si c'est la bombe ou seulement le détonateur qui a explosé. "L'autre bombe a été désamorcée" après qu'il eut été tué, selon la police.
Dans un premier temps, il a été mis à terre par les policiers et menotté, mais a réussi à prendre la fuite en direction d'un parc. Il a été blessé à la jambe mais, après avoir une nouvelle fois tenté de faire exploser sa bombe, les policiers ont visé la tête, le tuant sur le coup, selon l'agence Anatolie.
Un caméraman qui se trouvait par coïncidence dans le secteur a filmé l'événement, qui tournait en boucle vendredi sur les chaînes de télévision turques.
Dans un communiqué, TAYAD (Association d'entraide avec les prisonniers politiques de Turquie) a accusé le gouvernement d'assassiner ses opposants: "Aujourd'hui, une fois de plus, nous sommes témoins d'une exécution. Le 18 juin dernier, le pouvoir a perpétré un massacre en assassinant 17 révolutionnaires. Cette fois, l'Etat a exécuté un militant au grand jour, pour soi-disant le 'neutraliser'. D'après les informations émanant du ministère de la justice, le militant a tenté de pénétrer dans le bâtiment du ministère par la porte réservée au personnel. Au moment de sa fouille corporelle, il aurait actionné son détonanateur. A ce moment, il est parvenu à s'échapper des policiers qui l'avaient immobilisé et a commencé à courir vers le quartier de Kizilay. D'après les images télévisées, cette personne était visiblement menottée dans le dos. Ce pouvoir continue d'éliminer les opposants par les armes, l'isolement, les lois et la censure."
D'autre part, l'Association des droits de l'Homme de Turquie (IHD) critique la police d'abattre un homme menotté au lieu de l'arrêter vivant." (AFP-TAYAD-IHD, 1 juillet 2005)
TIHV's Recent Human Rights Reports in Brief
July 29, 2005
Egitim-Sen Case... Legal General Chamber of the Court of Cassation 2 announced the reasoned verdict concerning the closure case against teachers' union Egitim-Sen. It was stressed in the verdict that the Constitution rules that any language other that Turkish cannot be taught as mother tongue and the education must be in Turkish: "National unity means the unity in the public life so the public life necessitates a national culture which is under the protection of the law. Everybody, on the other hand, can live the culture that they are belonged to in their private life. The definite conclusion is that the education is done in Turkish in Turkish republic. Learning, broadcasting in other languages and dialects used in the society was accepted as a democratic right and legal amendments were made in this direction. ... Education in different languages would raise the social conflicts both in scientific and public realms". The verdict put that Egitim -Sen violated the Law on Trade Unions of Civil Servants and the Constitution by supporting education in mother tongues. Ankara Labour Case No. 2 had rejected closure case against teachers' union Egitim-Sen for the first time on 15 September 2004 but this decision had been quashed by the 9th Legal Chamber of the Court of Cassation. Upon this the court had rejected closure case for the second time. (Cumhuriyet)
The Umut (Hope) Case... On 28 July Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 11 concluded the case against 8 persons who were charged with 22 actions, including the killings of journalist Ugur Mumcu, Dr. Bahriye Üçok, Prof. Dr. Muammer Aksoy and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Taner Kislali. The court sentenced Ferhan Özmen to life imprisonment under the Article 146/1 TPC for "being member of an armed organization established to change constitutional order". Arrested defendants Hasan Kiliç and Mehmet Ali Tekin were sentenced to 11 years 6 months' imprisonment each for "being leading members of armed organization". However, these sentenced decreased to 6 years three months according to the Repentance Law. Mehmet Sahin, Fatih Aydin, Muzaffer Dagdeviren and Abdulhamit Çelik were sentenced to 3 years 1 month 15 days' imprisonment each, Yusuf Karakas was sentenced to 3 years 9 months', Ekrem Baytap was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Baytap was released after this decision. (Cumhuriyet)
Destruction of Squatters' Houses... A quarrel broke out between the officers and the squatters living in Güzeltepe quarter in Alibeyköy district (Istanbul) during the destruction of the squatters on 28 July. A crowded group established a barricade in the quarter and did not led the destruction teams enter the quarter on the allegation that the municipality did not supply places to shelter to tenants although made an agreement with the owners of the houses. Police destructed the barricades with panzers, dispersed the crowd by gas bombs and detained five persons. Leyla Güzel and Telli Yön (65) were two of the detainees. Ismail (surname not known) had reportedly heart attack during the incident and taken to the hospital. (Atilim)
Attack to the MHP... Premise of MHP in Mamak district (Ankara) was set on fire by unidentified persons on the night of 26 July. "Anti-Fascist Forces (AFAK)" claimed the incident. (Atilim)
Students on Trial... A court case was launched against 20 students who protested the police officers who attended classes wearing uniforms at METU. The indictment wants the students to be sentenced for "resisting security forces and not obeying authorities". The case would commence at Ankara Penal Court of first Instance No 25 on 10 November. Meanwhile, defendant students Engin Bozkurt, Umut Soytas, Ismet Yücetas, Yücel Takak and Ali Kemal Arslan were reportedly not at the school on the day of the incident. (Atilim)
July 28, 2005
Torture Case... On 27 July Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 1 continued to hear the case against 19 police officers launched on the allegation of torturing Tekin Demir, Bahar Güler, Jale Kirman and another person who had been detained in 2002 in Ankara. The hearing was adjourned to a later date for recording the testimonies of police officers. (Cumhuriyet)
Incident in Mus... Sefik Yildirim living in Varto district of Mus appealed to the HRA on the allegations that police opened fire from a panzer on his house that is 150 meters distant from Varto Security Directorate. Yildirim told that there was nobody in the house during the incident. Sefik Yildirim's sister Sakine Yildirim told that police officers who came to the place of incident on 19 July made an investigation and apologized from the people living nearby: "A police panzer is on duty everyday near our house. We heard gunshots around 21.50 pm on the night of the incident. They raked the house of my brother. Next day police officers came and took the picture of the house. They wanted not to make complaint and offered to compensate the damages". (Özgür Gündem)
Detention and Arrests... Baris Yigit who was detained in Tunceli for "being member of the PKK" was arrested on 26 July. Meanwhile, Baris Yigit's mother Selvi Yigit told that the bag that had allegedly bomb in it was put by the soldiers when they raided their house: "They said that they found a bag 20 meters away the house. A special team member was holding the bag. Suddenly they said: 'This is a bomb'. Then they exploded it from 20-30 meters away. The explosion did not make so much noise. After the explosion they said that it was not a bomb. They talked by a radio and then went away". Enver Yanik who was detained in Istanbul on the allegations of "being member of DHKP-C and preparing for a suicide action" and Kaidr Al who allegedly aided Yanik were released by the public prosecutor in Istanbul on the grounds of "lack of evidence". Security authorities had alleged that "they had founded chemical substances used for making bomb in Yanik's house". Enver Yanik was arrested in connection with another case."(Aksam-Özgür Gündem)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... According to the announcement made by the PKK, Rifat Baysal who was one of the five militants reportedly died on 26 July nearby Hakkari was reportedly save his skin. Van Governorate announced that 15 militants were killed during the clash broke out nearby Gürpinar district. (Milliyet-Özgür Gündem)
July 27, 2005
Torture in DetentionŠCemil Bilgili who organized a press conference at the premise of the prisoners' relatives association TUHAD on 25 July announced that he and his nephew Cem Bilgili were tortured. He told that a fight broke out between his nephew and a friend of his on 14 July in Çaglayan quarter of Istanbul: "I stopped fighting but the police officers who came to the place of incident took us to the Çaglayan Police Station. They beat and insult at us. There were strokes on several parts of our bodies. We were examined at Sisli Etfal Hospital. When we told the police officers that we would make an official complaint against them we were subjected to insults and beatings again." Cemil Bilgili told that Cem Bilgili was arrested on the allegations of "insulting the flag" and "resisting the police" and they made an official complaint against the police officers to the public prosecutor in Sisli. (Özgür Gündem)
Persons Beaten by Police... The travesties "Hülya", "Eda" and "Ezgi" were reportedly beaten by police on 21 July in Çapa quarter of Istanbul. According to a new appeared on the daily Özgür Gündem, the three persons were forcibly taken out of a taxi when it stopped during the red light in the traffic by some 30 police officers and beaten. These persons were later detained and given 2 days' reports at the hospital but the reports were not delivered up to them. Accprding to the news, the three persons were reportedly sent to the public prosecutor in Fatih district on the allegation of "resisting police" and released after being testified. The travesties reportedly did not made an official complaint against the police officers because they thought that it would be fruitless. (Özgür Gündem)
Torture Trial... 1st Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation denied the appeal against the acquittal decision against 10 police officers allegedly who tortured Erol Evcil during his detention at Bursa Security Directorate on the grounds of "not appealing within the legal time limit". Thus the acquittal decision was fixed. On the other hand, the Court of cassation quashed the verdict against the physicians Feridun Abdullah Karadag and Gündüz Sümeyre Döl who were sentenced to fine on the grounds that they gave report saying that "there was no trace of torture on Evcil's body". The court decided that the cases of the defendants should be handled according to the new TPC. On the same grounds, the Court of Cassation also quashed the life imprisonment sentences against Erol Evcil, who allegedly ordered the killing of Nesim Malki in Bursa on 28 November 1995, and the assassins Burhanettin Türkes and Sükrü Elverdi. The case against Evcil, Türkes and Elverdi had been launched in Istanbul SSC and then the case had been combined with the torture case launched in Bursa. The case had been concluded on 21 May 2004 at Bursa Heavy Penal Court No 2. (Hürriyet)
Righists Attacked... The group who waiting in front of Istanbul Courthouse to follow the DHKP-C case were attacked by the members of Idealist Union in Sariyer. Musa Kesler, correspondent with the daily Milliyet, was also beaten by the rightists during the incident. Chairman of Idealists' Union in Sariyer Dursun Karabacak, who was detained in connection with the attack, was released after being testified at Besiktas Police Station. (Radikal)
Detentions and Arrests... B.Y. was detained in Tunceli on the allegation of "being member of the PKK". Enver Yanik was detained in Istanbul on the allegation of "being member of DHKP-C". Enver Yanik had been released from prison in 2003 on the grounds of suffering Wernicke-Korsakoff due to death fast. (Hürriyet-Milliyet)
Incident in Gümüshane... Armed attacked was organized to a police car on the night of 25 July in Gümüshane. Police officer Eyüp Sahin and passerby Çetin Ergün were wounded slightly during the incident. (Milliyet)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... According to the announcement of the PKK, the militants who were killed during the clash on 20 July nearby Akinköy village of Ercis district (Van) were Yücel Yorgun and Mehmet Karakus. In the announcement it was alleged that the security forces used chemical weapons during the operations started on 14 July in Hakkari and the militants Hacer Benek, Vahit Bilir, Rifat Baysal, Mehmet Emin Sincar and Hasan Esmer died due to chemical weapons. Sirnak Governorate announced that two PKK militants were killed during the clash in Anilmis Valley on Cudi Mountain. These militants reportedly were Ahmet Bilal and Azad Tahiri. Three persons were reportedly detained during the operations carried out around Tüzek village of Gürpinar district (Van) that was evacuated in 1993. One of the detainees is reportedly Ahmet Sümer. Nurcan Gencer (19), who was detained on the allegation that she attended the funeral ceremony of the PKK militant Tekin Saybak in Bostaniçi town of Van, was arrested on 26 July. Vahdettin Inan had been killed by the soldiers during Saybak's funeral ceremony. The post train that was going from Elazig to Mus was turned upside down at Kale-Kurt Station on 26 July due to the bomb put on the rails. (Özgür Gündem-Star)
July 25, 2005
Police Officers on Trial... On 22 July, Van Heavy Penal Court continued to hear the case against the police officers Seyit Demir and Sabri Sivaci launched in connection with the killing of juvenile Saban Cadiroglu (14) on 19 August 1999 in Van by beating to death. Lawyer Menaf Kiran announced that the court adjourned the hearing to 18 October. (23 July, Özgür Gündem)
Villagers Beaten by Soldiers... The shepherds Resat Bozkurt and Mustafa Taskiran who were detained on Tendürek Mountain nearby Yilanli village in Dogubeyazit district of Agri on 20 July were allegedly beaten by the soldiers. They were reportedly detained for having lots of blankets and food with them. They were kept in detention for 2 days in Dogubeyazit Military HQ and were not allowed to see a lawyer. The detainees were reportedly given medical reports by Dogubeyazit State Hospital. Meanwhile Haci Mustafa Bozkurt, his son Mehmet Bozkurt and Burhan Bozkurt from Yilanli village were also detained on 21 July. The shepherds and the detainees were arrested by Dogubeyazit Peace Penal Court for "aiding an illegal organisation". (22 July, Özgür Gündem)
DEHAP Executives on Trial... Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No 2 concluded to hear the case against Tuncer Bakirhan, Chairman of DEHAP, Bedri Firat, DEHAP Chair for Erzurum, launched in connection with a speeches they made on 28 October 2002 before the elections in November 2002. The court acquitted the defendants. They had been first sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment by Erzurum SSC in 2003 under the Article 312 TPC, but Court of Cassation had quashed the verdict. (23 July, Özgür Gündem)
Activity Prevented, Associations Raided... The Governorate in Tunceli postponed "6th Munzur Culture and Nature Festival", which was planned to be held 8-31 July in Tunceli, for 45 days for security reasons. The premises of Association of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and Tunceli Culture Art and Solidarity Association were raided and searched on 23 July on the grounds that illegal organisations would conduct action during the festival. At least 3 persons were detained during raids. (TIHV)
Refugees Died... 3 refugees from Ivory Coast were thrown into the sea between Bodrum and Cos Island by sailors in a Russian ship. The refugees reportedly got into the boat in Lebanon. The sailor threw them into the sea handcuffed after noticing they were in the boat. One refugee died, one is missing and one was rescued by a yacht. (23 July, Milliyet)
Mine Explosion... Mehmet Aydemir (48) died when he stepped on mine on 22 July nearby Uzungeçit town in Uludere district of Sirnak. Sefik Yildirim was wounded during the incident. (24 July, Radikal)
Incident in Istanbul... 2 persons (one of them was a tourist) were wounded during the explosion on 23 July in a restaurant on Galata Bridge in Istanbul. Celalettin Cerrah, Security Director in Istanbul, announced that the bomb was left under a table. (24 July, Milliyet)
Clashes and Attacks in Southeast... PKK announced on 24 July that the private Coskun Kirandi who was abducted would be released. After the clash nearby Akinköy village in Ercis district of Van on 20 July the villages Akinköy, Extê and Kilise were raided. Many villagers were detained. Cigerxwun Erisen and Cevdet Balikçi were reportedly detained in Ercis. 13 of 20 detainees were arrested on 23 July, 7 persons were released. Meanwhile PKK announced that none of the PKK militants died during the clash, but soldiers allegedly killed 2 villagers working on the field after the clash. A military helicopter was allegedly shot by PKK militants on 22 July nearby Çukurca district of Hakkari. 16 soldiers allegedly died and 10 soldiers were wounded. According to the official announcement by General Staff the helicopter landed on a mine nearby Pirinçeken Gendarmerie Station and 4 soldiers were wounded. According to the news appeared on papers the private Mehmet Kansiray died on 24 July during the clash nearby Çukurca district of Hakkari. According to the announcement by the Governorate in Sirnak 5 PKK militants allegedly died during a clash on 21 July. (22-23-24 July, Özgür Gündem-Radikal-Sabah)
July 22, 2005
Person Threatened... Selçuk Ulavur, member of Association of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms in Ankara, announced that he was threatened by police officers on 18 July. He said that 2 persons who alleged that they were from police intelligence service stopped him at about 11pm in Cebeci quarter. He added that they said: " We are not police officers. You can oppose the police. But if you oppose the state we would come and find you." Ulavur also stressed that they forced him to confess that he had relation with Eyüp Beyaz who was killed in front of the Ministry of Justice. Lawyer Selçuk Koza_açli announced that they made an official complaint on 20 July. (TIHV)
House Raids in Tunceli... Recent house raids and searches in Tunceli were allegedly conducted with legally invalid documents. According to the announcement by Murat Polat, DEHAP Chair for Tunceli, appeared on daily Özgür Gündem his house was raided on 6 July and he was detained: "Security forces besieged the house as if there would be a clash. They said that the raid was conducted upon a phone call. Although they alleged they were searching for bombs they were not look like searching for bombs." Alican Önlü, member of DEHAP Central Executive Committee, stressed that the searches on the roads to and from Tunceli were ordinary and without legal base: "There are 2 police point on the road to Ovacik. They check the IDs without mentioning a reason. If they are not looking for a determined person everyone going through that way is a suspect. They search the vehicles and check IDs as if they are looking the driving licenses. There are also serach warrants issued for a long period." Bülent Tas, Chairman of Tunceli Bar Association, announced: "Order for search and raids cannot be issued generally according to Regulation on Apprehension, Detention and Interrogation and Article 116 and following articles of TPC. The orders can be issued relying on a valid reason and suspicion and can be for a definite period." He added that the raids cannot be conducted upon phone calls and there has to evidences. He added that video recordings taken during raids have to be regarded violation of privacy of personal life. (Özgür Gündem)
Incident in Trabzon... On 21 July, Trabzon Peanl Court of First Instance No 2 started to hear the case launched in connection with the attack of some two thousand people against TAYAD members Zeynep Ertugrul, representative of the journal Ekmek ve Adalet (Bread and Justice), Nurgül Acar, Emre Batur and Ihsan Özdil in Trabzon on 6 April while they were distributing leaflets concerning "the conditions in prisons". Defendant Ilyas Aktas testified at the hearing to the effect that he was with crowd but he did not attack TAYAD members. The remaining defendants followed his defence. TAYAD member Zeynep Ertugrul said that they were attack upon an untrue allegation that that they were burning Turkish flag. She stressed that she remembers the faces of the defendants but she was not sure whether they were the attackers. She also said that the real attackers were free. The court decided to combine the case with the one against TAYAD members. (Milliyet)
Villagers Abducted... The shepherds Sinan Gürbüz (16) and Hakan Abi (18) were allegedly abducted by PKK militants on _spiriz Mountain nearby Ortayolu village in Baskale district of Van. (Milliyet)
Dismissed Students... Ismail Yildiz, student in Süleyman Demirel University in Isparta, was permanently dismissed from university for attending Newroz celebrations. 4 students were dismissed for 2 semesters, 8 students for one semester. University Disciplinary Council warned 3 students. The case launched against the students on charges of praising an offence is still ongoing at Isparta Penal Court of First Instance No2. (Evrensel)
Detentions and Arrests... Resul Geyik, against whom an arrest warrant had been issued for being member of PKK, was detained in Izmir. (IHA)
Clashes and Attacks in Southeast... According to the announcement by HPG, 3 soldiers died during the attack against the military unit nearby Ikizce village in Kumçati district of Sirnak on 20 July. It was also announced that soldiers opened random fire and wounded a female villager. (Özgür Gündem)
July 21, 2005
Exe-Judicial Trial... On 20 July, Eskisehir Heavy Penal Court No started to hear the case against the police officers Mehmet Karaca, Yasafettin Açiksöz, Seydi Ahmet Döngel and Salih Ayaz launched in connection with the killing of Ahmet Kaymaz and his son Ugur Kaymaz on 21 November 2004 in Kiziltepe district of Mardin. DEHAP, EMEP, ÖDP and SHP members, who gathered in front of the courthouse in the morning, were attacked by rightists. Five persons including one police officer were wounded in the fight. Juvenile Erkan Öngün who was heavily wounded by the rightists had reportedly no connection with the hearing. The police officers alleged in their defenses that Ahmet Kaymaz and Ugur Kaymaz opened fire first on the day of the incident. Tahir Elçi, acting as sub-plaintiff reminded that five months passed since the first hearing of the case held at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 2: "We think it is not appropriate with the laws to transfer the case to Eskisehir. Ministry of Justice intervened the judgment by this decision. This decision was taken in order to intervene the reality but not on the grounds of security". The hearing was adjourned to 24 October. (Cumhuriyet-Özgür Gündem)
Workers Detained... 110 workers who were fired from work by the company Trakya Nakliyat that distributes Coca Cola occupied the factory of Coca Cola in Dudullu quarter of Istanbul. The workers were reportedly fired for being members of the trade union Nakliyat-Is. Police intervened the action and detained the workers by force. Relatives of the workers who were gathered in front of the factory were dispersed by force. 2 persons who fell ill during the police intervention were taken to hospital. (Cumhuriyet)
Detentions and Arrests... PKK militant I.A. reportedly surrendered to Provincial Gendarmerie Commandership in Agri. Semiha Can, member of DEHAP Youth Wings in Batman, was detained on 20 July. (Milliyet-Özgür Gündem)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... Non-commissioner officer Kenan (surname not known) was killed, one private was wounded during the clash broke out on 20 July nearby Akinköy village of Ercis district (Van). 2 PKK militants were allegedly killed in the same clash. Security forces continue to the operations to find the private Coskun Kirandi who was kidnapped by HPG militants nearby Tunceli. Five soldiers were wounded in the clash broke out during the operation conducted in Pülümür valley, Dokuzyakalar and Kutderesi regions of Tunceli on 20 July. Meanwhile, according to a news appeared on the newspaper Özgür Gündem, the soldiers who returned from the clash broke out nearby Marçik hamlet of Güleç village allegedly raked the houses randomly in Inönü quarter. According to the announcement of the HPG, it is not true that one HPG militant was killed in the clash broke out on the road between Tunceli and Pülümür. It was also alleged in the announcement that eight soldiers were killed in the attack organized to a military unit on Gabar Mountain nearby Sirnak on 19 July. (Hürriyet-Milliyet-Radikal-Özgür Gündem)
July 20, 2005
IHD Executive and Unionist on Trial... On 19 July Ankara Penal Court of First Instance started to hear the case against Alaattin Dinçer, Chairman of Egitim-Sen, and Yüksel Mutlu, board member of the HRA in connection with the speeches addressing "Peace Mothers" who visited Egitim-Sen on 12 July 2004. Lawyer Zuhal Çolak stated that there were material mistakes in the indictment, Yüksel Mutlu was the observer of the IHD during the visit so did not make announcement in the name of "Peace mothers". The hearing was adjourned to 11 November for hearing the witnesses. (BIA)
Detentions and Arrests... Nurten Karakas, Ankara Representative of Democratic Women Movement, was arrested on the allegation of "being member of illegal organization". Karakas, who had been detained on 15 July, was reportedly arrested in connection a press announcement made to protest the killing of 17 MKP militants in Tunceli.(TIHV)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... One PKK militant was killed, five soldiers were wounded in the clash broke out on 19 July on the road between Tunceli and Pülümür. Lieutenants Haluk Denli (Haluk Beydili) and Tuna Kara, privates Erkut Yilmaz and Bülent Yilmaz died when the military vehicle hit the mine on 19 July nearby Çigli village of Çukurca district (Hakkari). Firat Alus, Ismail Temel and two privates were wounded during the incident. Four soldiers were wounded in the clash broke out later at the same place. (Milliyet-Radikal)
July 19, 2005
Trial of Exe-Judicial Killing... On 18 July Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 2 continued to hear the case against 3 police officers in connection with the killing of Siar Perincek on 28 May in Adana. Lawyer Yasemin Dora Seker, acting as sub-plaintiff, alleged at the hearing that some of the documents presented by the lawyers of the defendants were fake or provided later. She put that the signatures on the arrest minutes that were said to be belonged to Nurettin Basçi were fake: "It is seen that the documents are not similar to the minutes presented by the lawyers of defendants. The minute was arranged later either by the lawyers of the defendants or somebody else. They attempted to mislead the court." The hearing was adjourned to 15 September. The indictment wants Security Director Davut Özates to be sentenced for "killing a person beyond intention", chief superintendent Mesut Gürkan and superintendent Erhan Çiloglu for "ill-treating Mehmet Nurettin Basçi". (Özgür Gündem)
Pressures in the Prison... According to the announcement made by the political prisoners in Erzurum Prison the prisoners, who sent petition to the prison administration to protest ban on receiving visitors, were again banned to see visitors and use the communication devices. (Özgür Gündem)
Demonstrators Detained... Some 20 Bergama peasants, who staged an action in order to protest Izmir Governor Yusuf Ziya Göksu on the allegation that he did not close the gold mine in Bergama, were detained during the ceremony organized in connection with the leaving of the governor from the city on 18 July.The demonstrators including Oktay Konyar, Chairman of Bergama Environment Execution Committee, were released in the evening. (Radikal)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... PKK militant who was killed on 11 July nearby Kemah district of Erzincan was reportedly Murat Yavuz. According to the announcement of the PKK, military forces allegedly used chemical weapons in the operation organized on 14-16 July in Hakkari. In the same announcement it was also put that 2 soldiers were killed during the clash broke out on 17 July nearby Bitlis. (Özgür Gündem)
July 18, 2005
Killings Unidentified Assailants and Disappearances... The graves of Edip Aksoy and Orhan Cingöz were opened on 14 July. PKK confessor and JITEM member Abdülkadir Aygan had announced on daily Özgür Gündem on 30 June that they had buried Edip Aksoy and Orhan Cingöz nearby a streambed on the road between Cizre and Silopi nearby Turkish Petroleum Corp (TPAO) after having killed them in detention on 7 June 1995. Public Prosecutor found out that the corpses had been found by cotton workers after 21 days of the disappearances by examining the files of the killings and buried. Orhan Cingöz and Edip Aksoy had been buried in the graves with the numbers 28 and 29 in Silopi Cemetery. The relatives of killed persons identified them from the pictures of the found bodies. Upon permission of public prosecutor the relatives of the killed persons, executives of IHD and officials went to the cemetery to open the graves. But the registry numbers given to the corpses were not correct and they had been given randomly just to be written on official documents. Upon this the workers in the cemetery were asked and they replied: "Especially between 1994 and 1999 we buried lots of unidentified persons. We cannot recognise all of them." But they showed a grave where there were 4 corpses. Sample bones were taken for DNA tests and sent to Forensic Institute. Chairman of IHD Diyarbakir branch Selahattin Demirtas announced: "The workers do not remember the incident. They are not sure. They contradict each other. We would wait for the results of DNA tests. If the bones do not belong to Cingöz and Aksoy, we would appela to open other graves." (16 July, Özgür Gündem)
Death in Prison... Mehmet Kaderci (40), incarcerated in Mugla Prison, committed suicide on 15 July. Kaderci was a police informer and he helped the police for the operations conducted against gangs in Muga. He was incarcerated with 64 persons who were related to the operation. He reportedly committed suicide due to pressures of those persons. (16 July, Cumhuriyet)
Death Fast... On 15 July, Üsküdar Heavy Penal Court No 1 continued to hear the case of 399 defendants, who had been in Üsküdar Prison at the time of the "Operation Return to Life" deployed in 20 prisons on 19 December 2000. (16 July, Cumhuriyet)
July 14, 2005
IHD Executive on Trial... On 13 July Kiziltepe Penal Court of First Instance started to hear the case against Mihdi Perinçek, IHD Representative for Eastern and South-eastern Anatolia, and Selahattin Demirtas, chairman of the IHD branch in Diyarbakir, in connection with "the report they prepared concerning the killing of Ahmet Kaymaz and his son Ugur Kaymaz in Kiziltepe district of Mardin on 21 November 2004". The hearing was adjourned to 21 October. Selatattin Demirtas stated after the hearing that the case was launched in order to pressurize on the IHD. Demirtas said the followings: "The case was launched against two person although the report was prepared by five persons. It is not clear why these two persons were chosen. We did not have possibility to make an announcement about the content of a file that we did not see. They launched the case according to the Law on Press as if we were journalists and made these things published. Spokesman of the General Security Directorate Ramazan Er made the clearest statement by announcing the results of the criminal investigation. Although we made an official complaint, the Chief Public Prosecutor in Ankara decided not to prosecute on the grounds that the announcements of Er were not related to the content of the file but they were for informing the public". (Özgür Gündem)
Pressures in Prisons... Administration of Kandira F-type Prion reportedly banned the humour journal "Masala" published by the prisoners to be sent out of the prison according to the Article 68/3 of the Law on Execution of the Sentences that foresees the ban of sending letters, fax and telegrams that endangers the security of the institution, targets the officials, helps the correspondence of members of terrorist or other criminal organizations, includes wrong and untrue information that would cause persons and institutions to take alarm. (Evrensel)
DEHAP Members Detained... DEHAP member Inan Yilmaz, member of municipality assembly in Hozat district of Tunceli, was detained on the allegations that "he aided PKK militants". Aydin Aydinoglu, former executive member of DEHAP in Besiktas district (Istanbul) was detained on 11 July in Çorlu district of Tekirdag. Aydinoglu was released in Istanbul on 13 July. (Özgür Gündem)
Bomb Attacks in Istanbul... Abdülkadir Karakus and Muhammet Tokaç were reportedly arrested in Iraq together with Sadettin Akdas and Burhan Kus, who were involved in the bomb attacks organized in Istanbul on 15-20 November 2003. (Hürriyet-Radikal)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... Non-commissioned officer Osman Topuz was wounded in the attack conducted to a military vehicle nearby Genç district of Bingöl on 13 July. According to the announcement of the HPG the private Coskun Kiran who was abducted on 11 July on Tunceli-Erzincan road was reportedly good in health. Gökhan Güzel, who allegedly hugged the PKK militants during the same incident and told that he supported the PKK, was arrested on 13 July. (Milliyet-Özgür Gündem)
July 13, 2005
Kürt-Der Closed... On 12 July Diyarbakir Penal Court of First Instance started to hear the case against Kurdish Democracy Culture and Solidarity Association (Kürt-Der) launched in connection with the statements in its statue about the education and broadcasting in Kurdish. The court decided to close the association temporarily. The hearing was adjourned to 18 August. (Özgür Gündem)
HADEP Members on Trial... On 12 July Çermik Penal Court of First Instance concluded the case against the executives of the closed HADEP launched on charges of "playing Kurdish music and shouting slogans in Kurdish" during the congress of HADEP in Çermik district (Diyarbakir) on 1 June 2002. The court acquitted Ali Yerlikaya who was not in Çermik on the date of congress while sentenced Ali Karakoç, chairman of HADEP in Çermik, Mehmet Emin Taskiran, Abdulkerim Yaman and Memhmet Demirkol to fine of YTL 1,089 each according to the Article 81/3 of the Law on Political Parties. (Özgür Gündem)
Conscientious Objector on Trial... On 12 July Sivas Military Court continued to hear the case against the conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan, incarcerated in Sivas Military Prison, that was launched on the allegation of "insisting on disobedience to order". The hearing was adjourned to 4 August. (TIHV)
Clash and Attacks in the Southeast... According to the announcement of PKK 11 soldiers were allegedly killed during the clashes in the regions Tepe Siker and Tepe Sor nearby Semdinli district of Hakkari on 12 July. (Özgür Gündem)
Bomb Attacks in Istanbul... Sadettin Akdas and Burhan Kus, who were involved in the bomb attacks organized in Istanbul on 15-20 November 2003, were reportedly captured in Iraq. According to the news appeared on the daily Milliyet, the USA unofficially announced that they were captured. At the hearing held on 11 April at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 10 concerning the bomb attacks Sadettin Akdas and Burhan Kus had been reported as being prisoners in Abu Garip Prison in Irak. Habib Akdas had been killed during a clash, Azad Ekinci and Gürcan Baç died in a suicide attack in Iraq. (Milliyet)
Refugees Died... A boat carrying refugees from Aliaga district of Izmir to Lesbos island of Greece sank. Three Somalians died, 22 persons form Somalia, Palestine and Mauritania were saved. (Cumhuriyet)
July 12, 2005
TIHV Staff on Trial... On 11 July, Adana Penal Court of First Instance No 11 started to hear the case against lawyer Mustafa Çinkiliç, TIHV Adana Representative, and Mehmet Antmen, physician at TIHV Adana representation on charges of hiding the evidences and forgery in official documents.Cinkiliç testified at the hearing to the effect that the public prosecutor was trying to prove that we were trying to prevent an investigation on torture and the public prosecutor was the one who was trying to reveal information on torture. He stressed this could not be true relying on the activities and goals of TIHV. Lawyer Vedat Özkan stressed that the public prosecutor launched a case against the defendants, who certified torture, without any reasons in order to take revenge. He added that they do not believe that the prosecutor really wants to reveal information on torture. The court adjourned the hearing to 4 October. The indictment wants Çinkiliç to be sentenced for hiding the evidences and Antmen for hiding the evidences and forgery in official documents. Sükrü Boyav, who had been released from Adana E-type Prison some 2 years ago, had been given a letter including medical reports for his treatment to be given to a volunteer physician. Sükrü Boyav had made an official complaint with the public prosecutor against prison's administration and the guards. He had also added a copy of that letter in the file. Upon this Mehmet Antmen had been taken to prosecution office on 16 September 2004 by the police on order of the public prosecutor to testify. Mehmet Antmen and the lawyer Mustafa Cinkiliç, who had been with Antmen during interrogation, had said that they could not provide the original letter and they had to ask the TIHV Headquarters. The police had kept Antmen and Cinkiliç in detention for a while and wanted them to be arrested on the allegations of preventing the investigation by not giving the required document. But the court had rejected the demand and released them on the grounds that a copy of the letter was in the dossier of the case and if needed public prosecutor may demand the reports from the Forensic Institute. Lawyer Avukat Mustafa Çinkžlžç announced that public prosecutor launched a court case in March against himself and Mehmet Antmen. (TIHV)
Torture in Tunceli... Bülent Yžlmaz (30), living in Ovacik district of Tunceli, announced that he was abducted on the night of 10 July and tortured. He allegedthat he was abducted by JITEM members or police officers and said: "There is a gas station in the entrance of the district. I was there and a white car came. The persons in the car -one blond, one bearded and one bald- wanted me to get in and they started to insult and beat me. They were saying that I had friends and wanted me to tell where they were. They threatening me to kill my friends and me and throw the bodies in a field nearby Munzur. I said I did not understand what they meant. Upon this they started to beat me with the butts. They took me where the Munzur and Mercan streams merge. They put a snow mask on my head. There were 4-5 persons there. They left me with them. They continued to beat me." He added that he was taken to a construction area nearby Uzunçayir Dam and beaten there until 4am. He continued that he heart someone calling another person in the car as "officer" and said: "When they released me they said to me the I should not move for at least 1,5 hour or soldiers would shoot me. I waited there and then went to Pugluçayir village. I called my friends and they came to take me." He stressed that he was not given the medical report by the police charged at the hospital on the grounds that the report would be sent to public prosecutor. (Özgür Gündem)
Pressures in Prisons... Lawyer Sedat Özkan announced that 65 prisoners incarcerated in Adana Kürkçüler F-type Prison were banned from all social rights for giving petitions demanding the military operations to be ended and bettering the condition of Abdullah Öcalan. Özkan said that he saw his clients Fatih Aksever and Mehmet Tahir Geçer, after the new Law on Execution of Sentences the bans were broadened. He added that 3 persons who were arrested in June were put in a single-cell for singing in Kurdish. (Özgür Gündem)
Newroz Celebrations... On 11 July, Mersin Penal Court of First Instance No 2 continued to hear the case against six juveniles who allegedly attempted to burn Turkish flag during Newroz celebration on 21 March in Mersin. Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen from the Norwegian Embassy and Chris Bradley from the British Embassy wanted to attend the hearing as observers, but the court did not allow them to attend. The court adjourned the hearing to 3 November. The lawyer of the juveniles Ali Bozan made an announcement after the hearing and said: "These juveniles are not defendants, but victims. They were also subjected to torture and ill-treatment. We demanded the court to issue an official complaint against the officers. We would also make an official complaint." (Zaman)
DEHAP members on Trial... On 11 July, Ankara Penal Court of First Instance continued to hear the case against the DEHAP executives for Ankara in connection with the slogans shouted during the meeting organised by KESK on 24 September 2004. The court adjourned the hearing to 13 September. Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 2 decided not to be responsible with the case and sent the files to Penal Court of First Instance. DEHAP Chairman for Ankara Ismail Anci, DEHAP executives for Ankara Abdürrahim Bilen, Ismet Aras, Mehmet Kaya, Sirin Altay, M. Sirin Karademir, Erol Kaplan, Dilek Yildirim, Rahman Sümer, Metin Yildiz and Dursun Turan are prosecuted in the case. (Özgür Gündem)
Labour Day Trial... 11 July, Bursa Penal Court of First Instance No 10 started to hear the case against 15 members of Socialist Platform of Oppressed (ESP) who were arrested after the 1 May Labour Day celebrations in Bursa. The remanded defendants were released at the hearing. The names of the following defendants were known: Serpil Arslan, Riza Çimen, Hidir Aslan, Mehmet Genç, Özcan Pamuk, Baris Çirpan, Hüseyin Akbalik, Meral Anasin, Hacer Yildiz, Evrim Aliz, Aysel Akdemir, Ali Mete Kiraz. (TIHV)
Attack Against BBP... An armed attack was conducted against the Headquarters of Great Unity Party (BBP) on the night of 11 July in Ankara. Some 25 armed persons threw stones and broke the windows. Afterwards they opened fire. The attackers ran away when the security guards and police officers opened fire into the air. (Hürriyet)
Clashes and Attacks in Southeast... A PKK militant died during a clash on 11 July nearby Kemah district of Erzincan. Revzete Ay and Kemal Hüseyin (Irakî) were reportedly captured alive on 5 July nearby Dargeçit district of Mardin during the clash during which a PKK militant was killed. On the night of 11 July alleged PKK militants blocked the Tunceli-Erzincan road and abducted the soldier Coskun Kiran. (Hürriyet-Milliyet)
July 11, 2005
Killings by Unidentified Assailants, Disappearances... On 9 July, daily Özgür Gündem concluded publishing the confessions of Abdülkadir Aygan concerning the killings by unidentified assailants and disappearances. Aygan said followings concerning the killings of 2 persons whose names he did not recognise: "There is a bridge nearby Altindag Resort on the road from Diyarbakir to Ergani. A transporter was executed by Kemal Emlük under the bridge (nearby the bridge the body of Harbi Arman had been found). After the bridge there is a ramp. There is a village on the left side of the road. There are holes on the opposite side of the village. Corpse of a person was thrown there in a sack by members of intelligence branch in Diyarbakir. (9 July, Özgür Gündem)
Police Officer on Trail... On 8 July, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 1 concluded the case against the police officer Mehmet Yildiz launched on charges of killing of Burak Yilmaz on 22 May 2004 in Kumkapi quarter of Istanbul. Mehmet Yildiz was acquitted under the Article 24/1 TPC on the grounds that the officer's action remained within the limits of his duty". The court sentenced Asir Kurnaz to 4 years, 5 months and 10 days' imprisonment for "wounding a person by shooting, carrying unlicensed arm, firing against the officer with the intention of killing". Kurnaz was released after the decision on the grounds that he served during the trial. On 22 May 2004, Asir Kurnaz had wounded Haluk Önal. When he was trying to escape the officer Mehmet Yildiz had opened fire. During the clash Burak Yilmaz, who was with Asir Kurnaz, had been shot to death. (9 July, Hürriyet)
Demonstration for Mehmet Tarhan... 3 persons were detained during a demonstration in Istanbul demanding the release of conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan who is now in Sivas Military Prison. The police did not intervene the demonstration on the grounds that an action conducted by 2 persons was not regarded as demonstration according to the Law on Demonstrations and Meetings. When IHD observer Dogan Özkan joint the action staged by Evsen Yasar Akçay and Bahar Bayram, members of Istanbul Initiative for Solidarity with Mehmet Tarhan, the police intervened and detained Özkan, Akçay and Bayram. The detainees were released on the evening. (9 July, Cumhuriyet)
Students on Trial... A court case was launched against the students H.O. (15) and K.K. (14) who allegedly tore a Turkish flag into pieces in the garden of Çukurova Primary School in Adana in May. The indictment wants the defendants, who were kept in detention for a while after the incident despite their ages, to be sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment for insulting the Turkish flag. (9 July, Radikal)
Detentions and Arrests... D.P., Z.D. and B.Ö. were detained in Istanbul on the allegations of "being member of DHKP/C". DEHAP Chair for Bostaniçi town of Van Casim Aslan, who was detained during raids on 7 July, was arrested on 8 July. Fuad Gök and Ali Gündogan were detained during house raids on 9 July in Tunceli. H.B., who was detained in Izmir on the allegations of "being member of PKK", was arrested on 1 July. His son K.D. was released. (8-9-10 July, Milliyet-Özgür Gündem)
Bomb Attack... Ali Çelikli heavily wounded and 22 persons including a Russian, a Hungarian and an English were slightly wounded when a bomb exploded on 10 July in Çesme district of Izmir. (11 July, Radikal)
Mine Explosion... Kasim Anik, Ahmet Tatar, Ismail Tatar, Abdülkerim Tatar, Idris Gerez, Sait Gerez and Agit Gerez were wounded when a truck hit a mine on 9 July nearby Sirnak. (10 July, Cumhuriyet)
Clashes and Attacks in Southeast... Minister of Interior Affairs Abdülkadir Aksu answered the question tabled by Mehmet Kesimoglu, CHP MP for Kirklareli. According to the answere 99 PKK militants were killed in 2004 and 139 were captured alive while 130 surrendered. He also added that 65 PKK militants were killed, 43 were captured alive and 41 surrendered in first 5 months of 2005. The privates Mehmet Çamci, Ender Alber and Ibrahim Boybey died when a military vehicle hit a mine nearby Derecik town in Semdinli district of Hakkari on 9 July. Non-commissioned officer Adem Sahan, the privates Cengiz Aydin, Hüseyin Torun, Nefi Yetitiren, Abdülaziz Çaliskan, Cem Öztürk, Abdullah Gezgin, Baris Gökbaslar, Bestavi Veziroglu, Cemal Sahin, Mehmet Engin, Zeynel Özdemir and 3 soldiers were wounded. Two soldiers were wounded when they stepped a mine in Çukurca district. The police officers Niyazi Karanfil, Mehmet Cibooglu and Mehmet Kiliç were wounded during the attack against the police point in front of the Hozat Governor's Office in Tunceli. (10-11 July, Cumhuriyet-Radikal-Özgür Gündem)
July 8, 2005
Killings Unidentified Assailants and Disappearances... Özgür Gündem published on 8 July the confessions of Abdülkadir Aygan concerning the killings of Necati Aydin (union for workers in health sector Tüm Saglik Sen Diyarbakžr branch Chairman), Mehmet Ay and Ramazan Keskin. The killings had been reported by TIHV in 1994. Aygan confessed that commander Abdülkerim Kirca, the sergeant Yüksel U. using the codename 'Seyhmus', Kemal Emlük, non-commissioned officer Nuri A. with the codename "Oguz", intelligence commander captain Tuna Y. involved the killings: "Necati Aydin was a relative of Vetha Aydin (People's Labour Party Chair for Diyarbakir and killed in 1991). Ramazan Keskin was either from Viransehir or Siverek. Mehmet Ay was from Bismil. They were taken to Diyarbakir SSC in connection with an incident. We went to SSC and started wait for them in front of the courthouse. When they left the building we told them they had to come to police station for deficient documents. We took them to JITEM and they were interrogated under torture for few days. We took them one day and went in a region nearby Kagitli station on the road between Diyarbakir and Silvan with two non-official vehicles of JITEM. We went off the road and Abdülkerim Kirca killed them on an arable field." Public Prosecutor in Diyarbakir had launched a case against Abdülkadir Aygan, retired commander Abdülkerim Kirca, non-commissioned officer charged at Siirt Gendarmerie HQ Ugur Yüksel, Mahmut Yildirim (known as "Yesil [Green]"), Muhsin Gül, Fethi Çetin, Kemal Emlük charged at Diyarbakir Security Directorate and his wife Saniye Emlük charged at Diyarbakir Military Office for "forming a gang to commit crime and intentional killing" in connection with 8 killings between 1992 and 1994. The cases against Kirca, Yüksel and Saniye Emlük were separated and sent to military court. (Özgür Gündem)
Killings Unidentified Assailants and Disappearances... The bodies of Orhan Cingöz and Edip Aksoy were found after 10 years relying on the confessions of Abdülkadir Aygan. Cingöz and Aksoy families applied to Public Prosecutor in Silopi with the representatives of TIHV and wanted the region Aygan mentioned to be searched. Upon the demand Public Prosecutor found out that the corpses had been found by cotton workers after 21 days of the disappearances by examining the files of the killings and buried. According to the document concerning the bodies the officials noted that the bodies could have been bodies of PKK members. Selahattin Demirtas, TIHV Chairman for Diyarbakir, announced that the Public Prosecutor had thought that they had been killed by the members of PKK and had not continued the investigation. Demirtas also added that Orhan Cingöz and Edip Aksoy had been buried in the graves with the numbers 28 and 29 in Silopi Cemetery. The relatives of killed persons identified them from the pictures of the found bodies. The graves would be opened for DNA tests. (Özgür Gündem)
HADEP Member KilledŠ According to the announcement appeared on the web site of "Party of Democratic Patriots" founded by Osman Öcalan in Northern Iraq Hikmet Fidan, vice chair for closed People's Democracy Party (HADEP), was killed by PKK. It was also alleged that Kemale Sor and Sipan Rojhilat were also killed by PKK for being separated from PKK. (Hürriyet-Zaman)
Stop WarningŠ On 6 July, soldiers opened fire against villagers who were allegedly smugglers nearby Tasdelen village in Uludere district of Sirnak. 8 horses of the villagers Cemil Altürk, Haydar Dinar, Kadri Aykut, Reber Aykut and Ziya Dindar were allegedly killed during the incident.Cemil Altirk announced: "We were 8 persons and were going to Iraq to bring goods. The soldiers started to fire without warning us to stop in a distance of some 200 meters to the border. We left the horses and ran away. When we got back the horses were killed." (Özgür Gündem)
DEHAP Members Detained... Casim Aslan, DEHAP Chair for Bostaniçi town of Van, and Orhan Tutuk, working for DEHAP, were detained during raids conducted on 7 July against DEHAP premises and Bostaniçi Women's Cooperative (BIKAD). BIKAD Chairwoman Hatice Asan announced that another shop was also raided in the building of BIKAD although the search warrants were issued for BIKAD and DEHAP. Murat Polat, DEHAP Chair for Tunceli, DEHAP members Hidir Aytaç and Nuray Atmaca were detained during house raids on the night of 6 July. Atmaca was released few hours later, Polat and Aytaç were released on 7 July. Police officers reportedly broke the door of house of DEHAP Board Member Alican Ünlü who was not in the city during the raid. (Özgür Gündem)
Detentions and Arrests... M.T., who was detained in Izmir on the allegations of "being member of Hezbollah", was arrested on 6 July. (Milliyet)
Attacks and Clashes in Southeast... On 6 July, the MKP militant Sergide Akinci was killed during a clash nearby Harman village in Çiçekli town of Tunceli. The name of the militant was announced by the paper as Ayten Gülmez. According to the announcement by PKK, Necati Yurdakul was killed in Hakkari for allegedly being JITEM member. PKK also announced that 4 soldiers died and 3 soldiers were wounded during the attack against the military barracks in Beytüssebap district of Sirnak on 5 July. A bomb exploded on the railway between Erzincan and Erzurum on 7 July. The train went off the rails and no casualties were reported. (Milliyet-Özgür Gündem)
July 7, 2005
Extra-judicial Killings, Disappearances... On 7 July (today), daily Özgür Gündem continued to publish the confessions of Abdülkadir Aygan. In the issue of 7 July the killings of Social Democrat People's Party members Servet Arslan and Sahabettin Latifeci were published. Aygan confessed the followings concerning the killings of Arslan and Latifeci on 4 September 1994: "The confessor Servet Toprak with the codename 'Serpil' helped us in finding Sahabettin Latifeci. He was taken to JITEM. He was suffocated there by the sergeant Yüksel U. introducing himself as 'Palulu Zaza (Zaza of Palu)' and using the codename 'Seyhmus'. He was punched at his chin before being killed and his chin was broken. Servet Aslan was also found by Servet Toprak. He was taken to Sivas for interrogation and killed there. The bodies were left in a luggage in the place behind the milk and cheese factory nearby Diyarbakir on the road to Silvan." The bodies of Latifeci and Arslan who had been counted in "killings by unidentified persons" in the reports of TIHV had been found 7 September 1994. (Özgür Gündem)
HADEP Member KilledŠ Hikmet Fidan, vice chair for closed People's Democracy Party (HADEP), was killed on 6 July in Diyarbakir. Hikmet Fidan who was attacked by two persons in Kaynartepe quarter of Baglar district, was reportedly shot at his nape. According to the official announcement Hikmet Fidan was not killed due to political reasons. (Milliyet)
Incident in HakkariŠ Villagers Sinem Korkmaz and Mecit Anuk were severely wounded, many villagers were slightly wounded when the village guards attacked the villagers in Çatma village of Yüksekova district (Hakkari). Villagers told that the village guards, who had been in Doganli village of Çukurca district before, had been settled to the land between Çatma and Kamisli villages of Yüksekova district in 1994 by Hakkari Governorship. Villagers announced that they always had problems with the village guards on the grounds that they used the lands of both villages, and they started to fight on 6 July. Sinem Korkmaz is reportedly a relative of a village guard and Macit Anuk reportedly lives in Çatma village. (Özgür Gündem)
Case ConcludedŠ On 6 July, Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No 2 concluded the case against Nese Deniz on charges of "being member of PKK". The court sentenced Nese Düzel who had surrendered to security forces on 22 December 2004 to 9 years' imprisonment. The case had been launched with demand of life imprisonment, but she was sentenced to 9 years on the gorunds that she benefited from so called Repentance Law. (Milliyet)
Clash and Attacks in the SoutheastŠ On 6 July, 2 soldiers were wounded during an attack against a control point on the road between Kozluk district and Ziyaret town in Siirt. A PKK militant was allegedly killed during a clash broke out nearby Dargeçit district of Mardin on 6 July. (Cumhuriyet-Milliyet)
July 5, 2005
Killings by Unknown Assailants, Disappearances... Daily Özgür Gündem continues to publish the confessions of PKK confessor and JITEM member Abdulkadir Aygan. It was appeared on 2 July that Hakki Kaya who had been detained by JITEM members in Lice district of Diyarbakir on 18 November 1996 had reportedly been killed. Aygan told that Kaya had been buried on the road between Karaçali (Tirelo) village of Diyarbakir and Hani district. Aygan put that another person had been also buried in the same place on the same day. Hakki Kaya was counted as disappeared in the Human Rights Report of the TIHV in 1996. It was told in the same edition that JITEM member Idris Yildirim had been detained in October 1994 in Silopi when he had wanted to leave JITEM and had been killed in Elazig. Aygan said that he and "the group commander Kemal Emlük" had burned the corpse of Idris Yildirim on the road between Elazig and Baskil district. On 4 July, the confessions concerning the killings of Hasan Ergül and Atilla Osmanoglu were released on the newspaper. Aygan told that Hasan Ergül, who had been detained on 5 June 1995 in Silopi had been thrown into Hazar Lake after having been killed. Atilla Osmanoglu, who had been detained on 25 March 1996, had been put into a junk petroleum tanker on the road to Habur stream from Silopi. Aygan told that Osmanoglu's face was destroyed in order not to be identified. He alleged that Hasan Ergül and Atilla Osmanoglu had been killed by the JITEM member Cindi Acet (or Acut) with the nickname "Koçero". The corpse of a person who had been alleged to be Osmanoglu, who had been found on 30 March 1996 in the place Aygan mentioned, had been buried in the graveyard for people without relatives in Silopi without conducting sufficient investigation. Atilla Osmanoglu was counted as disappeared in the Human Rights Report of the TIHV in 1997. On 5 July Abdülkadir Aygan's narrations about the killings of Izzettin Acet (Melle Izzettin) and Mehmet Emin Kaynar were published. Aypan put that these persons had been shot to death by the JITEM member Abdulhakim Güven and their corpses had been burned by he JITEM member Kemal Emlük. Aygan told that Izzettin Acet and Mehmet Emin Kaynar, who had been detained in Cizre on 29 October 1994, had been killed and burned nearby Karpuzlu village on Siverek-Diyarbakir road. The corpses of Izzettin Acet and Mehmet Emin Kaynar had been found after a short time. Their names were mentioned in the part of Killings by Unknown Assailants in the Human Rights Report of the TIHV in 1994. (Özgür Gündem)
Persons Beaten by Police... Dersim Culture Association, Democratic People's Platform, DEHAP and teachers' union Egitim-Sen organized a press announcement on 30 June in connection with the beatings of Ali Haydar Çatakçin and Ibrahim Çatakçin by special team members. Bülent Yüce, who read the press announcement, stated that the Çatakçin brothers were stopped and beaten by the special team members when they were returning from grave visit. (Özgür Gündem)
Pressures in the Prisons... According to the announcement made by "Committees of Revolutionary Prisoners' Families (DETAK)" at the IHD Istanbul branch, cells of the FEMALE prisoners were raided under the supervision of the public prosecutor in Gebze Prison on 24 June, the prisoners were beaten and their properties were destroyed. It was also put in the announcement that the political prisoners who were on hunger strike to protest the new Law on Execution Of Sentences were banned to correspond and have open visit for 6 months. It was added that the political prisoner Serpil Cabadan in the same prison started death fast due to the pressures. It was announced