Turkey's Human Rights Foundation (TİHV) İzmir branch revealed that a total of 17 people has applied to the institution for allegations of torture, between March 1 and April 7.

Before and after the tense Newroz celebrations at the end of March, more than 80 peole have been taken under custody and 26 of them have been arrested in the city, the foundation said.

"This picture evokes a feeling that the country's reality of violence, torture and rights violations is once again surfaced". It voiced fears of further violence and rights violations by security forces before the upcoming May Day.

TİHV's findings about the custody and torture cases are as follows:

* Before Newroz celebrations, 14 people has been taken under custody, among them administrators and members of the pro-Kurdish D4mocratic Society Party (DTP) and a journalist. Eight of them have been arrested.

* On March 20, before the mass celebrations 20 people have been taken under custody. During the celebrations on March 21, 58 people were taken under custody.

* Among the 12 applications of complaints of torture that reached TİHV, 8 of them were subjected to extreme use of force by the police. Medical examinations revealed that they suffered from trauma as a result of beatings and other kinds of brutality. Other five applications were made by suspects related to legal complaints.(TK/EÜ)