Anti-Terror Police Detains Lawyers, Musicians
Reinforced by anti-terror and special operations teams, police forces in Ankara, İzmir and Istanbul provinces raided dozens of apartment and workplaces this very early morning including the offices of Contemporary Lawyers Association and People's Law Office which provide juridical support for victims in Turkey's major contemporary human rights abuse cases.
"The detention orders were given according to the ongoing investigation on DHKP-C terrorist organization," the police reported. Once the procedures are completed, the detainees were told to be transferred to anti-terror police headquarters in Istanbul.
Taylan Tanay from People's Law Office told bianet that police raided their office at 4am in the morning while the prosecutor in charge of the investigation arrived at the scene an hour later, which Tanay suggested to be an unlawful procedure.
The Attorney General's office said it had issued detention warrants for Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Contemporary Lawyers Association and Oya Aslan, board member. Efkan Bolaç, an Istanbul Bar Association lawyer who has been assigned as an observer, was also detained by the police.
The majority of detainees marked as human rights advocates who volunteered at emergency call line to report police torture, ran workshops on how to act under police detention or advocated in Turkey's most controversial human rights abuse incidents including the case of Engin Çeber, Festus Okey, Güler Zere, Roboski Massacre.
Amid the detainees included Grup Yorum music band members who were detained this morning after a police raid assisted with helicopters and tear gas bombs. Witnesses said the police damaged some of musicians' instruments.
Later in the afternoon, Contemporary Lawyers Association released a statement condemning the detentions.
"The Turkish state aims every individual who opposes the system and struggle for democracy and freedom. On one hand, the state is implementing anti democratic procedures, on the other hand it aims to oppress dissident voices in the society," the statement said. (AS)