‘Police interventions against peaceful meetings, demonstrations continued in August’

* Photo: Emrah Gürel

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV-HRFT) have released their joint report on the violations of freedom of expression and right to assembly and demonstration in August. The report has shown that the law enforcement intervened into more than 50 press statements in several cities, including İstanbul and Diyarbakır.

The online meeting where the findings were shared with the public was moderated by Şanar Yurdatapan from the Initiative for Freedom of Expression. It was attended by the Diyarbakır, İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir İHD Representatives and TİHV Secretary General Coşkun Üsterci.

Üsterci said that "there was no positive change in the violations happening in terms of the freedom of expression, meeting and organization in August 2021," underlining that "interventions of police forces continued against various peaceful meetings and demonstrations."

A striking example of this was the consecutive interventions made by the police against the march of Dilbent Türker, who was dismissed from work due to her trade union membership, towards Ankara.

As indicated by TİHV's Coşkun Üsterci, "The police intervened against the march of Dilbent Türker on August 1, 2, 3, 4, 2021 in Küçükçekmece, Kadıköy, Kartal and Tuzla districts of Istanbul, detaining 12 people. On the 11th day of the march, on August 10, 2021, there was another intervention in Bolu - in the intervention, Dilbent Türker and All Automotive and Metal Workers Union (TOMIS) Istanbul representative Onur Eyidoğan were detained. Reaching Ankara despite all preventions, Dilbent Türker and her supporters made a press statement there on August 13, 2021 and the police intervened against it once again, detaining 14 people."

Bans, fines, attacks, lawsuits...

Celal Üsterci also shared the following data:

"Another focus of the interventions made by the security forces was the meetings and demonstrations organised by the People's Democratic Party (HDP) to protest the racist attack in Meram district of Konya, in which seven members of the Dedeoğulları family died on July 30, 2021.

"Another prominent issue in August was the interventions and attacks by police forces and civilians against press members and journalists, who wanted to correctly inform the people by rights journalism.

"Many people were detained in August due to their social media posts regarding the increasing racist attacks, wildfires and floods. Investigations were opened, lawsuits were filed and even imprisonment sentences and fines were issued against many, including human rights advocates, journalists, actors and conscientious objectors.

There was an increase in access ban decrees against online news websites in August 2021. 141 content published by bianet.org only were banned from access with decrees issued by various Criminal Judicatures of Peace.

"The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued administrative fines against KRT TV three times, FOX TV three times, Haber Türk one time, Halk TV four times, TR 35 one time and TELE 1 three times, making up a total of 17 administrative fines due to their news coverage on the RTÜK censorship against the news on wildfires."

Ankara İHD's Osman İşçi also said, "As it happens in investigations against social media posts, suspects, criminal content, etc. The lack of specific information about the issues leads to the continuation of the climate of oppression and to feed the climate of fear. One of the main pillars of the struggle for human rights is to acquire and know. In this framework, we must design and carry out our work in a way that will answer this problem."

İzmir İHD's Ahmet İnci commented, "Referring to the wildfires, civilians violated multiple rights by interfering with people's daily lives. These interventions focused especially on the Kurdish people. Identities of people travelling with their cars were checked and if they were from Kurdish provinces, they were insulted, threatened and beaten by the group." (RT/SD)