From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: AI: Turkey: Fear of torture
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 03:34:30 GMT

/** mideast.action: 31.0 **/
** Topic: AI EX079/92 TURKEY Fear of torture **
** Written 12:26 am  Oct  9, 1992 by pnmideast in cdp:mideast.action **
From: <pnmideast>
Subject: AI EX079/92 TURKEY Fear of torture

/* Written  6:05 pm  Oct  6, 1992 by gn:rmitchellai in cdp:ai.uan */
/* ---------- "AI EX079/92 TURKEY Fear of torture" ---------- */
EXTERNAL (for general distribution)    AI Index: EUR 44/97/92
                                       Distr: UA/SC       

EXTRA 79/92    Fear of Torture         6 October 1992

TURKEY:        Sehmus Yanalak           Mehmet Urun
               Abbas Elci               Halil Elci
               Bilal Elci               Talip Elci
               Abdullah Elci            Zinnet Elci
               Nusret Oktem             Sait Yakiemir
               Suleyman Balta           Haci Yagbasan
               Mehmet Yagbasan          Cemil Yasar
               Omer Yasar               Ibrahim Yildiz
               A Halim Yildiz           Yasin Yildiz
               Meryem Fidan (female)    Feysi Fidan
               Mehmet Fidan             Saliha Yavuc (female)
               Omer Olge                Abdurrahim Olge
               Mehmet Olge              Hamit Olge
               Abdullah Onan            Sait Yakaman

On the night of 29 September 1992, gendarmerie (soldiers on police
duties) and village guards (paramilitary force) surrounded the village of
Hisar, near Silopi in the province of Sirnak. When villagers started to
move around on the morning of 30 September, the security forces came
out of hiding, began arresting villagers and fired on any who tried to flee.
Four persons were killed and about 30 were arrested, including those
named above. 

Those arrested were taken to Sirnak Police Headquarters. The rest of the
population of the village was made to stand in the open for the rest of
the day while soldiers searched the houses. It is alleged that the soldiers
stole or destroyed the villagers' private property. The villagers were then
reportedly held under house arrest for three days.

On 3 October 1992, Sehmus Yanalak, Mehmet Urun, Abbas Elci,
Abdullah Elci and Sait Yakiemir were brought from Sirnak Police
Headquarters to the hospital in Cizre. People who saw them in hospital
reported that their faces were bloody and that they were not able to walk
without assistance. Another source stated that the doctor who treated
them wanted to write a medical report documenting their injuries, but that
the police prevented him from doing so. The doctor reportedly complained
to the local prosecutor and the local governor.

It is feared that those named above are being interrogated under torture
at Sirnak Police Headquarters.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Turkey has a Kurdish ethnic minority which is estimated to number some
10 million people, living mainly in southeastern Turkey. Since August
1984, when guerrillas of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) started armed
attacks against the security forces, an alarming number of reports of
ill-treatment of detainees by the security forces have come from the
eastern and southeastern provinces. Furthermore,  allegations of over 100
extrajudicial executions have been received during the past 12 months.
More than 4,000 lives have so far been lost on both sides and among the
civilian population in the context of the continuing fighting. Emergency
legislation is in force in 10 provinces in the region and the Emergency
Legislation Governor in Diyarbakir has extraordinary powers over three
additional provinces. 

Turkey ratified the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture on
25 February 1988 and the UN Convention Against Torture on 2 August
1988. However, all information available to Amnesty International
indicates that torture is still widespread and systematic in Turkey. Most
allegations relate to ill-treatment of detainees in police custody during
their initial interrogation when they are usually denied access to relatives
or a lawyer. Under current legislation the maximum period a detainee
may be held before being formally charged or released is 24 hours; in
cases involving three or more suspects or due to the 'nature of the crime'
it may be extended to 15 days. This period may be extended to 30 days
in areas under emergency legislation or martial law.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Telegrams/telexes/faxes/express and airmail
letters either in English or your own language:

- urging that those detained in the village of Hisar, Sirnak province,
(name five of those listed above) be given an opportunity to appoint and
consult with legal counsel, that they should be permitted access to their
families, and that they should not be subjected to torture or ill- treatment;

- expressing concern about the suppression of medical evidence and urging
that the complaint made by the doctor who examined Sehmus Yanalak,
Mehmet Urun, Abbas Elci, Abdullah Elci and Sait Yakiemir be
thoroughly investigated;

- requesting clarification of the circumstances of the killing of four persons
in their village, Hisar, on 30 October 1992.

APPEALS TO

Minister of Health:

Yildirim Aktuna               [Salutation: Dear Minister]
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Saglik ve Sosya Yardim
Bakanligi
06434 Ankara
Turkey
Telegrams: Health Minister, Ankara, Turkey

Gendarmerie General Commander:

Orgeneral Esref Bitlis        [Salutation: Dear General]
Jandarma Kuvvetleri Komutani
Kuvvetleri Komutanligi
Bakanliklar
Ankara, Turkey
Telegrams: Jandarma Kuvvetleri Komutani, Ankara, Turkey

Sirnak Police Headquarters:

Sirnak Emniyet Mudurlugu      [Salutation: Dear Police Chief]
Sirnak 
Turkey
Telegrams: Sirnak Emniyet Mudurlugu, Sirnak, Turkey

COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO: 

President of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission
Insan Haklari Arastirma Komisyonu Baskani
TBMM
Ankara, Turkey

and to the diplomatic representative in your country - please see the
responses to this topic for details.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.  Please do not send
appeals after 5 November 1992.
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