ARBITRARY DETENTION AND ARREST
Throughout the week, prosecutors ordered the detention of at least 86 people over alleged links to the Gülen movement. In October 2020, a UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) opinion said that widespread or systematic imprisonment of individuals with alleged links to the group may amount to crimes against humanity. Solidarity with OTHERS has compiled a detailed database to monitor the Gülen-linked mass detentions since a failed coup in July 2016.
18 September: Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zencir, a former faculty member at Pamukkale University Medical School's Public Health Department who was dismissed by a decree for signing the peace petition, has been detained as part of an investigation by the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor's Office.
ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES
No news has emerged of Yusuf Bilge Tunç, a former public sector worker who was sacked from his job by a decree-law during the 2016-2018 state of emergency and who was reported missing as of August 6, 2019, in what appears to be one of the latest cases in a string of suspected enforced disappearance of government critics since 2016.
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION
17 September: Police detained 25 people during a protest in front of Fernas Mining in Ankara, organized by workers demanding the right to unionize after 7 workers were fired from the Soma-based company, owned by AKP Batman MP Ferhat Nasıroğlu, for being union members.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND MEDIA
17 September: Journalist Medine Mamedoğlu is under investigation for her social media posts on wildfires, accused of "inciting fear and panic among the public."
17 September: A new lawsuit has been filed against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, with prosecutors seeking up to 3 years and 7 months in prison for allegedly insulting public officials in his statements.
18 September: Access to the website of Umut Daily Newspaper (www.umutgazetesi43.org) has been blocked by a decision of the Bursa 6th Criminal Judgeship of Peace.
JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE & RULE OF LAW
16 September: The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has requested a defense from Turkey in the case of Can Atalay, a jailed politician who had been ousted from the legislature despite the country’s top court finding a violation of his fundamental rights.
KURDISH MINORITY
20 September: A Kurdish patient in Turkey was reportedly denied an audiological test because they could not understand Turkish, sparking criticism over discrimination in healthcare services.
21 September: The Kurdish language pedestrian warnings "Hedî" (Slow) and "Peşî Peya" (Pedestrians First), written on crosswalks by Elazığ Karakoçan Municipality, were erased by unidentified individuals.
PRISON CONDITIONS
17 September: Tokat T Type Prison is reportedly overcrowded, with the number of inmates exceeding the facility's capacity. Since the beginning of summer, water has been cut off from night until morning, forcing inmates to store water in buckets to meet their needs.
18 September: Inmates at Muğla Prison have reported that their tap water smells strongly of bleach, raising concerns about health and safety conditions in the facility, according to a statement from the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST).
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS
19 September: Suspicion of organ trafficking has arisen following the murder of a refugee worker in Zonguldak, Turkey, after her body was found with missing organs, leading to calls for a thorough investigation into the incident.
TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT
17 September: An investigation has been launched in Urfa against police officers accused of using disproportionate force during a recent incident, raising concerns about excessive violence in law enforcement practices.
20 September: A disciplinary investigation was launched by the administration of Marmara (Silivri) Prison against Celalettin Yalçın for making a victory sign during an open visit with his relatives on September 5, 2024.
TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION
20 September: The United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic has released a report implicating Turkey in a series of human rights violations in northern Syria between January and June 2024.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
18 September: A Turkish MP has submitted a parliamentary inquiry regarding allegations that 12 women accused of membership in the Gülen movement became pregnant as a result of rape while in custody, citing a report by the Finnish Immigration Service.
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