11-13.07.2009 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/042) Extra-judicial killing in Tokat Province…
Mustafa Uslu (38) was killed by a police officer on the grounds that he did not obey the “stop” warning in a traffic checkpoint in Turhal District of Tokat Province on 10 July 2009. The officer claimed that his handgun was fired with accident as he was running after the car.
With the death of Mustafa Uslu, the number of people who were killed by law enforcement officers became 22 (ntvmsnbc.com, 11 July; TIHV, 13 July).
(07/043) Death in prison…
Kenan Gülen a prisoner in Kürkçüler (Adana) E Type Closed Prison committed suicide on 10 July 2009. Forensic Medicine Institute documented that Kenan Gülen was a schizophrenia patient two years after his imprisonment.
The number of the people who died in prisons in 2009 became 12 with the death of Kenan Gülen (ozgurradyo.com, 12 July; TIHV, 13 July).
(07/044) Operations and clashes in Southeast…
It is reported that a Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKKKurdish Workers' Party ) armed wing People’s Defence Forces (HPGPeople's Defence Forces (armed wing of the PKK) ) militant died in the explosion of a mine he was planting in the mountainous part of the Yüksekova District of Hakkâri Province on 11 July 2009 (tsk.tr, 12 July).
(07/045) Attack on the concert of Idil Biret…
Alperen Ocaklari, a right-winger youth organisation, attempted to hinder the classic music concert in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul Province on 11 July 2009 on the grounds that the audience has been “drinking alcohol”. Police interfered the group who burned the concert posters (ntvmsnbc.com, 12 July).
(07/046) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Two police officers beat the watermelon seller S.K. (14) on the grounds that he aimed them a plastic handgun in Akçay Municipality of Edremit District of Balikesir Province on 10 July 2009. Police teams opened fire and used pepper gas to dismiss the crowd which gathered spontaneously to protest the officers (Radikal, 10 July).
(07/047) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Police officers impelled E.Ö. to get into a police car and beat him on the grounds that he warned the police officer who sexually harassed his wife G.Ö. in Sultangazi District of Istanbul Province on 11 July 2009. E.Ö. made an official complaint against the officers and got an helat report that documents that he is unable to work for one week (Gündem, 12 July).
(07/048) Coercion in prison…
Bedriye Tunç and Abdullah Tunç claimed that the guardians of Kirikkale F Type Closed Prison interfered them on the grounds that they talked in Kurdish with their son, prisoner Nimetullah Tunç on 12 July 2009 (ANF, 12 July).
(07/049) Hold of publication…
10 July 2009 Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 10 sentenced the Isçi Köylü Newspaper to hold of publication for one month in connection with the news published in its issue no 45 (atilim.org, 10 July).
(07/050) Acquitted people…
Izmir Penal Court of First Instance No. 23 acquitted Mehmet Bayraktar, Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) former chairperson of Izmir branch, and Mizgin Irgat, DTP’s Party Assembly member in connection with talking Kurdish in the DTP’s Izmir Province Congress on 26 May 2008 on charges of “opposing to the Law on Political Parties” on 10 July 2009 (Gündem, 11 July).
