AI EX102/92 TURKEY Fear of torture

[PeaceNet Middle East Team]

From: <pnmideast>
Subject: AI EX102/92 TURKEY Fear of torture

/* Written  6:44 pm  Nov 25, 1992 by rmitchellai at gn.apc.org in igc:ai.uan */
/* ---------- "AI EX102/92 TURKEY Fear of torture" ---------- */
EXTERNAL (for general distribution) AI Index: EUR 44/127/92
                                    Distr: UA/SC        

EXTRA 102/92     Fear of Torture    25 November 1992

TURKEY:     Fifty people in Viransehir including:

            Mahmut Ozkan, aged 60   ) 
            Halil Ozkan             ) brothers 
            Omer Ozkan              )

            Lokman, 15, son of Mahmut

            Abdullah, 25 ) sons of  
            Cengiz, 17   ) Halil

            Mahmut, 14, son of Omer   

            and the children of a fourth brother: 
            Rusen, 14 (female)  
            Nezan, 15 (female) Cuco, 14

 Amnesty International is concerned about the safety of some 50
people detained in Viransehir, including the above members of the
Ozkan family.

On 21 November 1992, the security forces detained some 50 people in
Viransehir, province of Sanliurfa, including the above named members
of the Ozkan family. On that day at 10am six police officers searched
the house of Omer Ozkan. During the search a man was found in the
house who was wanted by the police. Subsequently, the police also
searched the homes of Omer Ozkan's brothers Mahmut and Halil and
detained them as well as the members of their families (named above)
present in their homes at the time. The police are said to have since
carried out daily searches of the same houses. The detainees were
taken to Sanliurfa where reportedly they are held incommunicado at
the Anti-Terror Branch of Sanliurfa Police Headquarters, presumably
on suspicion of supporting the guerrillas of the Kurdish Workers' Party
(PKK).

It is feared that the detainees are being subjected to torture during
interrogation.

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 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 5,000 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. In August 1990, the government
derogated from Articles 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 13 of the European
Convention on Human Rights, all of which contain important
safeguards for human rights. 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. New
legislation to shorten the maximum detention period was passed by
Parliament on 18 November, but is not yet in force, awaiting the
President's approval. However, it will not be applicable to detainees
held on suspicion of political offences to be tried in State Security
Courts. 

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

-  urging that the detainees from Viransehir including all those named
above and in particular the two young girls are granted prompt access
to their families and lawyers;

-  seeking assurances that they are not subjected to torture or any
form of ill-treatment while in police custody;

-  requesting to be informed of any charges brought against them.

APPEALS TO:

Chief of Sanliurfa Police:

Mr Mehmet Cebe                      [Salutation: Dear Sir]
Sanliurfa Emniyet Mudurlugu
Sanliurfa, Turkey
Telegrams: Emniyet Muduru, Sanliurfa, Turkey

Minister of the Interior:

Mr Ismet Sezgin                     [Salutation: Dear Minister]
Icisleri Bakanligi
06644 Ankara, Turkey
Telegrams: Interior Minister, Ankara, Turkey
Telexes:   46369 ICSL TR
Faxes:     + 90 4 418 1795

Prime Minister:

Mr Suleyman Demirel           [Salutation: Dear Prime Minister]
Office of the Prime Minister 
Basbakanlik                         
06573 Ankara, Turkey                     
Telegrams: Prime Minister, Ankara, Turkey
Telexes:   44061/44062/44063 bbmt tr
           42099 basb tr, 42875 bbk tr
Faxes:     + 90 4 417 04 76
           + 90 4 230 88 96

PLEASE SEND 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 December 1992.