The Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD) welcome the release yesterday of 22 Turkish trade unionists and human rights defenders who have been detained at the Ankara F Type High Security Prison ‘on terror charges’ and accused with membership of an illegal organisation.
Amongst the detainees, EMHRN Executive Committee Member, Osman İşçi, was arrested at his home in the Ankara Province in the morning of 25 June 2012. İşçi has been remanded in custody together with another 21 colleagues until their release on April 10.
‘Of course we welcome the news of their release with great relief but we remain concerned because the charges brought against them have not been dropped,’ declared IHD President Öztürk Türkdogan.
‘The definition of terrorism in Turkey’s Anti-Terror Act is deliberately kept overly broad. This means that the Turkish authorities can curtail the rights to free expression, to form associations and to gather pacifically, pretending they are dealing with anti-terror cases,’ explained EMHRN Executive Director Marc Schade-Poulsen who attended the trial.
The EMHRN and the IHD call on the Turkish government to amend both the Anti-Terror Act and the Turkish Penal Code, in compliance with the international human rights instruments ratified by Turkey.
The arrest of the trade unionists and human rights defenders, all members of KESK[1], was part of a vast “anti-terrorist” operation to tear down an alleged terrorist network – the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK)[2] . 72 people have been arrested on the same day accused of organising support for the KCK within the KESK.
The EMHRN recalls that several leading human rights activists, prominent lawyers and IHD members[3] remain in jail and currently serve sentences under the Anti-Terror Act. The EMHRN urges the Turkish authorities to have them all released.
The EMHRN has sent a mission to Ankara to observe the trial and will be reporting on the trial proceedings. The hearing was adjourned to 8 July 2013.
[1] KESK: Confederation of Public Servant Workers, known for its support to democracy, minority issues, and peaceful solution to the Kurdish conflict.
[2] KCK: Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TM), the KCK is allegedly intended to organise the Kurdish people as an umbrella organisation that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
[3] Muharrem Erbey – Diyarbakır Branch Executive, Şerif Süren – Aydın Branch Executive, Reşit Teymur – Siirt Branch Executive, Ms. Veysi Parıltı – Mardin Branch Executive, Şaziye Önder – Doğubeyazıt Representative, Mensur Işık – former Muş Branch Chairperson, Bekir Gürbüz – Adıyaman Branch former Chairperson, Ali Tanrıverdi – Mersin Branch Chairperson and Dilek Hoş – Adana Branch Executive.