{"id":273,"date":"2016-01-08T16:42:32","date_gmt":"2016-01-08T14:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ihop.org.tr\/enihop\/?p=273"},"modified":"2016-01-08T16:42:32","modified_gmt":"2016-01-08T14:42:32","slug":"urgent-call-from-turkeys-human-rights-organizations-to-the-international-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihop.org.tr\/en\/2016\/01\/08\/urgent-call-from-turkeys-human-rights-organizations-to-the-international-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Urgent Call from Turkey\u2019s Human Rights Organizations to the International Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the interruption of the peace talks, the government of Turkey started, in mid-August, to implement a security policy that unlawfully restricts fundamental rights and freedoms in those cities and towns largely populated by Kurds.<\/p>\n

Since August 2015, long-term and consecutive curfews have been declared in the provinces of, and the towns attached to \u015e\u0131rnak<\/strong>, Mardin<\/strong>, Diyarbak\u0131r<\/strong>, Hakkari<\/strong> and Mu\u015f<\/strong>, and are still underway in certain cities and towns. During these prohibitions, national and international media, human rights or professional organizations as well as representatives of the parliament who wanted to identify violations of rights have been denied access to these cities and towns. According to the findings in reports drawn up by the very small number of civil society organizations which could make their way into the region in the face of huge obstacles, it has been determined that the civilian population has become the target of both snipers and heavy weaponry, which has been used \u00a0in an arbitrary fashion.<\/p>\n

According to reports prepared by rights based organizations, 1,3 million<\/strong> people have been impacted by the curfews; more than 150 civilians<\/strong> \u2013including children and the elderly\u2013 have lost their lives\u00a0[1]. Many people have been injured, and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. Arbitrary detentions and arrests have occurred; and civilians are being subjected to torture and maltreatment in detention centres and in the open. Intrusion in telecommunication networks restricts the right to information and freedom of communication.\u00a0 By an official decision to send away teachers from the region, education has been disrupted without a deadline, and health services have also been suspended. Due diligence in protecting civilians is not being demonstrated in any sense and they \u00a0are not even provided the opportunity to meet minimum daily needs such as the right to food and water. After the curfews, no immediate and explicitly effective investigations have been conducted. Trial and punishment of those security forces that violate rights are being rendered impossible. The policy of impunity expands and continues, getting more severe.<\/p>\n

Although curfews have been declared pursuant to article 11\/C of the Provincial Administrations Law<\/strong>, with the justification \u201capprehending the members of the terrorist organization\u201d<\/em> and \u201censuring the physical safety of the people and their properties\u201d<\/em>, jurists largely agree that the aforementioned law does not entitle the relevant senior public officer to declare such a prohibition, which would impact the rights and freedoms of the entire people living in a city or a town. Pursuant to constitutional article 13, such a restriction can only be introduced through \u2018law\u2019. Curfews declared upon the governorate\u2019s instructions are in breach of the constitution.<\/strong> The fact that the framework of the curfews and the sanctions thereof are not subject to the law means that security operations conducted in this period and rights violations too are not subject to any legal supervision.<\/p>\n

Other than in times of war, in populated areas where a state of emergency or martial law has not been declared, the security forces are not entitled to use heavy weaponry and ammunition in violation of the principle of absolute necessity without ensuring evacuation of the civilian population. During the planning, command and control of operations alleged to serve the purpose of protecting the lives of civilians from unlawful violence, it is unacceptable to perpetrate arbitrary and disproportionate force which does not accord to the duty of care expected from the state in a democratic society. The lethal force used by the government of Turkey in the aforementioned provinces and districts is currently in gross violation of the principle of proportionality to be ensured between the intended objective and the force used for this purpose in a democratic society.<\/p>\n

The environment of conflict unfolding has turned human rights defenders into targets of state violence and political assassination. President of the Diyarbak\u0131r Bar Association and human rights defender Tahir El\u00e7i<\/strong> was killed while he was delivering a press statement whereby he called for an end to security operations and resumption of peace negotiations.<\/p>\n

The situation is dire and our call is urgent!<\/strong><\/p>\n

As civil society organisations we demand the international community to remind the Government of Republic of Turkey that:<\/p>\n