SEND A LETTER: STOP TORTURING DIPLOMATS
SEND A LETTER: STOP TORTURING DIPLOMATS Send a letter to Congressman Hastings, the chair of Helsinki Commission or Hon. CHRIS SMITH- NJ from Lantos Commission to urge them to take action against Turkish authorities involved in torturing 6 Ex-MFA Diplomats in Turkey. Sample letter to send Congressman Alcee L. HASTINGS. & Congressman Chris SMITH Dear Hon. Rep. Alcee L. HASTINGS Washington, D.C. 2353 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Tel: (202) 225-1313 Fax: (202) 225-1171 https://alceehastings.house.gov/contact/ Urge Turkish Government to investigate the serious torture allegations to ex-diplomats in the capital Ankara, Turkey Dear Honorable Congressman, I deeply concerned about the torture allegations documented by the Ankara Bar Association. 6 ex-diplomats of Turkish Foreign Ministry have been detained at Police Headquarters in Ankara. HDP MP Omer F. Gergerlioglu; Erinc Sagkan, President of Ankara Bar Association, and CHP MP Sezgin Tanrikulu spoke out about the allegations immediately.. According to the Ankara…
European Parliament Adopts Draft Report on Turkey focused on Human Rights Violations and Call on Suspending Accession Talks
The European Parliament has adopted the draft report on Turkey, that underpins corruption, human rights violations, shut-down of 160 media organizations, violation of rights defenders’ rights, concerns about setbacks in freedom of expression, unjustifiable detention of 150,000 and arrest of 78,000 people, dismissal of more than 4,000 judges and prosecutors and arrest of 570 lawyers. The report expresses concerns that Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs has been used in Europe by the Turkish intelligence services to put pressure on the opposition, particularly on members of the Gulen movement, a religious group blamed by the government for orchestrating the coup attempt. The report also criticizes the actions of the Turkish government against Turkish nationals in third countries, including harassment and kidnappings. While repeating an assertion that human rights and the rule of law have deteriorated in the country, the latest EP report also mentions other problems. The resolution calls the formal…
Purge of Thousands of Health Care Professionals and Doctor Umut
The Ministry of Health has announced that more than 7,500 health care professionals including many physicians have been dismissed within the scope of a mass purge of government employees from their jobs. The purge has resulted in devastating consequences for dismissed physicians as they face hardship in finding a new position after being demonized by the government and their names plastered all over the media. Amnesty International called the mass dismissal of Turkish public sector workers a “professional annihilation” that has a catastrophic impact on their lives and livelihoods. However, research carried out by the Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) shows that over 21,000 health care professionals including doctors, medical professors, nurses, technicians and hospital staff have thus far been dismissed from public and private hospitals as well as medical schools and associations. Doctor Umut’s story shed light on the devastating consequences of those political purges by Erdogan’s regime.
Turkish court dismisses the case of 70 year old male only after his death
Turkish court dismisses the case of 70 year old male only after his death Ibrahim Akbaba dies of heart attack at the age of 70 a day after complications resulted from torturous 2 day trip for his trial. Despite Mr. Akbaba’s sever health condition due to his Open Heart surgery and diabetes, he was summoned to appear in court having to travel from Mardin to Edirne on a 2 day trip. The MP Ebru Gunay of People’s Democratic Party of Turkey brought up in the Turkish Parliament the fact that Mr. Akbaba was not given any medical attention despite his sever health condition leaving him with unable to take his prescribed medications. According to Ibrahim Akbaba’s son Şehmuz Akbaba who is also imprisoned in another penitentiary, the court would not have dismissed the case if it wasn’t for his father’s sudden death. It appears Ibrahim Akbaba dismissed himself out of…
SEND A LETTER: GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY
AST STATEMENT REGARDING GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, DECEMBER 10 Under the state of emergency, imposed after the July 2016 attempted coup and lifted on July 2018, President Erdogan presided over the cabinet, which could pass decrees without parliamentary scrutiny or the possibility of appeal to the constitutional court. Many decrees adopted contained measures that undermine human rights safeguards and conflict with Turkey’s international human rights obligations. The routine extensions of the state of emergency within two years have led to profound human rights violations against hundreds of thousands of people – from arbitrary deprivation of the right to work and to freedom of movement, to torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions and infringements of the rights to freedom of association and expression. The Erdogan government is showing disregard to the rights of its dissidents. Approximately 217,000 people are detained and over 82,000 people are…
SEND A LETTER: CONFISCATED BUSINESSES
PROPERTY RIGHTS UNDER THREAT IN TURKEY Property rights in Turkey are unfortunately no longer protected. Since 2015 and mainly after the failed coup attempt in 2016, the Erdogan government is showing disregard to the rights of its dissidents. The followers of the Gulen Movement, specifically the businesspeople who supported the movement and many opponents of the Erdogan government have become the victim of this merciless purge. The Erdogan government published the number of confiscated businesses. Muhiddin Gülal, the head of Savings Deposits Insurance Fund (TMSF), a government organization that operates the confiscated companies, told in July 2018 that, at the time, 937 companies had been managed by trustees, reaching TL 19.4 billion (USD 3.3 billion) in equity and TL 50 billion (USD 8.5 billion) in assets. The numbers Gülal mentioned do not even include the assets of 127 individuals, 19 unions, 15 private universities, 49 hospitals, 174 media outlets, 1,419…
British Court Dismissal of Turkey’s Extradition Request For Businessman Ipek Is Good News
A judge in London dismissed the Turkish government’s request for extradition of businessman Akin Ipek living in the United Kingdom, portraying Ankara’s bid and charges as politically motivated. Judge John Zani who oversees the case refused the application by the Turkish authorities, citing the high risk of mistreatment in Turkey if Ipek and three other Turkish nationals are extradited back to Turkey. The Turkish government seized Ipek-owned Koza Media Group, with its newspapers and TV channels, in 2015. The government later moved to confiscate all of his companies and business assets worthy of billions of dollars as part of a massive wealth grab. Ipek whose own brother has remained imprisoned for two years has lived in London for the past three years. But his self-imposed exile did not spare him from the wrath of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration, which incessantly presses the British authorities to extradite the businessman who…
