Police Receives State of Emergency-Like Mandate in Ankara
Ankara police has become competent to search anybody in 6 neighborhoods without a further court order.
The aforementioned neighborhoods were listed as follows: Çankaya, Yenimahalle, Mamak, Keçiören, Altındağ and Pursaklar. The mandate, while applicable for individuals’ clothes, vehicles, private documents and belongings, effectuated between February 13 and 27.
According to various news sources, Ankara Police Department made the request to the Governor’s Office on February 12 for various reasons including “preservation of general morality, prevention of crimes and finding of illegal weapons, explosives and goods”.
The request was approved by Ankara 10th Peace Court for a period of 15 days.
Tanrıkulu: Who is posing a public security threat?
Republican People’s Party Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu released a statement, criticizing the mandate. He wrote that while the request was for public safety, the threat element were not specified. He also raised the following questions:
* Upon the mandate, will there be check-points in those neighborhoods?
* Will the search include households and offices?
* Will there be an extension in the period of searches?
* What is the period, location and extent of a similar mandate in Turkey?
* How many police officers have been assigned to the aforementioned neighborhoods?
* If a citizens raises an objection to the practice of the mandate, what kind of judicial process will take place? Will they be forced if they resist not to have their belongings searched?
* What rights do citizens have if they refuse to be searched? For example, do they have the right to call their attorneys? (EKN/BM)