‘People tortured in Turkey from age 5 to 76’

Photo: Berkcan Zengin, HRFT Report

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV/HRFT) has published its annual Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers Report today (May 30).

According to the report, the number of applications that HRFT received has reached the highest figure in 2021 since the Foundation's establishment in 1990.

Prepared based on the applications submitted to the Foundation, the report has shown that the age of the ones who complained about torture and maltreatment ranged from 5 to 76 in Turkey.

984 people complained about torture

The report has indicated that 984 applications in total were made to the TİHV-HRFT Representatives and Reference Centers in 2021

Among the applicants, 616 stated that they were exposed to torture which is the highest figure since the Foundation's establishment in 1990.

7 out of 10 were tortured in the street

According to the report among the ones who were exposed to torture during detention, 7 out of 10 stated that they were tortured in public places such as protests, etc...

"In 2021, people of all ages, from 5 to 76, were subjected to torture," the report has said.

Of the 984 people who applied to the TİHV-HRFT in 2021, 915 have stated that they were subjected to torture or ill-treatment.

The number of people who applied for their relatives, or friends is 51.

Among 915 people who complained about torture, 875 of them said they were subjected to torture in Turkey, whereas 44 stated that they were subjected to torture in another country.

İstanbul on the top of the list

The highest number of applications were made to the İstanbul branch.

While the number of people who applied to the TİHV to get support for practices of torture and ill-treatment that they suffered or witnessed was 301 in İstanbul, the number of people who applied to the Van Reference Center was 263.

166 people applied to the Diyarbakır Representative, 134 people to the İzmir Representative, 66 people to the Ankara Representative, and 48 people to the Cizre Reference Center in Turkey's southeastern province of Şırnak.

A lot of students complained about torture especially to İstanbul and İzmir Representatives during the Boğaziçi Protests at the beginning of 2021.

After Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention, the number of rights violations against women has increased throughout Turkey.

During police intervention against İstanbul Pride Parade and Suruç Massacre Commemorations, many people applied to HRFT in Jun and July.

While 60.5 percent of the applicants were men, 35.2 percent were women and 4.2 percent were LGBTI+s.

Compared to the same figure in 2020, there has been an increase in the number of LGBTI+ people who were tortured last year.

According to the report in 2020, people of all ages, from 5 to 76, were subjected to torture.

"More than half of the applicants were below 30 years old," the report has said.

The report has shown that 56 applications of torture were concerning people aged younger than 18 in 2021.

'Due to political opinions, identity or actions'

While 30.6 percent of Turkey's population were born in Southeast and Eastern Anatolia, 63.7 percent of the ones who complained about being tortured and maltreated were born in these two regions.

Of the people who applied to the TİHV-HRFT in 2020 and were tortured in Turkey, 89.2 percent said that they were taken into custody due to their political opinions, identities, or actions.

You can reach to full report from here.

(AS/TB)