Allegations of Torture are Lies and Smears, Says Minister Soylu

* Photo: Muhammed Selim Korkutata - Ankara / AA

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Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu attended the Meeting of Provincial Security Directorates at the Dikmen Campus of General Directorate of Security in the capital city of Ankara today (December 23).

Referring to the recent allegations of torture at the meeting, Soylu claimed that they had zero tolerance to torture.

Soylu made the following remarks about the issue:

"The period when Turkey's struggle against terrorism was at its peak was after 2015. In spite of this, the number of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) verdicts against Turkey over torture has been zero since 2015.

"Moreover, it has been a field where certain circles have been trying to consolidate the opposition's allegations of torture and pressuring our relations with Europe for years. Despite all these conditions, Turkey insists on standing on the side of democracy and human rights. Zero tolerance to torture is our eternal pledge to our nation.

"These allegations recently voiced by an MP infiltrated into the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) by the FETÖ [held responsible for the coup attempt in 2016] are inconsistent, unfounded, lies and smears."

Gergerlioğlu expressed the allegations

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu has recently announced that the attorneys and families of at least 46 people informed him that they were tortured in custody in Ankara.

Voicing the allegations on social media, Gergerlioğlu has also stated that the incident took place at Ankara Security Directorate. The MP has said, "Ankara Security again... Allegations of torture about detained former Justice Ministry workers are coming..! Who are the ones who stripped people naked and beat them and said, 'We will come again tomorrow night'?".

Afterwards, Gergerlioğlu has called on the Ministry of Interior to make a statement about the allegations.

Some allegations expressed by Gergerlioğlu are as follows: "There are allegations of psychological torture, insults and threats of rape by showing bottles regarding the former workers of Prime Ministry at the Ankara Anti-Terror Branch since yesterday. It is also alleged that A PROMISE was made to start physical torture and major sexual abuse as of this evening."

Statement by Ankara Security Directorate

After it was previously alleged that the former workers of Ministry of Foreign Affairs were subjected to torture at Ankara Security Directorate in May and it is now alleged that former Justice Ministry workers were also tortured there, the Ankara Provincial Security Directorate has issued a statement.

In the statement of the Security Directorate, it has been indicated that "all medical reports of the detained have been received whole and complete and all doctor reports document that there is no battery or force." "The suspects were provided with subsistence in full throughout their period of detention", the Directorate has indicated further.

Rights and occupational organizations also held a statement about the allegations of torture at Ankara Security Directorate in Ankara today. (AS/SD)