Torture in Urfa: 'Camera Recordings Not in File, Police Officers Did Not Give Statements'

*Photo of the detained people was shared on social media by accounts named, "Police Special Operations."

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While the complainants gave statements to the police, the police officers who are claimed to torture people in detention have not given a statement yet, Vefa said.

Not any legal action has been taken against the officers as of today, he added.

In the raids conducted in Dergili (Dêrto) neighborhood in the mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern province of Urfa on May 18, fifty-one people were detained and 13 were arrested. All the arrested people and some of the detained gave statements to the police.

Attorney Vefa has spoken to bianet on the latest situation in the investigation: "None of the police officers were suspended from duty and not any legal action has been taken. The police officers did not give a statement either.

"We requested the camera recordings at the Urfa Security Directorate to be put in the file. On that date, at that time of the day, there were officials on duty; we had findings on that. If the footage in the upper floor, where the mistreated people say they were brought to, is put in the file, the perpetrators can be revealed. But this evidence has not been added to the file yet. We are waiting.

"Some of those who said they were tortured were sent to the Forensic Medicine Institution. But, as the attorneys, we made a request for all the mistreated people to be examined at the Forensic Medicine Institution. This request was not met.

"Thereupon, we requested an alternative report from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Diyarbakır Branch. The mistreated were examined at the TİHV. When this report is ready, we will present it to the prosecutor's office."

What happened?

Attorney Ergin Sözen gave the following information to bianet on the day the incident was revealed, saying that three separate investigations have been opened into the incident:

At around 2 a.m. on May 18, an operation was launched against a house in the Neighborhood of Dergili (Derto) in Halfeti upon receiving the intelligence that there were members of the illegal organization at the house. Authorities announced that conflict erupted during this operation and two members of the organşzation were killed.

"Afterwards, everyone in the house, as well as the guests, were taken into custody. They told that they were battered by law enforcement officers until 6 in the morning. The marks of torture were also detected by the lawyers who met them. At the Urfa Anti-Terror Branch, there were even practices that went so far as to giving the detained electric shocks.

"Next day, people from the neighboring villages were also taken into custody. The first investigation has been launched into these allegations of conflict.

"The second investigation is related to the raking of seasonal workers in Suruç. While they were on their way to the cropland, their vehicle was stopped and the moment the driver got off, they opened fire. There are seven people who are seriously wounded. 82 bullet marks have been detected on the raked vehicle. The workers said that when they were referred to hospital, they were told 'We are sorry, we have martyrs'.

"The Urfa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has been conducting a second investigation into the arbitrary raking of workers. And the third investigation is into the allegations of torture." (AS/VK)