‘Why are Removal Centers Closed to Civil Society?’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İzmir MP Serpil Kemalbay has brought the allegations of torture, battery, ill treatment and death in Harmandalı Removal Center in İzmir into Parliamentary agenda.

CLICK - Harmandalı Removal Center Told from Inside: Battery, Attempted Suicide, Illness, Death

Referring to the statements of a security guard working at the center, as reported by Evrim Kepenek from bianet and Fırat Yeşilçınar from the Artı Gerçek website, Kemalbay has made the following remarks in brief:

"The following statements of a worker from the İzmir Harmandalı Removal Center in İzmir have been reported in some media outlets: '1,500 thousand people were staying in a 750-person place, most of them sleep on the marble floor. Several windows of the building are broken. The ones who do not want to be deported constantly attempt to commit suicide.

"The workers are mentally depressed as well. A woman with AIDS was held in a floor called 'high-security floor.' No one wanted to give this woman food because of her illness. The woman with AIDS was sleeping on the floor. She was not allowed to meet anyone. They deported her afterwards, but I do not know which country she was sent to.'

"Lawyers from the Association for Solidarity with Refugees indicate that the ones held in removal centers could not use their basic rights, the centers function as prisons in contrast with their founding purposes, the ones held in centers are taken in an administrative custody for an unknown period of time, some practices at the centers are arbitrary, children cannot benefit from playing fields in the centers and are deprived of their right to education and the ones held there are treated as 'criminals'."

'How many children are there in Harmandalı?'

Accordingly, HDP İzmir MP Kemalbay has asked a series of questions to Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu including the following:

• It is alleged that the death of a woman who lost her life from heat in Harmandalı Removal Center in İzmir was written down in the minutes as a 'natural death'. Are these allegations true?
• It is also alleged in the press that the food service personnel of the center did not give food to a woman with AIDS for fear that 'they could be infected as well.' Were these allegations investigated? Were the personnel provided with necessary training to prevent any problems? Have any precautions been taken to prevent discrimination and hate speech towards AIDS patients?
• Was the refugee woman with AIDS provided with the necessary medical treatment?
• Were the allegations of 'ill treatment and torture' in Removal Centers indicated in the 2018 report of Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey investigated? If yes, what are the findings of the investigation? Were any legal or administrative actions taken against the identified torture and right violation cases?
• Are there any Syrian refugees in Harmandalı Removal Center? If yes, considering that they are within the scope of non-refoulement principle due to the ongoing war in their country, will any actions be taken against the officials who have violated the obligations of international agreements by giving a decision of deportation?
• How many children are there in Harmandalı Removal Center? What program will be adopted by your Ministry for the children who cannot receive education despite being at an educational age?
• It is also alleged that some refugee children were sexually abused and women were sexually harassed in Harmandalı Removal Center? Were these allegations investigated? What action has been taken against the ones who got involved in crimes of harassment and rape?
• Why are Removal Centers completely closed to civil society? Are you working on opening Removal Centers to civil society and, thereby, ensuring transparency? (AÖ/SD)