ANKARA - THIV Secretary General Coşkun Üsterci stated that the circular issued by the EGM would ensure the continuation of the rights violations, while Fatin Kanat, Co-chair of the IHD Ankara Branch, called on all opponents to stand against this circular.

 

According to the circular issued with the signature of the General Director of Police (EGM) Mehmet Aktaş, judicial action will be taken against those who recorded the images or voices of the police during the protests. The circular was based on the privacy of life.

 

Many users on social media slammed the decision, stating that it was aimed to protect the police while they use violence on the protesters. Human rights organizations, which systematically report violent incidents and violations of rights caused by the police during demonstrations and activities in public areas, evaluated the circular to our agency.

 

GREAT CONTRADICTION BETWEEN HUMANS RIGHTS ACTION PLAN OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE CIRCILAR

 

Coşkun Üsterci, General Secretary of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), stated that there is a huge contradiction between the Human Rights Action Plan, which was published with the signature of AKP's President Tayyip Erdoğan and the circular issued by General Security Directorate (EGM). Stating that the Human Rights Action Plan aims to make improvements and reinforcements within the scope of international agreements, Üsterci said: "When we look at the circular issued by the EGM, we see that they aim to ensure the continuity of violations of rights."

 

2014 PEOPLE EXPOSED TO TORTURE

 

According to the data of the TİHV Documentation Center, Usterci pointed out that the police attacked the last 740 peaceful meetings and demonstrations in 2020, despite the pandemic, and said: "In these polive interventions, 2014 people were violently detained, subjected to torture and ill-treatment and 65 people were injured. The circular dictates that the police are doing their jobs and recording them prevents them from performing their duties. Torturing people is not a police duty.  Recently police have been attacking all kinds of peaceful demonstrations, battering and detaining the people as well as journalists who are doing their jobs. 

 

'POLICE ARE BEING PROTECTED'

 

Reminding that torture is strictly prohibited by the international conventions signed by Turkey as well as Turkey's own constitution, Üsterci said: "Therefore, documenting the crimes committed by the law enforcement can not be prevented. Because the only way to prevent human's rights violations is through making them visible. If a police officer is committing a crime all citizens have the right to document it. This circular aims to protect the police and systematize impunity."

 

WE HAVE TO STAND AGAINST IT

 

Underlining that the circular is a violation of rights, İHD Ankara Branch Co-Chair Fatin Kanat said that it also criminalizes the journalists. Kanat said all opponents, parties, unions and associations must stand against this circular.