Suspicious Deaths And Suicides On The Rise In Turkey With 54 People In Last 8 Months


Date posted: March 22, 2017

Against the background of massive crackdown on critics and opponents in Turkey and widespread torture practices in detentions and prisons, 54 people were reported to have lost their lives, most under suspicious circumstances and under lock-up in the last eight months, a report released by Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) has revealed.

“Turkish government is responsible for the lives and well-beings of the people who are imprisoned, yet we have seen an unprecedented spike in the reported suicide cases under the watch of authorities,” Abdullah Bozkurt, the President of SCF said.

“The suspicious deaths, described by authorities as suicides, has not only taken place in jails but also beyond the prison walls amid psychological pressure and threats of imminent imprisonment and torture following the release of suspects or before the detention,” he added.

It is difficult to obtain details of fatalities that occur in jails, detentions or other places because of the fact the Turkish government is not forthcoming with the information and that relatives are afraid of talking to investigators and reporters. Yet, SCF has identified 54 cases in less than a year, mostly from publicly available data by scouring news reports on print and online sources.

In some cases, deaths are believed to have taken place after severe torture suspects were subjected in Turkey’s prisons and detention centers. In several cases, suspects reportedly took their lives immediately before an imminent arrest or right after the release, raising suspicions of a foul play on the part of authorities. The psychological pressure by the government and trauma of being targeted as part of an unprecedented witch-hunt campaign targeting critics and dissidents in Turkey have also played a role in some reported suicide cases, many believe.

Just like so many cases of torture and ill-treatment of suspects in Turkey, widely reported by credible intergovernmental institutions including the United Nations and the Council of Europe as well as non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, there has been no effective, independent and through investigation into these suspicious deaths.

SCF believes the true number of deaths under the extended emergency rule since July of last year in Turkey is still unknown. Moreover, it remains highly concerned over reports that the government runs secret and unofficial holding centers for some who were abducted with a total disregard to a due process.

SCF considers the information presented in this research is accurate to the best of its knowledge and declares that it remains open to make corrections, updates if further information becomes available.

Source: Stockholm Center for Freedom , March 22, 2017


Related News

5 million people expected to attend 11th Int’l Turkish Olympiads

İSA YAZAR Five million people are expected to watch the wide range of shows to be performed in 55 Turkish cities as part of the 11th International Turkish Olympiads, a festival that celebrates the Turkish language and is this year brings together 2,000 students from 140 countries. The 11th International Turkish Olympiads, which is organized […]

Father jailed over Gülen links, 6-months-old paralyzed baby left in intensive care

Y., the father of a 6-month-old disabled baby, was reportedly arrested almost three months ago over alleged links to the Gülen movement. The newly-born disabled baby has been left with the mother, who told the news portal that the baby underwent three expensive and crucial surgery in the past three months.

Losing rationality in politics and the economy

Turkey has a weak record of institutionalization. Despite the “We are a big state” narrative, today, Turkey’s political model is simple: the leader and the nation. Lacking effective institutions that can accommodate political fluctuations, crises of various calibers can harm Turkey’s stability easily.

Kosovo PM to Turkey’s Erdogan: ‘We Mind Our Own Affairs’

Kosovo’s prime minister on Monday pushed back against threats made by Turkey’s president over a probe into the arrest and deportation of six Turkish citizens with ties to schools linked to the Fethullah Gulen movement, which Ankara blames for a failed 2016 coup.

Abant Platform on Africa to convene on Friday

SEVGİ AKARÇEŞME, İSTANBUL The 29th meeting of the Abant Platform, to focus on Africa, will be held from June 28-30 on Lake Abant in the province of Bolu. Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) Secretary-General Hüseyin Hurmalı told Today’s Zaman on Wednesday that the Abant Platform had established a partnership earlier this year with the African Union, which […]

Lawyers, academics say ‘parallel state’ was invented to block graft probe

A total of 150 academics signed the manifesto, titled “Rule of law suspended.” The manifesto says the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government cannot ignore the corruption allegations just by making up claims of a “parallel state” — which has no meaning in political science or law — and placing the blame on the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, for its unlawful practices.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Mother of three arrested with baby as police fail to locate teacher husband

60-year-old Turkish villager detained after questioning gov’t coup narrative

Turkish Cultural Center presents ‘Love is a Verb’

Students from 70 countries celebrate graduation in Turkey

Romanian appeals court denies Turkey’s request for extradition of Erdoğan critic

Turkey’s New Maps Are Reclaiming the Ottoman Empire

Kimse Yok Mu extends help to thousands in Palestine

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News