Civil society organisations condemn police violence during Gezi Park protests

THOSE WHO FIRED GUNS AND WHO GAVE THESE ORDERS SHOULD RESIGN; THEY SHOULD BE PROSECUTED; THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED

One person died due to the excessive force used by the police during the Gezi Park protests, one person’s brain death occurred. 1 person lost his/her life because of getting hit by a car, claimed to be an accident. Again, a police died in an accident, according to statements.

According to the data from The Turkish Doctors’ Union, released on 12 June, 55 people were critically wounded, 5 of them remaining to be life-threatening cases. 91 people suffered from head trauma. 10 people lost an eye. As rights associations, we repeat our demand for the launch of an independent and effective investigation regarding police violence and the punishment of those who are responsible.

Apart from the police who pointed out targets, fired plastic bullets and pepper gas, we repeat the neccesity for all state officials who gave these orders and lied in order to deceive the public to resign from duty, be tried and punished. (Those who said ‘they were burning tents’ while the footage firmly showed it was actually the police burning them. Those who created doubtful images of clashes for the audience. Those who did not question the public belief that the clashes happened between civilians and the police, and if it was really the case, those who planned this. Those who used the unrealistic expression, ‘attack against the police’, to describe the police intervention that caused many injuries)

We cannot speak of the supremacy of law and democracy, in countries where state terror has become a tradition and is not punished.

Joint Public Announcement

7 June 2013
Joint Public Announcement;
The protests referred to as “Gezi Park Protests”, which later exceeded the boundaries of Gezi Park and Istanbul are publicly well-known. The incidents initiated in Istanbul and police violence against protestors continued later in Ankara, Izmir and many other cities in Turkey.

Organisations that are sensitive towards human rights have focused on the protestors’ right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and have tried to work in this direction.
In terms of universal human rights, any kind of peaceful gathering that does not involve violence is a basic human right. The responsibility of the state is limited to providing the legal and practical conditions for people to exercise this right. Turning peaceful demonstrations into an opportunity for using violence is unacceptable.

Again, all people, without discrimination, have a right to healthcare access.
With regards to the authority and duty given to public authorities in terms of violent protests, what these are and how they should be used are determined by Turkey’s own laws and international agreements.
The developing social incidents show that such basic standards of human rights are not followed. Peaceful demonstrations are supressed by violence and freedom of expression is widely restrained.

Furthermore, it was identified that the state is incapable in terms of providing the right to healthcare. Until now, at least one protestor died due to excess force. Another protestor and a police officer lost their lives during the demonstrations. Thousands of people are claimed to have been injured, demonstrators have lost limbs. Those who were injured during the events and who need legal support have applied and continued to apply to civil society organisations for help.

It is inevitable for civil society organisations to not report on and condemn rights violations in such protests. This reporting or condemnation does not mean that civil society organisations regard these protests as either legitimate or illegitimate. In this sense, civil society organisations are not defending the protests, but rather fundamental rights such as the right to live, healthcare, peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. The only criterion for civil society organisations, as it is explained shortly above, is whether the standards of universal human rights are met or not. In this regard, the identity of the victim does not matter.

Within the scope of the rights listed in the UN Decleration on Human Rights Defenders, the undersigned organisations are concerned about either the practice of rights identified seperately above, or unrealistic publications which target human rights organisations.
In this context, we, as the undersigned organisations publicly announce that we demand,

1. That the right to peaceful assembly be protected as part of fundamental universal human rights,

2. That any kind of peaceful idea which does not involve violence (be it expressed through visual or social media) not be a topic of criminal prosecution.

3. That police violence against demonstrators and excessive force be immediately stopped.

4. The immediate release of those who were taken into custody because they exercised their right to peacefully gather and demonstrate,

5. An independent and effective investigation regarding the violent incidents experienced, and that a prosecution process is started against those responsible.

Human Rights Association (HRA) Headquarters and all offices, Mazlum-Der and all offices, Amnestry International Turkey, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV), Turkish Doctors’ Union (TTB), Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Association for Solidarity with Refugees (Mülteci-Der), Human Rights Research Association (IHAD), Human Rights Agenda Association