New State Policy Aims to Cover up Atrocities in 1990s!

 Musa Çitil was acquitted of the charges for the extra judicial killing and/or enforced disappearance of 13 civilians in Mardin/Derik while he was the District Gendarmerie Commander from 1992 to 1994. Following this decision on May 21, 2015, he was also promoted as major general more recently, on August 8.

 Cemal Temizöz is one step away from being cleared away as the public prosecutor requested court to decide for his acquittal of the charges of extra judicial killing and/or enforced disappearance of 20 civilians during the hearing dated June 18, 2015. The alleged crimes took place during his post in Kurdish region between 1993 to 1996.

 Mete Sayar was acquitted of the charges of enforced disappearance of 6 villagers in 1993 based on court decision dated July 3, 3015, who at the time was the 23. Gendarmerie Brigade Commander.

In this week that marks the start of the new court year in Turkey and the World Peace Day around the globe, we wish to draw attention to the consecutive decisions of acquittal regarding the crimes against humanity committed during the 1990’s.

The military commanders, who based on persuasive indictments were recently facing aggregated imprisonment charges that amounted to crimes against humanity, are now being declared innocent with consecutive decisions of acquittal. The corresponding of this new direction taken by the judiciary with the ending of the almost 2 years of cease fire between PKK and armed forces, is obviously more then just a coincidence.

The policy of impunity regarding the crimes committed during 1990’s are deeply related with the crimes committed by the security forces today. Coming to terms with the 1990’s by bringing perpetrators to justice in fair trail is indispensable to put a stop to similar violations of right to life from happening today – which we see  in the examples of Roboski Massacre, Gezi protests, in bombings at Reyhanlı, Diyarbakır and Suruç and many other cases of excessive use of force by the police.

We therefore ask the below questions regarding the cases that we believe are precious opportunities in coming to terms with the past, with a view to disclose the injustices that are contained within:

• What led to the acquittal of Mete Sayar at the hearing on July 3, 2015, who recently was charged with aggregated life imprisonment?
• What led to the acquittal of Musa Çitil at the hearing on on May 21, 2015, who recently was charged with aggregated life imprisonment for 13 times?
• What is the rationale behind the public prosecutor’s request for the acquittal of Cemal Temizöz, on June 18, 2015, who has been on trial for the extra judicial killing and/or forcibly disappearing of 20 people?

We hold that one of the preconditions of peace and democracy in Turkey is for prosecutors and judges in Turkey to immediately put an end to this policy of whitewashing, to uphold the rule of law, to compensate the victims and to ensure the society the right to truth about what happened regarding the crimes committed during 1990’s