Urgent Call From Turkey’s Human Rights Organizations About The Whereabouts Of Hurşit Külter

We, the undersigned,

Are deeply concerned about the whereabouts of Hurşit Külter who is incommunicado since May 27th 2016. We draw the attention of the international and national communities to the fact that there is serious evidence that the Turkish Government has started to implement the practice of enforced diappearances once again.

The increase in human rights violations and the possibility of a new enforced disappearance policy during the curfews and the military operations, which started with the end of the negotiation process and the return to conventional war concept regarding the Kurdish question, is disconcerting.

Hurşit Külter who is a member of the Şırnak Provincial Board of Demokratik Bölgeler Partisi – DBP (Democratic Regions Party) has been missing since May 27th 2016.

Külter’s father testifies that his son called him that day and told him that he was at home, the house was surrounded by soldiers, he was going to be taken under custody, that they should look for him and then the communication ceased and there has been no news from his son since that phone call.

From a  twitter account ‘’BÖF@Tweet_Guneydoğu, which is believed to belong to security forces undertaking the operations in the region, it was tweeted that ‘’Hurşit Külter was under custody’’.

The Governor of Şırnak, the Prosecutor’s Office at Şırnak and Şırnak City Police Department deny that Hurşit Külter is detained and they refuse to give any information  about his whereabouts.

The Turkish Government is responsible to investigate and determine the whereabouts of Hurşit Külter and to take precautions against any threats to his life under national and international law.

If a person is detained by security forces and no information is available about his/her whereabouts, the government is responsible to have a reasonable explanation about what happened.

Information about the whereabouts of Hurşit Külter should be made public immediately!

Coalition Against Impunity:
Batman Bar Association, Diyarbakır Bar Association, Truth Justice Memory Center, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Human Rights Association,  Human Rights Agenda Association, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey,  Şırnak Bar Association, Van Bar Association