Main opposition reveals report on one-year of emergency rule

Rifat BAŞARAN - ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) revealed a report on the effects after the one year anniversary of the state of emergency rule.

The report includes the numbers of public dismissals and arrests as well as allegations of torture and ill-treatment following the post-coup crackdown. 

According to the report prepared by the CHP Deputy Leader Zeynep Altıok, 111,240 public officials were dismissed, 50,510 people were arrested and 35 people have committed suicide in the one-year period of the four state of emergency rulings.

Altıok said the report aimed to summarize the year of Turkey following the first declaration of the state of emergency on July 20, 2016.

The numbers provided by the official government statements and open sources indicate that within this year under the state of emergency, 169,013 people had undergone a judicial investigation and 50,510 people were arrested. Among those detained, 48,439 people were put under judicial control. The number of judicial warrants is 7,266.

Teachers and academics suspended, dismissed, ostracized

Apart from the judicial process, 139,356 public officers had undergone an administrative act and 111,240 of them were dismissed from their public posts. Some 45,678 teachers were either ostracized from their profession or suspended. Some 33,131 teachers were dismissed from their posts by a state of emergency decree and 11,301 teachers were suspended on the suspicion of supporting a terrorist organization. According to these numbers, 1.5 million students were left without a teacher.

Some 6,383 academics and 1,200 administrative staff were also dismissed by decrees, while 26 of the academics were reinstated to their posts by latest decree. In addition, 5,295 academics have lost their jobs because their universities were closed. Among the dismissed, 378 academics were the ones who have signed a petition for peace.

Top judges and prosecutors dismissed, arrested

According to the report, 4,238 judges and prosecutors and two Constitutional Court members, 122 Supreme Court members, 43 Council of State members and five members of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors were ostracized from their profession. Some 2,431 people including 2,280 judges and prosecutors, 105 Supreme Court, 41 Council of State, two Constitutional Court and three Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors were arrested.

Some 24 Governors, 101 Deputy Governor and 115 District Governors were dismissed from their posts.
Apart from top judicial officers, 22,975 members of the police force were also dismissed. 

10,000 dismissals from army

The number of dismissals from the Turkish army had reached 10,840. Among them, 168 were generals and 7,463 were soldiers. Some 342 former army personnel had been degraded.

Some 100 people have been dismissed from the National Intelligence Office (MİT).

Allegations of torture and ill-treatment

According to the report, the applications of relatives and lawyers of the detainees following the coup attempt indicated a “systematic torture.”

“The lawyers, who have a meeting with their clients, reported allegations over intense voices of torture at night in the Silivri Cezaevi,” the report wrote, adding that 35 people who had undergone administrative or judicial process following the coup attempt committed suicide and four attempted to commit suicide.
“Eight of the suicides or suicide attempts occurred in prison, in detention or during detention,” the report wrote.

159 journalists in prison

According to the numbers provided by labor unions for journalists, there are 159 journalists currently in prison in Turkey “for their journalistic activities.” The report states that 216 journalists were taken into custody during the state of emergency rule and 2,308 journalists have lost their jobs.

Some “180 media organizations including 31 TV channels, 5 news agencies, 62 newspapers, 19 magazines, 34 radios, 29 publishers were closed,” the report stated.

NGOs shutdown

With the state of emergency decrees, 375 non-governmental organizations and foundations were closed.
Six artists including performers and directors were suspended, 17 performers, one dramaturgy, one musician and one choreographer were dismissed from their public post.

A theatre play called “Nazım and Brecht” was banned under the state of emergency rule.

The conductor, İbrahim Yazıcı, violinist Filiz Özsoy and pianist Eser Öykü Dede were also among the ones who were dismissed from their public posts in the Ministry of Culture.