Dozens were detained in 4 cities as part of the investigation against the Democratic Society Congress (DTK). During house raids in Amed, Istanbul, Izmir and Adıyaman, 72 people including 24 lawyers. In evening 21 lawyers were released after they gave statements in the police station. Other people are still in custody. Reactions to the detentions continue. Human Rights Association ( IHD) criticizes political genocide operations, saying; “The freedom and security of individuals are unfortunately violated with impunity.” Freedom Lawyers Association (ÖHD) said “The state thinks that it can attack the Kurds every time it is in trouble and thus ensure its own survival and integrity.”
The Amed (Diyarbakir) branch of the Human Rights released a statement on the current political genocide operations.
The association revealed that, “During the police operations in Diyarbakır, Şırnak and Adıyaman, many people, including IHD Adıyaman branch chairman Bülent Temel, members of IHD Diyarbakır Branch, lawyers registered in the Diyarbakır Bar Association and representatives of non-governmental organizations have been detained.”
“We would like to emphasize the fact that these investigations, which have become increasingly routine and lead to unjust and unlawful detentions have given rise to further anti-democratic practices in our social life.
The liberty and security of the person, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and international human rights conventions, are unfortunately violated without hesitation. Judicial institutions, which are under the guardianship of the security policies produced by the government, continue these and similar investigations and eradicate the conceptions of law and justice.
We as human rights defenders believe that the economic and cultural problems in Turkey, in particular the Kurdish issue, can be solved through dialogue and consensus culture. We would like to express that the political power and judicial bodies can contribute to the strengthening of social peace and democracy by abandoning the security-oriented policies.
On this basis, we demand that these and similar investigations that damage the sense of social justice be terminated and those detained within the scope of the investigation be released immediately.”
Lawyers from ÖHD (Freedom Lawyers Association) said: “The state thinks that it can attack the Kurds every time it is in trouble and thus ensure its own survival and integrity.”
Lawyers Nagehan Avçil and Veysi Eski, members of the Freedom Lawyers Association (ÖHD), said that the government turns towards Kurdish intellectuals and politicians every time it is in trouble.
Avçil reminded that their associations were closed by Decree Law four years ago and said: “Then they thought they could silence the Kurdish politicians and lawyers. But our struggle has increased as well as the fight against fascism. It has been clear that we will not submit to fascism in any way. We will not give up solidarity with revolutionary lawyers nor will the opposition lawyers of this country give up solidarity with the ÖHD. By fighting together against fascism, we will definitely win.”
Lawyer Veysi Eski, on the other hand, described the operation as “the government’s efforts to overcome its internal problems by attacking Kurds”. Stating that they were faced with an attack against the Kurds, as in the past conflicts between FETO and AKP, Eski said: “Every time the state is in trouble, it thinks that it can ensure its own survival and integrity by attacking Kurds. But the government is wrong. In a country where Kurds do not enjoy their rights, a democratic ground cannot be created. The struggle of the Kurdish people and Kurdish lawyers will surely be successful.”
Stressing that lawyers represent the defense, Eski said that lawyers whose names are found in some digital materials seized in connection to the DTK investigation cannot be detained.
Eski underlined that peace is essential for the solution of problems in Turkey. “The first condition to have peace in this country is to solve the Kurdish question. Human rights can only be achieved if we solve the Kurdish question.”
