Weekly Report 20 – 26 July 2015

Northern Kurdistan Diary

• KCK, in its statement concerning the Suruç Massacre, emphasized that the AKP government who supported and fostered ISIS, had first degree culpability in it. (July 20)

• 5 YPG fighters that have died in the clashes within the Cizîrê Canton were interred with a massive ceromony attended by thousands. (July 22)

Turkey Diary

• The violent attack directed at youth going from Suruç to Kobanê upon the call of SGDF (Socialist Youth Society Federation) which has left 32 people dead, was protested all across Turkey. In many provinces the police intervened, detaining some of the demonstrators.

• A tear gas cannister fired by the police intervening at the group that was protesting the Suruç Bombing, hit seven year old Mustafa G.D’s head. 7 year old Mustafa is reportedly kept under medical observation.

• In Tarsus, police attacked the Suruç protests in three neighborhoods, the residents resisted by barricading the grade-crossing. Former BDP (pro-Kurdish – Peace and Democracy Party) director’s house was set on fire. (July 24)

• TYB, publishing the report of Publication Freedom in Turkey for the EU harmonization process, specified regulations that should be implemented in the long and short term. According to the report, in the last 3.5 years Cumhuriyet, BirGün, Evrensel and Yurt newspapers have been sued with 125 claims for compensation, of which for 142 they have been prosecuted. They have also been subject to indictments 223 times. (July 20)

• On 24th of July, an operation conducted by the anti-terror units with the support of 5,000 police officers and helicopters, was launched early in the morning. In Bağcılar, İstanbul Günay Özarslan was killed. Halkın Hukuk Bürosu (Law Office for People) has announced that Özarslan who was extrajudicially executed by the police is their client. According to the Prime Ministry’s report 1,050 people have been detained in 34 provinces. As part of the operation numerous websites were blocked in Turkey and Eğitim-Sen (a leftist teachers’ union) was raided by the police.

For more information: https://isyandan.org/english/timeline-of-turkeys-current-state-of-emergency/ & https://isyandan.org/english/gazi-district-revolutionary-was-executed-funeral-then-blockaded/

• In consequence of the clashes that occured during the police blockade of the Gazi District where the security forces blockaded Günay Özarslan’s funeral, one police officer was killed and two people were injured.

For more information: https://isyandan.org/english/gazi-district-revolutionary-was-executed-funeral-then-blockaded/

• Hundreds of people have leagued together against war under the banners of a Peace Bloc. The Bloc has made the following statement (July 26):

The government uses the conflict with ISIS as an excuse to attack peace and freedom. Just to spite the government who wants to regain everything it had lost in the elections, let’s protect the peace.

Labour Diary

• In Enpay factory where DISK/Birleşik Metal-İş (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey/Metal Workers Union) was organizing, the 12 workers that had started resisting after the dismission of 11 co-workers, were  fired. (July 21)

• In a mine located at the Ilbıra Dağı site in the Pınarcık District of Milas, one worker lost his life due to fatal workplace conditions. (july 22)

• İzmir Branch Office of Eğitim-Sen (a leftist teachers’ union) pointed out that exile and purge operations were being carried out under pretense of rotation policies; according to Eğitim-Sen’s statement, 13,000 experienced teachers have been coercively re-assigned/rotated.

Prison Diary

• PKK prisoners in Bayburt and Rize prisons and particularly in the Trabzon, Bahçecik Prison have started a hunger strike on the 24th of July. 

Women’s Diary

• Deputy of the HDP, Nursel Aydoğan, pointing out the inadequacy of Turkish laws in protecting women, stated that ‘woman self-defense committees’ should be established against assaults. Aydoğan informed that the first initiatives in this direction have been launched and the foundations of said self-defense committees have been laid in some regions.

• Vice President of CHP Sezgin Tanrıkulu pointed out that the number of lawsuits concerning sexual abuse of children has risen from 2,414 in 2006 to 16,827 in 2011 and demanded  a parliamentary investigation. (July 20)

• Equality Watch Woman Group reacted to a new law draft; stating that this law would compound the felony of assaults against women and children through compromise/amercement and secure confidential remission for the convict.

Environmental Diary

• In the Çatalağzı town of the Kilimli District of Zonguldak, a fifth fossil fuel plant project, in addition to the 3 already active and 1 under construction, was protested.

• The scheduled ÇED (Environmental Impact Evaluation) meeting in order to evaluate the area for the planned Sungurlu Dam Project, which would flood 50 villages in the Kandıra Disrict of Kocaeli, was stopped by the local people. (July 21)

• Civilian areas were also affected by Turkish Airforce attacks directed at PKK camps in Mergesor district of Erbil on the evening of July 26.
• Artillery strikes aimed at Lice have caused wildfires. (July 25)
• Airforce dropped flamable chemicals, wildfire in Lice flared up. (July 27)

For more information: https://isyandan.org/english/timeline-of-turkeys-current-state-of-emergency/

The Saturday Mothers/People hold their 539^th gathering

• In their 539^th gathering in Galatasaray the Saturday Mothers/People commemorated the victims of the Suruç Massacre and made the following statement (July 25):

Rest in peace our children, we will imbalm and keep you in the conscience of humanity. Your dreams will not fail, humanity is going to triumph.