ANKARA - İHD Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan who drew attention to the fact that the kidnappings and forced dissappearances are a result of the impunity policies and it has been increasing in the last 4 years, said: "JİTEM couldn't make it and you won't be able to succeed as well."
Electric worker Gökhan Güneş, who was abducted on January 20 and tortured for 5 days in Başakşehir, Istanbul, was found as a result of the awareness raised by his family and relatives. On the other hand, no news has been recieved from Yusuf Bilge Tunç for the last 542 days and no news has been recieved from Hüseyin Galip Küçüközyiğit for the last 31 days.
Salim Zeybek, Gökhan Türkmen, Erkan Irmak, Yasin Ugan, Özgür Kaya and Mustafa Yılmaz, who were dismissed with the Decree Laws (Decree) issued during the State of Emergency (OHAL) announced after the 15 July military coup, were abducted on 19 February 2019. It was revealed that they were detained in Ankara TEM Branch 7 months later. On February 24, 2020, Gökhan Türkmen and Yasin Ugan announced that they were abducted and tortured for 7 months at the hearing of their trial, but no effective investigation was conducted on the issue.
CLAIMS WERE NOT INVESTIGATED
While Yusuf Bilge Tunç was last seen in Kızılay Square in Ankara in August 6, 2020, Hüseyin Galip Küçüközyiğit was last seen on December 29, 2020. His daughter Nursena Küçüközyiğit spoke to her father on the phone at the evening of December 29 and his father told her that he will go to Kocaeli. But he wasn't heard from ever again after that phonecall. His daughter tried to raise awareness through social media and press releases and finally applied to Kocaeli Bekirpaşa Police Station and than to Presidency Communications Center (CİMER).
When the state officials did not investigate, Küçüközyiğit came to Ankara to collect evidence. Küçüközyiğit said: "I was able to obtain the security camera images of his building. I noticed that 3 people were following him. But the police made contradictory statements when I showed them the videos. The evidence I gathered were not investigated. Underlining that a prosecutor has been appointed to the case on January 15, Küçüközyiğit told that the prosecutor has not contacted them yet. Küçüközyiğit pointed out that there are city surveillence cameras everywhere and her father could be found if they were checked. Küçüközyiğit also said that she was quite sure his father was being tortured just like Gökhan Güneş.
THEY WILL APPLY TO ECtHR
Küçüközyiğit told that she will continue to fight for her father and said: "We applied to the Constitutional Court. We will go to ECtHR if necessarry. We will continue to speak up and raise awareness in the social media. People's support is important. This might happen to someone else tomorrow. We have to stand together. It is very dissappointing and painful that people are being abducted in broad day light in this day and age."
'GANGS WITHIN THE STATE WILL NOT SUCCEED'
Stating that the kidnappins and forced dissappearances increased after the State of Emergency declared after the July 15 coup attempt, Human's Rights Association (İHD) Co-chair Öztürk Türkdoğan said what is happening today reminds him of 90's when people were being abducted by counter-guerilla structures like JİTEM. Underlining that the main similarity between then and now is that the state is operating outside the laws, Türkdoğan said: "These violations are not 'invisible' now. JİTEM couldn't make it and you won't be able to succeed as well. We are addressing those who commit these crimes. Torture has no statue of limitation. It is not the 90's. You will be identified very easily. And you will face trial one day. Don't trust anyone. Those who torture people are not only committing crimes against those they torture, but they commit crimes against humanity. They have to know that. Everyone must stand against these unlawfull practices. I condemn the media playing the ostrich. We will remind them where they stand while these crimes were being committed when the time comes."
MA / Emrullah Acar