Thousands injured, at least three dead, unlawful arrests: In a report on the protests in Turkey, Amnesty International raises serious allegations against the violence of the security forces. The organization calls even Western sanctions against PM Erdogan government.

On 1 June 2013 Ethem Sarisülük is shot in the head, he had demonstrated in the Turkish capital Ankara. Two weeks later, on 14 June, the 26-year-old died from his injuries. A policeman is therefore accused – only because of the excess of self-defense, although Sarisülüks death is documented on video. Still in the hospital, the family is being harassed by the police, potential witnesses received threatening phone calls, the funeral is held up for hours by security forces.

This is one of the cases against the Amnesty International now raises serious allegations in a report: The police violence against Turkish demonstrators during protests in Istanbul and other cities had been unlawful, the hard intervention had at least three people dead, thousands were injured .

The demonstrators had been brutally denied the human right to freedom of peaceful assembly, according to the report. Police officers had responded disproportionately to violent individual perpetrators. According to OSCE guidelines would not automatically unfriedlicher protest because of a stone thrower solely of a peaceful protest. The authorities must take action against these individuals and not against the large, peaceful crowd.

For the study, Amnesty International interviewed activists, representatives of NGOs, experts, doctors, lawyers and journalists. In June, July and August we have spoken on-site and via telephone with participants of the demonstrations in Ankara, Antakya, Istanbul and Izmir. The organization also met the Governor of Istanbul Huseyin Avni Mutlu, and confronted him with the allegations.

Gezipark #  Protests Turkey :Numerous victims

The allegations by Amnesty International against the authorities weigh heavily:

* Demonstrators and bystanders were beaten so massive that at least one victim died of the consequences, many were injured.

* The police have ever fired with rubber bullets directly and specifically to the heads and upper bodies of demonstrators.

* Demonstrators and bystanders were routinely fired upon with tear gas. Some of the tear gas had been fired in private buildings and medical facilities, hundreds of people          were injured. According to witnesses, at least one person should be passed through the gas used.

* The tanks of water cannons to have been mixed with chemical irritants.

* Female protesters were allegedly sexually abused by law enforcers.

* It should live ammunition have been used by a person to be killed.

The report “Gezi Park protests: Brutal denial of the right to peaceful assembly in Turkey” counts to 15 June 2013 a total of 4900 arrests and 8000 injured, including at least 61 seriously injured.

The Turkish Medical Association speaks of 104 victims with severe head injuries, eleven people are said to have lost an eye. Also, the chamber confirmed that three people were reportedly killed during the protests by excessive use of force by security forces.

The Turkish Ministry of Interior has also counted 600 police officers injured during the operations against the protesters, a police officer said to have died.

In the Amnesty report, there are numerous statements from victims of the security forces. Three victims reported the video of the police force.

Hakan Yaman, 37-year-old father of two, was on 3 June in the vicinity of his house in Istanbul’s Sarıgazi beaten by police officers. He suffered fractures to the nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. He lost one eye and 80 percent of the vision in the other eye. He has filed a complaint of attempted murder.

Hülya Arslan, 23, has just finished her studies. With her ​​mother, she had several times stayed at Gezi Park, 11 June were the only two there during the day. She was hit by a plastic bullet and lost an eye.

Gökhan Bicici is a journalist working for the independent Turkish TV channel IMC. He was born on 16 June from 500 meters policemen dragged through the downtown Istanbul and detained six hours illegally and beaten. There has been no response to the advertisement.

Gezipark # Protests Turkey:Receivables

Amnesty International therefore calls: “The Turkish government must learn to respect peaceful protests finally you must ensure that the police protects legal, peaceful protests and violence only applies if it is really necessary, for example in order to save human lives.”. Journalists should in future be able to report on the demonstrations freely and without danger.

In addition, countries that chemicals or ammunition shall deliver to the Turkish security authorities impose an export ban until the authorities an independent reconnaissance of the violent reaction to the protest permit. Germany has probably tear gas exported to Turkey.

PM Erdogan, there was no response to the report. The Prime Minister, however, had presented a comprehensive “democracy package” on Monday. “This package is not the first and will not be the last,” he said. “We will continue to do that, whatever our people want.”

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