HRFT: Fact sheet on Gezi Park Protests as of June 19th

19/06/2013
Press release

Document released by the Documentation Centre of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) [1] [2] [3]

Demonstrations that began on May 28th, 2013, to protect Gezi Park and turned into protests demanding basic rights and freedoms because of the violence directed to the people by the police forces, spread to 77 provinces across Turkey [4] and continue on June 19th, 2013, the 23th day of protesting.

On June 17th, 2013, Trade Unions have announced a nationwide strike. Members of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), who were making press releases, were attacked by the police with chemical tear gas and pressurized water in Şişli in İstanbul.

While demonstrations were not allowed in Ankara as they were deemed illegal, the police used rubber bullet in Istanbul.

In the morning of June 18th, Anti-Terror Police raided several buildings of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Community Houses (Halkevleri), the Independent Revolutionary Class Platform (BDSP), Odak Journal, Özgür Radio, Etkin News Agency and Atılım newspapers, and houses of their members, workers and readers, especially in İstanbul and Ankara.

Because of secrecy in the file, 86 people who were taken into custody were not allowed to have access to a lawyer. In the context of investigation, police teams were granted authorization for making search for 72 hours as of 18th June 2013.

On June 18th, police forces have continued to attack protestors in Ankara and Eskişehir by firing chemical tear gas and pressurized water at them.

According to the Turkish Medical Association 7822 people were injured in protests
across Turkey by June 17th Unfortunately, 4 people who attended the protest and one police officer lost their life. Two protestors were killed by direct police violence.

The autopsy report revealed that Abdullah Cömert had been killed by receiving a gas canister in his head in Antakya on June 3rd, 2013.

Ethem Sarısülük was killed by being shot in his head directly by a police officer in
Ankara.

Mehmet Ayvalıtaş lost his life crashed by a car which had been intentionally driven into the crowd in Ümraniye in İstanbul on June 2nd, 2013.

Mehmet Sarı, police officers, felt down from a bridge and lost his life while running after protestors in Adana on June 5th, 2013.

Zeynep Eryaşar had a heart attack and lost her life after having been exposed to chemical tear in Avcılar, İstanbul.

The number of people who were detained across Turkey as of June 19th, 2013, has
reached 3224 according to HRFT data. The number of people that have been arrested is six. 48 people were detained because of the Twitter messages they sent.

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