What happened in early November, and what is NEXT?

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Since the failed coup attempt (July 15, 2016), 170 newspapers, magazines, television stations and news agencies have been shut down[1], and a total of about 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested. Nine journalists from Turkey’s pro-opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet have been arrested and remanded in custody by a court in Istanbul.[2]

Recently, the government has removed 30 Kurdish mayors from office, suspended more than 11,000 teachers from Kurdish regions and shut at least 20 Kurdish media outlets, including a children’s television station that dubbed cartoons such as “The Smurfs” into Kurdish.[3] 11 lawmakers from People’s Democratic Party, or HDP (known as pro-Kurdish political party) were detained early Friday as part of ongoing terror-related investigations, including both party co-chairs and other senior officials.[4]

Lately, access was restricted to social media including Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook – making them so slow they were effectively impossible to use – and a ban imposed on media coverage of the car bomb. Asked about the measures, Prime Minister Yildirim said access would return to normal “once the danger is removed”.[5]

Besides, pro-government media have been spreading some propaganda news since the beginning of November.[6] According to the news on these websites, FETO inmates will try to escape.

Before reading this recent news that should be known:

There have been more at least 17 “suicides” occurred in detention centers or in prisons so far.[7]

September 1 decree dissolved the current prison monitoring boards. Although prison monitoring boards were not an effective inspection mechanism, the government’s September dissolution of the boards in the absence of a functioning national preventative mechanism with authority to inspect all places of detention contributes to suspicion that the government is trying to avoid any oversight of places of detention.[8]

Besides, hundreds of prison guards have been dismissed since the failed coup attempt[9] and most them detained.[10]

With all the persecution written above, being in prisons as inmates is so dangerous now.

On pro-government social media accounts it is circulated that there will be some riots, inmates will set fires and hold guardians as hostages. And if these happen, all prisoners (especially the ones who are in Sincan and Silivri prisons) must be killed to stop.

Of course this is the propaganda. The plan is to set fires, make them seem as riots and kill many inmates.

INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS SHOULD VISIT THE PRISONS TURKEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-newspaper-idUSKBN13007Y?il=0

[2] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37882883

[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/05/world/europe/turkey-coup-crackdown-kurdish-politicians.html?_r=0

[4] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pro-kurdish-politicians-arrested-in-turkey-government-says/

[5] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-kurds-idUSKBN12Y2XA

[6] http://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/son-dakika-feto-uyelerinin-toplu-firar-plani-ortaya-cikti,OhoKjJ4Ad0qUgGpVHutc6A?_ref=infinite

http://www.dailysabah.com/investigations/2016/11/03/feto-inmates-escape-plan-unveiled-by-prison-guards/amp

[7] https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1495397/ten-thousand-turkish-coup-detainees-are-being-starved-raped-and-beaten-in-unofficial-detention-centres/

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/10/turkey-gulen-movement-suicides-coup-attempt-erdogan.html

[8] https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/10/24/blank-check/turkeys-post-coup-suspension-safeguards-against-torture