10 Years: Abuse of violence by police during Gezi protests

Friday, 05 May 2023 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

"The attempt to crush the Gezi Park protests led to a whole series of human rights violations. In particular, we document completely inappropriate violence against peaceful demonstrators and abuse by the police," said Selmin Caliskan, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany.

"However, the Turkish judiciary is apparently not seriously investigating those responsible for the police violence. Instead, demonstrators and the organizers of the protests are being confronted with "absurd allegations" and "proceedings are excessive."

Totally inappropriate violence against peaceful protesters and police abuse!

The Amnesty International report, which has now been unveiled to the public in Istanbul, describes "completely disproportionate violence against peaceful demonstrators and ill-treatment by the police" and the use of live ammunition, tear gas, water cannons, plastic bullets and beatings by the police, which affected at least 8,000 people injured people during the protests. The deaths of at least three demonstrators can be directly attributed to the use of excessive force by the security forces. In addition, Amnesty documents sexual assaults by police officers against demonstrators.
- Demonstrators were massively beaten
- The police have plastic bullets on the heads and upper bodies of demonstrators
fired
- Tear gas canisters are aimed directly at demonstrators and onlookers, but also directly in
Homes or medical facilities have been shot down
- Chemical irritants are said to have been added to the tanks of the water cannons.
- Female demonstrators are also said to have been sexually abused by law enforcement officers

Study by Amnesty International on what happened in Gezi Park

For the study, Amnesty International interviewed activists, representatives of NGOs, experts, doctors, lawyers and journalists. In June, July and August, participants in the demonstrations in Ankara, Antakya, Istanbul and Izmir were spoken to on site and by telephone. Amnesty found in the interrogations that demonstrators were severely beaten. In addition, journalists should be able to report freely and without risk on the demonstrations in the future. The Turkish government must "finally learn to respect peaceful protest". She must ensure that the police "protect legal, peaceful protests and only use violence when it is actually necessary, for example to save lives".

The wave of protests in Turkey was sparked in the summer by government plans to develop Gezi Park on the edge of Taksim Square. In the meantime, however, they are primarily directed against the authoritarian style of government of the conservative Islamic Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the demonstrators of being "looters" and wanting to use street violence to bring down his government.