Call from Civil Society Organizations to “Not Remain Silent Against Torture”
On June 26, the Day of Struggle Against Torture and Solidarity with Torture Victims, two major civil society organizations emphasized the need to fight against Turkey’s practice of kidnapping and torture, delivering the message ‘Don’t stay silent, stop torture’.
Muammer Burtaçgiray, President of Human Rights Defenders e.V., and Nurullah Albayrak, Board Member of Solidarity with Others, emphasized through their social media accounts that society as a whole should react against torture in particular.
Torture is systematically committed in Turkey
Underlining that torture is a crime that ignores fundamental human values, is shameful for humanity, absolutely prohibited in terms of universal law and values, and has no statute of limitations, Muammer Burtaçgiray reminded that the Erdogan regime in Turkey has targeted all segments of society opposing it, especially after the 17-25 corruption operations. He stated, “The existence of hundreds of torture reports unfortunately reveals that the crime of torture is widespread and systematically committed in Turkey. These systematic tortures have been the subject of reports by international organizations such as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty. Torture methods that we thought were forgotten in Turkey, such as waterboarding, electric shock, sexual abuse, and rape, have resurfaced.”
Burtaçgiray, stating that Turkey has carried out hundreds of kidnapping cases domestically and abroad since 2016, expressed that ‘black Transporters’ have replaced the ‘white Toroses’ that were actively used in the past periods, saying, “It is unknown under what conditions and where the victims stayed for months; it is certain that they were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. The Erdogan regime systematically targets vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, elderly, sick, and disabled people.”
Those who tortured in Syria are being tried in Germany
Emphasizing that as Human Rights Defenders (HRD), they have initiated and are following the legal process regarding these crimes, which constitute genocide and crimes against humanity within the framework of international legal norms and relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, Association President Muammer Burtaçgiray said, “The cases opened in Germany under universal jurisdiction against two soldiers and a doctor involved in torture in Syria have shown that torture is a universal crime without statute of limitations and that its perpetrators will not escape justice no matter where they are in the world. On this occasion, I invite all human rights institutions and activists to be sensitive and take initiative to ensure the cessation of systematic and widespread torture practices and other ill-treatment in Turkey, and also to hold the perpetrators accountable to justice.”
Oppression continues due to Pollyannaism
Nurullah Albayrak, Board Member of Solidarity with Others, emphasized that despite changes in dates and names, the phenomenon of oppression and cruelty remains unchanged due to society’s lack of reaction, and stated: “Today is June 26, the Day of Solidarity with Torture Victims. Sometimes people may choose to live their lives by playing a game of ‘Pollyannaism’ for their personal peace, without perceiving, questioning, or making efforts to change the realities happening right beside them. However, this seemingly personal choice prevents the formation of social reaction against oppression and oppressors; and due to this lack of reaction, even though dates and names change, the phenomenon of oppression and cruelty remains unchanged.”
The government, as in the medieval era, tries to isolate from society every thought that deviates from its authority by labeling it as traitor, terrorist, criminal, irreligious, etc., and wants to prevent social reaction to torture and savage acts such as kidnapping through social unity and polarization by discrediting. We must not forget that the lack of reaction against oppression, displayed by those who remain silent for fear of something happening to them, allows the ongoing oppression to continue. Thanks to this environment of non-reaction, the government continues its savagery of torturing people to extract confessions expected by the system in order to subjugate them to its authority.
As always seen in history, pain, torture, tears, injustice, poverty, and corruption have always brought oppression, regardless of which political authority’s motto they are.
“Systems of oppression are masks hiding the weakness of power”
The systems of oppression we have seen since the Middle Ages are masks hiding the weakness of power. Power-addicted authorities have tried to make the people pay for all their illegalities and lawlessness through policies of violence when they begin to lose their power. However, it is a fact that every authority that has practiced tyranny in history has lost.
It is our duty to put an end to indifference towards injustices and oppression, and to consign torture to the dusty pages of history.
