The Bloody Uniforms of the Palace Regime – Tormentor Soldiers-1
With its studies and reports, the "Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST)", a human rights organization, reveals the human rights violations, ill-treatment and torture by the state's official institutions and persons that took place in Turkey during and after the July 15.
AST disclosed the names of 108 torturers in its reports of the Torturers in Turkey, published in November 2020, who were officially recorded with the statements of the accused and witnesses. Among these names are those in power, who tortured people who oppose him by using their political position and influence, generals, officers and non-commissioned officers who tortured their comrades, police chiefs, police officers, guards, and even judges and prosecutors who should try people fairly.
You can access the reports published by AST from the link below.
In this article, we will focus on the torturer generals whose names are mentioned in the report.
The Stick of the July 15 Regime: Torturer Generals
Retired Lieutenant General Zekai Aksakallı (Special Forces Commander of time)
Lieutenant General İrfan Özsert (Defense and security director of the Ministry of National Defense)
While it was not even known who participated in the so-called coup attempt on the night of July 15, images emerged of Zekai Aksakallı, who ordered the execution of many officers and non-commissioned officers, tortured soldiers on July 16 at the Special Forces Command. In the report published by AST, it is seen that Zekai Aksakallı continued to use torture and ill-treatment on 15 July and onwards and gave orders for this.
Witnesses heard in the case at the Ankara 14th High Criminal Court announced that they had witnessed the tortures Zekai Aksakallı inflicted on the soldiers. Witness Petty Officer Sergeant Ömer Özdemir described what he saw in the headquarters as follows: “There were those who were tied with pig ties and had bags on their heads. I heard Zekai Aksakallı cursing Ümit Bak, saying 'someone will rape your wife when you come in'. I saw Zekai Aksakallı kicking the other personnel, and Volkan Vural Bal punched and beaten. …I saw one of our lieutenant colonels being electrocuted."
General Staff Protocol officer First Lieutenant Kübra Yavuz, who testified as a witness on 18 April 2018 in the trial of the her husband at the Ankara 24th High Criminal Court, told that she was tortured by was Zekai Aksakallı and İrfan Özsert. “I didn't think I could survive as a woman. 10 days later, my statement was taken under death threat by Zekai Aksakallı and İrfan Özsert in the General Staff Headquarters. I was exposed to death threats and violence for 2 days in the General Staff polygon. In the General Staff polygon, we were blindfolded, electrocuted, beaten, and starved for 2 days. While going to the toilet, the male staff kept the door open and supervised. I was taken every 2 hours and asked to give more information. I saw other being tortured. Those who took my statement had blood on them. I testified under these conditions.”
The Turkish Constitution states that individuals cannot be tortured or ill-treated, and there is no statute of limitations for torture as per Article 94 of the Turkish Penal Code.
With the "EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime" decision adopted by the European Council in December 2020, preventive measures have been taken against EU member or non-EU states, non-state actors and EU citizens or non-EU citizens who torture and ill-treat others.
In conclusion, torture is a crime against humanity and there is no statute of limitations. Those who torture and inhumane ill-treatment, who ordered it to be done, and who allowed it to be done, will be held accountable before the law.
Fatih Ayhan Acar
Resource: Advocates of Silenced Turkey – Report of Torturers in Turkey (November 2020)
