Turkish human rights group denounces Gezi policies

The Human Rights Association (IHD), the oldest and largest human rights group in Turkey, has denounced the demeanour adopted by the government, the judiciary and the police in handling recent protests, calling the state of affairs in the country today that of a “police state,” Hurriyet Daily News reports

“Against protests in the Taksim Gezi Park resistance and afterwards, police violence has shown itself in the manner of torture and maltreatment, torture continued to be applied overtly in Turkey in an altered way. The government’s attitude in protecting the torturers has unfortunately manifested a continuing policy of impunity,” Öztürk Türkdoğan, the president of the body, is quoted by the news agency as saying at a press conference held on July 17 in order to mark the 27th anniversary of the foundation of the organization.

“After the Gezi Park resistance, the government started a witch hunt; hundreds of detentions and arrests have occurred and continue to take place. The government was not content with that and has started to punish the societal opposition by seizing the income of the Union of Chambers of Architects and Engineers in a midnight operation,” he said