Hikmet Tunç

 

VAN - Women, who were detained many times at events,  were tortured with strip search every time. They said, “There is a strip search in Turkey. The government, which is in power with the demand of headscarves, searches  people's underwear. This shame belongs to the government.''

 

Recently, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu brought 'the strip search torture of 30 university students(all they were women) detained in Uşak to the agenda of the Assembly. AKP's Özlem Zengin, on the other hand, used the words "He terrorizes the Parliament, there is no strip search in Turkey". With the introduction of torture, women expressed their reactions by telling about their experiences on their social media accounts.

 

We asked women who were detained due to the demonstrations and activities they participated in in Van and were subjected to strip search.

 

‘Strip search is a crime against humanity’

 

Stating that she was beaten and detained by the police when she attended the event held on August  19 , 2019 about trustees appointed to three metropolitan municipalities of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Dilan said, "We were taken to the Anti-Terror Branch (TEM). During the seven days we were in custody, we were subjected to many  bad treatments. One of the most offensive treatments was the strip search. "We consider the strip search as a crime against humanity."

 

'I took off my headscarf in response to the strip search I was exposed to'

 

Noting that the strip search was torture, Dilan continued as follows: "During a detention, we were faced with the order  'take off your clothes', I also faced the threat that "if you don't take off your clothes, we take of your clothes". In fact, my headscarf was forcibly removed on the dates when I was detained frequently.. I took off my headscarf, which I wore from a young age due to my religious belief, as a reaction to the forced removal, and I decided not to wear it again. I showed this reaction in order not to make my headscarf a material subject of political power. "

 

"There is a strip search in Turkey!"

 

Dilan said that she was subjected to a strip search while she was taken to Van T Type Closed Prison after the arrest warrant issued by the court where she was taken. She said ''We were subjected to the 'sit down stand up' torture. Yes, I am one of those who have been subjected to strip search in Turkey both in detention and while entering prison''.

 

'As they said the strip search was legal ... '

 

Stating that she filed a criminal complaint through her lawyer regarding strip search while she was in prison, Dilan said,'' After months, I received a written notification saying" Everything was done properly " I used my legal right not because I was hopeful about the justice, but only to document that their treatment was torture. However, the strip search was rejected and it was stated that everything made against us was 'legal.' ''

 

'This shame is not belong to me'

 

The 200 days hunger strike launched by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Leyla Güven on November 8,   2018 in order to end the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, and about seven thousand prisoners took part in the hunger strike was supported by Peace Mother Zekiye Kaya too from outside.  Zekiye said that while they were on a hunger strike in the HDP Provincial Building, the police raided the building at midnight. Zekiye stated that they were detained after the raid.

 

Zekiye said that while she was taken into custody, many women and men were also imposed strip searches, saying: “During the detention, the police took us to a room and searched us as naked one by one. I was so embarrassed when they told me 'take off your clothes'. I reacted to them with the words "You have mothers too, how can I take off my clothes near you?" But I was forced to undress. This shame does not belong to me it belongs to who forced us to undress.

 

"AKP can ask us"

 

Zekiye stated that after she was released on the condition of judicial control, she went to the Van Branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) and made an application regarding the strip search and bad treatment she was subjected to. “I will defend my right until the end. AKP says "there is no strip search" in Turkey. But there is. If they want to learn about the strip searches, they can come and ask us ”.

 

'The strip search was captured on camera'

 

Menice Gülmez, Deputy Chairman of the People and Freedoms Party, one of the women who were subjected to the torture of strip search, said: “We also participated in the statement  which HDP wanted to make against the appointment of trustees. At that time, we were detained by the police after being harassed. During my detention, I was pressured to take off my headscarf. Since I refused to take off my headscarf, I was taken to a supervisor. While I was taken, I saw that my friends, who were detained with me, were subjected to a strip search in a room. There were cameras  and computer monitors in the room. 

 

'I had to take off my headscarf due to the oppression'

 

Menice noted that during her reaction against the request to remove the headscarf in custody, the police blamed her as saying "What is a headscarved person doing in HDP?". She used the following statements: “I have been wearing a headscarf due to my belief since I was 13 years old. I have not witnessed any reaction or statement of the HDP against the headscarf.  I reminded them of the hadith of our Prophet. They were angry with it. Because I was talking with their arguments. I had to take off my headscarf due to oppressions. In the heat of August I covered my head with a friend's coat. "

 

From Menice to Özlem Zengin: We also suffered a lot

 

AKP MP Özlem Zengin said , "There Is no strip search in Turkey.". Reacting to Özlem, Menice used the following words: “One day Özlem had also removed her headscarf due to oppression and she explained it as“ I suffered a lot.” Yes, we also suffered a lot. My world collapsed because my headscarf was removed. On that day, in response to the police, I said, "Let the earth and sky be witnesses, I will ask you to account for it". Özlem forgot what happened to her. And she closed her eyes to what other women lived. ''

 

'This shame belongs to the government'

 

Saying that she applied to the IHD after she was released from custody and received psychological support, Menice said, “Men in custody are also subjected to a strip search. Women can tell about what they have experienced, but men cannot. I want both women and men to talk about the abuse they experienced without hesitation. As long as we do not stand up to this shame, this violation will increase. This shame does not belong to us; it belongs to those who do. The government, which is in power with the demand of headscarves, searches  people's underwear. This shame belongs to the government.  "