Don’t let Kumkapı be a Guantanamo!
The cruelty experienced by the refugees in Turkey and deportation some of the refugees were protested in front of Kumkapı Foreigners Branch by Islam Organizations. The deportation of the refugees in Turkey back to their countries where they were abused was protested by Islam Organization in front of Kumkapı Foreigners Branch.
The call was made to stop the cruelty onto t-the refugees by the organizations, including Özgür-Der, İHH, Mazlumder, Anatolian Platform, Civilization Association, Research Culture Foundation, Human and Civilization Movement and Hikmet Foundation, İMKANDER, Mastazatder and Davet-Der came together upon deportation of three refugees, one was Kazakh (Samet Emirhanov) and other two Azeris (İslam Ganiyev and Fuzuli, Muharremov) and insane treatment and abuse experienced by the refugees in Kumkapı Foreigners Branch.
Prayer Noises from Inside Kumkapı
Having arrived in front of Kumkapı Foreigners Branch upon marching with the slogans in procession from the front part of Behram Çavuş Mosque after Friday Prayer, the group was welcomed by the prayers and slogans of “Employee advertisements İlahe İllallah” of the refugees shouting behind the guardrails. The action continued with the shared slogans shouted within inside and outside the Branch under an emotional atmosphere.
Introducing the action Kenan Alpay, President, Özgür-Der emphasized the abuses of our Refugee Brothers, where the banners were unfurled, reading: “Don’t Let Kumkapı be a Guantanamo, Humanly Treatment to Our Refugee Brothers!”, “Shame to Deliver of our Refugee Brothers to Hands of Torturers!” and “Observe Refugee Status!” Pointing out of the cruelty to deport those refugee brothers by Turkey, who have pleaded the mercy, Alpay reminded that the murderers of the Chechenian refugees who were killed at a central location in Istanbul few months ago were not spotted.
In his speech after Alpay’s presentation, Murat Özer, President of İMKANDER pointed out the refugees kept in Kumkapı Foreigners Branch prayed through the windows with fence. Özer said that the refugees with Islam identity weren‘t provided with an ID certificate and the refugees not kept under custody could access to the health services even for their children. Reminding the fact that living conditions of Caucasian refugees kept in the camps or in Kumkapı Foreigners Branch were extremely unpleasant, Özer said that the refugees shouldn’t be kept under such conditions and the drama the refugees were faced should be stopped.
Care for Custodial of Allah!
Rıdvan Kaya, President, Özgür-Der started his speech by reminding the banner reading: “Don’t Let Kumkapı be a Guantanamo!". Arguing that the request provided under the banner was not exaggerated at all, Kaya called to stop the scandal in Kumkapı. Emphasizing the likeness of murder or torture instead of protecting the refugees sheltered to Turkey and the unacceptable shame of deporting to their countries, Kaya called the help of the Prime Minister of Turkey. Stating that the Prime Minister was in charge of ending of the cruel acts towards to the Muslim, Kaya rejected the reference being made for Ministry of Internal Affairs or Foreigners Branch in order to solve the problems faced by the refugees. Kaya called the Muslims to protect the custodial of the Allah.
Speaking on behalf of Human and Civilization Movement, Orhan Demiral pointed out the solidarity between Ensar and refugees and consideration should be given onto opening the ways for the Muslims refugee to be the members of Ensar affiliation. Demiral said that leaving these people was a sin, whose souls were free irrespective of their body kept under custody.
Cüneyt Sarıyaşar, President of Istanbul Branch of MAZLUMDER read aloud the joint press release issued by non-governmental organizations calling the action. The full content of the press release is as follows.
Requesting the security of legal status for the refugees, the speakers also emphasized that the refoulement procedures were illegal and clear breach of the rights.
At the end of the action, Kenan Alpay requested the activists turn their faces to those refugees standing behind the windows with fence. Joint praying and shouting of slogans were heard.
During the action, the slogans were shouted were shouted, including "Muslims Resist Refuse Obeying Torture!”, “Don’t Send Refugees to Die”, Muslims, Raise and Defend Refugees!”, “Barricade for Tortures not Refugees”, “Refugees Guest Brothers!”, “Stop Refoulement Decision!”, “Damn with Collaborator Government!”, “Refugees Custodial of God!”, “Abandon Concentration Camps!”, and “Don’t Let Kumkapı be a Guantanamo!”
Full Text of Press Release:
DON’T LET KUMKAPI BE A GUANTANAMO!
March 30, 2012
On March 30, 2012, Samet Emirhanov (Samat Amerkhanov) on one side and , Fuzuli Muharremov and İslam Ganiyev on the other were deported to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan by Turkey, respectively; even if they were registered to Supreme Commissar of United Nations (SCUN) after their sheltering to Turkey, who fled away from their countries in the fear of being tortured. Of three refugees, Samet was by force sent to his country during the procedures under progress for the qualification of the refugee with SCUN, without notifying his family and his guardian. Remaining two were deported in a hurry by force before the duration granted for the visa proceedings conducted to transfer to a third country. The fates of all three persons are unknown and those officials involving in the deportation process are responsible.
Provisions provided under Article 31 of 1951 Geneve Treaty provides that the signatory countries should observe all measures to accept the application for the refugee request. The Council of State and Administrative Courts award on behalf of such requests, which direct the public to observe due diligence for such requests until SCUN is able to settle those applicants into third country. On the other hand, the refugees in Turkey are treated against the established rules.
This is the same for any other Chechenian, Kirghiz, Uzbek, Azeri and any other refugees from countries of Africa and Asia seeking shelter in Turkey. Outstanding procedures for staying, residing or sheltering of these people in Turkey are disregarded, their fundamental rights and freedom were violated by administrative discretions and either deported back to the countries from where they fled away, rendering their life into jeopardy.
One another infringement of fundamental human right in regard to the refugees and foreigners is the restricting the right and freedom of those who are kept in Deportation Centers. In this regard, the number of the refugees kept in Kumkapı Foreigners Branch may go up as much as 800s even if the capacity of the center is only 600.
Until now, following infringements are generally established upon the investigations conducted with the refugees under restricted conditions:
1. Extremely long standing detentions (the freedom of the foreigners are limited for months even more then 6 months, without a court decision)
2. Accommodation under inhumane living conditions
3. Torture and abuse (most frequent complaints include behaviors of the police officers, in particular, severe battery and cursing that cannot be got along with the dignity of the human)
4. Limited hot water and bathing possibilities
5. Insufficient food (the food delivered is generally outdate, cold and unacceptable for eating)
6. Deprival of the welfare facilities (lack of ventilation and access to the open air)
7. Lack of outlets or other provisions for meeting the necessities
8. Extremely crowded wards (accommodation of 40 persons in a ward without possibility to make a stride)
9. Banning the interview with relatives and acquaintance without referral to any specific rule
10. Lack of housekeeping and hygiene, extreme filthy areas in the wards and common places
11. Delay or unavailability in providing health services for the sick persons (the trouble faced in the patient examinations, delayed permission or unavailability of health services at all)
12. Widespread itching or similar diseases due to filthy wards (sickness in regard to bedbugs, beetles and parasites widespread in the wards and lack of disinfection even if the insistent requests are made by the residents)
13. Keeping those suffering from fatal or infectious diseases with the those in the risk of being contaminated
14. Keeping young boys and babies under unhealthy conditions for long period of time (lack of areas suitable for the mothers with babies and children to spent time)
15. Difficulties facet by those who want to make application for the asylum (non-acceptance of the applications, lack of proceedings upon applications)
16. Attempts for deportation even if the proceedings for asylum by Supreme Commissar of United Nations
17. Lack of supervision (lack of sufficient supervisions on the conditions, proceedings and officials’ treatments to those kept in Deportation Centers)
18. Lack of accommodations for Muslim women commensurate to their religion in particular
We, the undersigning organizations, invite the government;
• Observe provisions provided under the treaties, human rights and sensitivity, consciousness and hospitality and of Islamic and human rights of the people who were authorized them,
• Improve of the conditions prevailing in the Deportation Centers or such accommodation places called as foreigners guesthouses and human treatment of their residents,
• Stop forced deportation of those who have completed their asylum and sheltering to those countries where they will ultimately be tortured,
• Keep the centers and guesthouses, so called Deportation Centers and guesthouses, where the foreigners are kept open to the supervisions of non-governmental organizations,
• End any practices and unjust treatments against our Islamic believes, justice and conscious sensations, which are nothing but infringement of principles of universal human rights, EHRC,
• Provide all human requirements and rights as necessary in regard to human rights and dignities on behalf of those foreigners accommodated here and in other cities, and
• Initiate, considering our warning provided hereunder as the criminal complaint against all real and corporate persons who are in gross negligence or willful conduct in such discriminative practice by observed the public order.
AKABE, AKDAV, AKV, FATİH RAIDERS, HİKMET VAKFI, İHH, İMH, İMKANDER, MAZLUMDER, CIVILIZATION ASSOCIATION, ÖZGÜR-DER
