Eighty women reportedly being tortured under custody by Turkish police at Mersin Provincial Security Directorate

A total of 80 women, including female high school and university students, who were detained, have severely been tortured under police custody at the Mersin Provincial Security Directorate, according to a social media account specialised on tracing and monitoring the torture cases in Turkey following the controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

According to the serial posts made by Twitter account @Turkeydeiskence (Torture in Turkey) on Saturday, the police officers from the Smuggling and Organised Crime Directorate (KOM) in Mersin province, have detained 80 women, including women, 25 female high school and university students in recent days. It was reported that there is also a mother with her 2 months-old baby among the detainees. The mother and the baby have reportedly been kept in police custody for last 4 days in dire conditions.

The mentioned Twitter account has shared following posts about the claims of torture under police custody at the Mersin Provincial Security Directorate:

1) A total of 80 women, including 20 female high school and university students, have been tortured at Mersin Provincial Security Directorate!

2) The police officers from the Smuggling and Organised Crime Directorate (KOM) in Mersin province have detained 80 women, including 5 female high school students, 20 female university students three days ago.

3) Among the women taken into custody, there has been a mother with her 2-month-old baby. The mother and her baby are being kept under police custody for four days.

4) One of the female high school students, who are taken into custody, has been held in detention at the Child Branch Office of the Provincial Police Department alone because she is just 15 years old.

5) This 15-year-old female high school student has been trying her voice to be heard by saying, “Throw me in prison if you need to, but do not leave me alone here!”

6) The detainees are prevented from meeting with their lawyers. An official from a public notary was not allowed to enter the Police Department to take authorisation from Hülya Yassıkaya, who has been kept in police custody.

7) A lawyer, who witnessed the torture made by a person in custody, fainted at the exit of the Police Department.

The Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) said on  December 2017 that 2,278 people were tortured and 11 abducted in Turkey during the first 11 months of 2017.