Counter-Terrorism Department of the Turkish Police

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The Counter Terrorism Department of the Turkish Police is the anti-terrorist unit of the Turkish police . According to its self-description, its task is to protect the security of the state, public order and the safety and well-being of the population against terrorist activities. Terror organizations , their members and accomplices are to be identified, caught and brought to justice. The anti-terror unit is an independent department. The official name is Terörle Mücadele Dairesi Başkanlığı ("Department for Combating Terrorism").

history

The origin of the anti-terrorist unit in the Turkish police goes back to 1924. Here the 1st Şube or Birinci Şube (1st department) was founded, which was subordinate to the deputy director for general security (tr: Emniyet Umumiye Müdür Muavini ). In 1937 the first department was renamed "Chair of the First Department" (tr: Birinci Daire Reisliği ). Article 9 of Act 3201 on the organization of security describes the security department with its first department as a unit that performs the services of the political police. At the same time, the designation Yıkıcı Faaliyetler Şubesi ("Department for Destructive Activities") was introduced.

Until 1986 the political police was known as the first division. On August 26, 1986, by a ministerial resolution, the "Department for Destructive Activities" was outsourced from the Department for Security and was given its current name as the Department for the Fight against Terrorism (tr: Terörle Mücadele Dairesi Başkanlığı ). In addition to the department for combating terrorism in the supreme police authority, there are also departments for fighting terrorism in the provincial capitals and in some districts. They were rearranged on November 5, 2001.

Torture in the fight against terrorism

From the beginning, there have been violent allegations against officials from the departments for combating terrorism. Citing a statement by Amnesty International , Pro Asyl reported in 1999: "Returnees were initially released after the routine entrance control at the airport. However, they were later arrested again and taken to the anti-terrorist department for interrogation There is a likelihood of torture and ill-treatment ... Hasan Kutgan was also tortured by the Istanbul Anti-Terrorism Unit. " In the case of the German citizen Mehmet Desde, officers from the anti-terror department at the Izmir Police Headquarters were charged with torture, but were later acquitted. In the complaint to the European Court of Human Rights , Mehmet Desde was certified that the prohibition of torture had been violated in procedural terms.

As recently as 2006, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch wrote : " Torture by the police in Turkey was widespread for decades - especially in the Turkish anti-terrorism units. Torture resulting in death reached its peak in the mid-1990s. Sexual assaults on male, female and juvenile prisoners were the order of the day, access to the interrogation rooms for civilians was unthinkable. "

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b See a page of the General Directorate for Security on the Department for Security (Turkish); Accessed April 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ The complete text of the law in Turkish  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 440 kB) can be viewed on the website of the General Directorate for International Law and Foreign Relations , accessed on April 11, 2013.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.uhdigm.adalet.gov.tr  
  3. ↑ a b c This emerges from a self-description of the Department for Combating Terrorism ; Accessed April 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ The report Endangering Kurds in the event of their return to Turkey ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dates from February 2, 1999; Accessed April 11, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.proasyl.de
  5. ↑ See a report by the Bavarian Refugee Council of October 29, 2003; Accessed April 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ The Turkish Democratic Forum has prepared a detailed special report in German: ECHR decides on Mehmet Desde's allegation of torture ; Accessed April 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ See the report Turkey: To Fight Torture, Police Stations Must Be Monitored, March 6, 2006; Accessed April 11, 2013.

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