Closing Ranks against Accountability

Barriers to Tackling Police Violence in Turkey

I. Summary

Key Recommendations

To the Turkish Government

Methodology

II. Introduction

III. Progress and Setbacks in Legal Protections against Police Violence

Legal Reform Going in the Right Direction

The AK Party's commitment to "Zero tolerance for torture"

New legal safeguards for detainees

Revised penalties for torture and ill-treatment

Combating torture promoted, but still room for improvement in oversight

Monitoring mechanisms

Legal Reform Going in the Wrong Direction

Problematic provisions in the revised Law to Fight Terrorism..

Legal shielding of state employees from prosecution

A Rise in Reports of Police Violence from 2007

Failure to Prosecute, Entrenched Impunity

IV. Police shootings: Concealing Evidence and Obstructing Investigations

Case of

Case of Ferhat Gerçek

V. Police Violence against Demonstrators

VI. Police Violence in the Context of Identity Checks

Allegations centering on police stations in Beyolu, Istanbul

VII. Counter-charges and Criminal Investigation for Complaining or Protesting

Accusing the Accusers

Prejudicial statements

VIII. Detailed Recommendations

To the Turkish Government

Enhance mechanisms to prevent human rights violations by law enforcement officials

Monitor policing functions and conduct

Monitor police investigations

Improve effectiveness of criminal investigations

Address flawed trial proceedings against police officers

Impose disciplinary sanctions

Introduce centralized data collection

Introduce legal reforms

To Turkey's International Partners and Monitoring Bodies

Acknowledgments