‘The Era of White Toros* Has Ended, There are Now White Transit Vehicles’

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The ones who said that they were subjected to torture in the police station in Gazi Neighborhood of İstanbul have filed a criminal complaint against the officers on charges of "torture, ill treatment and insult."

Speaking to bianet about the issue, lawyer Ezgi Çakır has indicated that "her clients were taken into custody on such grounds as painting slogans on the walls or attaching stickers, they were systematically subjected to torture, insults, swearwords and threats in Gazi Neighborhood police station and it has been the case for months now."

Taken into custody while distributing leaflets, university student Deniz Aydın and worker Taylan Gültekin have told that they were also beaten by the police in Gazi Neighborhood police station.

'Police said "it is just a trailer, we will shoot a movie"'

Vedat Doğan has also appealed to the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) about the torture he was subjected to in police station.

The tomography report of Vedat Doğan shows that there is a compression fracture in his spinal bones on his waist. Doğan has said that he was beaten in the police station three months ago and they kicked him in the waist even though he repeatedly said that his waist was broken. He has told what he went through in detention in following words:

"When they took us to the police station, they threw us in a room with our faces down. They trampled on my waist for 4-5 hours, they squeezed my kidneys. One of them tried to stick his shoe into my mouth. Another one said, 'Should I put out the cigarette on your eye?'

"They strapped my face with box tape. One of the police officers said, 'It is just a trailer, we will also shoot a movie with you.' During the medical examination in custody, I requested a radiographic examination of my waist from the doctor, but it was not taken into account. I have been wearing a steel back brace for three months and I am still having pains."

'I didn't do sports today, I have done it on you'

Speaking at the statement for the press, university student Deniz Aydın has told what she went through in following words:

"We were scooped up and detained in Gazi Neighborhood. While we were being taken to the police station, a male police officer did not get off me all through the ride. We were dragged out of the car, they dragged us to the third floor of the building. They threw us in a room with our faces down and our hands handcuffed from the back. They started hitting us. There were more than 10 police officers, we did not see their faces.

"They kicked us. Pointing to the upper part of our legs, they told us 'They say it hurts the most, is it correct?' and hit us there with truncheons. We stayed there for four hours.

"The officer who hit us with a truncheon said, 'I didn't do sports today, I have done it on you.' When he got tired, another one came. He was hitting my kidneys, it was an extremely agonizing move. 'I actually don't do it, but they shout very beautifully', he was saying."

'They told each other 'I am tired, you continue"'

Deniz Aydın has also said that a male police officer did a body search on her and they called a female officer afterwards and made her sign the official report as if she was the one who searched the body of Aydın:

"Swearwords and insults were shouted. They were hitting us in our spine straight with a truncheon. They told each other 'I am tired, you continue.'

"Then, we were taken to hospital. They shouted 'They are terrorists' among people there. After that, were taken to the İstanbul Security Directorate. While taking us there, one police officer said 'The era of white Toros* cars has ended, there are white transits now. Run away when you see us'." (AS/SD)