Detention Instead of Tear Gas

Interior Ministry of Turkey released a series of guidelines to its governors regarding the use of tear gas by law enforcement teams.

Signed by Interior Minister Muammer Güler, the guidelines urged law enforcement teams to give a warning about the impending use of tear gas. It also let those who wish to disperse from the group by themselves or use the tear gas following a water cannon intervention, and focus on detentions in order to reduce the use of tear gas. 

Some of the highlights from the guidelines included: 

* Police will form mobile intervention teams equipped with armored vehicles which will give leverage in terms of speed and enable less usage of tear gas with their rapid capture and detention abilities. 

* For those groups who resist dispersing, police will detain protestors either right at the time or following a technical detection procedure. 

* During the decision-making of measures in social events, police authorities will assign responsible supervisors such as riot police vice commissioner or police vice commissioners. 

* The highest ranking officer available in the field will be ultimately responsible to determine type and amount of tear gas. Unsupervised and redundant use of tear gas will not be allowed.   

* In order to control the use of tear gas and avoid arbitrary abuses, the responsible supervisor and tear gas user staff will draft a use report. 

* In order to avoid the allegations of excessive police force and arbitrary tear gas usage, police will record intervention and detention moments with a camera.  

Police will be mindful on hospitals, “protestor profile” 

* Police will develop an “intervention strategy”, taking into consideration the group profile which may include women, elderly or disabled. 

* Instead of gas bomb canisters, police will use other material that cause big amounts of light or sound. Measures will be taken to prevent the usage of tear gas canisters by anyone except riot police forces.  

* Police will make sure that the intervention zones will not house school, hospital, kindergarten or pension house. Police will pay the maximum attention to prevent harm on calm pedestrians or dwellers.   

Warning and water cannon before gas bombs 

* Prior to use of tear gas, police will announce the use of tear gas and allow those who want to disperse by themselves and third parties to clear the scene.  

*Prior to tear gas, police will intervene with water cannons and TOMA vehicles. 

* Prior to use of gas material, police will perform an intermediate intervention with defense rifles that are capable of firing paint or tear gas capsules. (ÇT/BM)