Unionists Face Police Violence During Protest Against Torture

Police, with batons and shields, intervened with the members of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), who demand that Otag-i Humayun becomes a Human Rights Museum. Otag-i Humayun has been renovated through the cooperation of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency and Yildiz Technical University and was opened today with an official ceremony.

DISK Head Suleyman Celebi made a press statement in front of Otag-i Humayun's building in Davutpasa and explained that the hearings for the cases against the youth of DEV-GENC following the 12 March military coup started at this very place. Otag-i Humayun was built as the Hunkar Palace at the place where the Ottoman troops gathered before embarking on expeditions towards the west.

"This saloon was stage to show trial hearings just like a theatre piece, with statements taken through torture at Sansaryan Han and Ziverbey Villa," said Celebi.

Celebi stated that DISK, with its 27 trade unions and over 600 thousand members was a main target for the generals-of-the-time after the 12 September 1980 military coup. Celebi continued as follows:

"This building witnessed all these. Torture stalls were set up here just like the ones in Mamak, Metris, Diyarbakir. Members of DISK, the intellectuals who supported DISK, artists, academicians, parliamentarians and mayors-of-the-time all underwent torture here with us."

"As a member of the DISK Executive Council, I spent those days here blindfolded and undergoing torture. Electricity, bastinado, hunger, sleeplessness... We were blindfolded... Those days cannot be forgotten. They have not been forgotten and they will never be forgiven..."

"The fight against 12 September cannot be fulfilled by paying lip-service. It must be done by judging the guilty... Exactly like Spain, Chile, Greece and lastly Argentina. We, as DISK, demand that this building is definitely turned into a Human Rights Museum. We want it to be turned into a structure that will serve human rights so that the next generations do not forget the sufferings and inhumane treatments that went on here."

After the statement, police with batons and shields intervened with the DISK members, who attempted to walk towards the university campus that is home to Otag-i Humayun. (BT)