Village in Batman sealed off by the army the after allegations of torture

In the village of Timok in Batman, residents have been mistreated by Turkish military police, with two young men allegedly tortured with bags over their heads. An HDP investigation delegation was banned from entering the village.

A delegation from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has been banned from entering the village of Timok (tr. Gümüşörgü) in the province of Batman. The village in the Kozluk district had been raided by gendarmerie (military police) on March 31, and 15 people were taken into custody. According to the Batman Bar Association, the individuals were mistreated during the arrest and in custody at the local gendarmerie station. Two young men, Yahya Karabaş and Sadullah Karabaş, were reportedly tortured with bags over their heads.

The HDP delegation, including Women's Council spokeswoman Ayşe Acaran Başaran, activists from the Free Women's Movement (TJA), the elected mayor of Batman, Songül Korkmaz, who was replaced by a trustee by the Turkish Interior Ministry, and HDP provincial association chairwoman Hürriyet Kaytar, wanted to investigate the allegations of torture and the current situation in the village and were stopped on their way by gendarmerie officers. A gendarmerie commander cited a seven-day ban on entry issued by the governor and military operations currently underway in the region as reasons.

HDP deputy Ayşe Acar Başaran protested against the sealing off of the village and said that the measure was intended to prevent the exposure of the abuses committed by the military against the residents: "In this village, people have been tortured for days. We want to talk to these people. We want direct contact because we fear for their lives. The seven-day ban on access lacks any legal basis and proves torture. Those responsible for the ban and for the torture will have to justify themselves legally."

The delegation had to turn back and visited Yahya Karabaş, who is staying with relatives outside the village after suffering torture.