Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
35915
From: "Dr. Cihat Gundogdu" <gundogdu.c@excite.com> BC: Governor Musgrove Created: 4/3/2000 6:35 AM Subject: Important Violation of Human Rights Message: Dear Sir, My name is Cihat Gundogdu, and I am a medical doctor. Nearly four months ago, at the night of 12th November 1999, at about 03.00 am, eight of my friends and I were taken under custody by the Istanbul Organized Crime and Smuggling Department at one of my friend's house where I was paying a visit. During this operation, no explanations were made by the police. As I learned afterwards that 45 houses were raided by the police at the same night and 85 people had been taken under custody. Just like these people, I was detained by the police without an explanation and was exposed to unceasing ill-treatment for 5 days. The common characteristic of the detainees were their closeness to the Science and Research Foundation, which is well known as one of the leading non-profit institutions of Turkey. At this point, I would like to briefly introduce SRF to you. SRF is an estemeed organization that is respectful of the laws of the Turkish Republic founded by Ataturk and consists of patriotic young people devoted to their nation, wholeheartedly keen to be in the service of the country and so eager that they had organized 120 political and scientific conferences within only a year. At the night of the event, my friends and I were the guests of one of our close friends, Mr. Firat Develioglu, an engineer. As we were sitting together, security officers of the house informed us that there were police officers at the door. As we were trying to understand the reason why they could have come at such a late hour, I went out to the parking lot with the intention to assist and invite the officers inside. I saw camouflaged people running towards me, carrying long barreled guns with torches. When I tried to introduce myself and said "Welcome, my name is Dr. Cihat Gundogdu. How can I help you?", they twisted my arm and started to drag me to the entrance of the house. In the meantime they were also shouting; "Where are the others?" I could not understand what they were talking about, yet I tried to invite them inside saying that our friends were downstairs. As they passed by the garden and entered the saloon, they found out that Mr. Adnan Oktar, the Honorary President of the Science and Research Foundation and a few of our friends were talking. As they told us that they were from the Security, we did not show any resistance against them. But they treated us harshly and told us to gather everyone in the house to the saloon. Thereupon, we telephoned and invited the landladies* visitors who were upstairs to come downstairs. Having not enough space for everyone to sit, we had to wait on foot for 4 hours. They did not even let us go to toilet. We waited until dawn. Around 8:30 am, they took us to the security building by minibuses. There we waited for long hours once again. Even though I expressed that I suffered a waist problem, they forced me to carry a safe of 80 kilograms that was confiscated from one of the raided houses. Then we, almost a total of 90 people, waited in the corridor of the security building on foot for hours, with our faces turned towards the wall. During all this period, we were definitely prohibited to talk to each other, to turn our eyes away from the wall or to lean on the wall. Hours later, they took us to the custodial prisons by groups. I stayed there for five days and throughout this period they did not ask me any questions at all. The reason why I was kept there for such a long time was probably to get me pscyhologically ready for the interrogation. I repeteadly requested them to interrogate me as soon as possible, and to continue to detain me if I had any offence. However they kept me in the custodial prison without the conduct of neither an interrogation nor an inquiry. I was not allowed to phone and inform any of my relatives. For this reason, I missed my turn of duty that I should have attended at the Kadikoy Vatan Hospital and consequently lost my job. Although I told them that I had patients and a duty at the hospital, they rejected my request to get into contact with the hospital. For six days, I was obliged to lie down on the wooden floor without any blanket, mattress or a pillow. They took my coat and jacket, and made me stay only with my shirt and trousers on. Every morning at around 04:00 am, we were taken to the hospital, two in a row and handcuffed. During the hospital visits, they did not let me take a pullover or a jacket on. Every morning, I waited my turn for the health control outside the hospital for 45 minutes. It was as if they intentionally did this and wanted to make me ill. To avoid illness, we tried to warm ourselves by getting closer to each other. Before each health control, security officials told us that they did not want to have any trouble during the examination, warning us that this would result in very unpleasant events otherwise. Although it was against the law, a police officer always accompanied the doctor during health examinations. These examinations were rapidly performed by a doctor who was just awakened for the purpose of this health control and it was unlikely to have a real physical examination. On the fifth day of the custody, I was taken out from the ward and was blindfolded so tight to allow no light. I was held by someone by the arm and was made a long walk within the Department. As we walked, they tried to give an impression as if I was passing through some corridors and narrow passages. They frequently told me to bend, or I would hit my head; but they instructed me to bend when we were passing through high sites and just watched me scornfully and laughing each time I hit my forehead to doors when we were passing through low passages. By the time I arrived in the interrogation room, I had already been tired and felt dizzy. Since I was blindfolded, I could see neither the environment nor the people in this interrogation room. I was harshly struck on the back of my head each time a question was put to me. And these strucks continued until I answered their questions as they wanted me to. Thus I was forced to give oral testimonies about many incorrect, dishonourable subjects and events which I actually was completely and ideally against and had not lived through. At the end of this interrogation which took about 4 hours, they made me sign some pieces of paper even though I was blindfolded. When I was in the presence of the Public Prosecutor, I was asked whether that printed text of 6 pages, which contained these statements and some other points and had my signature at the end, belonged to me or not. I declined and informed the esteemed prosecutor about the subject. Upon this, my testimony which was no longer than only half a page was typed being completely true to my own words; and I signed it. I would like to express that I have always worked hard to be a benign person to be of help to my country and am a medical doctor, successfully carrying out doctorate, which is obviously one of the most arduous professions. My entire educational background is filled with successes and accomplishments. I have spent tens of years in order to be succcessful in my profession. I have a charitable nature, loving to produce any kind of goodness and beauty, attaching great importance to moral values. Likewise my family has other members who have also devoted themselves to medical studies and took part in many significant accomplishments in this field. My cousin is the Head of Cardiology Department of Hacettepe University; my other cousin is the Head of Cardiac and Arterial Surgery of Dokuz Eylul University. During these 5 days, I was subjected to ill-treatment that I had never experienced before throughout my entire life, and closely witnessed some other people being in much harder conditions than mine. I was exposed to accusations that I did not deserve at all. But I am a doctor and one of the most important features of doctors should be reliability. However as a result of these ill-treatments, I became misrepresented to the public without a ground. I found myself in a position that might create wrong impressions on my patients about me. Consequently as I've mentioned above, I lost my job which I've always attached extreme importance. Yet it was not only me; tens of people who have been engaged in many significant undertakings in their own fields also lost all their achievements that they had attained by working hard throughout their youths, as the result of this unjust practice. Consequently I'd like ask for your help and support for both myself and for other unjustly treated young companions of mine. I've considered it to be the most rationalist method to apply to you in order to have this unjust attempt, which has been continuing for about 4 months and as a result of which there are 7 people in arrest even though they are completely innocent, concluded as soon as possible. I would also like to underline that I do not complain at all of the State of the Turkish Republic. I am contented with my state and I by no means believe that events that I have been exposed to could have been realized under the control of the state officials. Some wicked people might have penetrated into the Security forces and have put such improper attempts into effect in line with their self-interests. These are individual events and I do not find it appropriate to accuse the entire organization of Security because of such attempts. I am personally well aware that officials of the state do strongly condemn torture both in press conferences and in many applications and practices of the government. Finally, I request you to act as a mediator between me and the authorized government agencies in order to solve this situation and to ask these authorities to end these unhumane practices. I kindly ask you to reach me through the below postal address or e-mail address as soon as possible with your invaluable opinions and views. Yours sincerely, Dr. M. Cihat Gundogdu gundogdu.c@excite.com POSTAL ADDRESS: Fatmakadin Sok. No:14/37, Marmara Apt. 81070, Suadiye- Kadikoy, Istanbul / TURKEY - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\Important Violation of Human Rights\Part.001 - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\Important Violation of Human Rights\Mime.822
Attachments
important_violation_of_human_r/part.001
important_violation_of_human_r/mime.822