İSTANBUL - A.Ç who was detained and tortured by the gendermerie in Side where he went for holiday. A.Ç who still has bruises on his body said: "I am afraid to live in this country"

 

Stating that he was sitting at a cafe with his friend in Side, A.Ç said he was going back to his hotel around 1.30 A.M when the gendermerie stopped him and demanded him to throw away the beer can in his hand. When A.Ç stated that they did not have the authority to make him throw away the beer can and what he's doing is not illegal, they told him that they were the law. 

 

THEY TORTURED ME

 

Stating that he was detained illegally and without a reason, A.Ç said: "They throw me in a room without any cameras and beat me for half an hour. They seemed to be accustomed to beating people because they barely left any bruises."

 

Telling that one of the gendermerie broke his finger while he was torturing him, A.Ç said they came back in the room and beat him again for breaking their commanders finger. A.Ç said: "My friends tried to get into the station. They made it to the door of the room I was held in but they were thrown out of the station. They saw that I was being beaten. But the gendermerie prevented them from giving their statements, threatening them to do the same things they were doing to me. Even telling about it is really hard for me. This was a great trauma for me. They insulted me when the beating was over. Then they took me to the hospital. My friends asked which hospital I was taken to. They did not tell them where I was. I was crying when we got to the hopsital. They mocked me, saying that I was crying like a girl. The doctor asked me how I was. I was scared. I didn't tell him I was beaten. I asked the doctor to see him alone. The doctor did not say ok and the gendermerie did not allow it anyway."

 

GENDERMERIE OFFICER PRESSED CHARGES AGAINST ME

 

Stating that the gendermerie who broke his finger beating him also pressed charges against him, A.Ç said: "He went out and told his friends something. Then a lot of other gendermerie officer came into the room and tell me 'How can you break our commander's finger, are you an enemy of the state? Are you a terrorist?'. They accused me of kicking him. I was hadcuffed behind the back being kicked by five men, down on the floor at that time. Then they took me to the police station and called my father. My father called and told him they were beating me. Then the gendermerie with the broken finger came in, he told me if I don't tell anyone I was beaten by them, he would help me at the court, or if I ever told they have beaten me, I could never get out of prison again. I was scared. I didn't tell I was beaten in my statement."

 

I AM AFRAID TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY'

 

Telling that he was taken to Manavgat Courthouse after the hours of horror, A.Ç said: "The gendermerie with the broken finger came. I didn't press charges because I was terrified. I was crying the whole time. Then I was referred to court with a request of arrest. I tried to tell the truth to the judge but when I told about the beating the judge said 'forget about those things', so I did. I didn't press charges because if I did, and I got arrested, they would give me back to them. The court released me pending trial. That's what happened. It effected me so badly. I am scared to live in this country. I don't feel safe."

 

A.Ç went to Manavgat State Hospital to get an assault report when he recovered enough to go there but the doctor said 'You should have told when they brought you here'. Stating that he could not get an assault report no matter how much he insisted, said he will persue justice.

 

THE ACTUAL REASON WAS MY SEXUAL ORIENTATION

 

Stating that he was tortured because of his sexual orientation, A.Ç said his friends saw a lot of people walking in front of the police station with beer cans in their hands and no one was stopped.

 

MA / İdris Sayılgan