The Ankara Bar Association on Tuesday published a report including interviews with five detainees who were subjected to torture last weekend at a detention center in Ankara, exposing details of the torture perpetrated by law enforcement officials.
Another detainee who was interviewed also confirmed the claims of torture based on his observations.
The five detainees told the bar association that they were brought to a room for what the police called “interviews,” during which they were psychologically abused.
In a dark room, after being beaten by unidentified officials, they were threatened with sexual abuse with batons, the detainees said.
Three of them said they were undressed completely, while others said they were half naked during the torture.
They also said that during their daily doctor’s visits at least one police officer was present, and because of that they could not fully explain the torture and ill treatment they had been subjected to.
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a Turkish deputy and human rights activist, said at least 20 detainees were subjected to torture among some 100 former foreign ministry employees who were detained last week.
They were allegedly forced to sign depositions prepared in advance.
The detainees are believed to have links to the Gülen movement, which is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The movement, inspired by the views of US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, strongly denies any involvement in the failed putsch.
Following the coup attempt, the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown on followers of the movement on the pretext of an anti-coup fight as a result of which more than 150,000 people were removed from state jobs while in excess of 50,000 others were jailed and some 600,000 people have been investigated on allegations of terrorism.