ISTANBUL – In a press statement held in front of the former Gayrettepe Istanbul Police Department, one of the known centres of torture, the Human Rights Association (IHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV) stated: “The events surrounding the March 19, 2025 protests, during which people were tortured at police stations, once again revealed the undeniable historical and ideological continuity of torture.”

 

The İHD and TİHV held the statement on the first day of a three-day program organized for June 26, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, in front of the now-demolished former Gayrettepe Police Department in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district.

 

In front of this building, known for many incidents of torture, demonstrators carried signs reading “Strip searches and reverse handcuffing are crimes against humanity,” “There is no statute of limitations for the crime of torture,” and “Human dignity will overcome torture.” 

 

The statement was read by İkbal Eren, the sister of Hayrettin Eren, who disappeared under torture at Gayrettepe Police Headquarters during the September 12 period.

 

In her speech, İkbal Eren said: “We are standing at the site of the Gayrettepe Police Department, one of the torture centers of the 1970s, 80s, and even 90s, a place known as the ‘First Branch,’ where those who entered either left with torture marks or never left at all. It was used until late 1994 and demolished in 2023. We want to ask the public: Was this building truly demolished? It is clear that the mentality that built and used this building for certain purposes still exists today.”

 

‘MARCH 19 REVEAL THE ONGOING REALITY OF TORTURE’

 

Referring to torture reports, İkbal Eren said: “Research shows that during September 12 period, around 650 thousand people were held for months in this and similar torture centres and subjected to 45 different torture methods. A significant portion of the 171 documented deaths due to torture took place in this location. The March 19, 2025 protests, during which hundreds of people were tortured in police departments and stations, once again demonstrated the undeniable historical and ideological continuity of torture.”

 

CENTERS OF TORTURE

 

Eren noted that 697 people applied to TİHV in 2024 claiming to have been tortured at police departments. She shared the following figures: “Among official places of detention where torture was reported, Istanbul Police Department ranks first with 23.1%, Van Police Department second with 10.7%, Diyarbakır Police Department third with 5.1%, and Ankara Police Department fourth with 3.1%. Similarly, reports of torture increased in 2024, particularly at police departments in Istanbul, Van, and Diyarbakır.”