Protesters detained by police after taking to the streets in response to the detention and subsequent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu have claimed severe mistreatment while in custody, Turkish media reported.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Thursday that nearly 2,000 people had been detained amid the protests ongoing since March 19. Media reports have surfaced detailing detainees’ harrowing testimony of unlawful strip-searches, sexual harassment and physical abuse in custody.
One female protester, while under police questioning, later shared in a statement on social media, described severe mistreatment and a sexual assault while detained.
“[The police] used extreme force when detaining me. I was dragged by my right side and pulled along the ground. As I was being taken to be handcuffed, a tall, bearded officer with light-colored eyes — about 1.85 to 1.90 meters in height — mocked me, saying, “Do you have breasts?” before groping me. I was so terrified that I lost control of my bladder. My clothes remained soaked in urine. Shortly after, a female officer intervened and told him to stop. She pulled me away from him. But then another female officer, wearing a red vest and a headscarf, forced me to the ground and handcuffed me behind my back. A male officer pressed his foot against my head. My medical report confirms swelling and bruising on the left side of my head. Before entering the detention area, I told a blonde female officer that I had been sexually assaulted. She laughed and mocked me.”
After a brief hospital checkup, the woman was transferred to a detention center, where the mistreatment continued.
“During a strip-search, they ordered me to remove my piercings, including those on my wrists and neck. I explained that they could only be removed with special medical tools and anesthesia. I warned them that forcing them off could cause bleeding and that this would violate human rights. The blonde officer dismissed my concerns, saying that was not her problem. When she realized she couldn’t remove them herself, she gave up.”
The woman said she repeatedly informed female officers about the sexual abuse she had suffered, only to be ridiculed each time. Her family was not notified of her detention for an entire day, leaving her without a change of clothes. As a result, she was forced to remain in her urine-soaked clothing for the duration of her detention.
According to human rights lawyer and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, the young woman later reaffirmed her testimony before the Penal Court of Peace.
In a speech shared on social media, Tanrıkulu urged the Ministry of Justice to take the allegations of mistreatment seriously and hold the responsible officers accountable.
“You claim there is no mistreatment, but I saw it with my own eyes. The young detainees were subjected to severe abuse while in police custody. Right now, both the police and the judiciary are turning a blind eye to these violations,” he said.
Other allegations of sexual harassment have also emerged. One female protester, while under police questioning, said she was subjected to a strip-search during which an officer touched her breasts. She also reported being forced to wait for eight hours while handcuffed behind her back.
Mahmut Tanal, another CHP deputy, also confirmed witnessing mistreatment. He shared a photograph from his phone showing protesters handcuffed behind their backs and forced to lie on the ground.
“They cuffed these kids behind their backs and left them lying on the cold ground for hours. Later, an officer even posted a photo of this on social media with the caption, ‘Package service after 36 hours.’ You wouldn’t even treat a civilian like this during wartime,” he said.
The family of 19-year-old Eren Cem Dogan reported to the media that their son, who was detained and later arrested, told his mother that the police severely mistreated him. The mother said the last time she saw her son at the courthouse, he had a bruised eye.
In a report published on Thursday, the Human Rights Association (IHD) documented instances of police subjecting many people to physical abuse, threats and insults, forcing them into painful positions and handcuffing them in ways that caused significant discomfort. At least seven women in Ankara were subjected to strip-searches and physical violence during their detention. Footage also shows police using pepper spray and water cannons at close range, directly targeting individuals. Additionally, plastic bullets were fired in a manner that specifically targeted individuals’ bodies, with some shots aimed at head level.
