The association called on the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to take action about “statements made by the Turkish government that raise tensions and escalate violence and the bad treatment of people by the authorities and the security forces.”
The demand was based on Article 52 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which permits the Secretary General of the Council of Europe the right to request Turkey to “furnish an explanation of the manner in which its internal law ensures the effective implementation of any of the provisions of the Convention.”
The Bar Association also said it would be applying to a number of other international institutions.
The Bar Association has also decided to launch judicial and administrative investigations into officials who had opened a preliminary inquiry into the health care teams helping injured protesters during the clashes.
Meanwhile, administrative and judicial applications will be made by the association regarding public emergency medical teams who “neglected their duty” by not building emergency medical centers in the areas during the events, according to the statement.
The Bar Association also vowed to continue an active dialogue with the bar heads and to take further steps, if deemed necessary.
350 detained according to Istanbul Bar Association
Police have detained almost 350 people since the crackdown began in Istanbul on June 15, according to the Istanbul Bar Association.
Police continued to use intense tear gas against protesters trying to gather in neighborhoods close to Taksim Square.
Dozens of protesters were detained during the police intervention on Siraselviler Avenue which links to Taksim Square on June 16. One British citizen were among those detained, according to Dogan News Agency.
Those detained were later held in riot police buses at Taksim Square.
The police intervened with water cannons and tear gas on Siraselviler Avenue to remove the barricade after calling on protesters to clear the route.
Clashes between police and the protesters also occurred in the Mecidiyeköy and Nisantasi neighborhoods of the Sisli district, as well as the Galata neighborhood of Beyoglu.
A group of people who tried to build a barricade on Ergenekon Avenue in Sisli, were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. Another group blocked the highway access road in the Nurtepe neighborhood of the Kagithane district.
Police intervention on Istiklal Avenue
Another group of protesters, after being driven by the police from Osmanbey toward Nisantasi, built a barricade to halt the police. The police then used a large amount of tear gas in the area in order to disperse the protesters, and several of the group took shelter in a mall.
Ferries not working
Meanwhile, city line ferries working between the Anatolian and Asian sides of Istanbul have been partially canceled following a direction from the Istanbul Governorate.
Lines from Kadiköy to Besiktas and from Kadiköy to Kabatas are currently not working. The ferries are operating only between Kadiköy and Eminönü.
Intervention at mall in Mecidiyeköy
Earlier in the day, another group made up of around 100 people had gathered in Mecidiyeköy in front of another mall, Cevahir AVM.
The group had planned to march toward Taksim Square, until they faced a police intervention while chanting slogans. Ten riot policemen chased members of the group seeking shelter in the mall.
The police officers left the mall after the majority of those shopping in the mall reportedly chanted slogans against the police intervention.
Security guards at the mall distributed water for the protesters affected by the tear gas. (hurriyetdailynews.com, June 16, 2013)
Voluntary Doctors Face Investigation!
Health Ministry Audit submitted an official statement to Chamber of Medicines Administration, saying that it launched investigations on doctors of Gezi Park – a group of volunteer doctors who made the first aid to dozens of injured protestors due to police violence and saved lives.
Health Ministry claimed that Gezi Park protests were “illegal”:
“Departing from a statement released by Istanbul Chamber of Medicines, the ministry observed certain information and statistics on medical interventions to those who are wounded in illegal protests and treated by a group of self-organized and voluntary doctors in so-called infirmaries.”
Even the ministry claimed that it detected those “voluntary infirmaries”, voluntary doctors and Chamber of Medicines already announced their existence previously.
Ministry asked doctors names
Health Ministry submitted the following questions to Chamber of Medicines Administration: * Why did you not seek permission from Health Ministry on the medical practices and “voluntary infirmary” service coordinated by your chamber?
* For what reason did you come up with your own medical teams when Health Ministry’s medical staff and ambulances were already positioned during the events in Taksim?
* Who worked in the voluntary infirmaries? What are the duties, competences and titles of these individuals? How did you make sure that these individuals were competent and permitted to make medical interventions?
* What medical records have these “health volunteers” take and what is legal ground of these registries? Your website mentions “Judicial Phenomena Preliminary Evaluation and Documentation”. What is the legal ground of this process?
* Have patients been put through surgical interventions? If yes, are there any registries?
* How many patients were admitted and treated in these voluntary infirmaries? Are there any medical records? What are the names of admitted patients? Did you share this information with the ministry? (BIA, June 16, 2013)
