Turkey COI Compilation 2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Turkey: COI Compilation August 2020 BEREICH | EVENTL. ABTEILUNG | WWW.ROTESKREUZ.AT ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Turkey: COI Compilation August 2020 The information in this report is up to date as of 30 April 2020, unless otherwise stated. This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared within a specified time frame on the basis of publicly available documents as well as information provided by experts. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord TABLE OF CONTENTS List of abbreviations.................................................................................................................... 5 1 Background information ..................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Geographical information ................................................................................................ 7 1.1.1 Map of Turkey .......................................................................................................... 7 1.1.2 Ethnic makeup .......................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Brief overview of political institutions ........................................................................... 11 1.2.1 Executive branch .................................................................................................... 12 1.2.2 Legislative branch ................................................................................................... 16 1.2.3 Judicial branch ........................................................................................................ 20 2 Political actors................................................................................................................... 24 2.1 Justice and Development Party (AKP) ............................................................................ 24 2.1.1 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ............................................................................ 27 2.2 Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) .............................................................................. 30 2.3 Republican People’s Party (CHP) ................................................................................... 31 2.4 People’s Democratic Party (HDP) .................................................................................. 32 2.4.1 Alleged association with PKK .................................................................................. 33 2.5 The Good Party (İyi Parti) ............................................................................................... 34 2.6 Other political parties .................................................................................................... 35 2.6.1 Felicity Party (SP) .................................................................................................... 35 2.6.2 Future Party (GP) and Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) ............................... 36 2.7 Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) ..................................................................................... 37 3 Political background ......................................................................................................... 39 3.1 Coup d’etat attempt 2016 ............................................................................................. 39 3.1.1 Developments during the coup attempt ................................................................ 39 3.1.2 Immediate aftermath ............................................................................................. 41 3.1.3 Purge of government and civil service in the immediate aftermath of the coup attempt ............................................................................................................................. 44 3.2 State of emergency ........................................................................................................ 47 3.2.1 Use of emergency decrees ..................................................................................... 47 3.2.2 Criticism of state of emergency .............................................................................. 54 3.3 Legislative changes ........................................................................................................ 56 3.3.1 Anti-terror legislation ............................................................................................. 56 3.3.2 Constitutional referendum ..................................................................................... 63 3.4 Changes in civil service structures ................................................................................. 66 3.4.1 Judiciary and legal system ...................................................................................... 66 3.4.2 Educational system................................................................................................. 72 3.4.3 Military, police and intelligence services ................................................................ 76 4 Major political developments from January 2018 to April 2020 ...................................... 82 4.1 Continued purges .......................................................................................................... 82 4.1.1 Military ................................................................................................................... 83 4.1.2 Police ...................................................................................................................... 84 4.1.3 Judicial system ........................................................................................................ 85 2 4.1.4 Educational system................................................................................................. 87 4.1.5 Media/Journalists ................................................................................................... 88 4.1.6 Political officials ...................................................................................................... 92 4.1.7 Kurdish-affiliated politicians and organisations ...................................................... 94 4.1.8 Other state employees ........................................................................................... 98 4.2 Consolidation of power ................................................................................................. 99 4.3 Relationship with international actors ......................................................................... 102 4.4 Internal security situation ............................................................................................ 106 4.4.1 Conflict with the PKK ............................................................................................ 111 4.4.2 Security incidents involving the DHKP/C .............................................................. 115 4.4.3 Security incidents involving the Islamic State (IS)................................................. 116 4.4.4 Security incidents involving the PYD/YPG ............................................................. 117 5 Offensive in Syria (“Operation Peace Spring”, OPS) ....................................................... 118 5.1 Objectives of operation ............................................................................................... 119 5.2 Course of events .......................................................................................................... 121 5.3 Criticism of the offensive ............................................................................................. 123 5.4 Casualties ..................................................................................................................... 125 5.5 Displacement ............................................................................................................... 125 5.6 Situation in the first half of 2020 ................................................................................. 127 6 Rule of law/Administration of justice ............................................................................. 130 6.1 Access to justice........................................................................................................... 130 6.1.1 Legal representation ............................................................................................ 131 6.1.2 Criminal justice system ......................................................................................... 134 6.1.3 Due process .........................................................................................................