Turkey’s Defense Minister, Yaşar GÜLER, announced ongoing investigations regarding alleged acts of torture by members of Turkey’s Border Guard (Gendarmerie) against Syrian detainees at a border post in Reyhanlı, Hatay province.
In statements broadcast by Turkish media outlets, GÜLER said, “Investigations concerning the arrest and torture of eight individuals who entered Turkey illegally from Syria continue. Reports indicate that one person died as a result of the torture, and the involved military personnel are currently under investigation.”
He added, “As a result of the administrative inquiry into the incident, two soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces No. 6413 have been dismissed, while three officers and a non-commissioned officer have been referred to the High Disciplinary Board. Investigations by the Prosecutor’s Office in Reyhanlı are still ongoing.”
The indictment presented to the Defense Ministry was initiated by the deputy of the Green Left Party in Kocaeli, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu. The charges detail that “eight Syrians, who arrived in March, were brutally tortured at a border post near Reyhanlı. This torture led to the death of one of the detainees, identified as Abdulrazzaq Qastal from rural Hama.”
Gergerlioğlu added, “The torture methods included electric shocks, whipping with electric cables, forcing detainees to drink diesel, and brutal beatings. Some unconscious detainees were splashed with water only to be tortured once again.” He emphasized that both the Turkish nation and state would never condone such barbaric actions.
