Zehra Doğan-Bêrîtan Elyakut/JINHA

RIHA - Since two police were killed in Ceylanpınar, Turkey, the number of those arrested in the area has reached 37. Youth arrested in the operation say police threatened them with beheading if they did not give false testimony.

On July 20, 32 died in a bombing of youth activists in Suruç, Turkey, in Urfa province. Two days later, on July 22, two police officers were killed in the town of Ceylanpınar in the same province. They had allegedly been helping Daesh at the border. Soon after the police were killed, security forces began a massive operation in the province.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Urfa MP Leyla Güven has been meeting with the lawyers of those arrested in the operation. The arrestees have been denied access to their lawyers. Only three (Sedat Yılmaz, Hasan Aydın and Mehmet Naci Yılmaz) have been able to meet with lawyers. Leyla says that there is evidence that arrestees were systematically tortured in the course of the police operation.

"The youth were taken from their homes pell-mell, taken to the roof of a three-story building and threatened with death. Immediately afterward, they were taken to an empty field. They were brought to the edge of holes dug in the ground, plastic bags were tied over their heads and knives were held to their throats," said Leyla. "When the youth refused to claim the crimes and give false testimony, they were severely tortured."

Leyla contacted the Urfa police chief Eyüp Pınarbaşı about the reports of threats and torture. The chief's reply: "What else do you expect? Should we remain silent when people kill police? We're doing what's necessary."

Leyla has also met with the provincial governor to make known her concerns about the issue and plans to file charges.

(fk/cm)