Country of origin information report Turkey March 2007

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The Gendarmes Investigation and Evaluation Centre for Human Rights Abuse Issues (JIHIDEM)
16.33 As noted on the JIHIDEM website (accessed on 17 November 2006):
“Recently human right has become a very important issue in Turkey, as in other countries. The public and NGOs have greatly developed themselves in the field of human rights. As a result of this, public institutions are in great efforts to improve themselves for the prevention of human rights violations. In spite of being well-organized against the human rights violations, some problems can still be seen concerning investigation of complaints and violation applications.” [104] (The Aim of the JIHIDEM)
16.34 The JIHIDEM website (accessed on 17 November 2006) also stated:
“The Gendarmerie Human Rights Violations’ Investigation and Evaluation Center (JIHIDEM) has been founded to investigate and evaluate complaints and applications about the allegations of human rights violations taking place in the Gendarmerie area of responsibility or while carrying out the duties related to Gendarmerie. This is to investigate any allegation about human rights violation, commence a judicial or administrative inspection in case that the allegations are true, inform of applicants about the results or developments of the procedures and ensure that the public will be notified about the current developments. It has been JIHIDEM’s aim to make our citizens sure and avoid the hesitations about allegations of human rights violations by directly getting in touch with the General Command of the Gendarmerie.” [104] (The Aim of the JIHIDEM)
16.35 The JIHIDEM website further added that, “Applications can be made directly in person or by telephone, mail, petition, fax, and internet.” [104] (Application Ways)
16.36 According to information on human rights monitoring provided by the Turkish Embassy in London in August 2004, “The Gendarmes Investigation and Evaluation Centre for Human Rights Abuse Issues (JIHIDEM) became operational on 26 April 2003 within the Gendarmes General Command Headquarters and operating on a 24 hour basis in order to systematically deal with or answer complaints regarding human rights abuse issues that might arise whilst gendarmes are fulfilling their duties.” [60a] (p10)
16.37 According to the information from the Turkish Embassy:
“Within a year of its establishment JIHIDEM received 221 applications of which 65 were deemed to be within the human rights abuse definition of JIHIDEM, 73 were not within its definition and were directly related to Gendarmes’ actions and that 83 were not related to Gendarmes at all. Among the 65 applications that were investigated 19 were for ill treatment, 16 were for ill treatment/unjust custody, 12 for non-effective investigation, 6 for unjust custody, 5 for being pressurised to withdraw complaints, 3 for torture, 2 for not abiding with a suspect’s custody rights, 1 for the abuse of a person’s right to life and 1 for the abuse of a person’s private life.” [60a] (p11)
16.38 The European Commission 2005 report recorded that “Since its establishment in 2003, the gendarmerie’s Human Rights Violations Investigation and Assessment Centre has received 162 direct complaints, the majority of which relate to allegations of ill-treatment or unjust detention. To date, disciplinary measures have been taken in 3 cases.” [71d] (p24)