Turkey’s compliance with the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is being reviewed at the United Nations Committee against Torture (UNCAT) on 17-18 July. Controversy erupted as the head of the Turkey delegation and the Chief Legal Advisor were both identified as perpetrators of alleged international torture.
Kıvılcım Kılıç, the Head of the Turkey delegation and Director General for Multilateral Relations in Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, is alleged to have played a leading role in the kidnapping of Turkish teachers from Kosovo under torture in 2018.
Rüştü Yılmaz, Chief Legal Advisor to the Turkey Delegation to Geneva and current Legal Counselor at the Turkish National Police, allegedly formed a team for torture operations against civilians in Kurdish-majority Şanlıurfa between 2015 and 2021, enabled ISIS terror attacks, and had a role in war crimes in Syria.
A campaign has launched online demanding the immediate arrest of Yılmaz, and public exposure of the hypocrisy involving alleged perpetrators of torture leading an anti-torture delegation.
International Association for Human Rights Advocacy in Geneva (IAHRAG), an NGO, has condemned the practice of inviting such delegates to speak out against torture, particularly in light of 17 July International Criminal Justice Day.
According to the non-governmental and non-profit organisation, Kıvılcım Kılıç served as ambassador to Pristina from 2015 to 2019. During this period, six alleged sympathisers of the Gülen Movement were kidnapped from Kosovo to Turkey by Turkish intelligence, with Kılıç directly involved in the operation.
IAHRAG cited Kılıç as stating that this operation significantly contributed to Kosovo-Turkey relations. Despite her role in this incident, Kılıç was appointed responsible for UN mechanisms on human rights, while the kidnapping remained a contentious issue, leading to the imprisonment of the head of Kosovo Intelligence who collaborated with the Turkish government.
Yılmaz, the organisation said, faces allegations of torture, in particular negligence in the 2015 bombing attack by ISIS in Şanlıurfa, resulting in 34 deaths and hundreds of injuries, due to halting operations against ISIS and ignoring their activities while serving as Şanlıurfa Intelligence Director. Yılmaz was also negligent in the 2015 attack in Şanlıurfa, where two police officers were killed.
Despite these serious allegations, Kılıç and Yılmaz represent Turkey at the UN Committee against Torture. IAHRAG and a host of human rights advocates online await the UN Committee’s response to questions over Turkish intelligence abductions abroad and ensuing impunity enjoyed by officials.
