On 19 July, 2020 Turkmen nationals currently residing in Turkey planned to hold another act of protest in front of Turkmenistan’s Embassy in Istanbul.
However, a correspondent of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” reports that the Turkmen police detained 18 individuals before the protest kicked off.
We will monitor the developments.
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The number of those who have been detained is increasing. According to a source of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”, about a hundred people have been detained.
The organizers contacted the local administration to obtain a permit to hold the act of protest but were denied it.
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Turkmen nationals got detained as they were approaching the protest venue and were redirected to the police station of Bakirkoy, Şakir Tosun police station.
The building could not accommodate all detainees and therefore half of them are waiting outside.
Employees of Turkmenistan’s Embassy also paid a visit to the police station. They did not contact the detainees and left five minutes later after a conversation with law enforcement officials.
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Despite detentions, some people decided to hold the protest. The protesters unfolded a poster and photos of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and demanded that he step down from his post.
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Almost all detainees were released from the police station after the police officers had recorded their personal details. As of now, four Turkmen nationals have been left at the police station. One of them is a woman, whose name, according to a Turkish police officer, was on “the special enquiry” form from the Turkmen authorities.
The majority of those, who have been released, first refused to leave and demanded that the rest of the detainees get released. They tried to explain to police officers that in case of deportation they will face imprisonment and torture in Turkmenistan. The police officers appeased the outraged Turkmen nationals and promised that nobody will get deported, including those who are still being kept at the police station.
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Only one woman is left at the police station.
