E/CN.4/1991/17 page 56 175. On 22 March 1990 the Government of Turkey provided detailed information about the past activities of and the present charges against the nine above-mentioned persons. It was affirmed that the competent authorities had thoroughly examined the allegations concerning these persons and had established that they had not been subjected to any form of ill-treatment while in custody. These findings were reportedly confirmed by medical reports. 176. On 12 February 1990 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of Turkey concerning Ahmet Alkan, Mehmet Kulaksiz and Omer Cakmak. All three were reportedly detained at the end of January 1990, presumably in connection with suspected membership of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), and have since been held incommunicado at Diyarbakir Police headquarters. 177. On 15 March 1990 the Government of Turkey informed the Special Rapporteur that Ahmet Alkan and Mehmet Kulaksiz were brought before the Public Prosecutor of the Diyarbakir State Security Court on 8 February 1990 and released after the audience pending trial. Omer Cakmak was neither taken into custody nor interrogated. It was affirmed that the competent authorities had thoroughly examined the situation of the two ex-detainees and had established that they had not been subjected to any form of ill-treatment while in detention. Those findings were reportedly confirmed by medical reports. 178. On 5 March 1990 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of Turkey concerning Sirvan Sasar, aged 20, and Metin Aytas. The two were detained in Istanbul on or around 13 February 1990 and were later transferred to Tunceli police headquarters, in Eastern Turkey, where they were reportedly being held incommunicado and interrogated on suspected illegal political activity in the province. It was reported that Tunceli was currently under a state of emergency, which made it possible to extend the initial detention period before being formally charged or released for up to 30 days. 179. On 29 March 1990 the Government of Turkey provided the Special Rapporteur with detailed information about the past activities and the criminal record of the two above-mentioned persons. It was affirmed that the competent authorities had thoroughly examined the allegations concerning these persons and had established that they had not been subjected to any form of ill-treatment while in detention. Those findings were reportedly confirmed by medical reports. 180. On 6 July 1990 the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of Turkey concerning the following persons: Muzaffer Tekes, Guzel Ak, Ramazan Karaarslan, Ramazan Kahramaner, Sukru Kahramaner, Aziz Karakas, Mehmet Demirel, Mehmet Diren, Zeki Budak, Ahmet Atesli, Seyfettin Dilekce, Talip Nusral and Zulkuf Ozer. It was reported that the above-mentioned, and several other persons, were detained in Diyarbakir and Silvan during the night of 24 to 25 June 1990, apparently in connection with their activity for a magazine called Medya Gunesi. They are reportedly currently held incommunicado either in Diyarbakir police headquarters or at the headquarters of the "Anti-Riot Police" in Diyarbakir, and fears have been expressed that they might be tortured in order to extract a confession that they were members of an illegal organization.