E/CN.4/1992/17 page 89 Letters and Government replies 246. On 17 April 1991 the Special Rapporteur sent a letter to the Government of Turkey transmitting information received according to which persons released after being detained in the south-eastern provinces of the country on suspicion of activity for separatist organizations had alleged that, while in detention, they were subjected to severe torture. Similar allegations were made in other regions by persons released after being held on suspicion of activity on behalf of illegal left-wing newspapers or organizations. Methods of torture included beating, suspension, application of electric shocks, squeezing of testicles, being subjected to pressurized water, being forced to drink salt water and deprivation of food and water. The cases of the following persons were reported: (a) Osman Aytar, Ismail Aydin, Hayrettin Bozkurt, Mehmet Sirin Ay, Isa Bozkurt, Abdurrahman Yavas, Salih Yalcin and Hanifi Turan, detained in June and July 1990 in Diyarbakir and Silvan; (b) Mensure Avsar and Songul Avsar, two women who were detained between 21 and 22 September 1990, with some 30 other people during an operation by the security forces in and around Bismil; (c) Fatma Tokay, a member of Tayad (Prisoners' Relatives Solidarity Association) and Yasar Selcuk, a student at Gazi University, Ankara. Both were among a group of 13 persons detained on 24 January 1991 during a police operation at the premises of Tavir magazine in Ankara. 247. It was further alleged that several minors had been detained and subjected to torture after being accused of membership of, or activity for PKK. The following names were given: Mesut Ozal, aged 13; Rahim Eye, aged 15; Lokman Ozal, Muatafa Bulak, Ilhan Uzun and Abdurrahman Tas, all aged 16; Recep Orhan and Hasan Dayan both aged 17. 248. In addition, it was reported that several detainees had died in detention or immediately upon release, allegedly as a result of torture. The following names and details were given: (a) Idris Can, arrested on 16 December 1990 and taken to the Anadoluhisari Police Station in Istanbul. On 20 December he was taken to a prison where he died soon after arrival; (b) Tevfik Timur, arrested on 5 January 1991 and accused of having links with PKK. His body was handed over to his relatives on 14 January 1991; (c) Birtan Altunbas, arrested on 9 January 1991 in Ankara. His body was handed over to his relatives on 16 January 1991. (His case was also mentioned in an urgent appeal dated 6 March 1991 and the Government reply dated 26 June 1991 (see para. 243 (b) above)); (d) Haydar Basbugur, arrested for stealing cigarettes and taken to Anafartalar police station in Ankara. Two days after his arrest his body was handed over to his family. Police told the family he had committed suicide;