Istanbul Faculty of Medicine professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı stated: "The violence and torture applied by the police, which had stopped during EU adjustment process, is now on the rise again. Physical torture has seen an uptrend since the year 2007."

Human Rights Associations have been emphasizing a pressing issue lately: the rise of torture. The data included in an atlas charting torture, prepared by the Turkish Human Rights Foundation, has also emphasized this fact. The violence applied by the police on May 1st has also brought the issue of violence and torture onto the agenda. However, such events had seen a downward trend in early 2000. So, why has it started once again? Why did the police increase the level of violence in May Day celebrations?

Istanbul Faculty of Medicine professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, who had been removed from her position in forensic medicine for handing in a report revealing that the police used violence in 2000 said: "The violence and torture applied by the police, which had stopped during the EU adjustment process is on the rise again. Physical torture has seen an uptrend since the year 2007."