Disproportionate Police Intervention after Attack on Kurdish Politician

After the attack on Ahmet Türk, former co-chair of the banned pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), protests rose in different places in the pre-dominantly Kurdish region of the south-east of Turkey during the last few days.

On 13 April, a 14-year-old boy was dragged along the road when he was arrested by the police in Hakkari, on the south-eastern tip of the country. According to the boy's family, his cheek bone got fractured in two places. He was kept under police surveillance in the State Hospital during the whole night. In the morning, he was transferred to the Van Training and Research Hospital to undergo surgery.

"He was beaten when he came from school"

bianet talked to the boy's uncle, who said that the child's mother was also beaten when she tried to protect her son:

"My nephew came from school when the demonstration passed right in front of his house. The police wanted to arrest him. My nephew ran towards his home but they caught him from behind and dragged him along the road. He was hit on the head with a truncheon. My nephew has two fractures in his left cheek bone. He was transferred to Van since they could not operate him in Hakkari. His mother's arm got broken".

Family filed criminal complaint against police

The boy's uncle indicated that the family has filed a criminal complaint at the Hakkari Public Prosecution against the police officers who beat the 14-year-old and his mother. "I do not understand this. Even if they were guilty - is this the way to behave towards a child and his mother? This is an inhumane attitude. The pictures of the incident were shown on television the whole evening. This is very offensive; once more we are made victims by the media".

"Governor and Chief of Police should resign"

Rahmi Kemerli, executive of the Hakkari Provincial Organization of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) told bianet, "We think that the attack on Ahmet Türk was planned. People in Hakkari were protesting against the attack. The police intervened with strong violence. Many people got injured, including children. We urge the Governor and the Chief of Police to apologize and resign".

12-year-old injured by gas bomb

BDP executive Kemerli said that they established a Human Rights Watch Commission. He reported that a 12-year-old child was injured by a gas bomb that hit the child's head. The child was also taken from the Hakkari State Hospital to the Training and Research Hospital in Van.

Human Rights Association (İHD) Hakkari Branch President İsmail Akbulut argued that only in the city centre of Hakkari seven people were arrested and 20 people were injured.

Akbulut criticized, "The police used disproportionate force. It raises doubt to assign Special Operation teams for such an incident. In Yüksekova, the gendarmerie intervened against the demonstrators. They say they lifted the EMASYA protocol [secret Protocol on Security, Public Order and Assistance Units] but this is clearly not the case for Hakkari. Different rules are applied there". (SP/VK)