Kurdish Party Buildings Attacked in 9 Cities As Nationalist Student Dies

9 administrative buildings of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have been attacked across Turkey allegedly by Turkey’s ultranationalist groups in the past 3 days. Injuries due to knife and bats were reported.

The incident coincided with the killing of Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu on Saturday - a university student at Ege University allegedly affiliated with the nationalists grey wolves group [Ülkü Ocakları] and had a fight with Kurdish students.

The list of cities was as follows: Ankara (2 different districts), Kocaeli, Trabzon, İzmir, Erzurum, Kayseri, Eskişehir, İstanbul and Adana. 

“A group of half dozen grey wolves suddenly attacked us in the building,” HDP’s Ankara Provincial Co-Chair Lokman Ergün told bianet. 

“There were 2 women and 4 men in the building. The group attacked those people with slogans condemning Kurdish people and PKK. 

“The amenities in the building were also affected,” he added. “We also had a box where we collected money to be send to Kobane as aid. It was stolen as well.” 

According to Ergün, the incident took place yesterday afternoon local time. 

HDP also submitted a complaint to the police on the issue. Those who were affected testified to anti-terror police on how the incident happened. 

In Ankara’s Etimesgut district, on the other hand, a HDP-affiliated building was attacked late night with suspects spraying racist slogans on the walls.  

According to Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Documentation Center, the remaining attacks were reported in the following venues: Kocaeli’s Darıca district, Trabzon province, İzmir’s Menderes district, Erzurum,  Kayseri, Eskişehir, İstanbul’s Esenler district and Adana province.

While a confidentiality order was issued on the murder investigation, advocate Atakan Güngör said that at least 6 students were detained for charges related to murder, assault and property damage. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.