"Why Did the Police not Step in against Lynch Attacks?"

The Istanbul Branch of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD) questions why the police did not step in against attackers trying to lynch people in the Turkish cities of Edirne (Thrace), Erzincan and Kars (eastern Anatolia). The association furthermore asks why the attackers involved in the lynch attempts have not been put to justice. ÇHD has filed criminal complaints in this context about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of the Interior Beşir Atalay, and the governors and Provincial Chiefs of Police of Edirne and Erzincan.

In a press release on Tuesday (5 January) in front of the Sultanahmet Courthouse in Istanbul ÇHD members carried banners saying "Ruling AKP and the head of the Mobilization Regional Presidency, stop provocations and lynch attempts". ÇHD was supported by members of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) Branch Platforms, the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) and of the Municipal and Local Authority Trade Union (Tüm Bel-Sen).

ÇHD member lawyer Hülya Deveci said in an announcement, "The lynch attempts in three cities were politically wanted, supported and approved of".

"There is no other explanation for the facts that the police turned a blind eye to lynch attempts, that no judicial or administrative procedures have been launched against the police and that the ones carrying out the lynch attempts have not been stopped and put to justice", Deveci added. She criticized the government:

"The political power that nowadays gives the impression to oppose the counter guerrilla by searching the Mobilization Regional Presidency does not raise her voice when people are lynched. They did not take any action related to the responsible people. The political power is not disturbed by the activities from the counter guerrilla and their applications".

"Logic of the 'Cosmic Room'"

"Racist lynch attacks have continued since the massacres in Sivas, Maraş and Gazi" KESK Branches Platform member Mehmet Demir indicated. "Young people aged between 18-20 years, who are our future, were beaten like enemies. Our country cannot benefit from this kind of rationale. This is the rationale of the 'Cosmic Room' in the Mobilization Regional Presidency. The other day, mayors elected by the public were put into jail without inquiry - this is the same rationale as the lynch attempts on young people".

After the announcements ÇHD members handed their petition for criminal complaints to the prosecution.

Lynch attempts in three cities

Members of the Edirne Youth Association made a press release on 27 December in one of the busiest streets of Edirne to protest against the arrest of three association members who were kept in custody under allegations of membership to an illegal organization. They also initiated a signature campaign in the same context.

The Youth Association members were attacked by a large group of people. The police did not intervene against the attackers but arrested three association members instead.

Members of the Popular Front voiced their protested against the incident on Sunday (3 January). Again, the protestors were attacked. The police intervened against the Popular Front members with tear gas; none of their attackers was arrested.

Demonstrators in the cities of Erzincan and Kars, who also protested the incident in Edirne, were attacked as well. Apparently, the police watched the attacks but did not intervene. (BÇ/VK)