ŞIRNAK – A new level of anti-Kurdish repression is emerging in the province of Şırnak where more than forty people have been taken into custody within a week. Among those affected are several minors as well as members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). It appears that a purge covering the entire province has been set in motion. The raids took place in almost all of Şırnak’s districts and towns.
The basis of the political extermination campaign is an investigation conducted by the Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The background is unclear, as a secrecy order has been imposed on the file. The reasoning behind the order is that personal contact between “the suspect and legal entities, as well as the authorization to examine the contents of the file or make copies of the documents” could jeopardize the purpose of the investigation. This practice is used as standard in proceedings under Turkey’s anti-terror legislation. It is a popular method used by judicial authorities to torpedo the defense.
Raids took place in the Cizre district on the morning of May 7. A counterterrorism unit of the Turkish police raided several apartments in the Yafes neighborhood and made numerous arrests. In addition to Yahya U. (16), Yusuf Y. (15), Abdullah B. (20) and Mahsum B. (21), who are accused of throwing stones at police officers, six other (unnamed) people were also taken into custody. In five cases, arrest warrants have since been issued, and one person was released on police reporting conditions. Four of the persons concerned are still in police custody. It is not yet known whether they are the alleged “stone-throwers”.
Detentions in Dêrgûl and Ereban
In the town of Dêrgûl, activists Zeynep Unat and Zozan Aksu were detained on May 10. From Ereban in Idil district, the co-chairwoman of the HDP town association Müzeyyen Inan and her son Osman Inan are in custody. Unless their police detention is extended on Saturday, they should be released or transferred to court later today.
25 detentions in Yafes and Cudi
More people were detained in Cizre on May 12. Turkish police stormed numerous apartments in Yafes and Cûdî neighborhoods and detained a total of 25 people. The neighborhood of Yafes was besieged by police armored cars, and the searches continued for hours. The detainees continue to be detained at the provincial capital’s Şirnak police headquarters. Prosecutorial interrogation is scheduled for next Monday.
Two detentions in İdil
Other raids took place in the district of İdil where Tarik Ul and Dilgeş Rüstemoğlu were taken into custody. They were also taken to the police directorate in Şırnak.
Political extermination campaign since 2015
Since the unilateral breakdown of peace talks between the Turkish government and PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the summer of 2015, the AKP has been tirelessly turning the repression screw against the Kurdish population and the democratic opposition. The campaign of extermination, which has been in full swing since then, has de facto abolished dialogue, political discussion, pluralism and fundamental rights. Arbitrary arrests and detentions occur almost daily. Tens of thousands of people, including thousands of HDP members, are in prison for political reasons.
