Pro-Kurdish Politician Türk Attacked

Former co-chair of the closed pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) Ahmet Türk was attacked after a court hearing in Samsun yesterday (12 April). Türk had come to the city on the coast of the Black Sea for a trial regarding the death of two people in the Bulanık district of the province of Muş in south-eastern Turkey. Four people were injured in the same incident.

Türk had answered the journalists' questions after the hearing and was about to enter his car when a person called İsmail Çelik broke through the security and hit him in the face with his fist. Türk's nose got broken and he underwent surgery in a hospital in Ankara. According to latest reports, Türk did not suffer from any furhter injuries.

Two people were arrested.

Demirtaş: Governor and Chief of Police should be suspended

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Chairman Selahattin Demirtaş called the attack "vicious and cruel". Demirtaş demanded to depose the Samsun Governor and the Chief of Police form office and to launch an investigation about the two officials.

Two chiefs of police deposed from office

Cemal Issı, 2^nd Class Deputy Chief of Police of the Provincial Police Department, and Murat Alkan, 4^th Class Chief of Police of the Branch Directorate were suspended from office because they did not prevent the attack on Türk. Two inspectors were appointed by the Ministry of the Interior.

27-year-old Çelik works in a local café and holds a criminal record for carrying an unlicensed gun.

"This should be investigated thoroughly"

Türk made an announcement after he had received first aid and before he returned to Ankara:

"I was exposed to an attack of a racist, fascist person. I call on everybody to be reasonable. I hope that this kind of incident will not create tension within the society. Of course the mechanics of this incident and the precautions should be seriously monitored. There is some neglect here if such an incident can happen among the local police, if a person is able to come around and punch somebody else. I want this to be investigated very thoroughly".

In a statement on the Turkish news station ntv, former DTP Co-chair Aysel Tuğluk said that the attack could not be viewed as a singular incident. Tuğluk criticized that necessary precautions had not been taken although the Interior Ministry had been informed.

Tuğluk indicated that they had a warm welcome in Samsun before the hearing. She questioned what would have happened if the attacker had been armed.

"There have been threats against us, our party and Mr Türk for a long time. Osman Baydemir [pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party Mayor of Diyarbakır] has recently been threatened as well. The latest incident is a continuation of events. This is a very dangerous situation. This was a planned attack against the Kurdish people. This makes us concerned. This is a serious situation valid for Turkey as a whole".

The Samsun Ekip newspaper and the Republican People's Party condemned the attack. (EÜ/BB/VK)