Turkish Νationalism- Kurdish Political and Human Rights:Attacks on Kurds increasing...


Attacks on Kurds increasing
In Inegol houses and shops belong to the Kurds were stoned and set ablaze
While the leaders of the ruling party AKP and the nationalist party MHP are targeting BDP and the Kurds at the meetings, lynch attempts against the Kurds are increasing. In Inegol where Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the nationalist party MHP, made a speech houses and shops belong to the Kurds were stoned, set fire on.
It is reported that last night at around 21:30 a group of nationalist Turks threatened a private transport van driver in Orhaniye neighbourhood merely because of being Kurdish. The driver who tried to argue was severely beaten up by the group.
Rumours gathered thousand of nationalists against the Kurds
When the driver together with 2 other friends went to the tea house where the nationalists hang out they started quarrelling with the attackers which left 5 injured.
Police came to the teahouse detained 3 Kurds. However, upon the rumours as the Kurds stabbed 5 persons approximately 3000 nationalists gathered around the detention centre chanted anti-Kurdish slogans and wanted the police to give the Kurdish youth to them.
Police opened fire in the air in order to disperse the crowd however; the crowd destroyed eight police vehicles and injured 10 policemen. Reserve reinforcements were sent from Bursa and police used tears gas against the group.

Hunting Kurds in the streets
After the governor Şahabbettin Harputlu came to the detention centre the crowd started walking towards Huzur neighbourhood where they stoned Kurdish houses and set fire on Kurdish shops.
A group of 250 person set fire on a car and a supermarket run by the Kurds in Dogrul Street. Another call shop run by the Kurds was also attacked by the crowd.
A Kurdish inhabitant of Huzur neighbourhood Zeynep A. said to ANF on the phone that the neighbourhood turned into a battle field. She further added: “They are attacking, destroying everything belong to the Kurds. Stoning our houses. The children are terrified. The crowd carrying knives and sticks is looking for Kurds in the streets.”

Governor:
These people are actually patriots

Talking to the press the governor denied nationalist motivations behind the incidents and said is started because of a financial issue otherwise the people who are involved in the incident are patriots.
It is reported that the police is controlling the exit-entry of the town.
Background of lynch incidents in Turkey
The attacks from the nationalist groups against the Kurdish students and seasonal Kurdish workers in Turkish-resided cities are increasing in recent years. The victims are not limited to the Kurds but also other leftist groups. The very first remarkable example took place on April 2005 in Trabzon where a group of Turkish leftist university students wanted to read out their press release in public against F type prisons. The students were targeted by a nationalist crowd who were blaming the students to be pro-PKK and for ruining the reputation of the town by such a leftist demo. The security forces accused the students for provoking the crowd and disturbing the public order.
Since then, the number of lynch attempts against the demonstrations raised sharply. In another attack in Sakarya, on 28 April 2008 the solidarity meeting of the pro-Kurdish party targeted by nationalists and the participants were stuck in the wedding hall for hours. A participant also lost his life due to a hart attack during this blockage. According to the reports, between 2006 and 2009 6 different lynch attempts took place in Sakarya against the Kurdish students and seasonal workers.
Similar incidents took place all over the country against Kurds and other leftist groups. The Turkish officials have been criticized by national and international human rights organisations for not prosecuting the perpetrators but the victims. They also claim that impunity encourages the attackers.

 
26 July 2010
ANF / BURSA
ANF NEWS AGENCY