Attack Killed Four Family Members in Urfa on Parliamentary Agenda

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An armed attack was perpetrated on June 15 in Siverek district in the southeastern province of Urfa, killing four people and wounding five from the same family.

The perpetrators also killed two people by hitting them with cars while they were escaping the area.

The names of the killed family members are Hakkı İzol, Zozan İzol, Meryem İzol and Serdar İzol.

Brothers of Zülfikar İzol, a former MP of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were reportedly among the perpetrators.

Video footage related to the attack spread on social media today (June 19) under the hashtag #SiverektekiKatliamaSesVer (Speak up against the massacre in Siverek).

"Perpetrators used political influence"

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Oya Ersoy has brought the incident into the parliament, directing a parliamentary question at Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu.

Saying that because the perpetrators used their political influence on public authorities, the security forces were "indifferent, negligent and biased" regarding ensuring the safety of citizens and rounding up the perpetrators, Ersoy directed the following questions at the minister:

Is the province of Urfa where the massacre on June 15 and other similar incidents happened within your ministry's area of authority?

Did you watch the footage shot with a mobile phone by the relatives of our citizens who were brutally massacred? As the Minister of Interior of this country, did you give a written order for legal action to be immediately taken?

Are the necessary administrative and judicial investigations launched against the responsible public personnel who were clearly seen mere spectators against a massacre? If not, what is being waited for?

Do you think of resignation considering that you are not able to protect the citizens' right to live in a country where our citizens are massacred in daylight? (EKN/VK)