Minister's Defense of Police Officer Accused of Sexual Assault on Parliamentary Agenda

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On February 16, Merve Demirel was detained during a demonstration. Posting the images and videos of the moment of her detention, Demirel accused a police officer of sexually assaulting her and filed a complaint.

Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu and Ankara Security Directorate's statements in defense of the officer sparked controversy.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Serpil Kemalbay has directed a parliamentary question at Minister Soylu. HDP MP Hüda Kaya held a press conference at the parliament with Merve Demirel.

MP Kemalbay said in his parliamentary question that 381 police officers harassed women in detention between 1997 and 2018. She said the sexual assault complaints against the police are "not individual cases".

Where is the "individuality of crime"?

Kemalbay directed the following questions to the Minister of Interior:

-How many criminal complaints have been filed against the security organization regarding sexual assault since 2002? How many investigations have been opened into the allegations?

-Has any legal or administrative investigation been launched into the videos and images that show the harassment of M.D.?

-Do you think that the Ankara Security Directorate legitimized sexual assault by its statements on the incident?

-Is the Ankara Security Directorate's statement that said "M.D.'s father operates within FETÖ*" not against the principle of individuality of crime?

-Did the Ankara Security Directorate make this statement because it thinks what has been done is deserved when the whole video is watched: "Turkish Police Organization is being tried to be insulted and battered before the public through just one frame in the videos of the moment of detention that do not present the incident as a whole."

"A party that came to power by exploiting the headscarf"

HDP MP Hüda Kaya said the following in the press conference she held with Merve Demirel at the TBMM:

"Yesterday's power hungry, putschist masculine centers who show their oppression and ugliness through women, continue their existence today with the AKP government.

"With those who call themselves Muslims, with a party that came to power by exploiting the headscarf, the conservative AKP, Turkey made it into first ranks in terms of state and male violence against women, rape, and harassment.

"I am calling upon those who appealed to the lie "They attacked my headscarved sisters" at Kabataş (in the 2013 Gezi Park protests) and those who believed that lie; where is the woman you claimed? But Merve Demirel is here.

"Can you say "They attacked my headscarved sisters" now? No. you are the ones who adopt harassment and abuse."

"All offenses against the integrity of the body are intentional"

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Gülizar Biçer criticized AKP Group Deputy Chair Özlem Zengin, who said that "the judiciary will examine if the act was intentional or reckless."

Referring to the Turkish Penal Code, Biçer said, "Every offense against the integrity of the body is evaluated as intentional."

Merve Demirel: "I am concerned for my family"

Speaking to the Mezopotamya Agency, Merve Demirel said that after the statements by Minister Soylu and the Security Directorate, she became concerned for her family.

"A Minister of Interior making such threats would encourage people who don't think with common sense. They are paving way for more horrible incidents with such discourse.

"If a bad thing happens, how will they give an account of it?

"Right now my only concern is that whether a bad thing will happen to my family, my brother because of what they (The Minister and the Security directorate) said.

"At this point, I am thinking of the life safety of myself and my family"."

What happened?

On February 16, four people including Merve Demirel staged a demonstration in Ankara. The police detained all of them. The protesters later shared images and videos of the incident. The images allegedly show a police officer sexually assaulting Demirel.

Ankara Security Directorate said in a statement that demonstrators Merve Demirel, N.B, A.K, G.B, A.Ş. were "trying to provoke and expose the security officers by sharing the video of the detention and cutting out a specific part from the video."

Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu also made a statement on Twitter, saying, "If you stage an illegal demonstration, you'll be 'frogmarched' after warnings. If there is harassment, we will be the first to address that. But we won't let those who pass their lives by harassing those who don't think like them to persecute the police through 'a project woman whose father was dismissed because of FETÖ and sibling is a DHKP-C** member."

In a later statement, Soylu said, "Those low lifes who call our son a 'harasser' will pay for that."

*Fethullahist Terrorist Organization, which is held responsible for the coup attempt in July 2016.

**Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, an organization deginated as terrorist by Turkey.

(EKN/VK)