Neighborhood guards’ violence on Parliamentary agenda

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Republican People's Party (CHP) Ankara MP Gamze Taşcıer has addressed a Parliamentary question to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu regarding the recently escalating violence of neighborhood guards.

The Parliamentary question of the main opposition MP has come amid the ongoing debates about the neighborhood guards' violence against the Beşiktaş fans, who attempted to celebrate their Super League Championship on Saturday night (May 15) during the 'full lockdown'.

CHP's Gamze Taşcıer has reminded Interior Minister Soylu that neighborhood guards forced a 15-year-old child to lie on the ground and battered him in Turkey's eastern province of Batman. She has also referred to the incident where the guards fired their weapons into the air during the celebrations of Beşiktaş fans in İstanbul's Eyüpsultan district.

'It indicates misuse of power'

Taşçıer has made the following comments about the issue:

"We see a case of neighborhood guard violence almost everyday. The fact that the neighborhood guards, whose only duty is to inform the law enforcement and to take preventive measures, are constantly seen battering citizens, firing their weapons into the air and insulting citizens proves that the problem cannot be overlooked any longer.

"A type of violence called 'neighborhood guard violence' has come into the agenda of Turkey. The use of such violence about an issue that would only result in an administrative fine indicates a misuse of power."

'Is there any investigation?'

Against this backdrop, CHP MP Gamze Taşcıer has asked Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu the following questions:

There are constantly videos that show neighborhood guards insulting and battering citizens and using weapons. Do you consider it a problem?

The Directorate General of Security has recently issued a circular letter that bans audio and video recording during public incidents on the pretext of violation of privacy and personal data of law enforcement officers. Was this circular prepared to prevent the recently escalating violence of neighborhood guards from being recorded?

Since the related law entered into effect, has there been any investigation against neighborhood guards over such incidents as the use disproportionate violence, torture and maltreatment or use of weapons except for specified conditions? If yes, how have these investigations been concluded? Has any lawsuit been filed against neighborhood guards so far?

Since the related law entered into force, have any neighborhood guards been expelled from the profession? If yes, what is their number and for what reasons have they been expelled from the profession?

A few days ago in the evening hours, neighborhood guards forced a 15-year-old child to lie on the grounds and inflicted violence on him in the Salih Özdemir Park in Cudi Neighborhood in Batman. Will an investigation be launched against these neighborhood guards?

Were neighborhood guards instructed to use violence in cases of violation of curfews, which is penalized by only an administrative fine? (RT/SD)