Soldiers torture shepherds in Diyarbakır, share video on TikTok
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Soldiers allegedly subjected four shepherds to acts of violence in the Lice district of the predominantly Kurdish-populated province of Diyarbakır.
The incident that reportedly happened in early June came to light when a TikTok user named "Uzman Çavuş Komutan Berk" (Specialist Sergeant Commander Berk) shared a video on social media with the caption "revenge."
The footage shows three individuals being forcefully handcuffed and forced to lie on the ground, while another person is seen sitting and engaging in conversation with one of the soldiers.
The presence of the soldiers around the detained individuals is also captured in the video. One of the shepherds can be heard saying, "I'm lying here for bread," while the soldier filming the incident responds with the words, "I swear to God..."
Hanifi Yalavuz, who was among those forcibly detained and forced to the ground, provided details of the incident to Mezopotamya Agency (MA): "The incident took place on June 3 while we were with the animals at night. Around 03:20, a clash occurred, and after the clash, they caught us and accused us, saying, 'You are the ones who fired at us.'
"Subsequently, they forced us to the ground, applied handcuffs, tortured us, and hurled insults. They even kicked us in the head."
LİCÊ'DE ÇOBANLARA ASKER ŞİDDETİ: TEKMELERLE VURDULAR
— Mezopotamya Ajansı (@MAturkce) July 12, 2023
Licê ilçesinde askerlerin çobanlara uyguladığı şiddetin görüntüleri ortaya çıktı. Çobanlardan Hanifi Yalavuz, "Çıkan çatışmadan bizi sorumlu tuttular. Yere yatırıp başımıza tekmelerle vurdular” dedi.https://t.co/QekJPfsAB6 pic.twitter.com/ekt4sDAhE8
"They apologized"
Yalavuz further revealed that they gave their statements at the local police station following the incident. He added, "At around 5.00 a.m., they released us from the police station and sent us back to our village, telling us, 'Go, the soldiers are waiting for you there.'
"We went, provided our statements, and they let us go. The next day, they called me to the police station and apologized on behalf of the soldiers, claiming they were unaware of the torture and insults. They assured me that necessary action would be taken against them."
Criminal complaints
The Diyarbakır Bar Association and the Diyarbakır branch of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) have filed a criminal complaint against the soldiers responsible for the violence.
The bar association's statement emphasized their commitment to closely monitoring the legal process and outlined the criminal charges, including "torture and ill-treatment," "intentional injury," "threat," "insult," and "deprivation of liberty."
The ÖHD Diyarbakır Branch, in a written statement, emphasized the strict prohibition of torture under all circumstances and called for an effective investigation into the incident.
It expressed concerns regarding the "unlimited powers" granted to law enforcement and the "culture of impunity" within the judicial system, which it said contributes to such incidents.
The ÖHD stated their intention to closely follow the legal process and announced the submission of a criminal complaint against the soldiers to the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Parliamentary question
The incident has prompted Serhat Eren, a Green Left (Yeşil Sol) Party deputy representing Diyarbakır, to address the issue in a parliamentary question directed at Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Eren expressed concern over the persistent institutionalized violence policies targeted at the Kurdish people and called for accountability, stating that "the systemic torture and massacres perpetrated by law enforcement and military forces are a result of the culture of impunity within the ruling power and its allies." (NT/VK)