Police raids result in mass detentions, brutal treatment in Hakkari

Photo: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Dozens of young individuals were detained in house raids carried out in the early hours of the morning in the predominantly Kurdish-populated eastern province of Hakkari.

According to Mezopotamya Agency (MA), special operations police officers, who broke the windows and doors of the houses during the raids in the Yüksekova district, subjected the detained individuals to violence using rifle butts, kicks, and punches.

Those detained were first taken to Yüksekova State Hospital and then to the Yüksekova police headquarters.

Cevahir Bor, whose son Mustafa Bor was arrested during a raid on their home between 4:00-5:00 a.m., said that the special operations police officers broke into the house by smashing the doors and windows, and they were wearing masks.

Photo: MA

She said, "The people who entered our house were special operations forces, and their faces were masked. Even though I spoke in Kurdish and Turkish, they spoke in a different language, which I believe was Arabic.

"I could hear the sounds of the torture inflicted on my son, who locked himself in the room. They repeatedly hit him with an object on his face.

"When the neighbors heard our screams for help, they rushed to aid us, but no one was allowed to enter the house.

"My son's face was unrecognizable. They didn't even allow me to give him a glass of water. In an attempt to stop the torture, I brought the Quran in front of them twice, but they took the sacred book from my hands and threw it away."

"Headache" report by hospital

While the detained youth undergoes police procedures, photos have emerged depicting the brutal assault suffered by Mustafa Bor at the hands of the officers. The images reveal a multitude of bruises and bleeding in his head and across his body.

Despite the clear evidence of violence, reports suggest that when Bor was taken to the hospital, the only diagnosis provided was a mere "headache complaint."

Attorney Eren Baskın took to social media to share the incident, stating, "Mustafa was taken to Yüksekova State Hospital, where they issued a report claiming 'no signs of assault.' Thanks to our persistent pressure, he was swiftly returned to the hospital, ensuring that every trace of this horrendous torture was thoroughly documented." (TY/VK)