One person killed in third racist attack on Kurds in two weeks

Photo: MA

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One person has been shot dead in an attack by dozens of people against a Kurdish family in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reported.

"They didn't want us [here] because we are Kurds. They would tell us, 'You'll sell these lands and leave'," said Hamdi Dal, the brother of Hakim Dal, who was killed in the attack.

The incident happened after an argument that started while shepherds were pasturing animals, Dal said. "After the argument, a group of at least 60 people came from Karahüyük [a neighboring village]. First, they fired shotgun shells at my uncle's son. We were three people and they arbitrarily attacked us on the excuse of the shepherds' argument. My brother died in the attack."

A witness, Mehmet Emin, said that there had been at least three attempted attacks against the family before. "The instigator is the mukhtar [village head]. He was provoking villagers against the family."

On July 12, a Kurdish family was attacked by the same group of villagers in Meram, Konya. Seven members of the family, including women, were injured in the attack.

On July 19, Kurdish seasonal agricultural workers were attacked in the western Afyon province. (RT/VK)