Allegation That One Person Murdered Because He is Kurdish on Parliamentary Agenda

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Muş MP Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the allegations that Kadir Sakçı was murdered in a racist attack in Sakarya.

In the district of Hendek in Sakarya, an armed attack was carried out against 43-year-old Kadir Sakçı and his 16-year-old son B.S. While the father lost his life in the attack, his son B.S. has been severely injured. After the attack, it has been alleged that the perpetrator attacked Kadir Sakçı and B.S. because they were Kurdish and spoke Kurdish.

While the treatment of B.S. is still continuing, it has also been reported that assailant H.U., who was detained in Bursa, defended himself by saying that "he was drunk at the time of incident and do not remember the attack."

Governorship: No ethnic motivations

The Governorship of Sakarya released a written statement on its website regarding the incident and indicated, "The attempt to create a perception that the attack was ethnically motivated is not grounded in actual facts."

In her parliamentary question, Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit has recounted that the incident occured while the father and son were passing by the neighborhood coffeehouse at the evening hours and assailant H.U. went out of the coffeehouse by saying, "Are you from Syria, go away from here." She has also added that H.U. opened fire on Kadir Sakçı and his son after they responded, "We are Kurdish."

Koçyiğit has also stated that a person named R.E. took assailant H.U. and his family to Bursa in his/her vehicle and R.E. was taken into custody in the province along with H.U. While the assailant was arrested, R.E., who aided H.U. to escape, has been released.

Questions

Koçyiğit has directed a series of questions to Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu regarding the incident including:

* Were Kadir Sakçı, who lost his life in the attack, and his son Burhan Sakçı were shot because they responded, "We are Kurdish"?

* Why has R.E., who helped the assailant to escape, been released?

* Are there any other suspects who helped the assailant to escape? If yes, has an investigation been launched against them?

* What is the role of the media and politics in the discriminating and racist attacks directed to Kurds, Syrians, Armenians, Alevites, women, LGBTI individuals and minority rights? Has your Ministry been working to prevent such attacks that are becoming more and more widespread in Turkey? (AÖ/EKN/SD)