Şenyaşar family detained ahead of HDP’s visit

* Photo: HDP

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Pervin Buldan, along with HDP Spokesperson Ebru Günay and a group of people accompanying them, wanted to visit the Şenyaşar family, who have been keeping a "Justice Watch" in front of the Urfa Courthouse in southeast Turkey.

However, before they came in front of the courthouse to meet the family, Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar were detained. Coming in front of the courthouse, Buldan made a statement there and kept a symbolic watch. The police tried to prevent the group for a long time.

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Before the general elections on June 24, 2018, Emine Şenyaşar's sons and spouse were attacked by the guards and relatives of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız, who came to visit their shop in Suruç, after they had criticized the AKP politicians.

The attack that started in the shop continued in the hospital where the wounded Şenyaşar family was taken to. Father Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and sons Celal and Adil Şenyaşar lost their lives in the incident, while Emine Şenyaşar's other son Fadıl Şenyaşar has been arrested over the attack.

'Injustice coming on top of injustice'

As reported by the HDP, Buldan made a brief statement in front of the Urfa Courthouse, where she briefly said the following:

"We have come here today to support the watch kept by the Şenyaşar family. We have come here to join the search for justice that the Şenyaşar family has long been making. The Şenyaşar family suffered here.

"We have come here to say that we share this suffering and we feel it in our hearts. We have come here today and seen that the Şenyaşar family is not here. We have come here today and seen that the Şenyaşar family were detained because we would come here.

"There is an unlawfulness, injustice and remorselessness going on here. New unjust acts are added to the others, new unlawful and remorseless acts are added to the others. What the Şenyaşar family is expecting from you is not an atrocity. What they are expecting from you is justice, what they are expecting is that the unlawfully heard trial be heard again.

"Because two separate investigations were launched in the case. People were arrested in the first one; but, a confidentiality order was issued for the second file and this file has not yet been opened. What especially matters here is that in this second trial, who did what and how the perpetrators committed the murders are known. So, the confidentiality order..."

'Penalize those who committed the murders'

Further in her statement, Bulsan referred to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP):

"Today, we - of course - do not have any expectations from the AKP government. We know that the AKP and MHP government has left nothing as the law in the country, they have trampled upon the law, they have not left even a tiny bit of democracy. We have an expectation from the new government that will come after the AKP and MHP government, I mean, from the government that will replace the AKP and MHP government, which will leave office in a possible election."

Accordingly, reminding the public that "the Şenyaşar family has lost their children, four people in total have lost their lives", Buldan has demanded that "the incident be brought to light in its all aspects."

"We don't want anything else," she has added.

"Whoever is the culprit and the perpetrator, they must be put on trial and penalized. Regardless of who they are, they must serve the sentence. This is our demand. This is also the Şenyaşar family's demand. New unlawful and unjust acts are coming on top of the others.

"What we demand now is an immediate release of the Şenyaşar family. What you have made that mother go through and all this atrocity that you have committed will definitely be convicted in all hearts. The Şenyaşar family will definitely find justice in the light of their expectations."

What happened?

During the election campaign of ruling AKP Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız in Suruç, Urfa on June 14, 2018, an attack turned into an armed conflict, which claimed the lives of Yıldız's brother Mehmet Şah Yıldız, shop owner Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar.

Having lost his father and two brothers and been wounded himself in the incident, Fadıl Şenyaşar was discharged from hospital and detained on June 17. He was then arrested and sent to prison.

Demanding justice for two sons, husband and her arrested son, Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, have been keeping a "justice watch" in front of the courthouse. (AS/SD)