‘Detention of the Father Raises Suspicions About Death of Rabia Naz’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ankara MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu has submitted a parliamentary question as no effective investigation has been conducted into the death of 11-year-old Rabia Naz Vatan.

Regarding the detention of Rabia Naz's father Şaban Vatan, who has been running a campaign on social media to illuminate the suspicious death of her daughter, Kerestecioğlu has said, "The detention of the father has raised the suspicions that the death of Rabia Naz was deliberately covered up."

CLICK - Father of Rabia Naz Released

'It causes public reaction that a child's suspicious death is not illuminated'

"The grieved family alleges that the death of 11-year-old Rabia Naz Vatan is attempted to be covered up by the MPs and politicians of the [ruling] Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"Since the public has witnessed it many times before that the traffic accidents involving politicians from the ruling party or their relatives were covered up, it causes reactions in the public opinion that the suspicious death of an 11-year-old child is not brought into light.

"Upon the complaint of his big brother Muhammet Vatan, whom Şaban Vatan is accusing of being in a relationship based on self-interest with the ones covering up the death of Rabia, father Şaban Vatan was suspiciously taken into custody yesterday (March 21) and hastily referred to a mental hospital in two hours for an examination of his mental health.

'They want to defame father Vatan'

"In their statement about the incident, the attorneys of Vatan indicated that the suspects of threat-related crimes are routinely released after their depositions and their files are sent to the conciliation office; on the other hand, they also stated that even people with severe psychological problems are very rarely referred to a mental institution for a mental health check."

"The attorneys of Şaban Vatan claimed that there is a deliberate attempt to defame their client. Şaban Vatan was released 8 hours later upon the objection of his attorneys and public reaction."

'Is it an instruction by someone with political power?'

HDP MP Kerestecioğlu has asked the following question to Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül regarding the suspicious death of Rabia Naz:

• On what grounds was father Şaban Vatan taken into custody? Why was the routine procedure applied to those detained on threat-related crimes not applied to Şaban Vatan? Why was he detained and kept waiting in the hospital and the prosecutor's office for 8 hours?
• Was Şaban Vatan detained upon the instruction of someone with political power, as it has been alleged?
• The detention of Şaban Vatan is raising the suspicions that the death of Rabia Naz is being covered up by political power holders. Will you make a statement about the issue, considering the reactions caused by this situation in the public opinion?
• What is your opinion, as the Minister of Justice, regarding the distrust caused by the detention of a father who lost his daughter in a suspicious death upon a simple complaint?
• What is the current phase of the investigation launched into the suspicious death of 11-year-old Rabia Naz? Has your Ministry taken any steps or raised a request of involvement into this tragic event?
• Is it a true allegation that the death of Rabia Naz Vatan is attempted to be covered up after the involvement of AKP MPs and politicians? Have you investigated these allegations?
• Why doesn't your Ministry make any statements regarding this suspicious child death, which has sparked public reactions and has not been illuminated for a year? Why have the parliamentary questions about this incident not been answered?

(AÖ/SD)