Kurdish workers attacked in Yozgat province for ‘head tax’

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Arriving in the district of Çekerek in Turkey's central Anatolian province of Yozgat, workers from Derik in Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin were attacked by a group of people organized by the village heads in the region, who wanted to charge workers a so-called "head tax."

The Sub-Governor's Office of Çekerek stated that "it could not ensure their life safety." Workers had to leave the province for their hometown.

They wanted 'head tax'

As reported by Ahmet Kanbal from Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Kurdish workers who came to Çekerek district to work in the forests of Bazlamaç and Kayalar villages were attacked by a group of villagers. Following this incident, they had to leave both their jobs and the province.

After they were attacked by the group, workers were made to leave Yozgat, escorted by the gendarmerie till they arrived in Malatya province. They had to go back to Derik in Mardin, their hometown.

13 families left Derik in May 2020, came to Çekerek to live in the tents that they set up on a public land. They were going to work as forest workers for a company that won the tender lodged by the Forest Sub-district Directorate.

However, shortly after they set up their tents, the heads of neighboring villages started harassing the workers. They wanted to charge the workers a so-called "head tax," which is not something stipulated by the law.

In response to this continuous harassment, the families of workers said that the land belonged to the state and refused to make any payment.

'We will not let you live here'

On July 18, the heads of 18 villages met in Çekerek, came to the area where the workers set up their tents and wanted the workers to pay them 1,000 lira per tent. Workers reiterated that they would not pay anything as their tents were on a public land, adding that the Sub-Governor's Office was informed about their presence. They refused to make any payment.

As a response to this, the village heads gathered locals together, brought them to the tents and attacked the workers. As told by the workers, some of the attackers were shouting, "We will not let you live here."

While gendarmerie teams were referred to the area following this incident, a committee of people, including Çekerek Sub-Governor, Çekerek Mayor, District Gendarmerie Commander and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) District Chair came to the area and met with workers, village heads and villagers as the tension further escalated.

While village heads alleged that workers swore them in Kurdish, workers claimed that village heads forced them to pay money and they did not swear as alleged. Following these negotiations, the area inhabited by workers started to be protected by the gendarmerie keeping watch there.

'We cannot ensure your life safety'

While workers and villagers filed a criminal complaint against each other, workers were attacked again and, in response to this, the Sub-Governor's Office of Çekerek informed the workers that they had to leave the district as the Office "could not ensure their safety of life."

Afterwards, some of the workers and their families were made to leave Yozgat in vehicles allocated by the Sub-Governor's Office. They were accompanied by the gendarmerie until they arrived in Malatya.

Workers have indicated that some of the workers are still in Yozgat and, for that reason, they do not want to talk about the issue for now, considering the security of those still in the province. (SO/SD)