Police Beat, Detain Child in 'I Want My Job Back' Protest

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Three people, including one child, have been beaten and detained by the police while they were listening to a press statement by the "Yüksel protesters" in the capital Ankara.

Several people have been staging the "I want my job back" protests on Yüksel Street since 2017 when they were dismissed from public service upon statutory decrees (KHK) by the government.

Sercan Çakır (26), one of the protesters who was sentenced to house arrest this morning (February 18), told bianet about yesterday's incident:

"We were on Yüksel Street to listen to Nazan Bozkurt's statement yesterday evening at around 17.00. We were beaten and taken into custody during the statement. They took away by dragging us, handcuffed us behind our backs. They made us lie down on the street, pushed our faces on the ground."

'Examination while handcuffed'

Then they were brought to Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal State Hospital, where the doctor wanted to examine them while they were handcuffed, Çakır said. Because they did not accept that, they had to wait two to three hours for the examination, he added.

"At last, the doctor accepted to examine us without handcuffs. After the examination, we two were brought to Çankara Police Station. The torture continued here in the form of beating. Our friend whose age is underage was brought to the children's branch. They searched us three times at the police station. We were beaten there as well."

Spending the night in custody, the two people were brought to the Penal Judgeship of Peace this morning. Charged with "obstructing and resisting the police," they were released. Çakır was sentenced to house arrest as a judicial control measure. He said that they will file a criminal complaint tomorrow. (AS/VK)