An assault on Ahmet Türk, a former leader of the now-defunct pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), in the Black Sea province of Samsun on Monday drew widespread criticism from all segments of society, with the case characterized as an act targeting peace in the country. Turk was punched in the face shortly after reading a press statement in front of a courthouse where the trial of a man charged with killing two protesters in Bulanık, Muş province, on Dec. 15 was being heard. The fact that such an attack was carried out against Turk, who has always supported peace between Kurds and Turks and avoided any actions or statements that would raise tension in society, made the incident more tragic. However, considering the fact that such things are not uncommon in Turkey as pro-peace individuals frequently become targets of attacks or unjust treatment, many say they were not very surprised over the incident.
According to Radikal’s Oral Çalışlar, the attack on Turk is a very harsh warning made to those who defend democracy and peace in the country. He says it is possible to interpret the case as a strong warning to the government because the government is responsible for finding a solution to the Kurdish problem. “Those seeking a violent solution target symbols of peace and try to eliminate their legitimacy. The Kurdish problem is a tough problem. Those who attacked Türk could not have acted alone. This incident is a harsh and shocking warning. We will all see whether the government learns any lesson from this incident,” Çalışlar says.
Milliyet’s Hasan Cemal says he was not very astonished to see such an attack being carried out in Turkey against someone like Türk, who has suffered much pain due to his ethnicity and his desire to stand up for it. Considering the fact that Türk’s party was closed down by the Constitutional Court and a political ban was imposed on him, Cemal says this was Turkey’s “award” given to Türk as someone who has for years done his best to cut the link of the Kurdish problem with violence and bring members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) down from the mountains. “This is Turkey, everything is possible here,” Cemal says.
“I think it is impossible to find a politician involved in Turkish politics as gentle and decent as Türk. The punishment Türk received for being that way has been to be subjected to torture during the Sept. 12, 1980 coup period and more recently to be banned from engaging in politics. A punch was added to those things in Samsun. The trial was transferred from Bulanık to Samsun out of security concerns. It emerged that the police did not take the security issue seriously. If Türk’s nose could be broken in the presence of 150 police officers, this says something about how secure the venue was. This is Turkey,” says Star’s Ergun Babahan, who is also very saddened and disappointed by the incident in Samsun. In the wake of violent demonstrations that took place in south-eastern Turkey after the attack on Türk, Babahan says these incidents show what that punch aimed to do. “Sometimes a punch can serve the same function as a bomb or a bullet,” he notes.
FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK