NORTH KURDISTAN, — Turkish police act with impunity in Kurdistan and don’t make any distinction between women, men and children when it came to disperse demonstrations.
As a result of this indiscriminate violence many Kurdish women and children had to be hospitalized. In Cizre, 75 years old Kumri Candoruk had to be taken to hospital after trying to prevent her 13 year-old- granddaughter from being detained by police.
“I asked police to let my granddaughter free – the woman said – But instead the policeman hit me with his gun’s butt. If they had no problems beating me like that, I cannot think what they are doing to young people,” said the woman to the DIHA News Agency journalist who interviewed her.
Ten police officers attempted to lynch 18-year-old Canan Nayci, for wearing the Palestinian kefiye (puşi in Kurdish).
Canan Nayci told DIHA of the brutality of police: “I was walking with my friends. A plain clothes policeman called us when we were passing by. My other friends run but I could not. Around 10 police beat me and drugged me on the ground. I shouted and called for help but no one dare to help. They left me when I fainted. I opened my eyes in the hospital room.”
Six months pregnant Sabriye Erinç was another of the women who faced police brutality: “I went out to buy something for my 6-year-old child. Suddenly police threw a tear gas hitting my face. I found myself in hospital. I had a broken noise and my face was swollen. Doctors had to give stitches to my noise but I was really afraid of losing my baby.”