HÜDA PAR Spokesperson Serkan Ramanlı said that the violence perpetrated against a citizen by law enforcement officers in Diyarbakır in the past days is a new example of arbitrary behavior.

“Especially in the provinces of the region, the rude and harsh attitude towards the citizens inflicts deep wounds on the society and creates an atmosphere of insecurity. The hostile approach of the police officers tasked with protecting the citizens to the citizens creates atrocious incidents and perpetuates the problems,” Ramanlı said.

Ramanlı underlined that “the main reason for this is that the political environment feeds on security-friendly policies, encourages law enforcement to act harshly, and unfortunately, the judicial mechanism also provides assurance of impunity.”

“If Turkey is a state of law, all public officials, including the police or gendarmerie, should be trained with the awareness that they have to act within the limits of the law. No person or professional group has been granted the right to ill-treat in any position. Violence does not solve problems, on the contrary, it has a deepening effect. While this is the case, unlawful acts that will lead Turkey to social ruptures in the past should be punished in the most severe way. Soldiers or police should be sent off with the awareness of law and human rights, not with a pat on the back. Fundamental rights must be meticulously protected. No matter where in Turkey, such practices should be a thing of the past,” Ramanlı added.  

On December 28, several police officers were captured on video in Diyarbakir while exerting unnecessary violence on a young man who was on his way to a mosque for prayer when he was stopped by the police

The video shows police officers hitting the face of Emre Altunteri several times, once beating his head to a wall behind.

After the video circulated on social media platforms, the governor’s office said that two police officers were lashed off temporarily. (ILKHA)