A Kurdish citizen named Volkan Temel, who lives in Boztepe District of Çankaya, was subjected to a racist attack on 18 December three people. Temel was called 'dirty Kurd' and threatened that the neighborhood will be his grave. The family told that Temel has a 50% disability report. While the police did not process the incident as a racist attack, the family stressed that the attack was carried out with racist motives.

 

Family members spoke to Mesopotamia Agency (MA) regarding the incident.

 

Beritan Temel, the wife of Temel's older brother, who was one of the witnesses of the racist attack, stated that Volkan Temel shouted her name as he was coming towards her house. Stating that she saw two people were attacking him when she looked out the window, Temel said: "They were beating him with a hammer in one's hand and large stone in the other's hand. Volkan turned to me, his face unrecognizable, blood all over him. I shouted, I said don't do it, they threatened and insulted me saying 'dirty Kurds, this is Türközü District, we will bury all Kurds in this neighborhood'. I took him home. When I asked him what happened after I washed his hands and face, he said, 'Aunt, they called me dirty Kurd, they asked me for money, I did not give them. Then, they hit me on the head with a hammer and a stone'. I put ice on his head and he started vomiting. I called my husband and my mother-in-law. They called the ambulance and we took him to the hospital."

 

'THE POLICE AND THE ATTACKERS WERE FRIENDLY WITH EACH OTHER'

 

Noting that they have been living in Boztepe Neighborhood for about a year, Temel stated that they were exposed to racist insults by the same neighbors a couple of times in March. 

 

Noting that the police came in front of the attackers' house after they were released, Temel said, "The police entered their house. They looked so friendly, as if they had known each other for years.”

 

'ILL-TREATMENT BY THE POLICE'

 

Saying that they migrated from Beytüşebap district of Şırnak to Adana due to state opression, mother Hanife Temek told that the police forced her son to give his statement at the police station while he was on a drip in the hospital. Stressing that her son was kept standing in the police station for 9 hours, Temel said: "I asked the police why they were holding him despite the fact that he needed to be in a hospital in that state. They stalled us, and questioned my motherhood for being impatient. I held my sons hand and tried to leave the police station but they prevented us from leaving. They didn't let us go until the first lights of the morning. They took his statement while he was alone. Even though we told them this was a racist attack, they did not process the incident as one. They said two kids had a fight."

 

50% DISABLED

 

Noting that his son also has a 50% disability report, Temel said, “This is not a fight between two kids. Children do not do this to each other, one of the attackers beat my son with a hammer, does this look like a kids' fight? We do not accept this persecution. How would a 17-year-old know what's what? They attacked us because we are Kurds. I do not accept that."

 

THE FAMILY WAS TARGETED BEFORE

 

Noting that the perpetrators of the racist attack have been harassing them since they moved to Boztepe Mahallesi, his elder brother Nurettin Temel said, "They have been harassing and insulting us since the day we got here. They don't want us here. They tried to persuade our landlord not to rent this house to us because we are Kurdish. They are ready to attack any minute. We can respond but we don't want a fight."

 

'POLICE PROTECTED THE ATTACKERS'

 

Reminding that the police did not process the incident as a racist attack, Temel said: "They protected the attackers. The attackers called our landlords and told them to evict us and now we are being evicted. The police was at their house last night. They are protecting them from us as if we would do anything. We are the victims but the police protects them. We will fight for our rights to the end."