VAN - The Atlı family, battered by Turkish soldiers in the Xaşkan neighborhood of Başkale, stated that they were exposed to violence because they are Kurds, and described what happened as "oppression".

 

Soldiers raided the house of Atlı family living in the Başkale district in Van on June 20 and detained Mehmet Emin Atlı. During the raid, the soldiers opened fire into the air which continued for minutes and battered the women. Some women fainted during the raid the footage of which was leaked to the press. The governor's office defended the violence of the soldiers in a statement after the footage was leaked. Atlı family told the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) what happened during the raid.

 

AYTEN FELL FROM THE STAIRS

 

Stating that she had an operation recently due to the mass on her back, Atlı's daughter Ayten Atlı said: "Our house was raided at 06:00 and we were subjected to violence. We woke up with the voice of a soldier and went outside. I saw hundreds of soldiers in front of our house. I asked the soldiers why they came. The soldiers said that they will search the house. The soldiers started pushing me, when I demanded to see a search warrant. I told them to stop pushing me around and that I had a surgery recenlty. They pushed me down the stairs anyway. I could not get up after I fell."

 

'WE DON'T HAVE LIFE SAFETY '

 

Stating that the soldiers were constantly shouting at her, Atlı said: “They opened fire into the air which continued for minutes. It was such a desperate situation. We couldn't find a place to hide. Our neighborhood is under constant surveillance of soldiers. We are faced with such treatment because we are Kurds. It was so obvious that they were not to detain a certain individual. It was as if they had come to take revenge. They beat me and my mother for minutes. The soldier was Specialist Sergeant Mehmet K. who beat us the most. We will file a criminal complaint against this person. What was done to us can only be explained by racism. If they continue to pressure like this, we will have to migrate from here because we have no life safety. We are afraid that something bad might happen at any moment."

 

CALL FOR SUPPORT 

 

Emphasizing that everyone should condemn this treatment so that what was done tot hem does not go unpunished, Atlı said: “They have been persecuting us for years. We didn't have proof before, but now we have proof. We were beaten by soldiers in front of our house. If this is not because we are Kurds, then why did this happen?  We want justice. That's why everyone needs to be involved in this issue and stand by us."

 

SHE WAS BATTERED ON THE GROUND

 

Dilber Atlı, Atlı's wife, said that the soldiers had beaten them for minutes. Atlı said: “The soldiers kicked me and I fell. They continued to kick me on the ground. They tried to beat my husband and forced him into the car. They started to fire their guns into the air as I reacted to what they were doing to us. I still have bruises after the beating. My children are traumatised. We were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. How can the soldiers of this country can do this to its own citizens? Turkey is no longer a state of law. We do not accept this treatment and we will appeal to the relevent authorities. We want those who did this to us to be held accountable before the law."

 

 

MA / Hakan Yalcin