Turkish police accused of mistreating protester after hitting him with armored vehicle

Twenty-year-old Furkan Özen has accused Turkish police of brutality and the use of disproportionate force after he was hit by an armored vehicle during protests in Mersin’s Akdeniz district, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.

Özen claimed that officers intentionally hit him with the armored vehicle, assaulted him while he was on the ground and continued to beat him in their cruiser after his detention.

“I was beaten on the ground and again inside their vehicle while they were taking me to the police station,” Özen said.

Özen also alleged that when he was finally taken to the hospital, the doctor refused to examine him despite his visible wounds. The police then brought him back to the police station without treatment.

Özen’s lawyer detailed the injuries, including swelling under both eyes, a 4-5 cm abrasion on his knee and scratches on his abdomen.

According to the lawyer, Özen remains in police custody.

Human rights groups say police violence has become part of daily life in Turkey, with hundreds filing complaints of torture and mistreatment every year.

The incident occurred amid ongoing protests in Mersin over the government’s appointment of a trustee to replace the elected co-mayors.

On Monday evening protesters in Mersin’s Yenipazar neighborhood lit fires in the streets to oppose the appointment.

Two co-mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in the Akdeniz district of southern Mersin province who were detained on January 10 were arrested on terrorism-related charges and replaced with a government-appointed trustee on January 13.

In addition to Co-mayors Hoşyar Sarıyıldız and Nuriye Aslan, city council members Özgür Çağlar, Hikmet Bakırhan and Neslihan Oruç were also arrested after appearing in court.

A statement released by the Interior Ministry early on Monday said the mayors were removed from office on charges of “disseminating terrorist propaganda,” “membership in a terrorist organization,” “violating the law on the financing of terrorism” and “violating the law on meetings and demonstrations.”

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