Turkish police reportedly beat and detained three construction workers in Balıkesir after they were found listening to Kurdish songs in a local park, the Artı Gerçek news website reported on Friday.
The incident occurred on August 21, when the workers were approached by police who asked for their identification, citing complaints from the public. The workers refused, explaining that they were simply listening to music. The situation quickly escalated when the police, accompanied by local security guards and the owner of a nearby amusement park, allegedly assaulted the workers before detaining them.
After being detained, the workers were taken to the Balıkesir Courthouse, where they were accused of “promoting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK]” and “preventing law enforcement officers from carrying out their duties.” Cemal Güzel was arrested, while Özgür İpek and Mehmet Argın were released under judicial supervision.
The PKK has been leading an armed insurgency against the Turkish government since the 1980s in a campaign that has claimed the lives of some 40,000 people. The group is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
İpek, who has since returned to his hometown of Diyarbakır, described the incident as racially motivated, claiming that the amusement park’s owner confronted them, stating, “This is Turkey, you must speak Turkish. There are no Kurds here.”
He recounted that the severity of the violence led them to fear for their lives, and during the assault, one of the security guards allegedly threatened them, saying, “You’re just one bullet away from death.” İpek also claimed that hospital security officers made nationalist gestures and threatened them, saying, “This is Turkey, you will submit.” Despite injuries, including a broken nose suffered by one of his friends, the attending physicians reportedly issued a cursory report before the workers were taken back to the police station.
Serhat Eren, an MP from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), has submitted a parliamentary question to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior regarding the treatment of the workers. He also filed a complaint with the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission.
Eren noted that there has been no investigation into the police and security guards involved in the alleged assault.
İpek expressed concern for the safety of his friends who remained in Balıkesir, claiming that their Kurdish identity was the sole reason for their mistreatment. He denied accusations by the amusement park owner and other locals of chanting slogans and making political statements, suggesting that the charges were fabricated to justify the violence against them.
The workers plan to file a complaint with the Human Rights Association (İHD), seeking justice for what they describe as an organized attack. “We will demand our rights,” İpek said. “We do not accept this cruelty inflicted upon us.”
