ANTALYA -  Pointing out that there has been an increase in racist attacks after the fires, İHD Antalya Branch President Erdal Girgil warned that similar attacks may increase further if the impunity for the attackers continue. 

 

The hate speech used by the current government in Turkey continues to spread. While the Dedeoğlu family of 7 people was murdered in Konya, racist groups targeted the Kurds following the fire that broke out in multiple parts of Antalya that could only be extinguished after 10 days as a result of insufficient intervention. Along with the wildfires, racist groups went hunting for Kurds, establishing check points on their own accord with weapons in their hands, asking the people for their ID cards to see if they are coming from any one of the Kurdish cities. The authorities in the city did not take a single step regarding this issue. Stating that similar racist attacks had occurred in the city in previous years, Human Rights Association (İHD) Antalya Branch President Erdal Girgil warned that racist attacks could increase in the city further if no precautions are taken.

 

Girgil stated that he has been living in the city for 30 years and has not witnessed such a big fire until now, and drew attention to the increase in human rights violations came along with the fire. Reminding that the road was blocked in the city by some racist group checking ID cards, Girgil said: “I don't know what they were trying to see in those ID cards. Since there is no information about the past of the person in the IDs, they probably looked at their birthplace. They probably checked if they were born in a Kurdish city. This is a crime. If they accused those people of burning forests just by looking at the birthplace, a heinous crime was committed. There is racism here. It's a hate crime."

 

THIS SHOULDN'T EVER HAPPEN AGAIN

 

Expressing that the two people who helped those who responded to the fire were wanted to be lynched because they were Kurds, Girgil said, “Unfortunately, it is an enourmous problem. Similar problems have been experienced in this city before. This should not happen ever again.”  Stating that the current political atmosphere should change as soon as possible, Girgil said that if the prevailing racist climate in the Turkey is not prevented, it can reach a level that will harm everyone.

 

POLICY OF IMPUNITY

 

Pointing out that hate speech has increased as a result of the policy of impunity, Girgil said, “Prosecutors must take action. Prosecutors should take action against these people for racism and hate crimes. In order for these events not to happen again, these people should be given the maximum punishment on the legal basis. Otherwise, racism cannot be prevented. Racism in this country must end now. Impunity unfortunately causes these events to escalate."

 

MA / Ömer Akın - Mehmet Şah Oruç