Turkish police prevent family of man died after soldiers' torture from accepting condolences

Duvar English

Police have prevented Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputies from offering their condolences to the family of a Kurdish man who died after being thrown from a military helicopter while under detention.

Servet Turgut, 55, was detained in an army operation in the Çatak district of the eastern province of Van and was subjected to torture.

He was in intensive care for 20 days due to being thrown from an army helicopter and died on Sept. 30.

His family held a condolence ceremony in Van with the attendance of HDP deputies Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu and Hüda Kaya.

Police arrived at the site as Kaya was making a speech and told mourners that they need to disperse because of the pandemic measures.

Officers also said that they will start detaining people if they continue with the ceremony.

'You disrespect both Islam and religion'

A brawl erupted between the deputies and police, with Democratic Regions Party (DBP) co-chair Saliha Aydeniz slamming officers for entering the ceremony with their weapons.

"You wouldn't enter a condolence ceremony if you had respect to people. People who have respect to prayers wouldn't come here armed. You disrespect both Islam and religion," Aydeniz told officers.

Van'da Servet Turgut'un taziyesinde polisler müdehale ediyor. @TC_icislerihttps://t.co/TucXLQjmuC

— Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu (@gergerliogluof) October 1, 2020

Gergerlioğlu broadcast the argument on his Twitter account, which showed Turgut's brother also opposing police officers.

"This is a condolence ceremony! Don't do that here," said Gergerlioğlu.

Kurdish man dies after being thrown from military helicopter in Turkey's east