Activists in Van are forced into cars and kidnapped by unknown persons in broad daylight. Under threat they are forced to cooperate with the state. One of the cases is that of Hatice Büşra Kuyun. As we had already reported, Büşra Kuyun, a member of the youth organisation and party council of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was abducted and threatened in the central İpekyolu district of Van province by persons introducing themselves as police officers. The kidnapping just over a week ago had no legal consequences whatsoever, and neither the police nor the governor issued any statement. Representatives of political parties and human rights organisations see attacks like this as an indication that the practice of "disappearances" of the 1990s is wanted to be resumed.

Kidnappings and threats happen in broad daylight

The co-chair of the HDP provincial association, Ökkeş Kava, says that the abduction of Büşra Kuyun is not an isolated incident, and kidnappings of politically active people have increased in the region recently. He continues: "Members of our party are kidnapped, they are stopped in the middle of the road and threatened with death. These sinister forces do not even feel the need to do this secretly. They do it openly. Büşra Kuyun was forced to get into a car in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street. She was taken in the direction of Başkale district and threatened on the way to give up her work in the party.

Abduction is a systematic state policy

They passed checkpoints and were allowed to drive through just like that. How do they pass five different checkpoints and the surveillance cameras without being stopped? This shows that this is a systematic state policy involving the Ministry of the Interior. Otherwise they could not do it in such a relaxed manner - and certainly not in broad daylight. They even said: 'You can file charges, we're fine with that.' That's how safe they feel."

We will not give up on this matter

Kava says that the HDP will take this issue to parliament: "In Van a situation is developing that is worse than in the 1990s. We are used to such a situation and are continuing our struggle. The repression makes us fight even stronger and stand up for democracy. This will be our answer. We will defend our rights. The authority called public prosecutor's office is not an institution that provides justice. The public prosecutor's office claims that the HDP is not a legal party, then of course this leads to such results. Special warfare methods are used against our party. These attacks challenge the rule of law."

HDP MP Sarısaç: Political people are threatened

HDP MP for Van, Murat Sarısaç, says: "The kidnapping of Büşra Kuyun took place in the middle of the day on Cumhuriyet Street, in the middle of the city. What the abductees are being told is very clear. They say: 'We won't let you live here', they try to intimidate the victims and to recruit them as informers. We know what that means in the end. Is this an attempt to repeat the massacres of the 1990s? A member of the party council was kidnapped from my car and he was claimed to be 'a terrorist in a MP's car'. Politically active people are being threatened in a variety of ways.

Soldiers go from village to village and threaten families who have relatives in the guerrilla ranks. This is a policy beyond the law. The society is wanted to be polarized through Kurdish hostility. The opponents are declared enemy.

The attacks on the funeral of Ibrahim Gökçek of Grup Yorum are unacceptable. Even cemeteries are devastated. According to religion, cemeteries and the deceased should be untouchable. When a person dies, the punishment ends. But the government orders the destruction of graves in the middle of Ramadan.

Is the Kurdish question the main problem of this country? A policy of massacre is being implemented again. The state uses all kinds of cruel methods against the people. If the police officers can confront us and say 'I am the state', if they shoot children, if they imprison journalists, that is state policy. It is not a physical but a political, cultural and social extermination operation.”

TUHAY-DER: Measures to recruit spies

Association for Help and Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners (TUHAY-DER) co-chair Kinyas Başak points out that the attacks are mainly directed against young people: "There is a policy of attacks against the youth as part of the efforts for intimidation. This is a practice from the 1990s and it still continues. Young people are threatened in the middle of the street. They are told: 'Help us, we'll give you money, otherwise we'll kill you or put you in jail.' Against this kind of repression, the fight for peace and democracy must be strengthened even more."

Hanife Güzel of the Migration Research Centre in Van describes the practice of kidnapping and murder as a tradition of the Turkish state. "The murders by 'unknown perpetrators' in the 90s started with such abductions. In the 1990s people were kidnapped in white Renault Toros type cars, today in Ford Rangers. I assume that the kidnappings of the last few days are not isolated incidents. We often hear about kidnappings and threats in the region. There is not even a legal mechanism for people to protect themselves," says Güzel.

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