Turkish state forces have raided the family home of Ferhat Ayaz, who had been martyred in Iran. The state forces confiscated the photograph and detained father Mustafa Ayaz.

House raids continue in Van, with the Ayaz family home raided most recently. The home of Mustafa and Nebahat Ayaz in Van’s Tuşba district was raided by police and army special operations units for “possession of terrorists’ photographs”. Doors were torn down in the raid and the only photograph Mustafa and Nebahat Ayaz had of their son PKK member Ferhat Ayaz who had been martyred in Iran in 2014 was confiscated for being “of a terrorist organization member’s” and “constituting a crime”. The Turkish forces confiscated the photograph despite all objections by mother Nebahat Ayaz and detained father Mustafa Ayaz. Nebahat Ayaz couldn’t hold back her tears as the police confiscate the photograph.

Family members stated that the photograph had been downloaded online and protested the confiscation of the only photograph left behind of Ferhat Ayaz.