Following the detention of the Şahin family under torture in the Ipekyolu district of Van related to the incident where three people (including one police officer) lost their lives, the Özer family has been subjected to the same practice in the Edremit district.

According to an article by Jin News, the police raided the Özer family home without a warrant and detained 5 people from the family, as well as Şükran Yıldız. There were 17 people including 4 minors in the house. 78-year-old Makbule Özer and Hadi, Medeni, Übeydullah and Emrullah Özer, as well as Şükran Yıldız, were tortured for 3 hours.

“IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN”

The six detainees are still being held in the police center. Another member of the family said the following on what happened during the raid:

“(...) My mother, father and the kids we all laid down on the ground. They called my brother over to have him as a shield. They told him there is a strange woman in our house and asked who she was. My brother said he just arrived and he didn’t know. Makbule and the woman named Şükran who came for treatment were with us at the time. Makbule is a bonesetter. We don’t know Şükran. 20 people come into our house every day. Şükran was there to see Makbule for her stomach. She was about to leave after her treatment, that is when the raid happened. They asked us but we couldn’t say anything because we don’t know her.

(...) Then they started to batter her in front of us. As Şükran was being battered, Makbule started to stutter and couldn’t speak. When she had a stroke one of the relatives also lost consciousness. We protested, and the children were terrified so they started to cry. My nephew is 4 years old. When they battered Şükran in front of them, he started to cry in fear. The police put a gun to his head and told us to shut him up or they would shoot. Then they pointed the guns at us and told us to stay quiet and shut the children up. We told them the children were afraid and we couldn’t, and they said, ‘Then let’s see the lady upstairs’ and took Şükran away.”

“WE HAVE LICENSE TO KILL”

The family member said a police officer climbed on top of Şükran Yıldız and punched her, and that the torture lasted from 23.30 to 02.45. “They threatened us, they said they could kill us right there and then if they want because they have the authority,” said the family member and added: “They broke a stick on Şükran’s back, there were splinters everywhere.”