Yet another case of brutality by state forces has been reported in the province of Hakkari, North Kurdistan. According to Mezopotamya Agency (MA), a heated argument took place between a traffic policeman and two persons in traffic late Wednesday evening.

The policeman reportedly drew his gun and fired on the two men, Remzi Duman and Metin Öztunç, both of whom were injured in the leg.

Duman, who was then hospitalized, told the following; “We were waiting for a friend in traffic in the city center. Our friend was about to get on the car when a policeman driving behind us stopped and sounded the horn. He then got off the car and insulted us, ordreing us to ‘move on’. As we told him that we had been waiting for a friend, he pulled his gun and fired on both of us.”

Duman added that they would file a criminal complaint against the police officer.

Turkish police are repeatedly using firearm against civilians enjoying an endless impunity. Every year, dozens of people are killed or injured as result of attacks by Turkish police and military forces. The perpetrators are not subjected to prosecution or trial. On the contrary, they are promoted most of the time.

Only on November 30th, three young men were attacked by soldiers of the Turkish army in the countryside of the Hakkari province at around 3 pm in the afternoon. The three youngsters were on their way from the Yeşilova (İsyan) to Anadağ (Bêruh) village in the Derecik district for a picnic.

16-year-old Özcan Erbaş was shot in the back and lost his life as a result of fire opened by soldiers.