23 people have been detained in house raids in Bursa, Van, Mardin and Izmir. Police reportedly used violence against the detainees. In the house raid in Van, police are reported to have hit a 12-year-old, Z.A., on the head with a gunstock and broke his jaw.

VAN

The anti-terror police carried out house raids early this morning in many neighbourhoods of the city, detaining many, although the exact number of the detainees has not yet been ascertained. Raiding the house of the Abi family, police detained 3 people while in the meantime hitting a child of 12, Z.A., with a gunstock and breaking his jaw.
When the family reacted, the police said: “Either you give your boy to me, or you send him to the mountains and I’ll shoot him”.

Z.A. has been taken to the Children’s Branch in Van Police station following a check-up in hospital.

MARDİN

Police launched house raids early this morning in the Yalım, Trafo and Saraçoğlu neighbourhoods in the Artuklu district of Mardin. The house raids were carried out by undercover police accompanied by anti-terror forces. Police reportedly broke down the doors of many houses and insulted the families, not hesitating to use violence. At least 12 were reportedly taken into custody, however the number of the detainees are expected to be higher.
The mother of one of the detainees said that police broke down the door and used brutal violence while detaining her son. She also said that around 100 police in ski masks raided their houses in order to detain just one person.

Another family said that police broke their door which was already open, adding that they experienced the sort of violence that was imposed in the 1990’s.

İZMİR

Police also raided many houses late yesterday evening in the Asırlık neighbourhood of the Menemen district of the western province of Izmir and detained 5 people.  

BURSA

In another western province, Bursa, 3 people have also been detained in house raids carried out early this morning on the grounds of taking part in Kobanê demonstrations. The house raids were carried out in the Yıldırım and Osmangazi districts of Bursa. While those detained were taken to the police station, the police operations continue.

In the meantime, 6 of the 17 people who were taken into custody during the week in Bursa on the grounds of participating in Kobanê demonstrations have been formally arrested.