While theft and looting intensified in Hatay after the devastating earthquake on February 6, in parallel with the reports of torture by the civilian paramilitary forces and armed forces of the Turkish state, the police crackdown on revolutionary patriotic organizations has increased.

ATTEMPT TO STEAL APRONS

The Turkish state forces are trying to stir trouble between the earthquake survivors and revolutionary patriotic organizations which have been on the field since the first day of the earthquake in Hatay. The Turkish state forces attempted to steal aprons from revolutionaries at night in order to put the blame for the theft and looting on the revolutionaries.

Speaking to ANF, the revolutionaries on the ground stated that in one of these repeated attempts of theft, they saw how someone involved in the machination was caught and beaten. The person in question then ran away to the policemen who protected the man and reacted to the revolutionaries, saying, "Are you attacking the police?"

While civilian paramilitary forces and police failed to steal aprons from revolutionaries, a person visited the revolutionaries a day after the incident and said, "You are working well, give me your apron, I will work with you". When the revolutionaries became suspicious and questioned the person, the police came to the area and took the person away.

The revolutionaries stated that the incident was not an isolated one. They noted that they were to be blamed in the event of someone getting caught stealing with their apron on. According to the revolutionaries, the police are attempting to drive a wedge between them and the earthquake victims.

ATTEMPTS TO DEFAME REVOLUTIONARIES

In the meantime, it came out that some people affiliated with pro-government aid organizations tried to defame the revolutionaries by telling the earthquake victims "They are terrorists, do not take anything from them."

A person who came to the area where revolutionaries were distributing aid, told the revolutionaries that they were being defamed by pro-government aid organizations. When some people on the ground reacted, the police threatened to detain them.

ANTI-TERROR POLICE AND MIT AGENTS IN CITY

It is reported that the Turkish state deployed anti-terror police and MIT (Secret service) agents to the city on the fifth day of the earthquake. The anti-terror police and MIT agents, stationed near the areas where revolutionaries and patriots deliver aid to survivors, began to monitor everyone entering and leaving these areas. It is reported that these people, who are patrolling on the side streets in civilian vehicles, pursue people in the areas where revolutionaries distribute aid, ask for their identity cards, and threaten to detain them.

MIT-LINKED ASSOCIATIONS

Apart from the pro-government associations and foundations which started to come to the city on the third day, there are also other people walking around wearing the aprons of the MİT-affiliated Meskhetian Turks Associations (Ahıska Türkleri Dernekleri) and the Conquest Foundation (Fetihler Vakfı). Members of the so-called Meskhetian Turks have been placed in AFAD tents, which are not provided for the earthquake survivors. They are helped by Turkish soldiers when unloading the aid materials delivered to them. Their team consists of 50 people who provide meal only once a day.

It is reported that members of the Meskhetian Turks and the Conquest Foundation ask for the phone numbers of the earthquake victims and try to get information about the work of the revolutionary patriots who distribute aid in the city. An earthquake survivor told our agency that a member of the Meskhetian Turks asked him to gather information about the revolutionaries, and that they did not speak again because he did not accept it.

It is further reported that some people wearing aprons of the state-run Diyanet Foundation gave orders to the police.