JINHA

WAN – Last night, police special operations teams blockaded the neighborhood of Xaçort in the largely Kurdish city of Van. Neighborhood women stood up to police armored vehicles, calling on the officers to abandon the assault.

Since the Turkish state began pushing for a conflict in Northern Kurdistan (in Turkey) more than a month ago, the neighborhood of Xaçort has been a frequent site of police clashes. Most recently, tensions grew after police assassinated 18-year-old Vedat Balık in Xaçort (also known by its Turkish name, Hacıbekir).

Last night, hundreds of heavily-armed police officers blockaded the neighborhood, assuming control of all access to Xaçort and intermittently opening fire on civilians. The neighborhood women gathered to confront a group of police. They called on them them to exit their armored vehicles and not to be pawns of the ruling government.

“No matter how much you oppress us, no matter how many deaths we learn, we feel bad [for you],” said Xaçort woman Leyla Duman, calling out to the police. “Our children have been dying for years, so we know what that pain feels like. You’re our children, too; why are you sacrificing yourself for the sake of the palace?

“Please, take your cars and go. We want peace; support this peace instead of torturing us,” said Leyla.

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