JINHA

WAN – After 12 individuals were summarily executed by state forces in the province of Van, locals marched and read a statement in protest. Police attacked the protestors fiercely, leaving people of all ages hospitalized and many detained.

On Sunday, 12 young people were found summarily executed in the Edremit district of Van, near the city center. Yesterday, citizens attempted to hold a march to protest the event, but were blocked by police. The crowd, a majority composed of the elderly, reacted by starting a sit-in, stopping traffic in the area.

Police attacked the sit-in. Several of the elderly were hospitalized because of their wounds were Zekiye Kaya (60), the speaker for the Van Peace Mothers’ Assembly, as well as Xecê Ana (70) and Nazif Kayacan (65). Many others at the sit-in were detained.

While Zekiye and Xecê were discharged, Nazif had a severe head wound and was kept in the hospital. Nazif called from the hospital for no one to remain silent in the face of what was being done to the Kurds in Turkey, which he compared to the rise of the Nazis.

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