Prosecutor investigates villagers who sued soldiers who fired at them in Van

In May 2021, some villagers were injured and 12 others were detained after fire was opened on the villagers who protested the marble quarry to be built in the village of Şexan (Yurtbaşı) in the Gürpınar district of Van.

Although the area where the marble quarry was wanted to be opened was a pasture area, it was later transferred to the treasury. The villagers protested the demolition of their barns by soldiers who attacked the villagers. The detained villagers were released after their statements were taken at the police station.

Gürpınar District Governor’s Office, on the other hand, made a statement regarding the events and claimed that the soldiers fired into the air for warning purposes, that no one was injured and that some soldiers were injured due to the stones thrown.

In the village there are some 70-80 households and nearly 700 citizens. The villagers filed a complaint against the soldiers. However, Gürpınar Public Prosecutor’s Office, decided not to prosecute the complaints filed by the citizens but accepted the one made by the soldiers against the villagers.

In the indictment prepared by the Gürpınar Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office upon the complaint filed by Specialist Sergeant Rahmi Azatlı, who was in charge of the Güzelsu Gendarmerie Command, it was claimed that Hadi Yücel, one of the villagers, beat up Specialist Sergeant Rahmi Azatlı.

Prosecutor’s Office demands villager be punished

Villager Hadi Yücel said in his statement that his only aim on the day of the incident was to prevent their stables from being demolished, and that there was a scuffle during the turmoil. Gürpınar Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded that the villagers be punished, stating that Hadi Yücel had committed a crime, and there was sufficient evidence to open a public case.

The Prosecutor’s Office sent the indictment to the Gürpınar Criminal Court of First Instance.