In the central Anatolian province of Niğde, Kurdish seasonal workers from the Siverek district of Urfa have been the target of a violent attack. According to those affected, the owner of a tomato field and his relatives attacked a group of 24 harvest workers with firearms and clubs.
The attack took place on Thursday in the town of Çukurkuyu in the district of Bor. According to the workers, it was triggered by a stuck truck loaded with tomatoes. After the landowner, Cemal Özer, was called in, he allegedly verbally abused the workers. They then wanted to leave the field, but were stopped by a group of around 150 people. In the escalating confrontation, the workers were shot at and beaten.
One worker seriously injured
One worker, Orhan Idilkurt, suffered serious injuries from gunshots and is in intensive care at a hospital in Niğde. The workers accuse the authorities of initially failing to send either police or emergency services to the scene. Only after they had transported the injured themselves did an ambulance arrive.
Accusations against MHP mayor
After the investigation began, the mayor of Çukurkuyu, Ahmet Halisdemir (MHP), allegedly attempted to downplay the incident. He reportedly pressured security forces to record the attack in their reports as having been carried out with an “alarm pistol” rather than a live weapon. Only after protests by those affected was the actual course of events recorded. Field owner Özer was arrested.
DEM Party MP calls for action from interior minister
DEM Party MP Zeynep Oduncu Kutevi posted a video of the attack on social media. She described it as a “racist assault” and accused the authorities of failing to ensure the safety of harvest workers. “Seasonal workers, as the most vulnerable segment of society within this system of year-round exploitation, are subjected to racist insults, discrimination, and violence almost every year,” Oduncu Kutevi said. She called on the Interior Ministry and the relevant authorities to hold those responsible to account.