Following a demonstration on the Turkish-Syrian border in Mardin’s Nusaybin district, there were massive attacks by Turkish soldiers and police on Tuesday. The aim of the protests was to show solidarity with the people in Rojava affected by the attacks. In the course of the violence, numerous people were taken into custody, including Diyar Koç, who was severely mistreated.
Footage shared on social media shows Koç being beaten, kicked, and insulted by police officers. He also appears to have suffered serious injuries, particularly to his face and head. It was later revealed that Koç had suffered spinal fractures. His lawyers report that they were denied access to a medical certificate. No information is available on the current condition of the Kurdish activist, who remains in police custody.
Vigil at the border to Rojava
The protests formed spontaneously yesterday when thousands of people marched to the border and several hundred of them managed to overcome the border guards and reach Qamişlo on the other side. Turkish soldiers responded by firing warning shots into the air and tear gas into the crowd, prompting some demonstrators to respond with stones. This was followed by a crackdown by the military and police against the remaining crowd.
Nationalist accounts on social media quickly spread the claim that Koç had knocked over a Turkish flagpole—an accusation that is now considered unsubstantiated. The scene, which is circulating in a video, does show a flag, but its size differs significantly from that of the official border flag on the Turkish side. In addition, recordings confirm that no flag was visible at the location in question at the time of Koç’s arrest. The incident took place next to a military post, not at a flagpole.
Nationalist incitement against Kurds
The spread of the “flag claim” has triggered nationalist reactions. While right-wing media and online channels are deliberately stirring up sentiment against the protesters, the DEM Party has responded with sharp criticism, stating that the publication of the video serves solely to justify the brutal crackdown on demonstrators after the fact and to criminalize legitimate criticism. Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Justice has announced that 14 people have been detained in connection with the incident. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced investigations; against whom exactly remains unclear.