The wave of detentions that followed the magnificent Newroz celebrations held in Istanbul turned hope and joy into a dark day. The Kurdish people, due to their past experiences, were once again justified in their cautious approach to the new process. Promises such as establishing a parliamentary commission for a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, lifting arbitrary visitation bans on Imralı, and emphasizing “brotherhood” in reports once again remained words only and found no practical reflection. The enthusiasm of the hundreds of thousands who flooded the Newroz celebrations—starting in neighborhoods across Istanbul and culminating in Yenikapı on Sunday, March 22—was criminalized, and the button was pressed for a political crackdown operation. The latest photograph of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, taken in İmralı and circulated by the state itself, the slogans chanted, and even the songs sung at Newroz were used—under the pretext of “public sensitivity”—as justification for the torture and detention of dozens of people, including children, many of whom were then unlawfully arrested. Lezgin Olcan, a lawyer from the Istanbul branch of the Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD) and one of the lawyers of 16-year-old E.Y., who became a target of these unlawful arrests, spoke to ANF.
“My client sings at weddings and events to make a living”
Olcan pointed out that his client, E.Y., who is only 16 years old, is among the ten people arrested in Istanbul after the Newroz celebrations on March 22 on allegations of “propaganda for an illegal organization .” He emphasized that E.Y., who had to drop out of high school in order to support his family and earns a living by singing at weddings, was unlawfully arrested because of the songs he sang at the Newroz event held in his neighborhood in Başakşehir. Explaining that the child was taken from his family home in Başakşehir during a dawn police raid, Olcan said:
“Immediately after the Newroz celebrations in Yenikapı, around 26 people were detained as the crowd was dispersing, but they were all released after giving statements. However, following a number of racist posts on social media—many from troll accounts—and after President Erdoğan targeted the Newroz celebrations, another 38 people, including five children, were detained during house raids carried out on March 24. One of the children detained in the dawn raid was my 16-year-old client E.Y. On the same day, after President Erdoğan made a statement targeting the Newroz celebrations that sounded like an instruction to the judiciary, E.Y. was referred to the courthouse in Çağlayan and arrested by the Istanbul 9th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on the allegation of ‘propaganda for an illegal organization.’”
Olcan noted that the only accusation directed at his client during the prosecutor’s and judge’s questioning was the songs he sang at the Başakşehir Newroz event. “As my client also stated in his testimony, he already makes a living by singing at weddings and events. At the Newroz event he simply performed requested songs. But apparently singing songs was considered propaganda—and enough to arrest a child,” he said.
“17-year-old N.E. and his family tortured
Olcan stated that four other children were detained together with his client on March 24, including 17-year-old N.E., who was severely beaten and later released under judicial control. He emphasized that N.E.’s family was also subjected to police violence during the house raid.
“N.E., who had just turned 17, had been brutally beaten. Both he and his family were assaulted by the police who raided their home. The reason for his detention was that he carried a picture of Abdullah Öcalan. The picture in question was actually taken by the state itself in İmralı Prison, distributed to the media, and used by almost all news sites. During these detentions, not only children but also adults were brutally beaten. At the courthouse, I personally saw two people with bandaged heads. One adult man who was arrested together with my client had been beaten with a rifle butt and injured. We will initiate legal proceedings regarding these acts of torture,” he said.
“It is unknown whether he is safe in the judicial ward of Maltepe Children’s Prison”
Olcan stated that his client was also subjected to ill-treatment during detention. He was first taken to the Children’s Bureau of the Üsküdar District Police Department and later arrested by the court and placed in a judicial ward in Maltepe Children’s Prison. Olcan said he has not yet been able to determine whether his client is safe there.
“There is absolutely no legal justification for my client’s arrest. This is clearly a violation of both human rights and children’s rights. The reason given for the arrest is also very strange: they claim that a 16-year-old child ‘directed’ the event, and they base this supposed direction on the fact that he sang songs. These songs are traditional dance songs that have always been sung in Kurdish culture. What kind of ‘direction’ is this? The Newroz event in Başakşehir was authorized. The police were present and there were no problems. What changed that led to the child being detained ten days later?”
“This is nothing but an attempt to create a ‘reasonable Kurd’”
Olcan said the songs his client sang are songs that exist within the reality of the Kurdish people. “Newroz is not just a holiday; for Kurds it is a cultural heritage. It is a celebration that Kurds have marked enthusiastically from the time of Kawa the Blacksmith until today. Presenting the songs and colors of this cultural heritage as elements of crime does not serve social peace. In a system where 16-year-old children are arrested for singing songs or carrying banners, neither justice nor peace can be spoken of. This can only be an attempt to create trauma among new generations—an attempt to create a ‘reasonable Kurd,’” he said.
“The smear campaign started by a few troll accounts cannot be called ‘public sensitivity’”
Olcan noted that the case files of those detained and arrested contain no concrete evidence regarding the allegation of “organization propaganda,” adding that the PKK, which they claim propaganda was made for, has already dissolved itself. He stated that the purpose of these arbitrary arrests is to overshadow the magnificent Newroz celebrations in Istanbul and intimidate people. He also stressed that presenting this injustice as “public sensitivity” is unacceptable.
“What kind of society would approve of children being arrested for singing songs or carrying banners at a holiday celebration? A lynch campaign and smear propaganda started by a few troll accounts cannot be presented as ‘public sensitivity.’ In doing so, society itself is being put under suspicion. Does ‘society’ here mean the circles around the government? The entire society cannot be placed under suspicion,” he said.
“If there is talk of a process and normalization, it should begin with the approach to children”
Olcan emphasized that it is abnormal to arrest people—including children—simply for singing songs, carrying banners, or chanting slogans during Newroz celebrations at a time when there is supposedly a process regarding the resolution of the Kurdish issue and talk of normalization.
“If there is normalization, it must begin with the approach to children,” Olcan said. “If people speak of normalization, brotherhood, and peace, then they should act in accordance with the spirit of that process. Detaining and arresting 16-year-old children with empty case files and through torture is itself a crime. As the Lawyers for Freedom Association, we will pursue these cases to the end. We already know that those arrested will ultimately be acquitted. This is a policy of pressure and intimidation, and we will not normalize it.”
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