Kurdish man detained after calling Turkey's southeast 'Kurdistan'

A Kurdish man was detained after he called Turkey's southeast "Kurdistan" during a conversation with Mustafa Sarıgül, the leader of the Party for Change in Turkey.

Wednesday November 24 2021 03:29 pm

Duvar English

Police have detained a Kurdish man after he called Turkey's southeast "Kurdistan" during a conversation with Mustafa Sarıgül, the leader of the Party for Change in Turkey (TDP).

Sarıgül was visiting shops in the eastern province of Van when Hacı Tunç, a shop owner, told the politician that everyone should be allowed to speak their mother tongues and called the region "Kurdistan," Mesopotamia Agency reported on Nov. 24.

"A friend of ours in Siirt said, 'This place is Kurdistan.' This place was also Kurdistan 2,000 years ago and it will continue to be so. Let's not object to that," Tunç said.

Tunç was referring to another shop owner, Cemil Taşkesen, in the southeastern province of Siirt, who also called Turkey's southeast "Kurdistan" when speaking with Good (İYİ) Party leader Meral Akşener last month.

Taşkesen was detained shortly after the conversation and was released a day later.

According to Mesopotamia Agency, Tunç was detained after Sarıgül left his shop. His lawyer said that they don't know the reason behind his detention.

Turkish authorities often associate defending the rights of the Kurds with making propaganda of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).