Minister Soylu says deputy Atay 'would be a perfect rapist' upon criticism on not arresting rapist soldier

Duvar English

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has said that Turkish Workers Party (TİP) deputy Barış Atay would be "a perfect rapist" after the lawmaker criticized him over the fact that a specialized sergeant was not arrested over sexual assault even though the existence of plenty of evidence.

Specialized sergeant Musa Orhan remained behind bars for only one week despite raping İpek Er, a Kurdish woman who died on Aug. 18 a month after committing suicide because of Orhan's sexual assault.

The fact that Orhan was released prompted outrage on Twitter and opposition parties, with Atay saying that Soylu protected a rapist.

"We'll try for it to be never forgotten," Atay said on Twitter on Aug. 30.

Sen bir seri tecavüzcüyü korudun, kolladın @suleymansoylu Hayatın boyunca her fırsatta yüzüne vurulması, asla unutmaman için uğraşacağız https://t.co/72dq8BIOXh

— Barış Atay (@barisatay) August 30, 2020

In response, Soylu said that he doesn't protect rapists, but that Atay is a rapist.

He also addressed Atay as a "leftover" of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C).

"I can't be a protector of rapists, but you would be a perfect rapist," Soylu said on Twitter on Aug. 30.

Tecavüzcü PKK yöneticilerinin talimatıyla HDP'den milletvekili olan PKK ve DHKP-C artığı;

Benden “tecavüzcü kollayıcı” olmaz da
Senden tam tecavüzcü olur...
Tuma’nın kollayıcısı
Dikkat yakalanma... https://t.co/yc8Tewb6vi

— Süleyman Soylu | Maske? Mesafe↔️ Temizlik? (@suleymansoylu) August 30, 2020

Soylu also referred to the fact that Atay entered parliament from the ranks of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and that HDP deputy Tuma Çelik was accused of rape.

"Be careful not to get caught, you are a protector of Tuma," he said.

Turkish court releases rapist specialized sergeant Musa Orhan one week after arrest despite public outrage