Turkish police attack young men dancing to Kurdish music

In Kadiköy, Istanbul, the police attacked young people who were dancing to Kurdish music. During the attack, the police confiscated the loudspeakers of the young people. When they reacted to the confiscation, the police started to pepper spray the young men. As the police became more offensive, the young men tried to defend themselves, but at that moment a police officer took out his gun and fired several shots in the air. After firing shots into the air, the police chased the Kurdish men and arrested 4 of them.
After arresting the men, the police handcuffed them behind their backs, forced them to lie face down on the ground and played the ‘mehter’ anthem (the Ottoman march). After they were taken into custody, they were beaten in a police vehicle, while a video released shows citizens reacting to the police. While there was no information about the fate of the 4 young men for a long time after their detention, it is reported that they were referred to the courthouse today.
In recent years, there have been many examples of racist – police – attacks against people listening to and playing Kurdish music in the streets. Just a few weeks ago, Cihan Aymaz, who had been singing Kurdish songs in the streets, was killed in a racist attack. In early 2022, Turkish police arrested a group of musicians playing Kurdish music on Istiklal Street, a busy street in Istanbul. Protests were organized on Istiklal Street with Kurdish music. HDP MP Meral Danis Bestas also sang a Kurdish song in parliament to protest the racist attacks.