65 year old farmer in Turkey battered by ‘yes’ campaigners for saying ‘no’
A group of youth in Turkey’s Adana province who were campaigning in favor of the proposed constitution a day before President Erdoğan’s public meeting in the city beat up a 65 year old farmer when he refused taking the ‘yes’ brochures which the group was distributing.
According to the reports of Mehmet Serbes from Turkey’s Sözcü newspaper, farmer Bekir Polat was approached by three young men in their early 20’s in front of Numune Hospital in center of Adana. As the young men insisted for Polat to take the ‘yes’ brochures, Polat let them know that he was not going to take them and that he is a ‘no’ voter and a constituent of CHP. After his refusal, young men battered Polat so severely that he had to get 10 stitches on his head, the reports said.
After having been treated in the hospital, Polat filed a complaint about the attackers to the police. However, although the incident took place near security cameras and in front of the security guards of the hospital, the police told him: ‘You came here like this: you must have fallen down somewhere else.’ Police then took report of the incident as Polat insisted on filing his complaint.
Head of Seyhan district, CHP member Zeydan Karalar, visited Polat and CHP member from Yüreğir district, İsmet Yüksel, stated they will follow up with the process until the attackers are found.
Since the start of the campaigns for the upcoming referendum, where citizens of Turkey will be deciding on a shift to a controversial presidential system, ‘no’ campaigners have been targetted both by police force and ordinary citizens at various sites.
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/evet-brosurunu-almayan-bir-kisiyi-komalik-ettiler-154533.html