DEM Party Condemns Attacks on Kurdish Workers in Türkiye

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Türkiye's Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) sharply condemned attacks on Kurdish workers in the provinces of Zonguldak and Düzce on Sunday, warning that describing the incidents as "individual" or "ordinary" disputes reflects a dangerous racist mindset.

In a statement, the DEM Party said the attacks on Kurdish workers were unacceptable under any circumstances and stressed that framing them as isolated events points clearly to the presence of a hazardous racist and discriminatory mentality within the country's political and social system.

The statement followed a report by Kurdistan24 correspondent in Türkiye Murad Ekinci, who said Sunday that a group of individuals had attacked several Kurdish children working as laborers in the Alaplı district of Zonguldak province. Ekinci said the attack occurred in the presence of Turkish security forces and police, who did not intervene against the attackers. He said Kurdish citizens in Türkiye continue to face organized attacks and violence, at times simply for speaking Kurdish or listening to Kurdish music, and that such incidents carry a clear ethnic dimension rather than reflecting ordinary disputes between citizens. He noted that neither the Turkish government nor political officials had issued an official condemnation of the attack, and that the DEM Party was the only political party to publicly address the incident.

The DEM Party said that as the country passes through a sensitive period, no party or group seeking to sow discord or undermine peaceful coexistence among Türkiye's diverse communities should be allowed room to operate.

"No one has the right to threaten Kurdish citizens within their own country, or to incite attacks on their right to life and work," the party said.

The party called on relevant authorities to urgently open a comprehensive and thorough investigation into all aspects of the attacks, so that all those responsible for planning and carrying out the violence are held accountable before the law.

The DEM Party also called for restraint, vigilance, and a strengthened shared commitment to coexistence against all forms of violence, stating: "We will not remain silent in the face of racism, and we will not leave our affected citizens alone."

The party reaffirmed that, as a political actor, it would fully follow up on the legal response to the matter and would continue its determined struggle against crimes of hatred, animosity, and racism.

Ekinci warned that unless serious legal and security measures are taken to prevent further such incidents, continued attacks could heighten tensions and threaten peaceful coexistence, fraternity, and social harmony among Türkiye's diverse communities.