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Turkey: Repression against Anti-US campaign

April 8th, 2008

An exhibition was started and leaflets distributed in Mersin’s Demirtas neighbourhood on April 6, 2008 on the theme “THE COMMON ENEMY IS AMERICA”.

People gathered in the neighbourhood’s Pazar (Market) Street at about noon.

Men, women and children of various ages passed by and looked at the exhibition’s images of the common enemy. Children who had seen the exhibition previously came back with their friends. People distributed leaflets in the neighbourhood denouncing the common enemy America as being chiefly responsible for poverty. The people’s interest and anger were aroused by the exhibition and leaflets, and unable to tolerate this, the police intervened.

They attacked the members of HOC (Front for Rights and Freedoms) who opened the exhibition, and not beingsatisfied with attacking them, they also seized and detained the 17 year old youth Riza Karaeri who was looking at the exhibition.

HOC member Arzu Secen who was there, has not been seen since.

HOC members Deniz Ozcellik and Yilmaz Viraner were beaten at the stand by police and blood was seen pouring from their faces.

As of 14.30 four people were reportedly still being held at Mersin security department.