HDP co-chair discloses details of mistaken police raid

HDP co-chair discloses details of mistaken police raid

HDP co-chair discloses details of mistaken police raid

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Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairman Selahattin Demirtaş has disclosed the details of a mistaken police raid into his home over a fuel smuggling report, stressing the fear his family felt over the scuffle.

Demirtaş added his experiences were not normal at a time when the elections are at the door, as he further detailed the incident.

“At first, my wife dealt with them. They introduced themselves as police but did not show their ID’s. Later, I stepped in. I spoke with them behind the closed door and asked ‘Do you know who I am?’ Then they said if you open the door first, then we will see who you are. So, I said if you were really police you would know who was behind the door,” said Demirtaş, speaking to IMC TV.

Following the unpleasant dialogue, a scuffle erupted between security guards and police when they showed their ID’s cursorily, Demirtaş said, adding that his daughters had been frightened by the scuffle and cried.

“Then four plain clothes police officers came up and said, ‘We were mistaken, we are sorry,’ apologizing to my wife and daughters,” said Demirtaş. 

Plain clothes police officers arrived at Demirtaş’s house in the Kayacık district of Diyarbakır on May 9, saying they were looking for an individual who was being pursued for fuel smuggling. 

The police headquarters in Diyarbakır opened an investigation in which the initial findings reportedly revealed the anonymous informer on the phone had described the address of the suspect’s apartment by saying it was in the same building as Demirtaş’s home, but the officer took note of the address incorrectly. The operator who took the report has been suspended.