The role of ranking soldiers in the "prostitution gang" of 25 people uncovered in Şirnex (Şırnak) draws attention. The indictment prepared against the "prostitution gang" also revealed the special war policies that have been systematically carried out in Botan for years. Before the indictment was prepared and the "prostitution gang" was exposed, on 24 December 2023, Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Şirnex MP Nevroz Uysal Aslan brought this issue to the Parliament. On that date, Nevroz Uysal submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya on whether there were threats, blackmail, prostitution gangs and impositions of spying against women in Şirnex and Colemêrg (Hakkari).

 

In the parliamentary question submitted by Newroz Uysal Aslan; Whether the Ministry is aware of the structures that impose prostitution and spying on women in Şirnex, which has come to the agenda with harassment, sexual violence and murders of women involving members of the state's "law enforcement" force, and whether they are aware of the structures that impose prostitution and spying on women in Şirnex since 2014, How many "law enforcement officers" and village guards have been subjected to administrative and judicial investigations on the grounds that they have committed crimes against women such as murder, and how many members of the "law enforcement" force and village guards who have been subjected to investigations on the grounds that they have committed crimes against women are still on duty.

 

'PROSTITUTION' RESPONSE FROM THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

 

In its response dated 6 December 2023, the Ministry of Interior claimed that the "law enforcement" forces fulfil their duties by adhering to the principle of the rule of law, stating: "The law enforcement forces fulfil their duties in line with the knowledge and instructions of the local/judicial authorities for the purpose of ensuring and maintaining public order and security, with the authority granted to them by law and by adhering to the principle of the rule of law."

 

While the Ministry of Interior stated that 48 village guards and 14 watchmen committed crimes against women, it was noteworthy that the Ministry did not include a single piece of information about the investigation conducted on the "prostitution gang" for 11 years.

 

 

DEM Party Şirnex MP Nevroz Uysal Aslan, who submitted the motion to the Ministry of Interior before the "prostitution gang" was exposed, made evaluations on the contradictory response of the Ministry.

 

'IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE MINISTRY TO BE UNAWARE'

 

Nevroz Uysal stated that they have repeatedly asked about the situation in question in the Parliament and the General Assembly of the Parliament, but they could not get the necessary answer and said, "It is not possible for the Ministry of Interior and the state to be unaware of this. In the parliamentary question we submitted in 2023, we gave detailed information about the gang that was exposed in 2014 in Şırnak and neighbouring provinces, which inflicted various kinds of violence against women with threats and blackmail, imposed spying and forced women into prostitution. We talked about a group of 8 specialised sergeants, 40 of 52 suspects were arrested. However, this incident, which was widely covered in the press at the time, was tried to be forgotten in the process as if it had never happened. We have not been able to access any data about the case. We do not know if these people were released afterwards."

 

Reminding that specialised sergeants and village guards were also found in the ‘prostitution gang’ established in Colemêrg in 2019 and then revealed, Nevroz Uysal Aslan said, "If you pay attention, both gangs were formed in the same way for the same purposes. There are soldiers, police guards and civil servants in them. We do not know whether these are two separate structures or one is an extension of the other, but I can easily say this; This structure, gang, group or whatever you call it shows that the state is also involved. It is not possible for these gangs to continue their existence without the state's knowledge in cities that have been transformed into garrison cities and where there is complete surveillance and control. This is already clear from the perpetrators. The prepared indictment also shows this. The state's soldiers, guards, civil servants and the state itself with its protection of the perpetrators were involved." 

 

EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL DECAY

 

Newroz Uysal stated that the prostitution gang that emerged in Şirnex once again revealed the special war policies carried out by the state in the region with all its nakedness and said, "This is actually the reason why we define this situation and what happened as the special war policy carried out by the state.  This definition is not only accurate in terms of showing the extent of social decay, destruction, denial and assimilation policies, but also offers a very powerful insight in terms of showing at what level these policies are being carried out. These gangs target women's body, existence and will, thus they are formed in order to destroy solidarity and resistance by decaying social culture. Precisely for this reason, these structures and the identities of the perpetrators are kept secret, since the continuation of these policies can only be possible by failing to develop a social reflex against them." 

 

Newroz Uysal said that it is unacceptable that the prostitution gang that was uncovered in Şirnex turned into a case after 11 years, "The fact that these people are on duty shows that the special war policies continue. There can be no other explanation for this. How else is it possible for people who are known to the society as perpetrators of multiple crimes to continue their duties. In addition, why is the investigation opened in 2013 kept waiting for so long? Even the passage of time tells us a lot. The indictment prepared today shows that the answers given to us by the ministry do not reflect the truth, and that our words are the truth. Although the ministry states that there were no gendarmerie, police and military members in the incident in 2021, the fact that the people who stated that they could be secret witnesses were members of the law enforcement officers reveals everything," she said. 

 

‘THE MINISTRY'S RESPONSE PROTECTS THE COLONIALIST MENTALITY’

 

Stating that the perpetrators are protected by hiding their identities, Nevroz Uysal said, "We will fight against this. Saying that there were no gendarmerie, police and soldiers in the crimes committed between 2014 and 2023 is an attempt to protect the perpetrators by hiding their identities. However, the spear does not fit in the sack. The answer given by the Ministry reveals a colonialist mentality. It is not possible to know how many of the perpetrators are connected to these gangs or criminal networks, but the blame and accusation is again based on ‘local’. No law enforcement officers were included, but the number of village guards and bazaar and neighbourhood guards were included. Here, local collaborators who cooperate with the state and are expendable are pointed out. In other words, the coloniser's practice of humiliation is exhibited. I am not defending the village guards or the watchmen, on the contrary, I want to draw attention to the state's attack on Kurdish identity, which is reproduced through the identity of the expendable local collaborators. Even in such an exposed issue, they do not refrain from creating a perception that serves the special war policy. However, we will raise our struggle against all these policies by growing our organisation. We also want to state that we will follow this case." 

 

The 2nd hearing of the case will be held on 26 March at Şırnak 3rd Assize Court. 

 

END

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut