PM Turki Dituding Pukul Warganya di Soma
Recep Erdogan is Accused of Punching a Mourner during a Visit in Soma
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
TUDUHAN baru tindak kekerasan dilontarkan rakyat Turki terhadap Perdana Menteri Recep Erdogan, dengan klaim bahwa ia memukul para pelayat yang berkabung saat berkunjung ke lokasi tragedi pertambangan di Soma.
Tuduhan terbaru muncul di tengah kemarahan atas serangan fisik brutal staf khusus Erdogan, Recep Tayyip terhadap para pengunjuk rasa, seperti dilansir Mail Online.
Dua rekaman video terungkap yang menunjukkan tindak kekerasan terjadi di Soma yang melibatkan Recep Tayyip.
Video, hasil rekaman amatir, direkam ketika Erdogan berlindung di sebuah toko kelontong dari pengunjuk rasa yang marah, beberapa di antara mereka meneriakinya sebagai 'pembunuh!' dan 'pencuri!'
Video pertama muncul di YouTube pada Rabu, tapi tidak jelas persis apa yang terjadi.
Namun, rekaman baru dari insiden yang sama dari sudut yang berbeda muncul untuk menunjukkan dua pengawal Erdogan memukul keluarga korban tewas yang tengah berkabung.
Tapi yang lebih meresahkan, wakil Partai Gerakan Nasionalis, Lutfu Turkka mem-posted pesan di halaman Twitter-nya yang mengklaim telah berbicara dengan seseorang yang diduga dipukul oleh Erdogan di toko, yang dikenali sebagai Taner Kuruca.
Sky News melaporkan bahwa ia menulis: "Saya berbicara dengan Kuruca. Pria itu mengatakan ia berbelanja di toko ketika Erdogan menyerangnya, berpikir bahwa ia adalah seorang pengunjuk rasa. Dia mengatakan bahwa dia juga dipukuli oleh pengawal Erdogan. Kuruca mengatakan kepada saya satu-satunya yang ia ingat dengan jelas adalah bahwa Erdogan menyerangnya."
Sementara itu, pembantu Erdogan Yusuf Yerkel, yang terekam menendang seorang pengunjuk rasa yang berkumpul di lapangan dan dihadang oleh polisi selama kunjungan yang sama, mengeluarkan pernyataan provokatif.
Dia bilang: "Saya sedih saya tidak mampu mempertahankan ketenangan saya meskipun diprovokasi, dihina dan diserang."
Yerkel rupanya memukul pengunjuk rasa setelah pengunjuk rasa menendang mobil konvoi Perdana Menteri.
Pemrotes diinterogasi oleh dua petugas menyusul dugaan insiden ketika Yerkel, yang segera dihalau, berlari ke arahnya dan menendangnya tiga atau empat kali, menurut The Hurriyet Daily News .
Yerkel, yang posisi resminya adalah Wakil Kepala Kantor Perdana Menteri Turki, telah mengakui serangan itu, menurut BBC Turki, dan segera akan merilis sebuah pernyataan tentang hal itu.
Sebuah partai oposisi menuntut penjelasan.
'Apakah tanggung jawabnya termasuk memukuli dan menendang demonstran atau warga negara? Apa dasar hukumnya dia mendapat kewenangan seperti itu?' kata anggota parlemen Ugur Bayraktutan yang meminta penjelasan pemerintah atas insiden kekerasan tersebut.
NEW accusations of violence have been levelled against Turkey’s prime minister, with claims that he punched a mourner during a visit to the scene of the mining tragedy in Soma.
The fresh allegation came amid fury over a brutal physical attack Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s aide made against a protester.
Two pieces of footage have emerged of an apparent scuffle taking place in Soma involving Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The videos, shot by amateurs, were taken as Mr Erdogan took refuge in a grocery store from angry protesters, some of whom shouted ‘murderer!’ and ‘thief!’
The first video appeared on YouTube on Wednesday, but it was not clear precisely what was happening.
However, new footage of the same incident shot from a different angle appears to show two of Mr Erdogan’s bodyguards punching a mourner.
But more damagingly, Nationalist Movement Party deputy Lutfu Turkka posted a message on his Twitter page in which he claims to have spoken to someone who Mr Erdogan allegedly punched in the shop, called Taner Kuruca.
Sky News reported that he wrote: ‘I spoke to Kuruca. The man said he was shopping at the store when Erdogan attacked him, thinking that he was a protester. He said that he was also beaten by Erdogan's bodyguards. Kuruca told me the only thing that he clearly remembers was that Erdogan assaulted him.’
Meanwhile, Erdogan’s aide Yusuf Yerkel, who was photographed kicking a protester being held on the ground by police during the same visit, released a statement on the attack.
It said: 'I am sad I was not able to maintain my composure despite all the provocations, the insults and attacks to which I was exposed.'
Yerkel apparently launched the attack after the protester kicked a car that was in the Prime Minister's convoy.
The protester was being interrogated by two officers following the alleged incident when Yerkel, who was about to be driven away, ran over to him and kicked him three or four times, according to The Hurriyet Daily News.
Yerkel, whose official title is Deputy Chief of the Cabinet of the Turkish Prime Minister's office, has admitted to the assault, according to BBC Turkey, and will shortly release a statement about it.
An opposition party demanded an explanation.
'Do his responsibilities include beating up and kicking protesters or citizens? On which legal grounds was he given this authority?' lawmaker Ugur Bayraktutan asked in a question submitted to parliament for the government to answer.
