JINHA

ORDU - Racists have attacked Kurds and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) activists in three cities in Turkey.

In the Black Sea province of Ordu, a fight started between racists and a group of 15 Kurdish workers. The workers were at the local bus garage, hoping to find work in the area picking hazelnuts. After police were deployed to the scene, racists left. The workers had to leave the district where they were seeking work.

In the Alanya district of Antalya province, a group of around 200 racists organized on social media to attack the district building of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The racists attempted to lower the party's sign and hang a Turkish flag over the building. Racists began insulting Kurdish shopkeepers and stopped police access to the scene.

As tension escalated, the racist group began to grow. Members of the mob began threatening to burn down the HDP building, which had 50 people inside, among them children. Police set up a barricade to stop the racist group, but three HDP activists wounded in the attack were prevented from being taken to the hospital. Kurdish shopkeepers said their shops were looted and that racists attempted to lynch them.

Late last night in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, a sign appeared across from the HDP's district building. The sign, which bore the signature of an extreme Turkish fascist group, read: "you will see the power of the Turk." The phrase references a video that went viral recently in which a masked special operations police officer can be seen threatening dozens of Kurdish construction workers handcuffed on the ground.

(ekip/fk/cm)