Hanife Arslan, a 78-year-old Kurdish woman currently detained in Turkey, has been accused of coordinating the 2007 Dağlıca attack* that resulted in the death of 12 soldiers. Her daughter Reyhan recounts the family’s history, rooted in the Bradost Tribe. Reyhan dismisses the accusations as improbable, given her mother’s age and the lack of concrete evidence.
According to Gülcan Dereli of Yeni Özgür Politika, Hanife’s ordeal began in the 1990s when her son Lokman Arslan was allegedly killed by JİTEM (Turkish Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Service) in the Bolu-Düzce region, a known site for extrajudicial killings of Kurdish activists. Lokman’s death, initially disguised as a traffic accident, was later found to have occurred 20 minutes before the alleged accident, suggesting foul play.
Despite suffering from various health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis, a medical report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine (ATK) in Istanbul declared Hanife fit for prison. Her family’s appeal for her release, citing age and health, has repeatedly been denied.
Reyhan explains the family’s historical significance in the Kurdish struggle, noting their roots in the Bradost Tribe, known for its resistance against the Iranian Shah in the 1600s.
She describes her mother’s dedication to peace, and her advocacy work as a ‘Barış Annesi’ (Peace Mother) and ‘Cumartesi Annesi’ (Saturday Mother), groups advocating for victims of forced disappearances and violence in Turkey. Reyhan expresses frustration over the ongoing legal battle and the lack of empathy shown towards her mother’s condition.
Reyhan also sheds light on the state’s surveillance and pressure tactics that have deeply affected the family. She recounts the ordeal faced by her brother, a former academic at Ankara’s Hacettepe University. Following Hanife’s arrest, he was subjected to constant inquiries and pressure from special operations forces, leading to severe psychological distress. This relentless scrutiny resulted in the development of a brain tumor due to intense stress, ultimately forcing him to resign and leave his academic career.
The family’s situation worsened as Hanife’s detention continued to exert psychological pressure on her loved ones. Her son Lokman’s children, despite being highly educated, faced difficulties in securing employment, a situation they attribute to their grandmother’s legal troubles.
The family’s lawyer, Jiyan Özkaplan, echoes these sentiments, emphasising the unfairness of Hanife’s situation, particularly in comparison to the release of other elderly or ill prisoners. Özkaplan points out the selective application of justice, highlighting a recent case where a prisoner was released following a decree by President Erdoğan.
(*) The Dağlıca attack was a significant and deadly assault conducted by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) against Turkish forces on 21 October 2007. The Kurdish guerilla PKK movement launched the attack on a Turkish military outpost in Dağlıca, located in the Hakkâri (Colemerg) Province near the Turkey-Iraq border, a region known for its mountainous terrain and a fighting ground for the ongoing Kurdish-Turkish conflict. The attack was one of the deadliest against Turkish military forces at the time, resulting in military fatalities and injuries. Turkish soldiers were also captured by the PKK during the assault.
