Ekrem Yaman, whose son was arrested not for drug use despite his pleas but for possessing a political book, expressed frustration with the Turkish authorities. “Fighting for your rights is forbidden, yet everything else is free game here,” Yaman stated, highlighting the paradox in the law enforcement’s response to his family’s ordeal.
Yaman’s struggle began over a decade ago when he first sought help for his son’s addiction from the Gaziantep (Dilok) Police, only to be turned away with the response, “We cannot arrest someone just for using drugs.” His efforts continued as he relocated his family to Uludere (Qileban), Şırnak (Şirnex), seeking a safer environment but found the drug problem even more pronounced. Despite presenting video evidence of drug transactions to the police, no substantial action was taken against the dealers or to support his son.
The situation took an unexpected turn when their home was raided in 2014 and his son was detained not for drug-related offences but for owning a book by Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). This arrest led to a six-month detention in a juvenile facility, with recent events seeing Yaman’s son incarcerated again under charges of “membership to a terrorist organisation” affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Ekrem Yaman expressed his exasperation, “Fighting for your rights is forbidden, yet everything else is free game here,” criticising the apparent indifference to drug issues while political infractions are rigorously pursued. He highlighted the ongoing drug menace in Şırnak, where “drug lords freely exploit our youth.”
