A Turkish army sergeant known only as Z.Ç. allegedly sexually harassed two young Kurdish women in the Kurdish-majority city of Şırnak (Şirnex) on Friday evening, leading to widespread protests.
Z.Ç. reportedly followed the two young women to their apartment building and sexually assaulted them at the entrance. When the women called for help, bystanders intervened, resulting in the assailant being injured. The incident was widely reported in the media, and official statements confirmed that the assailant was a public officer, identified by the public as Sergeant Z.Ç.
The Women’s Council of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party has framed the incident as a reflection of the Turkish government’s broader policy of gender-based violence particularly targeting Kurdish women. The council’s statement asserted that such incidents are symptomatic of the “dirty war” policies that the government has been implementing in Kurdish-majority regions like Şırnak.
In response to the attack, various organisations, including local unions, political parties and human rights groups, marched in protest with banners proclaiming “Stop abuse and harassment”. DEM Party MP Newroz Uysal Aslan accused the Turkish authorities of facilitating the assailant’s escape, suggesting an institutional backing that shields such perpetrators.
The DEM Party Women’s Council’s press release also cited past cases like those of İpek Er, highlighting a recurring theme of systemic failure to prosecute uniformed perpetrators, contributing to a “culture of impunity”. This narrative was further emphasised by local union leader Murat Özbey, who remarked during the protests that the immediate public intervention was the only deterrent that prevented further harm to the women.
Meanwhile, the Free Women Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad or TJA) also pointed to the role of special warfare policies against Kurdish women. In their statement, the TJA stressed that such policies not only lead to loss of life but also moral decay, which gives uniformed personnel the confidence to commit abuses, protected by the “AKP-MHP’s fascist policies in Kurdistan”. They emphasised that similar incidents have repeatedly occurred, but through organised community response and self-defence, such immoral acts can be challenged.
The Şırnak Bar Association announced on Saturday that Z.Ç. had been suspended and detained after receiving medical treatment. The bar stated that this response came after the incident, which occurred on 12 April 2024, caused significant public outrage and led to the arrest of four civilians. The association emphasised its commitment to closely monitoring the ongoing judicial and administrative investigation, urging calm and asserting their role as a vigilant observer of the proceedings.
DBP Co-chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar visited Şırnak on Sunday and held a press conference denouncing the country’s security forces and the protections they have. “The expert sergeant under the name of the ‘security force’ is attempting harassment. It is very easy to commit these crimes in Kurdistan; a separate policy is carried out here!” Uçar said.
“No woman is alone wherever she is. I salute those who created the philosophy of Jin Jiyan Azadî. Embrace this philosophy with all hands,” she urged.
