URFA - Having lost their three family members in an attack over two years ago, mother Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar have been detained while staging a sit-in protest in front of the Urfa provincial office of the ruling AKP.

 

Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar have been taken into custody in front of the provincial office of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey's southeastern province of Urfa.

 

Ahead of the General Elections on June 24, 2018, Emine Şenyaşar lost her husband and two sons in an attack carried out by the security guards and relatives of AKP MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız in their workplace and at hospital.

 

Having lost their family members, Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar went to the AKP Urfa office to meet the provincial chair of the party.

 

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the meeting did not take place as the AKP Urfa Chair was not in his office. In response to this, the two staged a sit-in protest in front of the party's office.

 

While the MA reporter was prevented from covering the protest, Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar were taken back to the AKP Urfa building afterwards. Following another discussion, they wanted to go out and continue their protest. However, they were prevented and detained by the police.

 

Using their right to stay silent at the Urfa Security Directorate, Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar are expected to be referred to the prosecutor's office today.

 

BACKGROUND

 

During the election campaign of ruling AKP Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız in Suruç, Urfa on June 14, 2018, an attack turned into an armed conflict, which claimed the lives of Yıldız's brother Mehmet Şah Yıldız, shop owner Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar.

 

Having lost his father and two brothers and been wounded himself in the incident, Fadıl Şenyaşar was discharged from hospital and detained on June 17. He was then arrested and sent to prison.