Seven members of a Kurdish family have been murdered in Turkey’s Konya province. The family was also the victim of a racist attack earlier this month, in which a number of people were injured, Turkish media reported.
The relatives, aged between 35 and 65, were murdered in their home yesterday, after which the house was set on fire. Three women are among the victims.
Ten people have been arrested, Turkey’s chief prosecutor said. The statement said the murder was the result of an 11-year-old feud between two families and had nothing to do with racist motives.
After the first attack, family members said the attackers were Turkish nationalists, who did not want Kurds living in their vicinity. According to the victims’ lawyer, he warned the attackers many times.
Arrest and try
The governor of Konya says the family members have been shot and promises that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice.
The pro-Kurdish party HDP condemns the killings, saying: “If the APK government does not change its policy towards the Kurds, the number of attacks will increase and become even more violent.”
A week and a half ago, a 43-year-old man was shot dead in Konya after being threatened for being Kurd. Even then, the authorities said that there was no question of a racist motive.
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