A racist attack took place against the family, originally from Diyarbakir, who has been residing for 20 years in Carıklıkoy of Konya's Meram district. A group of about 60 people attacked the Kurdish family with a gun. Hakim Dal (43), a family member, was killed in the attack. It was learned that the aggressive group living in Karahuyuk had threatened the family many times before. The governor's office, on the other hand, argued that the incident was not an "ethnic fight" but a "judicial incident".

Hamdi Dal, Hakim Dal's brother, speaking to Berna Kishin from the Mesopotamia Agency (MA), stated that the attack took place because they were Kurds. “They didn't want us because we were Kurds. They were saying to us, 'You will sell these places and leave'. People living in the surrounding villages were also putting pressure on us, they wanted us to leave. They have threatened us from time to time before. While the shepherds were grazing animals on the empty land in our village at night, the argument started. After the discussion, a group of at least 60 people came from Karahuyuk with weapons. First, they threw things at my uncle's son. We were three people and they arbitrarily attacked us because we were Kurds, using the shepherd's fight as an excuse. My brother died in the attack,” he said.

Eyewitness Mehmet Emin pointed out that the attacks against the family were not the first, and said, “The family makes a living from livestock. They have lived in this village for a long time. There have been at least 3 attempts to attack the family before. The instigator of the event is the chief of the village. The chief was provoking the villagers against the family. The headman was detained. No one has been detained other than him,” he said.

DAL KILLED IN THE RACIST ATTACK WAS BURIED

Hakim Dal was buried in Tatlicak Cemetery. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Murat Chepni and many other party members attended the funeral. During the ceremony, laments were heard in Kurdish.

A Kurdish family living in Bahceshehir Neighbourhood in Meram district of Konya attacked a racist group living in the same neighbourhood on July 12. The racist group that attacked with the threats "We are nationalists, we will not let you live here" seriously injured a family of 7, 4 of whom were women.

EXPLANATION FROM KONYA GOVERNORSHIP

The Konya Governorship, which made a statement about the incident, argued that the incident was not an "ethnic fight" but a "judicial incident".

In the statement made by the governor's office, the following statements were made:

"On 21.07.2021, in the Carıklar District of Konya Meram district, a dispute broke out between the residents of the two neighbourhoods because the animals of our citizens, who have been breeding sheep and goats since 2012, entered the fields belonging to our citizens residing in another neighbourhood, and the argument grew into a fight with guns and sticks. While the incident was calmed down by the gendarmerie who came to the region, one of the animal owners, Hakim Dal, was injured with a firearm during the fight and passed away in the Konya City Hospital, where he was taken. We wish God's mercy on our citizen who passed away. The incident stems from the enmity that broke out after the animals damaged the pastures and fields. The multi-faceted judicial investigation into the incident is continuing. The incident in question is a judicial incident, and certain circles are trying to reflect it as an ethnic fight, and a perception is created in this direction. Such provocative posts and news should not be respected." (EVRENSEL DAILY)