DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — Turkish police yesterday used tear gas and fired in the air to stop an enraged crowd from attacking five men suspected of raping a Swiss tourist in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, officials and witnesses said. The woman and her boyfriend, also Swiss, were attacked last Wednesday as they were camping outside the town of Muradiye, in the province of Van which borders Iran.Press reports quoted the woman as telling police they were approached by several men, who, after chatting with them for a while, beat and tied up her boyfriend after which one of them raped her at gunpoint. The assailants allegedly also took their money, jewelry and other valuable belongings.
An angry crowd of about 1,000 people yesterday surrounded the vehicle bringing the suspects to the Muradiye courthouse and scuffled with security forces, prompting them to use tear gas and fire warning shots in the air. A man was seen aiming a punch at one suspect through a window of the vehicle. The handcuffed suspects were rushed into the courthouse as dozens of police officers struggled to keep agitated residents at a distance. Local officials said residents were infuriated that the name of their town was “stained.”
A sixth person — an alleged prostitute who was accompanying the men on the day of the incident — was also among the suspects. The court was expected to question the suspects and decide whether to formally charge and jail them, pending trial.