ABTTF President: ‘‘We strongly condemn the completely arbitrary arrest and beating of a member of our community by a police officer in Xanthi and convey our best wishes to him and his family. The police officer responsible for this incident, which tramples on human dignity, and other responsible parties must be held accountable as soon as possible and receive the legal and administrative punishment they deserve’’.
In Sounio (Sünnetçiköy), a village in the prefecture of Xanthi of Greece, a police officer handcuffed and assaulted a 40-year-old member of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and abandoned him in a deserted area.
According to the information obtained, on 27 September 2025, the off-duty police officer encountered the hearing and speech impaired victim on the road and, mistaking him for an ‘‘illegal immigrant’’, handcuffed him without any legal procedure, placed him in the boot of his car, took him to an empty field and beat him there.
Following the incident, the police officer was taken into custody and referred to the public prosecutor’s office on charges of ‘‘abuse of authority’’, ‘‘deprivation of liberty’’, and ‘‘assault’’, while a disciplinary investigation was also launched against him.
‘‘We strongly condemn the completely arbitrary arrest and beating of a member of our community by a police officer in Xanthi and convey our best wishes to him and his family. This inhumane treatment and excessive violence by a police officer against a defenceless and innocent citizen are absolutely unacceptable. It is clear that this incident reflects the discriminatory rhetoric that has increased in our country in recent years and the hate speech targeting our community in politics and mainstream media. The police officer responsible for this incident, which tramples on human dignity, and other responsible parties must be held accountable as soon as possible and receive the legal and administrative punishment they deserve’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
