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Big Tension On Manisa 07/01/2009

There has been a big tension in Manisa, Selendil for the past seven days. There are different explanations about reasons of the tension. In anyways the situation in Manisa is pretty calamatious. Since the new year evening all the incidents got worse and has become to a very bad end; a big group of local people ( between 1000-5000 there are different rumors about the number ) attacked to Gypsy people who have been living in the same neighbourhood for the last 35 years. Group stoned the Gypsies’ houses and burned the cars.

According to the different news about the incidents ; on new years eve a young Gypsy wanted to enter to a cafe with a cigarette in his hand ( smoking is banned inside the buildings) and the owner of the cafe didn't let him to enter. And a group from the cafe also reacted to the Gypsy man as well. But in late evening news one of the TV Channells NTV in Live Newspaper program had an interview with the actor of the incident, the young Gypsy man B. Uçkun made an explanation which was totally different than the other news. Uçkun said that the owner of the cafe didn't let him to enter the cafe by saying that " I don't have tea for Gypsies". And Uçkun claimed that when he responded to the cafe owner him and some other people attacked to him.

Again Uçkun claims the day after the incident the same group attacked to his neighbours and relatives and that incident raised the tension. And Uçkun’s relatives claimed that the group attacked to the Gypsies with a 1000 group of people and this group gathered together with municipality’s announcement. After that Manisa Municipality Mayor Nurullah Savaş clarified the situation and he said municipality made an announcement to control different groups which were gathering for another attack to the Gypsy neighbourhed, and this way they tried to reduce the tension in the neigbourhood.

After all these incidents B. Uçkun’s father had a heart attack and died. Security forces prevented some other possible violent incidents. In the interview Uçkun family said " Attacker group was manipulating the group by saying " beat the Gypsies, beat the Gypsies" and they attacked to us. Aren't we Turkish Republic citizens ? we are citizens of this country. When they came we called city military forces and they came and saved us. God bless them, they saved our lives. " Security forces had to ask for other neighnourd's help and so they could save the Gypsies from the attacks.

On December 30th night, after the argument between the cafe owner R. Y. and young Gypsy man B. Uçkun were taken to the custody and when Uçkun heard about that he had a heart attacked and died. After that Gypsy man’s relatives went to the cafe and protested the cafe owner. After that on January, 5 2010 a big group of people attacked to the Gypsy neighbourhood. Luckily only a few of the Gypsies were injured phsycally but there were lots of material damage after the attacked. Security forced prevented a possible bigger losses and dispersed the demonstrators.

After the incidents 76 of the Gypsies from the neighbourhood are taken to the under protection of security forces and they were temporarily moved to another neighbourhood Gördes for security reasons. After the incidents they were living in tents.

After all these incidents Turkish representatives Ali Koyuncu and Nursuna Memecan who contrubited very much to the happening of 1st Turkey Roman Workshop called the officers and got information and they also asked related officers to help Gypsy families whose houses and cars were damaged.