The residents of a village in the Mazıdağı district of Turkey’s Mardin province have claimed that the commander of a military post in Evciler (Qesrîk) threatened them with the destruction of their homes if they failed to cast votes for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in local elections slated for March 31.
The commander allegedly told the villagers that he would burn down the village unless there were at least 200 to 300 votes for the AKP from among the thousand eligible voters residing in the village.
The story appeared on the Mezopotamya news agency website on Tuesday, with the villagers opting to remain anonymous due to concerns of safety. The villagers also stated that the commander often accuses them of being terrorists for voting for the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).