Trans Woman in Samsun Tells: I Didn’t Attack Anyone, I Defended Myself

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Assaulted in the previous days in Samsun, trans woman İ.Y. spoke to bianet.

Denouncing the reports made with headlines such as “Travesty terrorism”, İ.Y. stated that she defended herself against the men who attacked her with clubs.

“In their deposition, it reads the incident sparked due to ‘exchange of glances’. There is no such thing. I don’t mind the insults anymore but they walked up to me with clubs and I defended myself. Now I will be unjustly tried. I am worried about my safety. I am planning to move to another city”.

Kept in detention for one night, İ.Y. was referred to court for arrest. She was then released on probation.

“They were scouting to attack”

İ.Y. explained what happened that night:

“I was returning home at around 10-11 p.m. Someone called out to me ‘hey, would you look here’. First, I didn’t hear and continued walking. Then I heard a sound and looked behind me. There were 5-6 men. I continued walking but I realized that they were scouting to attack me, they dispersed around. I moved to a pavement where I know there were cameras around but they weren’t letting me walk, they all dispersed around.

“I looked and couldn’t find anything to defend myself. There was a razor that I was using for my personal care. I took it out and showed it to scare them. They were kids, like around 18 years old. They came with big clubs when I showed them the razor. I yielded the razor in the air when they surrounded me. It cut edge of an ear and neck of one of them. They stitched him in the hospital.

“Then I headed my home. My trans friends here called me and told me to surrender. I wasn’t running away, I just wanted to return home. Then I called the police station and told them to pick me up from the square”.

“I feel depressed”

İ.Y. stated that she faced a similar situation in 2010 and she served two years in prison for defending herself and that the ones who attacked here were only fined.

“I keep being despised, I don’t know how much more I can tolerate it. It might happen again to me or some other friend of mine. I’m always being careful not to be hurt but I have to defend myself.

“Being detained, hurting someone else…I really feel depressed, I need support about this. I am not a merciless person to hurt people. I’ve never meant to hurt anyone in my entire life”. (ÇT/TK)