Police collect fingerprints of children in Kurdish-majority city 'to find them easily if they go missing'

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Police in the Southeastern province of Hakkari collect fingerprints of children. Tuğçe Tatari, a journalist for T24, wrote in her column on Tuesday (October 11) that the 'Community Supported Police Department' of the Yüksekova District Police knocked on doors and started to take fingerprints of households, "in case the children would get lost."

News about the project was shared on Twitter by the Hakkari Police on September 27. The tweet stated, "Within the scope of the 'Compass Police' project by our Yüksekova District Police Department Community Supported Police Bureau visited the citizens of our district and took their fingerprints so they could be reached more easily when they are lost and to resolve grievances."

The practice is seemingly going on for a while. Recently, news agencies reported that in August, "disabled people's" fingerprints were taken, with a similar aim to "easily reach them in case the disabled get lost."

"Good reactions from citizens"

Seda Köroğlu Kindar, an official of the "Community Supported Policing Branch Directorate," explained to the state-run broadcaster TRT and Anadolu Agency (AA) that the project aims to help disabled individuals and to combat grievances in the event of a disappearance.

The official explained that the project covers the entire province. "We provide information about the project to the families we visit. We aim to take the fingerprints of approximately 1200 individuals. We have received good reactions from our citizens on the subject. We are of the opinion that it is good work for our region."

The tweet shared by the Hakkari Police, though, states that not "disabled people" but "all citizens" fingerprints are taken. However, the photographs interpreted by Tuğçe Tatari and shared by Hakkari Provincial Security Directorate indicate that they focus on "mostly children."

As of yet, there is no ministry statement regarding the project's purpose and scope, why Yüksekova was targeted, and the legal and constitutional validity of the application.

Questions over legality

HDP Hakkari MP Sait Dede questioned if the practice is in accordance with the Constitution, the law, and article 5 of the Police Duties and Authority Act.

This article indicates that the police are only allowed to take fingerprints when someone voluntarily gives it, a person applies for a weapons license, driver's license, passport, and/or passport substitute, applies for citizenship, applies for asylum, or is taken into custody. The Minister of Interior has not yet responded to Dede's question.

Tuğçe Tatari raised several questions regarding the project. For example, why the country's largest cities, such as İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir are bypassed in this study. Tatari also points out that the main purpose of taking fingerprints is for identification in criminal investigations and asks the Minister of Interior to explain the details of this practice and whether it is implemented throughout the country or only in "certain regions." (AEK/PE/VK)